Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip – Film Review

Family road trip comedies thrive on a mix of heartwarming moments, chaotic misadventures, and character growth. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip, directed by Marvin Lemus, attempts to capture this formula but stumbles along the way. A standalone sequel to the 2014 film Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, this film replaces the original’s suburban family struggles with a supernatural-tinged journey across the Southwest. Despite its lively premise, a committed cast, and occasional flashes of charm, the film struggles with an inconsistent tone, excessive slapstick, and a muddled sense of purpose.

At its core, the film follows Alexander Garcia (Thom Nemer), a well-meaning but accident-prone kid who believes his family is cursed after discovering a mysterious Mexican idol. His mother Val (Eva Longoria), a travel journalist, organizes a family road trip, unknowingly setting off a chain of unfortunate events that include mechanical failures, animal encounters, and an international detour. Alongside Alexander, his father Frank (Jesse Garcia), older sister Mia (Paulina Chávez), grandmother Lidia (Rose Portillo), and grandfather Gil (Cheech Marin) must navigate this absurdly eventful trip while uncovering family tensions.

From the outset, the film leans heavily into exaggerated slapstick, with mishaps escalating from simple vehicle trouble to full-blown destruction. Unfortunately, rather than feeling organic or genuinely amusing, these misfortunes often come across as forced and over-the-top. The story introduces an intriguing folklore-inspired element with the cursed idol, but this subplot feels underdeveloped, serving more as an excuse for escalating chaos rather than meaningful narrative depth.

One of the film’s biggest issues is its inability to balance comedy with sincerity. The best family road trip movies (National Lampoon’s Vacation, Little Miss Sunshine) manage to juxtapose wacky set pieces with emotional resonance. Here, the emotional beats—particularly Alexander’s feelings of being ignored and his father’s secret struggles—are present but undercut by the film’s frenetic energy. Whenever a meaningful moment begins to take shape, it is quickly overshadowed by another exaggerated disaster.

Additionally, the humor feels outdated and repetitive. Skunk spray gags, runaway vehicles, and excessive destruction of property dominate the film’s comedic arsenal, making the antics feel exhausting rather than endearing. Even the characters’ cultural exploration, which had the potential to add depth, is often treated as an afterthought. The journey into Mexico and the exploration of family roots could have been a meaningful theme, but instead, it plays out as another chaotic detour with minimal substance.

One of the film’s redeeming qualities is its cast, who work hard to inject personality into their underwritten roles. Eva Longoria brings warmth and charisma as Val, and Cheech Marin adds some charm as the eccentric Grandpa Gil. Jesse Garcia delivers an earnest performance as Frank, and Paulina Chávez does a decent job portraying Mia’s teen frustrations. Thom Nemer, in the titular role, has the right level of energy but is often saddled with exasperated reactions rather than real character development.

Despite the talent involved, the film never allows the actors to fully explore their relationships. The script often resorts to having characters bicker rather than engage in meaningful conversations. Moments of growth—such as Frank coming to terms with his financial struggles or Alexander learning to let go of his anxieties—are touched upon but never explored with the depth they deserve.

The plot, while simple in concept, quickly becomes convoluted. Between the idol’s supposed curse, the constant vehicular troubles, and a series of detours, the film struggles to maintain narrative cohesion. The idol’s significance is built up throughout the film, only to lead to an unsatisfying revelation. This ultimately makes the journey feel pointless rather than enlightening, leaving the audience wondering what the actual takeaway is supposed to be.

Additionally, side plots—such as Mia’s anxieties about prom or Gil’s reflections on his Mexican heritage—feel underdeveloped and hastily resolved. Rather than weaving these elements naturally into the film’s core themes, they are treated as last-minute additions meant to tie up loose ends.

Marvin Lemus, best known for his work on Gentefied, attempts to inject some visual flair, but the film’s presentation remains largely unremarkable. The cinematography does little to enhance the adventure, often relying on generic shots of highways, desert landscapes, and small-town pit stops. There are a few vibrant moments—such as a nighttime festival scene in Mexico—but these are fleeting. The special effects, particularly in the more exaggerated action sequences, also feel cheap, further diminishing the film’s impact.

The pacing is another issue. The film frequently jumps from one disaster to another without allowing for proper buildup or payoff. Rather than feeling like a natural progression of bad luck, the obstacles feel like a checklist of increasingly absurd incidents. By the time the film reaches its climax, the audience may be more exhausted than entertained.

While Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip aims to deliver a fun, family-friendly adventure, it ultimately falls flat due to its excessive slapstick, uneven tone, and lack of meaningful character development. Despite a dedicated cast and a promising premise, the film fails to balance comedy with emotional depth, leaving little to resonate with viewers beyond its surface-level antics.

Fans of the 2014 film may find some amusement in the familiar chaos, but even they may struggle to connect with this overstuffed sequel. With a sharper script and a more focused story, this could have been a heartfelt and hilarious road trip. Instead, it’s a long, bumpy ride with little to show for it.