"Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life" is about in-betweeners, kids straining at the boundaries of childhood. In this story, based on the book written by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts, boundaries are in fact the enemy. The movie itself is somewhat in-between: It has creative flair but comes short in an attempt to be meaningful.
Directed by Steve Carr ("Paul Blart: Mall Cop"), it imagines a world where institutions are evil, principals are tyrannical and all-out insurrection is the answer. It's a rebellious romp that celebrates creativity and outside-the-box thinking, even though parents might hope that their children won't be too inspired to copy the elaborate pranks it depicts.
Griffin Gluck (TV's "Back in the Game") plays Rafe, a dreamer and a doodler who is never far from his sketchbook. Though he seems like a nice enough kid, he has a serious aversion to authority. Transferring into his third school of the year, he finds a worthy opponent in the rule-book-obsessed principal. Adopting the motto "rules aren't for everyone," (R.A.F.E.), he and his best pal Leo (Thomas Barbusca, "American Horror Story") set out to break every rule in the book.
Carr cast comedy heavyweights in the roles of the adults. Lauren Graham ("Gilmore Girls") plays Rafe's charming single mother, and she's about the only "normal" adult they encounter. But the true genius lies in the casting of the villains: Andrew Daly ("MADtv") as uptight Principal Dwight and Rob Riggle ("Modern Family") as Rafe's dirtbag future stepdad. Retta ("Parks and Recreation") plays a fine lieutenant to Daly as the vice principal.
The movie borrows its themes from '80s classics like "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "The Breakfast Club," but it shows innovative style with animated sequences from Rafe's lively imagination. The characters step off the pages of his sketchbook, making his internal battles visual. It's a smart way to illustrate just how high-stakes these conflicts are for Rafe, though sometimes they are a digression from the story itself.
There's also a surprising sense of pathos that reveals itself toward the end. While it's a fascinating twist, it seems a bit unearned, and the film doesn't fully tie up all of the connections to the deeper psychological issues behind Rafe's behavior issues.
