The opening scene of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw makes you think this is another Wimpy Kid Christmas movie. It’s not. It is snowy, though, and ends on a positive Christmas-like note.
Getting there is a journey.
Greg (you know, the wimpy kid) screws up a lot. He also lies. He cuts corners. He’s not overly likable.
Greg’s dad is also kind of a jerk. But you can see why after watching Greg in action — his blunders spiral out of control because he half-asses everything. The blunders are a little over-the-top but that’s the vibe of the movie. Interestingly, the funniest moments are the quirky character bits or blink-and-you-miss-it jokes, which are increasingly common in modern movies.
The main story is about father and son. They start to connect as Greg pursues merit badges as a way to stay out of boarding school. In the end the dad realizes he’s a lot like his son. I hoped the story would capitalize on this. It’s clear the dad gets frustrated by his son because Greg is just like him. And he doesn’t like himself. That’s interesting. That’s real.
Instead, they go camping and have a somewhat unearned breakthrough where they save the day and bond over their calm under pressure. It’s not overly interesting, and in fact has been done better on The Simpsons. You know the episode. The episode has a faster pace, smarter jokes, and the payoff makes sense.
Maybe that’s why Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw feels like an episode drawn out over 78 minutes. In fact, the short length is one of its best features. I’m not sure I could handle another 20 minutes.
It’s not a bad movie. It’s not a good movie. It’s a movie. Barely. Young kids will get a kick out of the chaos Greg creates. You’ll tolerate it with a sixer at your side. Or skip it and just watch The Simpsons episode instead — also streaming on Disney+.
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Where to watch
Rating: PG (Me: 5+)
Director: Matt Danner, Gino Nichele
Starring: Aaron Harris, Chris Diamantopoulos, Erica Cerra
Run time: 1h 18m
Post-credits scenes: none
Sequel? I’m sure another will be cranked out soon enough.
If you liked Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw, check out these films:
- “Boy-Scoutz ‘n the Hood” — The Simpsons (S5, E8) (6+)
- A Goofy Movie (1995) (5+)
- The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021) (5+)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever (2023) (5+)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010) (5+)
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