Journal d'un dégonflé

Prévisible et dénué de toute subtilité, ce récit d'apprentissage croule sous les lieux communs et les bons sentiments.

Not that the movie, based on Jeff Kinney's popular series of schoolboy misadventures, departs egregiously from its source. The problem is that in dutifully transferring to the screen Mr. Kinney's comical episodes - which he illustrates with witty and expressive line drawings - the director, Thor Freudenthal (Hotel for Dogs), and the four credited screenwriters have stripped away nearly all the humor, insight and energy.

The casting's pretty fair, and if they had better material, Steve Zahn and Rachael Harris (as Greg's parents) would've been real assets. But the story lurches from indignity to ill-starred wrestling match to gross-out gag without any momentum or surprise.

As told from the perspective of its 11-year-old narrator, it's a spry, fluffy comedy that, given Kinney's track record - the five-book "Wimpy Kid" series has sold 28 million copies to date - should have no trouble drawing young viewers.

Bien que le cinéaste connaisse son métier (sa mise en scène coule plutôt bien et sa bande son est loin d'être désagréable), sa touche personnelle fait encore défaut. Pire, il ne sait pas comment relever les enjeux de son sujet. Car cette histoire au demeurant simpliste est traitée comme une banale émission de télévision.

There's something silly-sweet about this movie. It avoids talking down to kids or being didactic, while still projecting an overall wholesomeness. Director Thor Freudenthal (Hotel for Dogs) has a wise sense of pacing and knows how to draw believable young performances, mixing up sassy humor with naïveté. He has effectively adapted Kinney's work and added his own stylistic touches.