Kids will probably root for Greg anyway, if only with the understanding that eventually he'll learn what's really important and redeem himself with a grand gesture. Greg's rapacious pursuit of coolness makes him a selfish jerk for much of the film's running time, eventually alienating his only friend. And when he tries out for the school play, he learns he's a boy soprano, suitable not for the leads but for. Joining wrestling leads to a series of humiliations, including being pinned by his high-strung female nemesis, Patty Ferrell (Laine MacNeil). He has a roly-poly best bud in Rowley Jefferson (Robert Capron), a sweet and loyal friend who plays along with Greg's schemes-to a point. Zachary Gordon plays pint-sized Greg Heffley, whose only concern is becoming a class hero. Still, with ticket prices being what they are, this generic outing isn't a very compelling reason to leave the comfort of the sofa and its basic-cable kiddie fare. Certainly, it'll be catnip for the grade-school set. It's not unpleasant for adults, who can find nostalgia in such middle-school touchstones as popularity ranking, lunch-table seating, scary local legends and gym-class horrors (plus, you get Steve Zahn and Rachael Harris as the parents). The point is that Thor Freudenthal's movie is sitcomedic, an episodic accounting of a school year in the life of seventh-graders. Think Disney Channel, if slightly less plastic fantastic. Still, Diary of a Wimpy Kid-based on Jeff Kinney's illustrated novels-plays it pretty safe, more Beaver than Malcolm in the Middle. I say, "Adjust for cultural inflation" because Wally never called his brother "turd burglar," Ward never tried dousing trick-or-treaters with water, and Beaver's crushes never read HOWL. Adjust for cultural inflation and you get the new kid flick Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Remember Beaver Cleaver and Larry Mondello? These innocent buddies used to get into jams every week on Leave It to Beaver, always learning (and teaching) a lesson in the process. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2011)
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