Salt Lake Tribune Review
Life is heck in middle school, this strained kids’ comedy tells us. The movie’s title kid, Greg Heffley (played by Zachary Gordon), aims to make himself the most popular kid in middle school, even though he’s waiting for his growth spurt surrounded by “guys who shave twice a day.” But Greg isn’t merely wimpy but downright obnoxious, so obsessed with the shallow pursuit of raising his status that he becomes endlessly mean to his happily dorky best pal Rowley (Robert Capron). Director
Thor Freudenthal (“Hotel for Dogs”) uses animation — nicely copying the whimsical cartoon style of author Jeff Kinney’s book series — as transition between the movie’s vignettes of school life. But the episodes of Greg’s middle-school troubles don’t add up to an energetic story.
-- Sean P. Means
The rundown: Greg (Zachary Morgan) obsesses about being popular in middle school, in this tepid adaptation of Jeff Kinney's popular book series. 91 minutes. (SPM)
Synopsis: Hotel for Dogs' director
Thor Freudenthal helms the adaptation of Jeff Kinney's acclaimed Diary of a Wimpy Kid comics with this Fox 2000 production. Zachary Gordon starring as the titular character, with
Steve Zahn, Rachael Harris, Robert Capron, and Devon Bostick filling out the rest of the cast.~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
