College Road Trip is a fun and crazy ride in which families will be glad they’re included.  The production value is high, with many special effects, good editing, and clever screenwriting.  The acting is spot on, and Donnie Osmond steals the show as the over-the-top, happy-clappy father.  Martin Lawrence’s character is so relatable to those who are contemplating sending their precious offspring into the world.  The only problem is that the movie makes going away to college look so amazingly fun, that it might be hard to make a connection with those who are taking the stay-at-home or close-to-home higher ed route.  (There really are benefits to that, too!)

What's refreshing is that finally there’s a college movie that’s not gross, crass or wild.  Think about the college-themed movies of the recent past:  Animal House, Revenge of the Nerds, Old School, Scent of a Woman, Rules of Attraction, etc.  College just lends itself to portrayals of wild, drunken parties and crazy, sexual exploits with very little education happening at all!

In contrast, College Road Trip features Disney darling Raven Symone, who brings her That’s So Raven (The Disney Channel) comedic chops to the big screen in their best form.  It’s all the humor and none of the crassness.  At one point, her character gets to sing and dance and incite a busload of Japanese visitors to sing back-up on a rap song.  Hilarious!  And Donnie Osmond and his character’s daughter get to perform some equally entertaining musical numbers (much to the Porter family’s dismay), as the two families find themselves squished together in the same car for a whole day.

It’s commendable that Disney targets the family so compellingly in this kind of movie.  Even young kids will enjoy the film as it also features a young boy genius, his naughty pig, and their maddening escapades.  The movie is precious, funny, and definitely a film to be supported by families.  With our box-office dollars, we need to show that this is the kind of movie we want lots more of in theaters. 

CAUTIONS:

• Drugs/Alcohol:  None.
• Language:  None.
• Sex:  None.
• Violence:  Comedic slapstick.
• Worldview/Theme:  Even the most loving, protective parents need to give up control, begin to trust, and release their children to become independent.