Director: Thor Freudenthal  Screenplay: Jackie Filgo, Jeff Filgo, Jeff Judah, Gabe Sachs, based on the novel by Jeff Kinney Cast: Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Devon Bostick, Chloë Moretz Time: 94min Age Restriction: PG13

Genre:
Comedy/Children

Summary Review:
Diary Of A Wimpy Kid is a smart and funny film that shows insight into the character of children and addresses the issue of popularity that many carry into adulthood.

Synopsis:
Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) is just about to start middle school and his older brother, Rodrick, has told him a number of nightmare stories about what his first day is going to be like and how he can survive the year.

But Greg is not intimidated, on the contrary, he is confident that he will make it to the top of the popularity list by the end of his first week. Unfortunately, becoming popular is not quite as simple as Greg anticipated, especially not for a nerdy kid like him.

So he embarks on a series of tactics to become a “class favourite” – the popular elite, who feature prominently in the school Yearbook. His plans are, however, repeatedly and inadvertently foiled by his desperately uncool best friend, Rowley Jefferson (Robert Capron).

Based on a series of cartoon books by Jeff Kinney, Diary Of A Wimpy Kid is a nimble comedy film, filled with the intelligent, but sarcastic humour of a geeky pre-adolescent. Greg Heffley is a likeable protagonist, despite his shallow ambitions, and the cast of children’s characters will take you right back to your own school days.

The cinematography is standard, but cleverly mixes the live-action sequences with partly animated cartoons, and Diary Of A Wimpy Kid features a good, nostalgia-inducing soundtrack.

It is a bit sophisticated for very young children and not all adults will be amused by the innocent humour, but Diary Of A Wimpy Kid is a charming movie with an underlying message of loyalty, friendship and being yourself.