Watching the movie for the first time, there were a few things that irked me. For one, was the enormous amount of pudding, grape juice, stinky cheese bombs, and other other unidentifiable goop really needed? I understand that someone getting a pie in the face is always god for a few laughs, and I understand that younger audiences find sludge and slime funny, but really? How many high flying water balloons full of anything but water does one movie really need? I thought Nickelodean was the king of slime.

The second item that bothered me was that the movie did feel at times like an extension of the "Hannah Montana" series. Jason Earles (Jackson of "Montana") stars as the hotel manager. While he does a great job breaking away from his role as Miley's big brother, when his character sarcastically refers to Osment's as "lil sis," I could not help but see them in their more famous roles. "Hannah's" Rico (Moises Arias) seems to be in danger of being type cast as the youngest and most sarcastic member of any on screen group. Also, of course, is the sarcastic nature of Osment's own character which seems to echo her portrayal of Lilly on that series. That being said, Osment's ability to pull of that sarcasm may be what won her the role though. In all, I think it would have benefitted the movie greatly to cast actors who were not already so closely associated with one another.

All of that aside, I did love the premise of the film. There seems to be no better time for people to learn about one another than when they are in an extremely stressful situation, like being kidnapped. During their ordeal, Neil even learns that the creative writing gene has found his daughter as well, and they are finally able to connect.

Speaking of writing, I loved the way the craft was shown in the movie. Little tips are revealed thoughout the film, with the goal of improving one of the character's writing skills. Melissa lets a would be writer know it is important to not just stick your reader in an environment, but to let them feel, and even smell it. Also, while it is obvious that Neil draws from his own life (when Melissa asks about having dinner behind a waterful, he thinks it would make a great setting for his next book), I have to admit it took me three viewings to catch every bit of dentistry related information found in his novels. The most obvious, is of course, that his character's catchphrase is "floss!"

All in all, the movie is fantastic. Although there are some moments that might make you cringe (you cannot wait to return those overdue library books until after you are done with the writer you just kidnapped), and there are moments that will go over most kids' heads (like Dostoyevsky doing his best work in prison), there are also moments that make you smile (Melissa takes a page from her father's book, literally, to get some help). Emily Osment is very natural in the role, and she is the one responsible for bringing the movie to life. It is, after all, her character's journey we want to follow, and her happy ending we want to see.

The plot may be ridiculous, and the villains more hilarious than heinous, but the film lives up to it's promise of being a feel good family film. Just like any truly Disney film, the conclusion finds itself tied up with a neat little bow, and I am definitely a sucker for those fairy tale endings. When the movie is released on DVD in May, I will likely be adding it to my collection, You should consider giving it a chance as well. I doubt you will be disappointed.