Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules (2011)

Featured Audience Ratings

• John M

  
  So so so much better than the first one. I for some reason am one of the few who didnt get the first movie. But the second time around I really enjoyed the back and forth of the brothers, the bumbling parents and even rowley!

• Carlos M

  
  A great sequel that is almost on a par with the adorable first film. It is very funny and witty, entertaining and delicious, and even though it did not make me laugh as hard as the previous movie, I have had a very good time watching it.

• Alexander D

  
  Surprisingly better than the first DIARY OF A WIMPY KID film, but still incredibly predictable and rarely faithful to the book. Sometimes you just wonder, though...why do we have to associate family movies with gross, childish, immature "potty humor"? That's not what… More
  Surprisingly better than the first DIARY OF A WIMPY KID film, but still incredibly predictable and rarely faithful to the book. Sometimes you just wonder, though...why do we have to associate family movies with gross, childish, immature "potty humor"? That's not what it is--or that's not what it should have been made into. Sadly, RODRICK RULES, though it is at times very funny, can also be the king of grossness.

• Chris M

  
  Its more of the same thing that we got in the first film. This time it doesn't deal with how school is a nightmare for Greg, though it does have some tidbits of that. I thought the beginning was dumb but it got better as it went along. If you liked the first one there is a… More
  Its more of the same thing that we got in the first film. This time it doesn't deal with how school is a nightmare for Greg, though it does have some tidbits of that. I thought the beginning was dumb but it got better as it went along. If you liked the first one there is a possibility you will like this one. This sequel mostly deals with the relationship between Greg and Rodrick. The scenes they put in the film that were from the book, were done well compared to the book. I thought some of the things were unrealistic in parts, but then I reminded my self its a family film. Overall it was an OK movie for me, I didn't love it but I didn't hate it.

• ♥˩ƳИИ &

  
  Cast: Zachary Gordon, Devon Bostick, Rachael Harris, Robert Capron, Steve Zahn, Connor Fielding, Owen Fielding, Peyton List, Laine MacNeil, Grayson Russell Director: David Bowers Summary: Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) returns to overcome ridiculous obstacles in this sequel to… More
  Cast: Zachary Gordon, Devon Bostick, Rachael Harris, Robert Capron, Steve Zahn, Connor Fielding, Owen Fielding, Peyton List, Laine MacNeil, Grayson Russell Director: David Bowers Summary: Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) returns to overcome ridiculous obstacles in this sequel to the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid adaptation, based on the books by Jeff Kinney. This time around, Greg must cope with the habits of his insufferable brother, Rodrick (Devon Bostick). For some reason, Greg's mom Susan (Rachael Harris) and dad Frank (Steve Zahn) are convinced that the brothers should bond. My Thoughts: "Great follow up to the first film. The movie was a hit with my nieces and nephew. They loved it as much as the first one. The movie is funny. The kids in the movie did a great job. The kids will relate, and maybe even you, if you had a sibling that you loved to taunt or one who loved to taunt you. Nothing like a big lie to bring you together with your brother/sister to fight the good fight against your parents. Most of us have been there."

• John H

  
  Unlike the first, this follows Greg's relationship with his brother. Not a lot to do with school.

• Brad W

  
  Totally underrated, a great comedy family movie just about as good as the original. This is Gregs 7th Grade year, and he has to survive his brother Rodricks torment, but there is a lot in Gregs year, like his friend Rowleys magic act, his new crush Holly Hills, and Gregs mom over… More
  Totally underrated, a great comedy family movie just about as good as the original. This is Gregs 7th Grade year, and he has to survive his brother Rodricks torment, but there is a lot in Gregs year, like his friend Rowleys magic act, his new crush Holly Hills, and Gregs mom over bearing and embarassing ways. The cast is better than before in my opinion, a lot funnier, great comedians, and proves this could be a good series. Greg and Rodricks relationship deals with sibling rivalries, which we all know, but it also deals with in the end we may hate our siblings, but deep down we like em, or even love them, I should know I have 2 siblings. This adaption stays even further away from the book, and I didn't like that, although there were some moments I was happy they put in, gave it more of a better ending. I laughed at the comedy, and it felt just as strong as the original, but some of the Fregley jokes were just gross and not funny. Even if it was grosser, and an even worse adaption, this movie made me laugh, smile, and related to real issues with siblings, and thats the reason it was really good tome.

• Manu G

  
  Back in middle school after summer vacation, Greg Heffley and his older brother Rodrick must deal with their parents' misguided attempts to have them bond. Nice family film just like the first movie. I actually liked the first one more than this one but this one was cool and… More
  Back in middle school after summer vacation, Greg Heffley and his older brother Rodrick must deal with their parents' misguided attempts to have them bond. Nice family film just like the first movie. I actually liked the first one more than this one but this one was cool and funny too. It was entertaining for me and it was worth watching. Nice learning from it. Recommended for those kids in middle school who have an older brother in high school. Astro Boy director David Bowers helms the follow-up film to 2010's big-screen adaptation of Jeff Kinney's acclaimed Diary of a Wimpy Kid comic novels in this Fox 2000 production. As Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) braves his first days of seventh grade, his parents (Steve Zahn and Rachael Harris) make a noble yet ill-advised attempt to help him forge a stronger bond with his mischievous older brother, Rodrick (Devon Bostick), who takes twisted delight in tormenting his unsuspecting younger sibling at every opportunity.

