Eleven year old Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) is about to begin middle school. Confident he’ll easily slide into its social norms, he receives a rude shock. Filled with an array of personalities, he can’t seem to fit into any of them. Eventually he finds himself in the ‘uncool’ group featuring his friend Rowley (Robert Capron). Attempting various capers to escape this social stigma, he writes his many plans in a diary in the hope his strange new life will begin to make some sense.
Often with children’s films, the more ‘mature’ viewer usually braces themselves for an onslaught of trite cuteness. Thankfully Diary of a Wimpy Kid dismisses this notion with energetic panache. As Greg attempts to find his place in the world, his meek personality and heightened sense of self-worth always stand in the way. His developing ego and friendship with Rowley brings out the best and worst in him with these elements wrapped in a consistently enjoyable package.
Why it works so well is its honesty in tackling the many school-yard rituals. From the use of hearsay in destroying reputations to some very assertive peer group pressure, these incidents ring uncomfortably true. That it’s told in such an entertaining way is a credit to those involved in creating a worthy adaptation of the popular book series.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid makes effective use of its source material by refusing to patronise its audience. That’s something most efforts catering to the children’s market continually forget with this film being a welcome exception to the norm.
Movie Review Rating 8 / 10
Movie Review by Patrick Moore
Diary of a Wimpy Kid released in Australia on Thursday 23 September 2010.
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