3.5 stars. Rating: PG, and needlessly, for mild rude humor
By Derrick Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 8.3.12
Few things are dependable in
Hollywood, but the movie adaptations of Jeff Kinney’s Wimpy Kid books are a welcome
exception.
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| In an effort to impress Holly (Peyton List, right), Greg (Zachary Gordon, center right) claims to know how to play tennis, much to the horror of Rowley (Robert Capron), who knows full well that he and his friend never have stepped onto a court before. The hateful Patty (Laine MacNeil) knows this as well, and she looks forward to this fresh opportunity to humiliate Greg. |
Various filmmaking teams have
hewed closely to the all-essential tone established in Kinney’s books.
Additionally, the clever means of animating his books’ stick-figure artwork —
for title credits, and as transitional segments between live-action escapades —
further reassures fans that these characters are in good hands.
Indeed. They’re also in good
acting hands, and this continuity is just as pleasant. Although different cute
girls have wandered in and out of hapless Greg Heffley’s orbit — it’s a shame
Chloë Grace Moretz’s career took off, because it would have been nice to see
her character again — the rest of the cast members have been a refreshing
constant.
Best of all, director David
Bowers and the production team possess the wisdom to resist the numbnuts
slapstick that infects far too many so-called “family films” these days. To be
sure, Greg’s various misadventures are mildly exaggerated for comic effect, but
nothing here seems wholly inconceivable. And while some adults are held up for
ridicule, that’s mostly a function of the way kids view their parents, as
opposed to an indictment of anybody over the age of consent.
With school having let out for
the summer, Greg (Zachary Gordon) is looking forward to endless days parked in
front of the family TV set, playing his beloved video games. Alas, his parents
have other ideas; his father (Steve Zahn, as Frank), in particular, wants his
middle son to be more of an outdoor type, like the sports-minded boys who live
across the street.
This strikes Greg as the height
of absurdity, since he is — by his own admission — hardly anybody’s idea of
well-toned physicality. And, truthfully, Frank should know better; his fondness
for spending hours painting Civil War miniatures isn’t any different than
Greg’s devotion to video games. And if you think there’s a lesson to be learned
here, you’re correct.
Initially, though, Greg and his
father have nothing in common ... except their shared loathing of a sappy daily
newspaper comic strip called “Li’l Cutie” ... which seems a case of Kinney
making fun of his own artistic stylings.
