How To Eat Fried Worms

Doubtless the idea of watching people eat worms for more than an hour will likely entice any conscious 10-year-old, but I can't deny more than a little reticence about the possibilities for an enjoyable moviegoing experience. Fortunately, the result was a pleasant surprise. While the film version of this hugely popular book lacks the complexity and wit to achieve the status of a classic, How to Eat Fried Worms, which was filmed in Austin, delivers heart and humor in a simple and straightforward manner. It's charming, funny, and even has a few good jokes for the over-18 set. The film tells the story of 11-year-old Billy (Benward), the new kid in a school suffering under the reign of the villainous bully Joe (Hicks). Ultimately, the film displays mature storytelling techniques, while never steering from the wide-eyed perspective of a kid who has to eat worms to prove his worth.