Movie Review: “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”

Seen on: March 20, 2010

The players: Director: Thor Freudenthal, Writers: Jackie Filgo, Jeff Filgo, Gabe Sachs, Cast: Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn, Devon Bostick

Facts of interest: Based on the book by Jeff Kinney.

The plot: The film follows what happens to a kid when he gets into middle school.

Our thoughts: Thor Freudenthal’s “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” works better than this previous family adventure “Hotel for Dogs,” and even though the big-screen adaptation of Jeff Kinney’s popular book is far from perfect, it’s definitely the kind of film you can take your kids to.

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'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' gets a trailer!

The folks at Yahoo! Movies just released the first trailer for Thor Freudenthal's upcoming family flick "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," the big-screen adaptation of Jeff Kinney's illustrated series. Watch it right after the jump.

The film follows Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon), a pre-adolescent boy who gets into quite a bit of trouble at school and at home. Chloe Moretz, Steve Zahn, Rachael Harris, Alex Ferris and Robert Capron star.

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" is on track to open in theaters April 2, 2010. I can't say I fell in love with this first trailer, but this could potentially turn into a fun flick youngsters may actually enjoy. Cast looks good.

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'Hotel for Dogs' web reviews

In Thor Freudenthal's family flick "Hotel for Dogs," Emma Roberts and Jake T. Austin star as two siblings who set out to rescue stray dogs and hide them in an abandoned hotel. Let's see what the Web's critics say about this latest dog movie:

• Scott Gwin at CinemaBlend: "The final product is one hundred minutes worth of cinematic babysitting that parents will be able to pop into the DVD player to keep the youngsters quiet."

• Jette Kernion at Cinematical: "If you're over the age of ten, 'Hotel for Dogs' has little to offer but doggie antics -- still, there are plenty of those to enjoy, and you can always ignore the human characters during the occasional canine-free lulls in the film."

• Kevin Carr at FilmSchoolRejects: "Ultimately, the dogs are a MacGuffin, and the real story is about the orphaned kids, and the human element isn’t all that interesting."

Review: "Hotel for Dogs"

Seen on: January 17, 2009

The players: Director: Thor Freudenthal, Writers: Todd Farmer, Zane Smith, Cast: Emma Roberts, Don Cheadle, Jake T. Austin, Lisa Kudrow, Kevin Dillon

Facts of interest: Emma Roberts also starred in "Nancy Drew."

The plot: A bunch of kids rescue stray dogs and secretly hide them in an abandoned hotel.

Our quick thoughts: Woof! The dogs are back on the big screen. In Thor Freudenthal’s new family adventure “Hotel for Dogs,” 16-year-old Andi (Emma Roberts) and her younger brother Bruce (Jake T. Austin) embark on a risky mission to rescue stray dogs and hide them in an abandoned downtown hotel.

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Thor Freudenthal to helm 'Wimpy'

Thor Freudenthal is set to direct Fox 2000's big-screen adaptation of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Based on Jeff Kinney's illustrated series, the film follows Greg Heffley, a pre-adolescent wise guy who gets into quite a bit of trouble at school and at home.

Freudenthal recently wrapped "Hotel for Dogs," a family adventure due in theaters Jan. 23, 2009. He also recently agreed to helm "Measle and the Wrathmonk" for Warner Bros.

Click here to find out more about "Wimpy" on Kinney's blog.

Trailer radar: ‘Hotel for Dogs’

Do you love dogs? Do you enjoy seeing them on the big screen? If you do, make sure you check out “Hotel for Dogs” on Jan. 16, 2009.

In the film directed by Thor Freudenthal, a group of friends rescue every stray dog in town by offering them shelter in a vacant building.

Emma Roberts, Jake T. Austin, Troy Gentile, Lisa Kudrow and Don Cheadle star. Check out the latest trailer for the film after the jump.

I’m sick of dog flicks, really, but at least these don’t talk. That’s always some form of consolation.

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