Visitors Review

(2012-05-24 17:45)

Pretty funny movie

This review is from: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy) (Blu-ray) My 8 year old son loves the books and he loved the movie. I was a little disappointed that the main character was so rude to others during most of the movie, but overall it did have a lot of laugh out loud moments that were great.

TxMike (2012-05-24 04:55)

Trials of a kid's new school year, entering the 6th grade.

This is not a movie I would normally seek out, and I didn't, but mypublic library got it, so I watched it. Good that it is rated 'PG' butthere are a few scenes when the older brother says "I am going to KILLyou" and that thought doesn't seem very PG to me.Zachary Gordon is the lead character Greg Heffley. Even though he wassupposed to be 12 going into the 6th grade, he really was 11 duringfilming, I suppose to exaggerate the size different between him (verysmall) and the other middle school kids (much larger). On the morningof his first day, his high school older brother gives him advice,"Don't say anything, don't do anything, don't get involved withanything and you MIGHT survive middle school." Of course that isn't something Greg can do. He views himself assomething special among mere mortals and it is just a matter of time,he thinks a very short time, before he is recognized campus-wide as thespecial young man he is. But in reality he isn't special, he can't runfaster, or wrestle better than the others. He even gets taken down by agirl! He is a wimpy kid.Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson is Greg's best friend, but Rowley hasa way of saying the wrong thing in almost every situation. When Greg isseriously considering snubbing Rowley, the opposite happens. Rowleygets to be popular, and wins the cartoon contest Greg was so sure hewould win, and thus his trials continue.Most adults would probably tire of this movie quickly, as my wife did,and just walk away. I stuck with it, there are some entertainingscenes, but overall probably best viewed by the 10 to 13 year old kids.Rachael Harris, Greg's mom, is played by Susan Heffley. Steve Zahn isthe dad, Frank Heffley.

(2012-05-23 19:52)

movie reminds me of Leave it to Beaver

Zachary Gordon kind of reminds me of Jerry Mathers in Leave it to Beaver. I like the acting in this movie. Especially the end where there was a Mother/son dance. This is a typical kid movie I think Hollywood needs to make more of.

(2012-05-23 00:59)

Bad title, Bad movie, waste of time, waste of money

This is an extremely terrible movie. In addition to be plotless, boring and annoying, the behavior, events and looks of the actors did not fit the age group they were supposed to depict! Instead of acting like middle schoolers, Greg and his friends behaved more like 2nd or 3rd graders! I can say no more except dont watch this movie! It is not amusing, entertaining or enjoyable! The only word to describe it is stupid!

georgia_cushion (2012-05-21 21:35)

Dear diary...

Before watching this, I thought that it would be a cheesy, American,middle school film made for five-year-olds. I was proved wrong. Ithought that it had a humorous story-line and there were a lot of goodactors. I thought that the whole school situation was portrayed verywell and the characters acted like they were of that age. It was a lotfunnier than I expected it to be, I even found myself laughing-out-loudin some parts, which I barely ever do in children's films. Overall Iwould say that Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a very good film with some veryamusing parts. Also an excellent family film, it will find your innerchild! I would rate it 7.5/10 and say that it is suitable for anyone!

vooheesv33 (2012-05-21 04:46)

Diarea of a wimpy kid

Oh my god. This is a perfect example of a great book turned into thebiggest piece of crap i have ever seen. I mean everyone looks likejerks in the movie. It wasn't even funny. i mean maybe one or two timei laughed out loud but other than that it sucked. They picked the wrong actors for Greg, Rowley, and the mom. Rodrick andFregley on the other hand were perfect matches but sadly they werethrown into this piece of crap and now a I think there acting careershave been damaged by this shitty movie. No matter how much you like thebook (I have read it 5 0r 6 times) you will hate it as much or Morethan I do.

(2012-05-21 06:11)

Wimpy and Wonderful!

I do a lot of volunteer work with a local Middle School and Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a wonderful movie about the good and the bad when it comes to a kid facing his friends and enemies at school! I will admit this is perfect family fun for everyone. I just recommend staying away from cheese on the pavement! :)

(2012-05-20 13:22)

Awesome Movie!!

