Film Reviews

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

• Rating:
• Director: Thor Freudenthal
• Starring: Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Rachael Harris
• Details: US/TBC TBC

Sweet and well played by the young cast, this good natured comedy has a predictably positive message, that will see the fruit of your loins go straight to their BFF's for a hug after leaving the cinema. While the always brilliant Steve Zahn makes a fleeting appearance as the generic father, there isn't a whole lot else here to entice folk to see it, without the kids. Greg and Rowley are two youngsters who have just entered the strange and foreboding place that is middle school. Greg naturally assumes he will be top dog, and Mr. Popular, but things don't go quite as smooth as he planned, and soon he finds himself on the bottom rung of the school hierarchy. Desperate to become popular, he alienates his best mate, who he thinks is the one holding him back. The message is simple; be yourself and don't try to be anyone else just to be popular. In tween terms I think that translates as 'be Jersey Shore, not The Hills'. Whatever the analogy, this is a straightforward kiddie effort, executed with enough charm and proficiency to keep you amused, and the youngsters (especially boys) occupied for an hour and a half. Kick Ass star Chloe Moretz makes a surprising appearance as the cool outsider, who offers the lads bits of advice, while Gordon proves himself a capable little actor. However, it's the rotund Robert Capron who impresses most. He's not exactly required to do an awful lot in terms of range, but his reaction shots are priceless, and the kid is a comedic natural. Young boys pick their noses, and then run after other kids with snot on the end, and the core plot of the film continually comes back to a piece of rotting cheese. In a word, 'silly', which is one of the main reasons why the offspring will love it.

Review by Mike Sheridan