Movie Review: "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip" is Bumpy, But Full of Heart

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip shares little more than a title and premise with its 2014 predecessor. While some of the creative team returns, the cast and characters are entirely new. In that sense, it’s a standalone sequel in the same way Home Alone 3 was to its franchise.

Alexander (Thom Nemer, Snowfall) is convinced his family is cursed after discovering an ancient idol in the attic - just in time for a chaotic road trip. His mom, Val (Eva Longoria, Only Murders in the Building), is a travel writer assigned to test a luxury RV that turns out to be anything but glamorous. His dad, Frank (Jesse Garcia, Flamin’ Hot), has just lost his job but keeps that news under wraps. Meanwhile, his sister, Mia (Paulina Chávez, Feliz NaviDAD), is furious about missing promposal week at school. Add in two bickering grandparents (Rose Portillo and Cheech Marin), and disaster is inevitable.

Where Bad Day balanced broad comedy with heart, centering on a middle child’s struggle to be seen in a chaotic household, Road Trip shifts gears toward cultural identity, using travel as a way for a Mexican-American family to reconnect with their roots. While the first film’s humor was a mix of slapstick and smart family dynamics, this one leans more into kid-friendly antics.

Full of wild, madcap excursions, this 90-minute adventure aims more for childish laughs than finding humor for all ages. Unlike Bad Day, which kept parents entertained with witty asides, Road Trip is primarily designed for younger viewers. There are a few moments that try to straddle the generational divide, primarily a recurring cameo by Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), but most of the broader appeal comes from a nostalgic blooper reel during the credits.

The film’s biggest hurdle is its structure. Bad Day cleverly weaves multiple perspectives into its narrative, giving Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner substantial screentime while still serving Alexander’s story. Road Trip, on the other hand, is more of a checklist of chaotic detours. The family road trip genre is well-trodden, and while this entry is charming, it rarely swerves outside the expected route. Still, the cast is likable, and the feel-good finale lands squarely in Disney’s comfort zone.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip may not break new ground, but it’s refreshing to see Disney+ keeping the spirit of 90s live-action family comedies alive. It’s easygoing, harmless fun, designed to bring families together in a shared experience. In that spirit, it accomplishes its goal.

I give Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip 3 out of 5 “Britney Spears Changed My Life" t-shirts.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip is now streaming on Disney+.