I realize that I am not the target demographic for kids' programming and books. I further realize that I am a female and have daughters, so the land of boys is unknown to me. But it was at the request of said daughter that I went to see "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," a movie based on the popular book series of the same name. My daughter and her friend liked the movie, I was left unimpressed.

Greg (Zachary Gordon) is starting his first year of middle school. He has yet to hit his growth spurt and is much shorter than the rest of the boys, got beaten in wrestling, not only by the wierdest kid in school, but also a girl, and is finding the transition from being a kid to the beginning of puberty to be an awkward one. He is determined to be popular, and unfortunately, his best friend, Rowley (Robert Capron) is the furthest thing from it. Greg launches on a series of ideas on how to be popular which eventually estrange him from Rowley. Can their friendship be repaired?

My whole problem with the movie is that I found Greg to be extremely unlikable, and I usually like flawed characters. When you don't like the main character, it makes it hard to get through a whole movie with him. Greg is extremely self-centered (and yes, I realize that is a common teenage problem) and is willing to step over anyone and everyone to try to get "popular." He is rude to Angie (Chloë Grace Moretz) who is frankly, the only kid willing to be nice to him and Rowley at the middle school; he is very mean to Rowley, who is his only friend at school and not only gets him in trouble by wearing his coat and abandoning the kindergarteners they are supposed to be helping cross the street, thus pinning the blame on Rowley, but also breaks his wrist by convincing him to do a dangerous stunt and then makes fun of him anytime he mentions it. He mocks his idea for a cartoon (only to have Rowley's cartoon be the one that wins, ha!) He's also embarassed by his younger brother calling him "Bubbie" and refuses to acknowlege him when he says it in public (he tries to say another kid is his brother.) Granted, every bad thing Greg does has similarly bad consequences, but I don't think my reaction as an audience member of "Serves you right, you little brat" is what was intended. 

I don't think kids' movies need to be all sweetness and light and kids including everyone (I thought Rowley becoming more and more popular very unlikely) and I appreciate the realistic look at middle school life, but I just couldn't get behind the main character.

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" is rated PG.

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