This review is from: Diary of a Wimpy Kid [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) This movie brought me back to middle school times. I'm an adult now. But this movie was highly entertaining. I can still relate to a lot of it, even though I am an adult and I don't have the same situations any more. But this movie makes it easy to remember. Middle school is a simpler time in your life. And this movie paints that picture very well. I don't mean they dumbed it down. This movie was smart with a very good message: "Never turn on your friends". What I mean is it shows how kids worry about simpler things in middle school. And they are frequently hilarious, just like the entirety of this movie. Zachary Gordon did an A+ job as Greg. I can't wait to see them all back in the sequel, and the one after that and the one after that! I give this a 10/10!

mdonat1 (2012-05-19 03:50)

Amusing

If you want to be entertained, then this movie is for you. Granted alot of the humor is sophomoric, but after all it is about middleschool. It really does depict how it can be. Especially the importanceof being popular. The last thing you want is to be the least popularkid in the school. It also depicts how simple things are magnified andmade out to be a really big deal,like getting the "cheese touch". Thebest part of the movie are the characters. You can easily identify andrelate to them without being over done and going over the top. Some ofthe parts of the movie, I could have done without because it didn't addmuch. For example the teenage bullies who chased around Greg and Rowleyafter squirting them during trick or treat. Other than that, I waspleasantly pleased and would recommend going.

(2012-05-18 17:36)

My kids love the movie

This review is from: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (DVD) For some reason my seven year old is crazy about the Diary of a wimpy kids books, and he likes the movie too. Although, I have the feeling, that he was slightly disappointed while watching the movie after the books.

(2012-05-17 02:04)

great movie for the whole family

This review is from: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy) (Blu-ray) This movie is a perfect family movie. It captures the heart of what many kids go through and conveys it with honesty and humor. Highly recommended.

(2012-05-16 15:33)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a cute look at school bullies & popularity in middle school

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" was directed by Thor Freudenthal ("Hotel for Dogs") based on the book by Jeff Kinney. Zachary Gordon plays Greg Heffley, a kid entering middle school for the first time with the company of his best friend, Rowley Jefferson played by Robert Capron. Greg becomes obsessed with the idea that he needs to do something notable to get into the "Class Favorites" section of the yearbook in order to make his mark and hit the big time, if it weren't for the dorkiness of his best friend holding him back.Greg has the curse of being a middle child so he is largely ignored by his parents in favor of his younger brother still potty training and his older brother, Rodrick (Devon Bostick) takes great delight in torturing Greg giving him rules he must follow or suffer the consequences. Incidentally, a sequel is already in the works called "Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules." Instead of keeping his head down and getting through these difficulty years, Greg fights the laws of nature in his household becoming a burden to his family and often getting in trouble.With the situations and the way they are presented, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" feels more like an extended TV show of something like "Malcolm in the Middle" instead of a feature film. It has an amusing way of blending in the stick figure illustrations from the book into the story to represent Greg's visualization of the up and down changes in social status he and his friends experience. Greg tries several tactics to get famous in his school that fail fantastically like joining the wrestling team, auditioning for the school play, and joining safety patrol. Many of his problems stem from his own ego which is immature and underdeveloped and often places the blame on his less than cool friend, Rowley instead of turning the focus on himself.The only times "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" feels like a movie are when Chloe Moretz (Hit Girl from "Kick Ass" who plays Angie Steadman enters the scene. She towers over the boys in height and maturity about their current situation. She tries to impart her wisdom on them that none of what happens in middle school really matters in the grand scheme of things and that it is infinitely better to sit back and watch others make fools of themselves for popularity and comment on it in the school newspaper. Greg turns down her invitation to join the paper insisting it would be a conflict of interest since the paper will be too busy reporting on him (which it does...when he makes a fool of himself). Chloe Moretz has an amazing screen presence that is such a pleasure when she is there and the movie noticeably reverts back to that TV style format again when she is gone.The take on middle school drama, social status concerns, and the influx of made-up rules that can make or break your popularity is very familiar and a good wake-up call to kids that age. For adults, it might be a little familiar or nostalgic but no longer as engaging a problem to relate to. Director Thor Freudenthal's style is very much for kids and young families and in reaching that target demographic, it succeeds. It doesn't quite hit that sweet spot where it can be appealing to kids and adults simultaneously like "A Christmas Story" though it tries very hard.Special Features:There is full-length commentary by Director Thor Freudenthal and Writer Gabe Sachs where they go into detail about what was and wasn't in the book, what monologue was used to audition for the lead and how they picked Zachary Gordon. The Angie Steadman character played by Chloe Moretz was not in the original source material, but was added because there were all these diverse guy characters and no girls to even it out, like they were an alien species so bringing one into the mix clearly helped the movie.There are 10 deleted scenes/diary pages consist of many more scenes with the scary ginger kid, Fregley and mostly consist of helpful how-to's and antidotes about the supporting cast characters.

