Category Archives: Movies

DVD Review: “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”

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Based on the bestselling books by Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a funny film that the entire family can sit down and enjoy. It follows the first year of middle school for young Greg Heffley, as he does his best to become one of the most popular kids in school. His plans backfire and instead of becoming the most popular kid, he becomes one of the least popular students. Director Thor Freudenthal brings the same charm and knack for working with young actors that he brought to last year’s Hotel for Dogs. As with that film, Diary of a Wimpy Kid has a bright, enticing look and is wonderfully paced to keep everyone engaged. There is fine music and some enjoyable moments for the grown-ups, whenever Steve Zahn appears on screen. For all intents and purposes, this is a excellent movie. Well acted, beautifully shot, and it has a great message for kids about staying true to who you are and trying not to worry about the opinion of others. This message is especially important in those formative years that take place in junior high/middle school, which is where Diary of a Wimpy Kid is set.

However, I have problems with its lead character, Greg. To quote my daughter, “he’s a jerk.”  There you have it, the hero is a jerk and honestly, he really doesn’t learn any lesson by the end of the movie.  Moreover, he’s not even a lovable jerk. That bothered me.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not opposed to heroes in films being jerks. I’ve sat through many feature films where the main character never changes while everyone around the, evolves. Yet, all of those films have been about adults (mostly indie films). For some reason, because this is a film about children, and it’s for children, the effect isn’t the same. Is it because children are impressionable and maybe they’ll watch the movie and think that the lead character’s behavior is okay? That’s part of it. Is it because he shows little to no remorse for his actions? Yep. Making matters worse, Zachary Gordon, the young actor playing Greg, does such an exceptional job in the role that I started to hate him before the movie was over (the character, not the actor).

Who is the favorite character in the movie? It’s not the snarky older girl, Angie (Chloe Moretz) who walks around in a beret, expounds of the dullness of trying to be popular and carries a camera, like some kind of bohemian 7th grader? No, it’s Rowley Jefferson (an adorable Robert Capron), the nerdy, awkward boy who isn’t afraid to express his feelings and proceeds through life as his own person. While watching the film with my kids, I asked them who their favorite character in the movie was. Without hesitation they said it was Rowley. Why? Because he’s the one character that stays true to himself, the one character who tries his best and isn’t afraid to fail, and the one character who is an individual and isn’t trying so hard to fit in with the cool crowd.

Perhaps that was the point Freudenthal and Kinney were going for. I can only assume, yes; but damn it, they did such a good job with this film at making the hero a jerk, that I just couldn’t love the movie as much as I wanted to.

Despite my reservations about Greg, Diary of a Wimpy kid should be checked out, even if it inspires conversations with your kids about Greg’s behavior and why Rowley is so awesome. The Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital Copy of the movie is an excellent deal. Besides the three different formats to play the movie, there are some great bonus features, including diary pages from Rowley (written by Kinney) and deleted scenes.

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DVD/CD Review: The Dirty Sock Funtime Band, “Sock-A-Delic”

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If you’ve spent any time at all watching the Noggin network (apologies, corporate rebranders, I mean Nick Jr.), you’re familiar with the Dirty Sock Funtime Band, even if you don’t realize it. Like Laurie Berkner, the DSFB pops up in the interstitial music videos that the station runs in lieu of commercials, particularly during episodes of Jack’s Big Music Show — and like Berkner, they’re squarely on the sugary, high-energy end of the kids’ music spectrum.

Now, those of you who have been reading this site for awhile may remember that Laurie Berkner is one of my main musical nemeses — there’s just something about the way she’s always bouncing around with that smile on her face that bugs me — so I’m naturally predisposed to dislike any band that includes a pink-wigged man and a lead singer who looks like a tiny, hyperactive, Jew-froed Steven Tyler. And to be perfectly honest right up front, I sincerely doubt I’d ever watch or listen to the Dirty Sock Funtime Band on my own; for me, listening to this type of music is like eating frosting. A little goes a long, long way. Continue reading →

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DVD review: Disney’s “Starstruck- 2 Disc DVD/CD Extended Edition”

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Starstruck is the latest Disney Channel movie crafted as a vehicle for one of their television stars, in this case Sterling Knight, one of the cast members from the hit series, Sonny with a Chance. It would be easy to write it off as just another way for the network to get huge ratings, but this Starstruck is actually a lot better than most of the movies the Disney Channel churns out.

Danielle Campbell, a relatively unknown teen actress whose biggest credit is the un-tween friendly Prison Break, stars as Jessica, a Michigan teenager on a family vacation to visit her grandmother in Los Angeles. Her older sister, Sara (Maggie Castle) is obsessed with pop star Christopher Wilde (Knight) and thinks she’ll be able to track him down while in California (only in a Disney movie). Jessica could care less for the world of movie stars and pop musicians, she’d rather go sightseeing and spend some time on the beach, so when Sara drags her along in search of Christopher Wilde, she does so dragging her feet.

Just who is Christopher Wilde? You’d expect him to be some stuck up snob, the kind of character that Knight plays so effectively on Sonny with a Chance. However, Wilde is actually just a lucky kid whose parents are consumed with his career and making decisions without his input. They want him to tour endlessly and possibly take a role in a big movie project that could make the family more money. No one seems to have his best interests in mind, especially not his fame hungry girlfriend (Chelsea Staub). His lone voice of reason and loyalty is his best friend, played by Brandon Mychal Smith (also from Sonny With a Chance).

Like the best romantic comedies that Starstruck is emulating, dating back to the dawn of talking motion pictures, the privileged Christopher Wilde and the uninterested Jessica are destines to meet, fall for each other, get photographed by paparazzi, have a misunderstanding that leads to a fall out and ultimately come back together. It’s like Notting Hill for a much younger crowd, except that Starstruck is actually more enjoyable than Notting Hill.

Campbell is a bright young star that lights up the screen when she’s on camera. If the head honchos at Disney don’t already have more projects with her in the works, they’re idiots. And Knight has a great comic timing and boatloads of charm. As I mentioned earlier, he plays a real jerk on Sonny with a Chance. In this film, he’s funny, serious and heartfelt. Starstuck may follow a formula, but it is well written, has some great performances and promotes strong messages of honesty, humility, self-acceptance and strength of character. Chalk this one up as a winner for girls and families alike.

This being a movie about a pop singer, there are plenty of opportunities for Knight to perform. The kid has a nice voice, as heard on the CD that accompanies this 2-disc DVD and CD set. Other features on the DVD include an extended version of the movie that is only available on DVD, three music videos, plus eight “rock along” tracks that give girls (and boys) the opportunity to sing along with the stars.

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