Diary of a Wimpy Kid – Movie review by Kate

Diary of a Wimpy kid – Movie reviews by Kate

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Rating: PG for some rude humor and language.

Genre: Children/family

Plot: Meet the kid who made “wimpy” cool, in a family comedy motion picture based on the best-selling illustrated novel Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, the first in a series that has thus far sold… Meet the kid who made “wimpy” cool, in a family comedy motion picture based on the best-selling illustrated novel Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, the first in a series that has thus far sold 28 million books. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID chronicles the adventures of wisecracking pre-teen Greg Heffley, who must somehow survive the scariest time of anyone’s life….middle school.

To Greg Heffley, middle school is the dumbest idea ever invented. It’s a place rigged with hundreds of social landmines, not the least of which are morons, wedgies, swirlies, bullies, lunchtime banishment to the cafeteria floor – and a festering piece of cheese with nuclear cooties. To survive the never-ending ordeal and attain the recognition and status he feels he so richly deserves, Greg devises an endless series of can’t-miss schemes, all of which, of course, go awry. And he’s getting it all down on paper, via a diary – “it’s NOT a diary, it’s a journal!” Greg insists, preferring the less-sissyfied designation – filled with his opinions, thoughts, tales of family trials and tribulations, and (would-be) schoolyard triumphs. “One day when I’m famous,” writes Greg, “I’ll have better things to do than answer peoples’ stupid questions all day.” So was born the Wimpy Kid’s diary. –© Fox

Starring: Zachary Gordon, Steve Zahn, Devon Bostick, Chloe Grace Moretz

Director: Thor Freudenthal

Running time: 1:30

Kate says – 3 stars “I went into this movie not knowing really what to expect from this popular book series adaptation and I am happy to report I was pleasantly surprised by Diary of  Wimpy Kid. It’s funny, witty, engaging, and entertaining. All this, and it even has a booger joke which made me laugh out loud. Yep, I’ll admit that, so you’ll feel better when you laugh at it too. Trying fit in and be a “cool” kid, while gracefully trying to make the transition from being someone who “plays” with his friends, to someone who “hangs out” with his friends, is something that is so very relateable.”

Ebert says – 3 1/2 stars “It is so hard to do a movie like this well. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” is a PG-rated comedy about the hero’s first year of middle school, and it’s nimble, bright and funny. It doesn’t dumb down. It doesn’t patronize. It knows something about human nature. It isn’t as good as “A Christmas Story,” as few movies are, but it deserves a place in the same sentence. Here is a family movie you don’t need a family to enjoy. You must, however, have been a wimpy kid. Most kids are wimpy in their secret hearts. Those that never were grow up to be cage fighters.“ (Read full review)

Lou Lumenick (New York Post) says – 2 1/2 stars “A diminutive youngster tries to survive bullies and social ostracization during his first year of middle school in “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” an above-average and sometimes surprising kid movie based on the first of a popular series of cartoon books by Jeff Kinney” (Read full review)

Rotten Tomatoes says – 51% “Consensus: Unlike its bestselling source material, Diary of a Wimpy Kid fails to place a likable protagonist at the center of its middle-school humor — and its underlying message is drowned out as a result.”

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