Directed by Thor Freudenthal.
Starring Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn and Chloë Grace Moretz.
SYNOPSIS:
Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) is about to start middle school. He doesn’t know what to expect or more importantly, how he’s going to survive it. Thankfully his mum has bought him a
Ignoring the usual suspects of Dreamworks and Disney, trying to find a children’s film for anyone of any age to enjoy is near impossible. While Disney and Co can provide us with the brilliance of Toy Story and Finding Nemo, the studios can only churn out so many each year. Children however, have a minimum of 12 weeks off school every year, and that’s not including weekly sleepovers, birthday parties, or a boring Sunday afternoon. Searching through the cinema listings trying to find a film which your 10 year old will enjoy, but equally not make you want to claw your eyes and ears out, is an absolute challenge. Diary of a Wimpy kid is not one of those films. Diary of a Wimpy Kid is utter genius.
The film follows Greg Heffley, a boy about to start the impending doom that is middle school. Just before starting school Greg’s mum buys him a
Unfortunately for Greg he ignores all of his brother’s advice and joins the safety patrol, the school play, has a short-lived stint in the wrestling team, gets the cheese disease, plummets to number 202 on the cool scale, falls out with his best friend and has to befriend the kid with hairy stomach freckles so he has someone to sit with on the cafeteria floor at lunch time.
From this description it might be difficult to imagine how such a film could appeal to everyone, but even a quick glance at the director and writers credits give you an idea of how much talent has been involved with this film. The director, Thor Freudenthal, has previously worked on the Stuart Little films, Disney’s The Haunted Mansion, and Hotel for Dogs, and although the film’s based on an incredible successful book, some of the screenwriters have credits including That 70’s Show, Mad About You, Freaks and Geeks, and Life As We Know It.
The industry expression “never work with children or animals” couldn’t be less true for this film. Children’s films are often synonymous with bad acting, however the cast were incredible. Zachary Gordon (Greg Heffley) was a comic genius and had me laughing almost non-stop even from the opening sequence. The supporting roles played by Robert Capron (Rowley) as Greg’s best friend and Chloë Grace Moretz (Angie) were superb and complimented each other brilliantly. While this was Capron’s first time with this type of leading role, Moretz who is well known for her parts in Kick-Ass and Let Me In, took a back seat role in this film, appearing mainly when the young boys needed help and advice the most.
What makes this film so appealing to such a wide audience is that all the characters are relatable. I have no idea or experience of what it would be like to be a boy starting middle school in America, yet I found myself rooting for Greg to survive each disastrous experience after another, and feeling their embarrassment of having to sit on the cafeteria floor at lunch time with Fregley, the ginger kid ranked number 201.
If you have kids, they’ll drag you to see it, if you don’t have kids; drag a friend to see it. Either way, Diary of a Wimpy kid is comedy genius and guaranteed enjoyment.
Vicki Isitt
Movie Review Archive
Excellent review...couldn't agree more. Rating: 10/10
ReplyDeleteWe saw the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid Movie" and were surprised at how much we loved this movie. My wife and I didn't know what to expect as we hadn't read this New York Times, Best Selling book series, but our kids love them and the movie. They laughed their heads off, but I think my wife and I laughed louder and harder.
The movie touches you on levels you forgot about. It is true to the experiences of growing thru middle school and having the kind of relationships and family dynamics that Greg Heffley does. The movie is funny, laugh out loud entertainment and I found myself laughing most of the time. This movie is entertaining on so many levels.
Zachary Gordon did a superb job at turning this cartoon book character into a real live and very believable boy trying to find his way. He led us on an up and down road trip that evoked an emotional response at every turn. The rest of the cast was well selected and did a fine job.
What was also great was that they didn't make the kids superheros or phoney thinking "adult like" characters as in most other family type movies. Just real kids in real experiences. There are so many things to relate in this movie in comparison with your own coming of age experiences. If you can't find alot to relate in this movie, you must have grown up on another planet.
This is a fun, entertaining movie for everyone. One not to be missed. Rating: 10/10
Thank you for your detailed comments. Diary of a Wimpy Kid is out here in the UK today, hopefully it will do well.
ReplyDeleteWe loved the movie "Diary of a Wimpy Kid". Rated: 9/10
ReplyDeleteIt was so entertaining and funny. We were laughing out loud harder than the kids. There are so many comedic segments in this movie, it is hard to count and I don't want to give the story away...you have to enjoy it for yourselves. But I can tell you there are comedic relationship scenes, hilarious school play scenes, bathroom scenes, I'm not poopen till I'm in high school scenes, mother son scenes, older wicked brother scenes, wrestling scenes that you will laugh your head off and so many more.
This is a movie about surviving of age and Greg Heffley has a shot at it, but not everything goes the way he expects it to.(Greg Heffley, the star of the movie is played delightfully and believably by 11 year old child actor Zachary Gordon) This kid was so funny and his facial expression were so dead-on you couldn't help but root for him and laugh with him as well. This is a wonderful wholesome movie that is very believable and based in reality, no fantasy as so many other movies are. This is the living part and growing up part of life that everyone cringes about, but has no choice but to survive thru it into becomming an adult.
Deffinitely as good as any John Huges film about high school with the shift slightly younger, but much more believable and relatable.
If you really like fun wholesome comedy and you like it real and comming at you all the time then .go see Diary of a Wimpy Kid Movie, you just can't be disappointed!
You can't lose with "Diary of a Wimpy Kid Movie" Rating: 9/10
ReplyDeleteIt will have you in stitches in no time. We laughed so hard and so long. There was just alot to digest in this complex movie about survival in middle school/Jr. High School.
The movie hit cords of growing up, relationship problems, family problems, event problems, wrestling problom, on so many level, it's hard to keep up with the cast.
Zachary Gordon, who plays the star of the movie, Greg Heffley, does an oustanding job of bringing this cartoon stick figure to real life in 3 dimentions. The cast was great and the chemistry between the actors was simply the best. Rachel Harris and Steve Zahn play so well as the dufus and distant parents to the 3 brothers in the Heffley family. The kids play real and wholesome, and not stupified or non-human things.
Forget the $200,000,000.00 action 3D films, enjoy this one with a friend or alone, it won't matter...you will be cracking up and making a fool of yourself, but most of all you will enjoy this excellent movie and above all have FUN! This is the stuff that great cult films are made of.
Excellent review...couldn't agree more. Rating: 10/10
ReplyDeleteWe saw the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid Movie" and were surprised at how much we loved this movie. My wife and I didn't know what to expect as we hadn't read this New York Times, Best Selling book series, but our kids love them and the movie. They laughed their heads off, but I think my wife and I laughed louder and harder.
The movie touches you on levels you forgot about. It is true to the experiences of growing thru middle school and having the kind of relationships and family dynamics that Greg Heffley does. The movie is funny, laugh out loud entertainment and I found myself laughing most of the time. This movie is entertaining on so many levels.
Zachary Gordon did a superb job at turning this cartoon book character into a real live and very believable boy trying to find his way. He led us on an up and down road trip that evoked an emotional response at every turn. The rest of the cast was well selected and did a fine job.
What was also great was that they didn't make the kids superheros or phoney thinking "adult like" characters as in most other family type movies. Just real kids in real experiences. There are so many things to relate in this movie in comparison with your own coming of age experiences. If you can't find alot to relate in this movie, you must have grown up on another planet.
This is a fun, entertaining movie for everyone. One not to be missed. Rating: 10/10
Thank you for your detailed comments. Diary of a Wimpy Kid is out here in the UK today, hopefully it will do well.
ReplyDelete