Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul

Wimpy Greg Heffley (Jason Drucker), his harried parents (Alicia Silverstone, Tom Everett Scott), garage-rocker big brother (Charlie Wright) and the family infant set off on a cross-country road trip. The Law of Diminishing Returns kicks in big time on this franchise based on Jeff Kinney’s books, even though Kinney himself provides the script. It’s been five years since the last installment, and the cast that made the first three worth watching have either outgrown their roles or moved on: Zachary Gordon, now 19, is replaced by the charmless Drucker, while Rachael Harris and Steve Zahn give way to Silverstone and Scott, who look like they know they’ve seen better days. Jokes are lame, David Bowers’ direction is tired and the handful of stick-figure animation scenes are cleverer than the live-action. J.L.