Diary Of A Wimpy Kid (2010)

Who wants to explore the life of a kid in middle school? I don't think anyone does because of a large scar in their past experiences. Moreover, this movie revolves around some kid, the narrator, who goes through middle school from first year. Watching him on screen and listening to him is just as arduous as having to carry the burden on one's own back.

 

The kid named Greg Heffley, is the middle schooler in question. He feels to be the only one who understands the system and can somehow make himself popular. However, it is obviously predictable that along the way he is not going to look like one of the exceptional few, since his antics often backfire on him in favour of someone else. He has a best friend called Rowley Jefferson. He thinks he does not have what takes to make it through middle school and so tries to step him up to his level. But it becomes apparent that nothing works his way; he only makes Rowley a popular kid.

 

There are several scenes in this movie which any viewer must surely dispute:

·         Shirts vs. Skins: after Fregley shows off his unsightly mark on his torso, I don't think a game consisting of two aforementioned teams is a must-see. Coach Malone, why don't you recommend armbands or bibs!?

 

• Rowley's broken arm and Greg's insensitivity: so Greg throws a football and injures Rowley. Rowley has a broken arm and wears a cast, spawning his all-new popularity. Greg thinks he should be accredited for breaking Rowley's arm--downright cold and insensitive he is, especially when he doesn't apologize for it!

I guess this guy doesn't need a Halloween mask to scare the kids!

 

·         What sort of school has lavatories with no door for every cubicle? This is a blatant disregard for privacy.

 

·         The slice of cheese on the school playground: what person would not clean it up? I could not even imagine a caretaker shrug his responsibility like that. It is his job to take out the garbage. Who came up with that idea?

 

And by the way, a majority of these kids are not real actors, but ordinary kids just brought in as extras. No wonder their acting was downright flat and emotionless.

You know, Greg thinks Rowley is not ready for middle school, but after what we have seen it is Greg who is not ready. Rowley has shown his ascension above Greg in the popularity chart, and how Greg's insensitivity can push him lower in the chart. However, things do change along the course of the story as circumstances transpire.



There are a number of other characters which I personally shall not discuss: Roderick, Greg's elder brother; Patty Farrell, a girl bully; Fregley, the weirdest kid in school; Frank and Susan, the father and mother of the Heffley family. They have their own moments, but such moments are really embarrassing to an adult who watches. In short this movie has moments we might have gone through in our own schooldays but are more than willing to forget.