Based on the bestselling "novel in cartoons" by Jeff Kinney, this weak comedy focuses on misfit pre-teen Greg (Zachary Gordon) as he negotiates his first year at middle school - a world of cliques, bullying and embarrassment. Hatching various plots to boost his popularity with the older kids, Greg finds his efforts are constantly hampered by his cruel big brother Rodrick (Devon Bostick) and his nerdy best friend Rowley (Robert Capron). Director Thor Freudenthal punctuates the live action with animations based on Kinney's own work, but whereas Greg's adventures in book form are full of subtlety and wry observation, the movie is swamped by the sledgehammer clichés (gym class humiliation, Halloween high jinks) found in any run-of-the-mill children's TV comedy. None of the young actors has much in the way of screen presence, and it's left to Steve Zahn as Greg's hapless dad to grab the few real laughs on offer.

Greg Heffley is headed for big things, but first he has to survive the scariest, most humiliating experience of any kid’s life – middle school! That won’t be easy, considering he’s surrounded by hairy-freckled morons, wedgie-loving bullies and a moldy slice of cheese with nuclear cooties!