• Everett J

  
  Not as funny as the first movie, but just as entertaining. These movies are fantastic and remind me a lot of older family comedies like "the sandlot." Not this isn't a sports movie, but it's about junior high kids trying to fit in and find their own identity. I… More
  Not as funny as the first movie, but just as entertaining. These movies are fantastic and remind me a lot of older family comedies like "the sandlot." Not this isn't a sports movie, but it's about junior high kids trying to fit in and find their own identity. I have 2 little brothers and I treated my middle one, Justin, just like Rodick treats Greg. Brings back fond memories of torture. Each character in the movie is very entertaining and will remind you of someone you knew when you were younger. How can you not like Rowley? Or not known someone just like him? This movie builds off the first one and helps to really move the series along for, hopefully, future movies. If you have checked out either "Wimpy Kid" movies, you should do yourself a favor and watch them.

• Will C

  
  For a kids film, this is an o.k. sequel. Surprisingly, the best acting comes from all of the kid actors. All of the adults give weak performances with fake emotions. But these kids really do show that they could easily have a bright future with Hollywood. The story is fair with… More
  For a kids film, this is an o.k. sequel. Surprisingly, the best acting comes from all of the kid actors. All of the adults give weak performances with fake emotions. But these kids really do show that they could easily have a bright future with Hollywood. The story is fair with some clever jokes mixed in which help out the plot tremendously. Also, the animation of the book seems a little better drawn here than in the first one. Kids will enjoy this in the theater but as far as anybody else I would wait for the DVD

• First L

  
  "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules" is a big step down from the first film, at least as far as it goes with offering kids a reasonable moral to live by. The first film taught kids that you'll never get friends by being self-centered, whereas "Rodrick Rules"… More
  "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules" is a big step down from the first film, at least as far as it goes with offering kids a reasonable moral to live by. The first film taught kids that you'll never get friends by being self-centered, whereas "Rodrick Rules" tells kids to "deny, deny, deny". Here, the kids lie, throw parties behind their parents backs, destroy their home, commit acts of vandalism, and never face any consequences, what with the "parents are all idiots" cliche that panders to the pre-teen mentality. I'm not saying kids won't enjoy this film, it's the kind of fantasy any kid would love to live, but living by the lessons you learn in this movie will only land you in deep trouble, boys and girls. The story is simple: mom wants Greg and his big brother, Rodrick to become closer, so she offers them "mom bucks" (exchangeable for real money) for every hour they spend together. Rodrick is really just an awful person: his idea of spending time with his little brother involves locking him in the basement or throwing him in the back of his van (where there aren't any seats), and thinking up new ways to torture him. When Rodrick throws a wild party, the two form a bond of deception when they lie to their parents about it. Is their lie a strong enough bond to form a lasting friendship between brothers, or will it all sour when the truth eventually comes out? Apart from some cute moments (Rodrick's ridiculous band exploits, Greg's battle with Chirag), the film kind of meanders. By the end, a lot of adults will be fidgeting in their seats (nevermind the kids). A series like the wimpy kid movies has the potential to mold kids' minds in the right direction. This film just seems like a lot of fluff. Junk food for the mind.

• Bradley W

  
  Totally underrated, a great comedy family movie just about as good as the original. This is Gregs 7th Grade year, and he has to survive his brother Rodricks torment, but there is a lot in Gregs year, like his friend Rowleys magic act, his new crush Holly Hills, and Gregs mom over… More
  Totally underrated, a great comedy family movie just about as good as the original. This is Gregs 7th Grade year, and he has to survive his brother Rodricks torment, but there is a lot in Gregs year, like his friend Rowleys magic act, his new crush Holly Hills, and Gregs mom over bearing and embarassing ways. The cast is better than before in my opinion, a lot funnier, great comedians, and proves this could be a good series. Greg and Rodricks relationship deals with sibling rivalries, which we all know, but it also deals with in the end we may hate our siblings, but deep down we like em, or even love them, I should know I have 2 siblings. This adaption stays even further away from the book, and I didn't like that, although there were some moments I was happy they put in, gave it more of a better ending. I laughed at the comedy, and it felt just as strong as the original, but some of the Fregley jokes were just gross and not funny. Even if it was grosser, and an even worse adaption, this movie made me laugh, smile, and related to real issues with siblings, and thats the reason it was really good tome.

