I don't know what the original wimp, Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon), in Jeff Kinney's novels is like, but in this second screen adaptation, he's less a nebbish than a self-interested conniver in the mold of Ferris Bueller, sans the wit and charm. Greg, now in the seventh grade, has a crush on a hot new girl (Peyton List), though most of the action is driven by a house party that his brother Rodrick (Devon Bostick) throws and that they have to hide from their parents. The real wimpy kid is Greg's BFF, Rowley (Robert Capron), a sweet overweight beam of sunshine whom Greg often employs as a foil in his shenanigans. The actors make the most of it, and director David Bowers (Astro Boy) keeps the gags coming at an ADD-appeasing pace. What this wimp lacks, however, is heart. More Rowley and less Rodrick should have been the rule.
