DIARY OF A WIMPY KID (DVD)
20th Century Fox

Release date: February 7th 2011
Certificate (UK): PG
Running time: 88 minutes

Director: Thor Freudenthal

Cast: Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Devon Bostick, Chloë Grace Moretz

If only I had survival guide when I was at school, things might have been different. The amount of embarrassing situations I got myself into would probably set a world record; or at least I thought so, until I saw Diary of a Wimpy Kid and realised there was some competition.

Based on the illustrated books by Jeff Kinney, it follows a year in the life of Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) as he starts middle school. Convinced he has what it takes to become class favourite Greg devises a series of can’t-fail-schemes which he puts into action with his not-so-cool best friend Rowley Jefferson (Robert Capron), but one after the next, his schemes fail disastrously, each one dropping him further down the ladder of popularity. Even Fregley (Grayson Russell), the kid with hygiene issues, is one step ahead of him.

While Rowley is happy to be himself, Greg thinks he could do with a make-over to help him increase his social standing, but secretly thinks Rowley is way too un-cool to ever be cool like him. Of course he is shocked when Rowley starts to gain popularity, first with his broken arm (caused by Greg) and then for his cartoon drawings which Greg rejected on the basis of them not being sophisticated enough. Due to no one’s fault but his own, he ends up ruining the friendship, leaving him with no one to turn to but Fregley…who chases him out of his house with a booger on his finger!

I might have broken my best friend’s glasses when I accidentally hit him in the face with a tennis racket, and I might have tripped over and pulled down a girl’s skirt in the playground…and I might have also wet my pants during assembly once, but I still think Greg has more to deal with. He gets floored by a girl in his wrestling team, almost gets cast as Dorothy in the school play because of high voice and is constantly given bad advice by his older brother, Rodrick (Devon Bostick).

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is more than just a film. It’s a survival guide filled with things you probably shouldn’t do if you don’t want to be branded a social outcast at school. But more than that, it’s a film about best friends and being supportive of them.

The DVD comes with a free copy of the book which the film is based on. It’s the first in a series and it’s absolutely brilliant, especially with the drawings which are not unlike the doodles I still do in my notebooks. The book contains lots of things which aren’t featured in the film, such as Greg getting in trouble for listening to Roderick’s “Parental Warning” CD’s and failing a Geography test despite sitting near to a map of the United States pinned on the wall.

Included on the disc are a collection of deleted diary pages and scenes such as the one where Greg is dropped off at school by his mom. I remember this from the trailer and was surprised not to see it in the movie at the cinema. Glad it’s included here because it’s a great little scene and I’m sure I’m not the only one it’s happened to in real-life.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid makes for great afternoon fun for the kids during the half term break, one thing at least to keep them out of trouble or other likely misadventures!