Diary of a Wimpy KidMovie Reviews

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So-so

Avg. Critic Score: 56 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore^® based on all critic reviews

Information for Parents:

OK for kids 9+

Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

88

Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert
It's nimble, bright and funny. It doesn't dumb down. It doesn't patronize. It knows something about human nature. Read full review
83

Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum
Does a great job of being in two places at once: In the head and gangly bodies of kids, and in the hearts of those of us who have survived grades 6-8. Read full review
70

The Hollywood Reporter | Kirk Honeycutt
A likable movie for kids that will make adults chuckle as well because of the movie's key ingredient -- wit. Read full review
70

Variety |
It's a spry, fluffy comedy. Read full review
63

Washington Post |
Kids who realize they're fully ordinary -- that is, pretty much all of them -- will be pleased to see a world they recognize on the big screen. Read full review
63

USA Today | Claudia Puig
"Who wants to see a movie about a kid who's stuck in middle school with a bunch of morons?" Thanks to an endearing cast of characters and an energetic, if light, comic story, we do. Read full review
50

San Francisco Chronicle | Peter Hartlaub
The writing is funny during individual moments, but the cumulative result is a bit depressing, with a surprising amount of negativity. Read full review
40

The New York Times | A.O. Scott
There is nothing wrong with the story itself, but the tone is grating and the pacing sluggish. Episodes that might be howlingly funny on the page turn weirdly gross and sadistic on screen. Read full review
38

Boston Globe | Ty Burr
Diary of a Wimpy Kid the movie returns Kinney's tale to live-action reality, and the party's over. Read full review
30

Arizona Republic | Bill Goodykoontz
A mean-spirited little movie, investing its limited charms in all the wrong characters. Read full review

Metacritic link View more reviews for Diary of a Wimpy Kid on Metacritic

Information for Parents

Common Sense Media says OK for kids 9+ Adorable comedy about middle-school anxieties...and farts.

What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that this adaptation of Jeff Kinney's best-selling Diary of a Wimpy Kid books is full of tween-friendly jokes and mischief. There are no full-blown swear words, but the dialogue includes a lot of insults like "moron," "idiot," "tool," "stupid" and the like, as well as the standard substitute for stronger words, "freakin'." Parents sensitive to scatological humor, beware! There are several jokes about boogers and farts, a few shots featuring kids on toilets (the middle-school boysroom has no doors on its stalls), and in one scene, the protagonist accidentally pees on his brother. While there's no frightening violence, there is a running theme about three older bullies who menace the main characters, and there's a girl who beats up a boy in front of the entire school. A rebellious seeming teen brother wears eyeliner, is in a garage band, and is caught with a naughty magazine (the cover only shows a woman in a bikini).

Families can talk about Greg's hilarious single-minded quest to be deemed "popular" in middle school. How does Greg's attitude differ from Rowley's and Angie's? How accurate a reflection of middle-school life is this story? Kids: Have you ever been bullied, either in person or online?
What does Greg's mom mean when she says: "It's our choices that make us who we are"? How did Greg follow her advice?
Was Rowley justified in ending his friendship with Greg? Kids: what would you have done?
Fans of the books: How does the movie compare? Which characters were different or new? Did you like the changes?

The good stuff

Positive messages: The biggest message of the story is what Greg's mother tells him: "It's our choices that make us who we are," meaning that even when we've messed up or failed, we still have an opportunity to choose to ask for forgiveness or to change. Rowley and Greg's friendship shows how important it is for friendships to be unconditional, regardless of how "popular" the other person seems to be, and how it's not OK to lie to your friend and let him get punished for something you did.
Positive role models: Rowley isn't a perfect role model, but he's an example of someone who is just himself and doesn't try so hard to be popular, like Greg does (unsuccessfully). Same goes for Angie, who is comfortable being different and doesn't worry about how often she's in the yearbook. Rowley's also a loyal and sweet friend until Greg betrays him and hurts his feelings. Greg shows kids that it's important to own up to your mistakes and to value your friends.

What to watch for

Violence: A trio of teens bullies and menaces Greg and Rowley, obviously trying to hurt them. After evading them on several occasions, the bullies catch up to them and force Rowley to do something really gross. Rodrick threatens to kill Greg. A girl taunts and wrestles Greg and later beats him up in front of the whole school.
Sex: Rodrick has a (fictional) magazine called "Moto Mamas" which seems to be a skin mag of scantily clad women on motorcycles -- only the cover is shown. One middle-school boy is shown walking hand in hand with girls. Greg says he heard girls say a boy has a "cute butt." A few quick glimpses of kids sitting on toilets or peeing (no nudity, obviously).
Language: Frequently said insults include "dumb," "moron," "stupid," "clueless," "jerk," "tool," "idiot," "freakjob," and of course, "wimp." A couple uses of "crap" and "God" as an exclamation. The word "freakin'" is also said a few times. Also several scatalogical references to snot, boogers, and farting.
Consumerism: Nintendo's Wii console is mentioned and shown, as well as the video game Wii Play.
Drinking, drugs and smoking: Not an issue

Common Sense Media An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.