This is honestly the best Disney Movie i have seen since the 90's. It wasn't corny and the plot was very good. The ending wasn't lame or stupid, it had a lot of depth. This movie appeals to all ages its not one of those just for the little kids type of movie, because i am older and i loved it. in my opinion this movie was better then the Hannah Montana Movie and there is no reason that that movie was shown in theaters and this one was not. One of the main reasons the movie was so good was because the acting was absolutely brilliant. Selena Gomez (Alex Russo) gives the performance of a lifetime! She was absolutely amazing in this movie. David Henrie (Justin Russo) and Jake T. Austin (Max Russo) were amazing as well. There also was none of that trying to be funny comedy, like a lot of the Disney Channel Shows. I loved how the parents Jerry Russo (David DeLuise) and Maria Canals-Barrera (Theresa Russo) acted like real parents. I loved how this was truly about family, Selena and David had amazing chemistry as brother and sister as well as Jake Austin. It was so believable. The special affects were great! i loved the way they used their magic. Oh and i will also say, this is the first Disney Channel movie to make me cry since Tru Confessions, which is really saying something. Before this movie, i only occasionally watched Wizards of Waverly Place but after this i am planning on watching the new season. If you were a Disney fan in the 90's and you miss those movies like Wish Upon a Star and Susie Q, this movie will live up to your expectations. i give this 10/10. its the best Disney movie of this decade.

I'm surprised that the Walt Disney Studios didn't release this film version of their series The Wizards Of Waverly Place to the big screen first as they did with Hannah Montana. Given the special effects it probably would have been better served on the big screen.

Be that as it may, I think more than the fans of the television series would appreciate this one. When I reviewed the television series I said that the kids reminded me of the Partridge Family offspring. They still do, but in the course of the film the story is more of a Harry Potter type story.

Selena Gomez who's the pretty, but slightly rebellious middle child balks at the restrictions in general placed on her magic by her parents, but even more so when the family goes to the Caribbean for a vacation. With a really powerful wand in her hand, she says something really dumb like she wishes her mother and father had never met. So when David DeLuise and Maria Canals Barrera treat her and brothers David Henrie and Jake T. Austin. Of such wishes are Twilight episodes and It's A Wonderful Life plots spun.

The only thing to do is for the kids to find the Stone Of Dreams which can reverse any spell. But Gomez, Henrie, and Austin have other folks looking for the same Stone to cure their problems.

The cast of the show is an appealing one and the show itself might gain a few viewers with this film. But it really should have gone to the big screen first.

Though each individual episode of the hit Disney Channel TV show "Wizards of Waverly Place" is fun and quirky in its own right, all the material (acting, plot, witty one-liners) seems to fly by so fast that the viewer isn't left with much real emotion. It's almost as if the show gets so caught up in the formula (Alex does bad but prevails, Justin does good but never gets rewarded, etc.) that it doesn't take enough time to slow down and really examine the relationships between any of the characters. Luckily, the "Wizards of Waverly Place" movie solves that problem.

For a basic plot summary, the magical Russo family begins the film with Mom and Dad dragging the kids off on a vacation to recreate their honeymoon. The usual eye-rolling and complaints begin, but Alex (played by the always-entertaining Selena Gomez) takes things one step too far by metaphorically wishing (while holding the family's magic wand) that her parents had never even met, thus they wouldn't be on this "stupid vacation" in the first place. Of course, thanks to the wand, that wish is granted, and suddenly the Russo siblings are no longer part of a family, as Mom and Dad don't even recognize each other. The rest of the film, then, centers on the kids' quest to find the "Stone of Dreams", a magical, enchanted item that can grant any wish or reverse any spell.

With the expanded feature-length runtime, the plot and character development of the film are able to be realized much more deeply than in any previous episode. We get to learn more about both parents and why they are like they are, as well as how the Russo children (namely Justin and Alex) view each other and what can be done to better those relations. In a touching scene that just might make you start to see through some mist, both Alex and Justin come to terms with each other involving the sometimes-bitter sibling rivalry that has existed between them from the very beginning. This plot line is also a great message for younger children, promoting the values of family and working together.

As usual, the acting is also spot-on. Dad (David DeLuise) and Mom (Maria Canals-Barrera) are at their over-the-top best, while Alex (Gomez) and Justin (David Henrie) are constantly involved in a brilliant give-and-take that will have you both laughing and misting over at different occasions. Even youngest brother Max (Jake T. Austin) hits all the right buttons as the somewhat dumb- founded, yet very innocent bringer of the more physical comic relief.

So, considering this film's ability to delve deeper into the relationships between each character, I consider it to be a rousing success and look forward to great things from the show going forward. Plus, the climax of the final results in the long-awaited "Wizard Challenge", which will determine the Russo child who will come away with the magical powers into adulthood and thus set the stage for Season Three on the Disney Channel.