Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
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Zachary Gordon, starring s as Greg Heffley, is making that fateful leap into the socially complex, merciless environment known as middle school. Determined not to be in the lower social strata, Greg carefully weighs wardrobe, modes of transportation, where he sits in the lunchroom. He even evaluates his relationship with his best friend, Rowley -- played by Robert Capron.
Both Greg and Rowley have received advice from parents to simply be themselves and they'll be fine. It's interesting that Greg chooses to try to mold his interests and style and everything seems to backfire, while Rowley doesn't change a thing. Guess whose popularity star soars?
The film is loaded with all of the stereotypical characters: the older brother who is trying to sabotage poor little Greg; we have little miss perfect who still hates Greg from the time she had to beat him up in the fourth grade; mandatory in such a movie is the weird gym coach; and, of course, we have to have the older kids who are going to get Greg for messing up their truck. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" is formulaic and it has the mandatory rude, tree house humor that we simply can't live without nowadays. There are few notable performances; basically, we have a glorified after-school, made-for-TV movie on the big screen.
Just two stars for "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," and it's rated PG.
