Review: Fred: The Movie (2010)

I need hearing aids.

½

I'm sure everyone, under the age of 29, remember this guy named, Fred (Lucas Cruikshank), who would post silly videos on Youtube, screaming and talking about a girl he has a crush on, named Judy (Pixie Lott). Kids, sure, did love this content, but as we grew older, we slowly grew to hate it. But if you still like it as an adult, wow, good for you then.

Fred was a YouTube character created by Lucas Cruikshank when he was 12, back in 2005. In April 2008, Cruikshank launched a channel centered around Fred, and the character quickly gained fame, even becoming the first YouTuber to reach 1 million subscribers. Eventually, Nickelodeon signed him for three poorly received movies and an even worse TV show. Fred hasn’t been active for nearly seven years, and it seems this movie trilogy might have ended his career. The film features Fred constantly yelling, acting foolish, and mostly getting what he wants. His character is portrayed as an unlikable jerk, behaving completely out of character compared to the original videos. There’s even an inappropriate joke for a kids' movie. Fred’s behavior, which involves stalking his crush, cheating, and being generally obnoxious, is rewarded in the end, sending a negative message. The inclusion of John Cena feels like a cash grab, and overall, the movie is poorly made, with little enjoyment to offer viewers.

"Fred: The Movie (2010)" follows Fred Figglehorn (Lucas Cruikshank), a socially awkward and hyperactive teenager, on a wild adventure to find his crush, Judy (Pixie Lott), after discovering she has moved away. Along the way, Fred deals with his bullying neighbor Kevin (Jake Weary) and encounters eccentric characters like Bertha (Jennette McCurdy). Through a series of comedic misadventures, Fred's exaggerated antics lead him closer to Judy, though things rarely go as planned.

I cannot stand this movie. As a kid, I kind of enjoyed it, but now, I hate this movie. I didn't like when it first came out, and was surprised why people actually liked this. It's so bad. But I can't put the blame on Lucas Cruikshank, it's mainly the writing and directing. The other actors also do the best they could, but they too suffer from bad writing and directing. Jennette McCurdy, Pixie Lott, and Jake Weary probably regret being in this if I'm being honest. Jake Weary, who played Kevin, is the best part of this movie, also John Cena. They're the only two that actually seem to know what they're doing and the only two who actually made me laugh.

Why does this even exist? It contains some funny jokes, but the story is terrible, the editing is of the same level as the early Smosh videos on YouTube, and the acting is uninteresting. If I ever need to watch this again, I would need keep my volume down. My ears have suffered enough with that scream. I want to express my condolences to all of the parents who were dragged to this movie by their children.