Diary of a Wimpy Kid: the Long Haul

A family road trip goes predictably awry in a patchy, rather strained fourth film inspired by Jeff Kinney's hugely popular children's books. The cast is new, but the humour largely isn't, with pee, poo and contrived slapstick still in starring roles. Alicia Silverstone (Clueless) and US TV stalwart Tom Everett Scott play mom and dad Heffley here, with Jason Drucker (taking over from three-film veteran Zachary Gordon) as their wimpy kid, Greg. Mom and dad want to visit grandma for her 90th birthday party whereas Greg wants to make an unsanctioned diversion to a nearby videogames convention. Minor sat nav manipulation and major mayhem then ensue. Sillier, more slapstick scenes may amuse the film's target audience of under-tens. The odd inclusion of a pastiche of the shower scene from Psycho will be totally lost on them. But it may bring adults some light relief from the surrounding pre-teen tedium.