Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules Review

 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules is a 3-D animated comedy film and based on the 2008 book of the same name. Not only does it act as a sequel to the 2021 film, but it's also the second adaptation following the 2011 film of the same name. It's also the sixth movie in the film series. The movie was produced by 20th Century Studios, Twentieth Century Animation, and Bardel Entertainment and distributed by Disney+. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules is written by Jeff Kinney and directed by Luke Cormican.

The story is Greg really wants to did get some brotherly advice from his older sibling, Rodrick. After covering the up that they had a party at their house while their parents were away, they soon bond and start to act like true brothers. But soon something gets between them and their new found brotherhood, and Greg wants to find a way to fix the problem, so they won't end up the way their dad and his brother did.

Initial Reaction

Now I did enjoy the first film for the most part. So when I heard there was going to be a sequel, I decided to give this one a chance, and hoped that maybe things improved from the last film.

Cons

I've got nothing here for this section.

Middle Ground

I'll keep two things short and sweet, cause it'll almost feeling like I'm repeating myself when I reviewed the first movie, and I don't want this review to feel longer than it already is. One of those two things is the animation. It's fine. I didn't find it atrocious, nor did I think it was the greatest of all time. I thought the quality of it was passable. The second of the two is the humor. I did chuckle here and there, but sometimes a joke or comedic scene just didn't work. Then we have the story. While the storyline of Greg and Rodrick bonding is still there, there was a lot of things that were cut out that didn't need to be, or changed. For instance, Greg and Rodrick have a reason for going over to their Grandpa's, but here their parents sent them...for reasons that were never explained. So while the story isn't by any means bad, it could've been better had things not been altered so drastically.

Pros

One good aspect of the movie was the voice acting. In the previous one the acting was okay, but here I definitely thought there was a bit of an improvement. And it was nice to hear Ed Asner's voice again before he sadly passed away. The best thing about Rodrick Rules is the brotherly bonding between Greg and Rodrick. I mean that. This is the movie's biggest strength. Sure, they still have their differences and get one each other's nerves, but they both learned and know that when things get tough, they'll have each other's backs. I think anybody who has a brother, or sibling in general, can understand that fully.

While some things still remained in a more decent category such as the animation, humor, and the story. What really helped the film was the improved voice acting and seeing Greg and Rodrick bond.

My final rating is Okay.

So that's going to do it for me. Due come back on Thursday, Dec 8th for a Christmas themed review. The movie I'll be reviewing on that day is The Santa Clause. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.