Scott Huff (2012-05-15 21:01)

Devon Bostick Devon Bostick Devon Bostick!

Bostick's acting in DOAWK was wonderful. He played Greg's sixteen yearold brother, Rodrick Heffley. The movie was good, too. A bit differentfrom the books but that's okay. The only things new were theIntergalactic dance sequence and the Devil Worshipper's Woods, withFregley. Hilarious movie i recommend it! Super duper duper duper dupergood! Better than Surf's Up, actually! I enjoyed it better than thebooks, to be honest. Everyone else is hating on this movie but theyshould just shut the freak up! Awesome awesome movie! Took my breathaway. I thought it wouldn't be good but I was laughing through thewhole entire movie with my roommates, Dustin, Joe, Terry, and Charlie.And we're 20!!!

(2012-05-15 03:20)

Your sons already love it, right?

This plays *really* differently in live-action than it did on the page, which I found very interesting to think about while watching it. The book is so cartoony that none of the over-the-top things that happen to Greg are a problem, but they seem less likely -- and more dangerous -- with real twelve-year-olds. The movie is lovable like an ingratiating dog, but about as deep.

Karen (2012-05-14 04:25)

A winner for kids & adults

Just got back from seeing this movie with my 9yo and 11yo, plus a bunch of their friends ranging from 4 to 13. All the kids loved it (the boys slightly more than the girls) and the mothers were laughing all the way thru it as well. No boring stretches of dialog. Totally fun thru-out, especially the 80's self-esteem clip (priceless!) Plenty of bodily humor, no swear words. Clever writing. Can't wait for the DVD.

Michael O'Keefe (2012-05-13 12:31)

Not a diary...it happens to be a journal.

Who hasn't been the victim of a wedgie, pulverized by a bully or fartedin class? You must have been home schooled. Only a kid understands akid. What about the wimpy kid? Greg Heffley(Zachary Gordon)in spite ofwanting badly to be cool always comes across as a dork. His friends arenerds, but they're bosom buddies...well, most of the time. Greg keeps ajournal of his trials and tribulations of middle school. It seems likehe and pal Rowley(Robert Capron)are the only ones not blessed with agrowth spurt over summer vacation. Greg haplessly createsget-cool-quick schemes that always seem to leave him the butt of a jokeand still out of the loop of cool dudes. His mother(RachaelHarris)sympathetic to his traumas believes the world is a cotton candyland. He desperately hopes that someday he'll be able to look back athis diary, I mean journal, and see his experiences may just prepare himfor high school. Situational humor, but not knee slapping belly laughs.I've always liked Harris from her TV commercials, even when she had nospoken lines. Also in the cast: Chloe Grace Moretz, Steve Zahn, LaineMacNeil, Nicholas Carey, Devon Bostick and Grayson Russell.

(2012-05-13 02:36)

Fun, Funny, But...

