The Even Stevens Movie

In the summer of reality shows, even TV movies are going along with the trend.

Disney Channel’s “The Even Stevens Movie” sends Louis Stevens, played by Shia LaBeouf, and his family on a paid vacation that turns into a complete disaster.

The Stevens family lands on a tropical island called Mandelino, and, without knowing, a horrible reality show called “Family Fakeout.”

After the unbelievable setup, the family argues, starves, struggles in the forest, bullies the natives and deals with an annoying mechanical squirrel. Everything looks like a cheap version of “Survivor,” but some filming was done Hawaii.

The insane movie, released in 2003, takes some sort of shots at the reality trend. The sharpest points are kept for the show’s difficult host, Miles McDermott, played by Tim Meadows, a ratings-wanting jerk. “Isn’t life funny when it’s not happening to you?” he tells viewers.

The movie’s children’s fans won’t care about the spook. They will like the insane comedy and the chance to look in again on the Sevens family of Sacramento, California. Hal Boedeker said in his review, “The series' last new episode aired Monday, after three years and 65 installments. Even Stevens will continue in reruns on the channel.”

In the movie, Louis, who is basically like Dexter from “Dexter’s Laboratory,” creates a decorative mechanical chair and ruins his sister Ren’s junior high graduation with a remote-controlled beach ball.

Ren, played by Christy Carlson Romano, who looks ready for college, is having relationship problems. Boedeker said, “On the island, she meets a native boy -- blond, he has the spacey manner of a New Age dude. He's one tipoff that the family is being hoodwinked; a stone goddess named Oprah is another.”

Dimwitted brother Donnie, played by Nick Spano, who will leave for college in the fall, sizzles through the highly frustrated vacation. Lawyer dad Steve, played by Tom Virtue, is out of work and wants to enjoy a free trip.

The scam angers the balance of mom Eileen, played by Donna Pescow, a state senator. Young neighbor “Beans” Aranguren, played by Steven Anthony Lawrence, adds farting to the trip.

Disney Channel, which enjoyed so much success with Lizzie McGuire, is smart enough to manipulate another franchise. “The Even Stevens Movie,” according to marketing, marks “the first time an original comedy series on Disney Channel has inspired an original movie on the channel.”

Boedeker said, “It is not auspicious. It feels labored and padded, with a music video for "Dream Vacation" tacked on the end.”

What’s surprising is how well the actors do despite the vacuousness. Pescow and Romano are pleasing even in the craziest circumstances.

Boedeker noted, “LaBeouf's zany style recalls the young Jerry Lewis and Bob Denver.” “The Even Stevens Movie” could make you think of “Gilligan’s Island,” it’s not great television, but fans should be pleased.

This movie is insane, as you might have guessed. I give the actors credit for at least trying and enjoying the insanity that they are in, but this is not a film that I would think of seeing again. Just making this movie look like a spoof on “Survivor,” a show that I only saw some of the first season of and never saw after that, I don’t think I would like to watch this film again. I never even heard of the show before I saw the film, but if you have, you might like this. See it if you want, but I think I will stay away from this show.

Tomorrow I will be looking at the “Freaky Friday” remake in “Disney Month 2021.”