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    • BLU-RAY REVIEW

    Diary Of A Wimpy Kid

    Featured In Issue 149, July/August/September 2010

    Picture5
    Sound3.5
    WSR Score4
    Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
    (Studio/Distributor):
    20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
    (Catalog Number):
    2266928
    (MPAA Rating):
    PG
    (Rating Reason):
    Som rude humor and language
    (Retail Price):
    $29.99
    (Disc Type):
    Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
    (Widescreen Edition):
    Yes
    (Full Screen Edition):
    No
    (Running Time In Minutes):
    92
    (Color Type):
    Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access):
    Yes
    (Closed Captioned):
    Yes
    (Regional Coding):
    A
    (Theatrical Year):
    2010
    (Theatrical Release):
    Yes
    (Direct-To-Video Release):
    No
    (Disc Release Date):
    08/03/10
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):
    No
    (Director):
    Thor Freudenthal
    (Screenplay/Written By):
    (Story):
    (Music):
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer):
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor):
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers):
    (Co-Producers):
    (Producers):
    (Academy Awards):
    (Principal Photography):
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
    (Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
    (Disc Soundtrack):
    DTS HD Lossless 5.1
    (Theatrical Sound):
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (DTS Bit Rate):
    (Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
    (Additional Languages):
    (French Language):
    (Spanish Language):
    (Chinese Language):
    (Subtitles):
    (Cantonese Language):
    (Mandarin Language):
    (Japanese Language):
    (Italian Language):
    (German Language):
    (Portuguese Language):

    Based on the best-selling illustrated novel by Jeff Kinney, "Diary Of A Wimpy Kid" chronicles the adventures of wisecracking pre-teen Greg Heffley, who must somehow survive the scariest time of anyone's life...middle school. Convinced it's the "dumbest idea ever invented," Heffley considers junior high school a place rigged with hundreds of social landmines, not the least of which are wedgies, swirlies, bullies, lunchtime banishment of the cafeteria floor, and a festering piece of cheese with nuclear cooties that he must overcome to become popular. His diary—or "journal"—chronicles his thoughts, tales of family trials and tribulations, and (would be) schoolyard triumphs. (Gary Reber)

    Special features on the Blu-ray Disc™ include commentary with Director Thor Freudenthal and Writer Gabe Sachs, nine deleted diary pages (HD 10:05), plus still images of Rowley's Lost Zoo-Wee Mama Cartoons, the theatrical trailer, and up-front previews. Disc Two is a DVD of the film and Disc Three is a digital copy of the film. The combo format packaging features a six-page exerpt from the "journal" that is fun reading.

    The 1080p AVC picture is terrific and exhibits a nicely saturated color palette that heightens the liveness of the storytelling. Hues are vivid and richly rendered with colors that pop. This live-action rendering dramatically contrasts with the stark black-and-white line drawings in the "journal." While surroundings, clothing, and textures are intensely colorful, fleshtones remain impressively naturally hued. Blacks are deep and solid, with excellent contrast that enhances the revealing shadow delineation. Resolution varies in sharpness and clarity, with generally excellent detail renderings, but still some visuals appear a bit soft. The imagery is pristine throughout, with a hint of film grain, for a cinematic visual look. This is a vividly colorful picture that is certain to please. (Gary Reber)

    The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is wimpy, with a generally frontal emphasis and in-your-face dialogue that totally lacks spatial integration. There is limited surround energy contributed by subtle ambiance, though, a rainstorm provides wanting surround envelopment. The music score is the element, which provides aggressive surround envelopment, but not always. The .1 LFE channel provides occasional strong bass, but such is limited as well. While numerous opportunities were missed for engaging soundscapes, the overall sound is serviceable to deliver the almost constant dialogue and story narration. (Gary Reber)

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    Derek Anderson
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