More than a decade has passed since the release of Disney’s hit adaptation of Judith Viorst’s beloved 1972 children’s book, “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.” It’s understandable, then, that in lieu of a straight sequel, we now are getting a remake of sorts, t he reasonably enjoyable straight-to-Disney+ reboot “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip.” The most impactful change made by the producers, who include filmmaker Shawn Levy and Lisa Henson of the Jim Henson Co., is replacing the story’s white family with one of the Mexican-American variety, which brings the intended freshness to the equation. Less significantly, instead of bad days, the movie’s namesake, Alexander Garcia (Thom Nemer), lives in fear of the bad luck he believes follows him everywhere. “I have the worst luck of anybody who’s ever lived,” the 11-year-old says in the movie’s opening narration. Hey, he’s not just being paranoid — his teen sister, Mia (Paulina Chávez), prefers to walk 10 feet ahead of him to be safe. Related Articles ‘The Penguin Lessons’ review: Another charming tale of an unusual friendship 49th Cleveland International Film Fest preview: New leadership’s soft reboot ‘Ash’ review: Flying Lotus shows promise helming sci-fi-horror offering ‘The Alto Knights’ review: De Niro does double duty in decent mob movie ‘Black Bag’ review: Engaging spy thriller gives us sex, lies and treason Convinced catastrophes lie in the path, Alexander wants no part of a planned family road trip to Mexico City, even though the clan will be riding in style. Mom Val (Eva Longoria) is a travel writer, and a magazine is springing for the Garcias to ride in an insanely high-tech luxury RV the size of a Greyhound bus. “It’s a land yacht,” declares Alexander’s grandmother, Lidia (Rose Portillo), who will be going along for the ride. Complicating matters: Lidia’s son and Val’s husband, Frank (Jesse Garcia), is facing the closure of his restaurant — a development he’s not eager to share with his wife, who’s been thinking about quitting her job because it so often takes her away from the family. Alexander’s choices are to go on the trip or remain home with Val’s rough-around-the-edges father, Grandpa Gil (a colorful Cheech Marin) — a decision that may or may not lead to Alexander experiencing his first cockfight. So, you know, he opts for the RV. Thom Nemer’s Alexander Garcia, left, and Cheech Marin’s Gil share a moment in “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip.” (Courtesy of Disney Enterprises) Before the family departs, however, Alexander discovers in the attic an idol that seems to be more than 100 years old. Gil reveals it is a cursed memento dating to the time of his grandfather. This, naturally, freaks out Alexander, but his parents try to assure him there’s no such thing as a curse. That’s a harder sell as the road trip almost immediately runs off the rails, a bunch of wild button-pushing inside the RV leading to an accident. The situation grows only worse from there, the Garcias reluctantly trudging on and trying to make the best of things. Ultimately, Alexander and Mia conclude they must return the idol — which they can’t seem to lose for any meaningful amount of time — to a specific Mexican town. Harvey Guillen, left, Paulina Chavez and Thom Nemer appear in a scene from “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip.” (Courtesy of Disney Enterprises) Perhaps borrowing from a classic episode of “The Brady Bunch,” in which the kids find a supposedly cursed idol while on a family vacation in Hawaii, Matt Lopez has penned an uneven tale about the importance of family togetherness that has heart but little in the way of clever moments. Lopez also wrote 2022’s “Father of the Bride,” a reboot with a Cuban-American spin that was generally well-received, and he does deserve credit for working in a joke about undocumented border crossings deep into the romp. It’s just a tad spicy for a movie like this, which we appreciate. “Very Bad Road Trip” benefits more from the direction of Marvin Lemus of the Netflix series “Gentefied,” who keeps things buoyant and bouncy — at least initially. The movie gets stuck in points, along with the family, but it never becomes a chore. The principal cast members all add something to the affair, with Longoria (“Desperate Housewives”) and Garcia (the Longoria-directed “Flamin’ Hot”) bringing the enthusiasm to their characters needed to balance out the pessimism of those portrayed by Chávez (“Landman”) and Nemer. In the titular role, the latter (“Snowfall”) doesn’t set the world on fire — as you worry Alexander may somehow actually manage to do — but the youth shows promise. Jesse Garcia and Eva Longoria portray husband in wife and “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip.” (Courtesy of Disney Enterprises) “Very Bad Road Trip” falls a little short of both its early promise and its 2014 predecessor, but if you’re in the market for about an hour and a half of family-friendly entertainment at home, it’s a solid choice. And hey, what’s (gulp) the worst that can happen? ‘Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip’ Where: Disney+. When: March 28. Rated: PG for some thematic elements and brief language. Runtime: 1 hour, 34 minutes. Stars (of four): 2.5. ...read more read less