For pure entertainment and a basic feel good message about popularity and real friendship, Diary of a Wimpy Kid delivers.Most kids are going to eat up the bathroom and booger humor (sorry about the pun). Most will love the problems Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) gets himself into. There were some pretty hysterical and absurd moments that made me laugh out loud. Lots and lots of physical humor and lots and lots of bad ideas. Greg eventually learns some important lessons like real friends trump popularity and popularity isn't everything especially if it costs your self-respect and good friends. However, Greg does a little bit of damage while getting to the lessons.Parents may want to consider that this movie contains a few subtle negative messages. First, there are the parental units who are generally clueless. Now, for most older kids to teens this is a real fantasy -- who doesn't want to do what they want to do when they want to do it? Who wants rules and parents sticking their noses in and redirecting or handing out consequences? The more parents are portrayed that way, though, I wonder if kids begin to chafe even more against their own parents who might not be so easy going or easily fooled. I know most kids do know movies from reality. But the more that stereotype is tossed out there the more I wonder if that's not part of the "but everyone's doing it, Mom." mentality.The older brother, Roderick, is a completely mean-spirited jerk. And in some of Greg's dealings with the world it almost feels like he has picked up some lessons from Roderick. The leading female within Greg's class is so annoying I wonder how she could be popular, oh, yes, it's because she threatens everyone. Some of the light-hearted fun is hobbled because of these characters and their excessive meanness. Some remarks made my two friends flinch. Roderick has a biker babe magazine under his bed and it appears in a few scenes. His mother confronts him about the disrespect he's shown all womankind while his friends laugh during the confrontation. Aside from the parental warnings, it's-a-laugh-a-scene movie that most older kids will enjoy.

existential-records (2012-05-12 10:56)

Enjoyable movie about awkward time

I really enjoyed this movie. I have not read the books, but willprobably read one now. I was so reminded of my own difficult timeduring Middle School. I think the main themes in the movie were howimportant it is to be yourself, and not try to be what you thinksomeone else will think is cool. I learned this much later than Ishould have. It is also important to stick by your friends and notditch them because they are not as cool as other people you might meet.I have met some really "cool" people who turned out be really rottenpeople inside, both as a kid and as an adult. You could tell thatRowley was a really genuine person and didn't care what people thoughtabout him or what he liked. He truly cared for Greg, while Greg wasmore concerned with his image and trying to be cool and popular. Andhaving the kids sing "Total Eclipse of the Heart" was one of thefunniest parts of the movie. Nice touch, whoever chose the music.

doctorjagger (2012-05-10 20:59)

Great, a Blast for the whole family

This movie brought me back to middle school times. I'm an adult now.But this movie was highly entertaining. I can still relate to a lot ofit, even though I am an adult and I don't have the same situations anymore. But this movie makes it easy to remember. Middle school is asimpler time in your life. And this movie paints that picture verywell. I don't mean they dumbed it down. This movie was smart with avery good message: "Never turn on your friends". What I mean is itshows how kids worry about simpler things in middle school. And theyare frequently hilarious, just like the entirety of this movie. ZacharyGordon did an A+ job as Greg. I can't wait to see them all back in thesequel, and the one after that and the one after that! I give this a10/10!

scottshak_111 (2012-05-10 07:06)

Enjoyable and lovely

I really enjoyed the movie. The movie depicts the life of a teen Greg(Zachary Gordon) who has his issues of longing to be famous in themiddle school.He ranks himself 19 on the popularity list.He has a dreamto fulfill.He considers his previous friends 'who were not able to growup' according to him ... morons and tries to maintain his standard bykeeping his distance from the infamous.His best friend Rowley howeverthough weird in his ways,as Greg considers him 'still not Middle schoolready',keeps on posing a threat to his popularity position. ChloeMoretz has a wonderful role herself in the movie however her appearanceis short.But the story is however about the wimpy kid and hence thatbecomes justified.There are a lot of funny moments in the movie and youwould smile every now and then on their innocence.There is one anothercharacter Fregley- Greg places him at the last position in thepopularity list. There is this funny moment wherein whoever touches thepiece of stale cheese is considered to have THE CHEESE TOUCH. Whoevertouches that person takes with himself the cheese touch.Even acockroach was concerned about its dignity. No matter how hard he trieshe always gets branded every now and then as the douche.Eventuallyhowever Greg learns that it really doesn't matter if one is on the topof the popularity list in the school but what matters the most is beingon the top of the list of your best friends. A little act of genius andsacrifice vindicates him eventually. I found the movie totallyenjoyable as guys we were kids once remember after all ! We used toconsider some little and petty things as important, didn't we ? Thesequel to the movie - Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules is set tohit the theaters in March 2011 and I'm looking forward to it as well.The movie was really cute and I wish everyone watches it although I'llgive it a 6 as it wasn't excellent though but the movie is highlyrecommended if you want to relive a part of your past.