The Heffley family—Dad (Tom Everett Scott), Mom (Alicia Silverstone), older brother (Charlie Waters), Greg, the diary writer, himself (Jason Drucker) and younger brother (Dylan and Wyatt Walters)—take off from their middle-class abode to travel to Grandma Meemaw’s 90th birthday celebration. The multiday journey in the family auto turns into an endurance and even a test of survival.
The key to any successful book, movie or play is conflict, what the characters have to overcome in story being told. And the screenwriters of “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul,” Jeff Kinney and David Bowers take every opportunity to place hurdles in the way of the Heffley family trying to make to Meemaw’s. It is conflict overload.
They start with battles between Greg and his brother, parents listening to old folk’s music (in this case it’s the Spice Girl’s “Wannabe”) road rage, vomit, a pig passenger, attacks by birds and so much more. And it all works! “Dairy of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul,” gets a See It! rating.
The cast is solid, but the older son doesn’t look like he’d be the kid of these parents. If this situation were real life, I would suggest that the dad book a date on one of Maury’s paternity test shows.
At 91 minutes, it moves at just right pace and will entertain kids and adults alike.
As to cast diversity, this movie gets a “B.” It has no major roles for people of color but a strong presence in minor slots and background scenes.
“Dairy of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul,” shot in Atlanta, is rated PG for crude humor. And it’s a See It!