Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip parents guide

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip Parent Guide

It's an entertaining romp that celebrates families, but this film has a surprising quantity of minor profanity.

Overall B+

Disney+: The Garcia family embarks on a road trip to Mexico City, but this is no normal family vacation...

Release date March 28, 2025

Violence A
Sexual Content A
Profanity B
Substance Use A

Why is Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip rated PG? The MPAA rated Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip PG for some thematic elements and brief language

Run Time: 94 minutes

Parent Movie Review

Alexander (Thom Nemer) has a problem: he’s cursed. Things always seem to go wrong around him, to the point that he’s dedicated his life to avoiding risk at all costs. When his mom (Eva Longoria) insists on a family road trip to Mexico City, Alexander is terrified. There are so many things that can go wrong on the road. As the family sets off and things start to go awry, they’ll need to come together as a family to keep the trip going and maybe break the curse in the process.

“Family trip goes wrong” is well-trodden territory in family entertainment, and for good reason. There’s a lot of comedic material to dig into, and some fun adversity is always a great way to teach lessons about togetherness. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip is not terribly original in its premise or messages, but that doesn’t make it any less fun. The Garcias learn to come together and understand each other better, while Alexander learns that if you’re always looking for bad luck it’s sure to find you.

Although predictable, the story is an entertaining romp. The antics the Garcias get into are funny, and each character is well written and defined. The plot drags a bit in the middle, but I was mostly entertained, and I was rooting for this family to get to their destination. I think child viewers will especially love the various situations, which are always silly and never veer into actual peril.

The content concerns for this film are minimal, aside from a surprising number of terms of deity. Whether that is a factor for your family is of course up to you, but if it isn’t I think this film is a great choice for most audiences. It’s short, funny, sincere, and has surprisingly good performances. It’s not breaking any new ground and I’m sure I’ll forget about it soon enough, but in the moment, I had a good time. And that’s good enough for me.

Directed by Marvin Lemus. Starring Eva Longoria, Thom Nemer. Running time: 94 minutes. Theatrical release March 28, 2025. Updated

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Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip
Rating & Content Info

Why is Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip rated PG? Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip is rated PG by the MPAA for some thematic elements and brief language

Violence: There are some humorous mildly perilous moments. An empty car explodes.
Sexual Content: None.
Profanity: The script contains 30 terms of deity.
Alcohol / Drug Use: None.

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Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip Parents' Guide

Why is Alexander always thinking about potential negative events? How does that thinking shift by the end of the movie and how does it affect his moods and relationships?

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Home Video

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