***
Starring Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn, Chloe Moretz, Devon Bostwick and Grayson Russell.
Directed by Thor Freudenthal.
The books are better, but it conveyed just enough charm that I'm glad I rented it.
Zachary Gordon (National Treasure 2) plays Greg Heffley, a middle-school kid obsessed with "being cool" and therefore sabotages his image every attempt he makes to enhance it. Watching it in live-action, it's not as obvious in the books, but man, Greg can be a selfish jerk sometimes. I think that actually plays to the movie's advantage. We don't mind all these bad things happening to him since he has some actual growing up to do.
It covers a lot of familiar ground when the general horrors of puberty and surviving middle school. It does so with wit and insight. In fact, this might serve to frighten 10-year-olds into never wanting to go to middle school. For every movie like this, there are twenty dreadful tweenage sitcoms on Disney or Nick.
They've already greenlit the sequel, and I'm sure I'll rent that too.
No comments:
Post a Comment