10/10 E.M.
6/10 C.E.
I was surprised to find that just like Greg this movie has definitely graduated from the first one being in every way superior to it's predecessor. I was also surprised to find out just how darn funny the movie was. Perhaps the best part of it all is that it hit it's target audience dead on something some of the recent family films have had trouble with. I witnessed firsthand an entire audience of little kids and adults alike all laughing and having a good time and isn't that the point of a family film?
Sadly we have to face the facts that considering most of the actors/actresses in this film are kids they are all for the most part very raw from an acting perspective, so if you're looking for Oscar performances I worry about where you choose to look. This aside what everyone in the film has in spades is fun and goofiness that spills out onto the screen. My favorite out of the bunch was easily Steve Zahn from an acting perspective. If you watch him especially early on in the film he is plain out funny with his subtle reactions to situations and he goes on to do fine when he is in the spotlight filling the stereotypical dad Frank Heffley. Rachael Harris IS awesome and nails the part of Susan who very much reminded me at times of my own mother and I'm sure the embarrassing side of everyone else's as well.
Zachary Gordon has a long way to go before he can really be a polished actor but he's on his way. There are times as Greg when he is alone and expected to carry the movie and you can just feel it start to crumble around his inexperience. However he is by no means the worst child actor out there and he still does a good job the rest of the film just be grateful that he didn't star in 127 Hours. Devon Bostick was a pleasure to watch doing well in his role of Rodrick and helping glue the movie together easily the anchor for the kid actors to latch to. Both Grayson Russell and Robert Capron who play Fregley and Rowley respectively do a great job of being goofy funny kids playing a huge role in helping to make this movie what it was.
As far as character development I really hope that I don't have to say it is not strong in this film. Just about every character in this movie fills a stereo type and although we do see some development into that and especially start to see real human beings in the case of Greg and Rodrick it is a far cry from perfecting that art. The movie's plot is not entirely there being scattered and erratic but that's what happens when covering a middle school year where it's highlighting events instead of telling a clear cut story. The chemistry between actors is definitely there and most import as mentioned so is the fun. What I loved most about this movie though is save one or two crude parts this is a movie with clean humor that is actually really funny. I laughed almost as much and as hard as I did in Just Go With It and that's saying a lot. So if you want some really good family fun I suggest you read a Diary of a Wimpy Kid but please don't take his lunch money.
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