Ivy + Bean: The Ghost That Had to Go
Cute book adaptation has ghostly fears, childish taunts.
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Ivy + Bean: The Ghost That Had to Go
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">What Parents Need to Know
父母需要知道thatIvy + Bean: The Ghost That Had to Go, based on thebestselling book series, is about two little girls with vivid imaginations who sometimes envision potentially scary scenarios. In this movie, the girls imagine ghosts haunting a skull-ridden underworld cemetery beneath the school. A scary, dragon-like principal punishes students, who believe she has kids locked up in a closet. Kids read books on voodoo and the occult, and one girl chops off a lock of her sister's hair in the dead of night. There are pee and fart jokes. Ultimately the film's messages are about the value of friendship as well as the value of a responsibly managed imagination. Language includes "moronic," "tushie-tush," "stupid," and "weird."
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What's the Story?
Ivy (Keslee Blalock) and Bean (Madison Skye Validum) are convinced there are ghosts under their school in IVY + BEAN: THE GHOST THAT HAD TO GO. Ivy rounds up her classmates to carry out a spell to send the ghosts away, but in order to make it work, they'll need to get into the school at night and get around scary principal Mrs. Noble (Jane Lynch).
Is It Any Good?
The formula for Netflix's adaptation of the bestselling book series becomes clearer in the second entry to the series, where the titular dynamic duo confront an adult baddie and get into trouble. Again. Jane Lynch plays the mean adult inIvy + Bean: The Ghost That Had to Go, and she does it with gusto, staring down her nose and dismissively sending the littles to detention. A funny scene has her trying on a pair from her beloved shoe collection and accidentally farting in the process.
The ghost plot feels like a pretense to get the gang together to embark on yet another imaginative adventure, this one involving circumventing parents, cutting a lock of hair from an enemy (big sister Nancy), and accidentally flooding the school bathroom. The girls are duly punished but stop to make a very sweet oath of friendship before they're sent to their rooms. The series captures childhood energy (like cartwheels across the school lawn) and ingenuity. It's good, innocent fun.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the Ivy + Bean films compare with the books, if you've read them. What surprised you? What can films do better than books, and vice versa?
How are Nancy and Bean different? How do they treat each other?
Do you think Bean and Ivy deserved the punishment they got? Why, or why not?
Do you believe in ghosts? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: September 2, 2022
- Cast:Madison Skye Validum,Keslee Blalock,Jane Lynch
- Director:Elissa Down
- Studio:Netflix
- Genre:Family and Kids
- Topics:Magic and Fantasy,Book Characters,Friendship,Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Run time: 61 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: September 2, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
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Ivy + Bean
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Ivy + Bean, Book 1
Friendship tale a sure hit with kids starting chapter books.
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