• Sean N

  
  As I've said before, I did like the original Diary of a Wimpy Kid film although I have to admit though that I probably wouldn't give it the score I put up for it about a year ago. That's mainly because the film mainly relied on gross-out humor and to be completely… More
  As I've said before, I did like the original Diary of a Wimpy Kid film although I have to admit though that I probably wouldn't give it the score I put up for it about a year ago. That's mainly because the film mainly relied on gross-out humor and to be completely honest the main character was a douche. So, how does the sequel fare? Well, I would have to say it was actually kind of better than the first because it toned down the two problems I just mentioned. There's not much gross-out humor although I have to admit at times it seemed more embarrasing than funny. Also, the main character's not as big of a douche as the last film mainly because it's focusing on him and his brother more (and to be fair, it had a nice message to it at the end about siblings) but it's obvious that most of the time, he's the reason why embarrasing stuff happens to him sometimes. But even with those gripes, Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2 was a nice sequel to the first film and was actually more consistent in a way.

• Fascade F

  
  The hilarious antics continue much more better in this sequel than it did in the previous debut hit. In this adventure Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) has the opportunity to try to turn around the spiraling out of control sibling rivalry between himself and his oldest brother Roderick… More
  The hilarious antics continue much more better in this sequel than it did in the previous debut hit. In this adventure Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) has the opportunity to try to turn around the spiraling out of control sibling rivalry between himself and his oldest brother Roderick Heffley (Devon Bostick). A hilarious mix of learning to compromise as well as getting along as a family unit is shown quite well. See this it's full of honest humor.

• Panta O

  
  I have to say that I really wanted this movie to be a success, because I loved the first one... Talks of a sequel were announced after the release of the first, but wasn't officially announced until May 2010, that the sequel would be released in 2011. I went to see it and I was… More
  I have to say that I really wanted this movie to be a success, because I loved the first one... Talks of a sequel were announced after the release of the first, but wasn't officially announced until May 2010, that the sequel would be released in 2011. I went to see it and I was dissapointed! Director of the first part Thor Freudenthal was replaced by director David Bowers (Flushed Away and Astro Boy) and that was the first mistake! This kid is even wimpier than before... there is a positive story in it somewhere... but it gets lost through it's sitcom approach!

• Nathan C

  
  Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules is a love-it-or-hate-it type of film. If you loved the first movie then you will love this movie, mainly because it's almost the exact same thing as its predecessor. But the main reason why I had a problem with this movie was that it's… More
  Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules is a love-it-or-hate-it type of film. If you loved the first movie then you will love this movie, mainly because it's almost the exact same thing as its predecessor. But the main reason why I had a problem with this movie was that it's littered with unlikeable characters and over-saturation of FML moments. These moments may either capture you in laughter or make you roll your eyes. Again, if you liked the first movie then the second one shouldn't dissapoint. But if you didn't, please steer clear.

• Jeff B

  
  Dear Diary, Diary of a Wimpy Kid managed to do what so many higher profile kids-books-turned-movies couldn't: entertain without talking down to the audience. Rodrick Rules, however, sticks this winning formula into a locker. This occasionally entertaining sequel doesn't… More
  Dear Diary, Diary of a Wimpy Kid managed to do what so many higher profile kids-books-turned-movies couldn't: entertain without talking down to the audience. Rodrick Rules, however, sticks this winning formula into a locker. This occasionally entertaining sequel doesn't maintain the fun momentum of its predecessor, which grabbed moviegoers by their Encyclopedia Browns for 90 whole minutes. Granted, expectations were somewhat vaulted thanks to the original's director, Thor Freudenthal, who had animated and imbued the first flick with many of the winning Jeff Kinney doodles that helped to turn his Wimpy Kid book series into New York Times bestsellers. In the hands of new director David Bowers, the sequel doesn't stick nearly as often to this clever narrative device. Without it, there isn't enough of a through-line to hang the well worn, preachy, and overly syrupy story of the importance of brotherly love. In this PG-rated family flick, Greg Heffley (Gordon) finds himself suffering though Middle School while his parents (Zahn, Rachael Harris) force him to bond with his older brother (Devon Bostick). Now that this sequel has hit number one, its surprising success story will doubtlessly spawn more sequels (there are 3 other Wimpy Kid books left to adapt from script to screen). The problem is, this sophomore creative slump is not the best template to follow. The first Wimpy Kid managed to channel kid-lit icon Judy Blume with its so-honest-it-hurts but humorous depiction of junior high. At times, Rodrick Rules has the lecturing tone of an Afternoon Special while it should be laughing with the audience. Bottom line: 7th Grade Nothing.

• Juan C

  
  the most hillarious, good natured, funnest sequal that is even funnier and better then the first! it will make kids, teens, and adults laugh and will bring brothers to a whole new level! A+

• Angel G

  
  It is a better installment than the first one, with less disgusting imature stuff, less clìche script, focuses more on the good laughs, and a better direction of the plot. The first one was a D+, the second one succeeds to be a B-.

• Philip P

  
  I haven't read any of Jeff Kinney's massively popular books that these films are based on, but I can spot a franchise in the making and with it being safe to say that "Wimpy Kid" isn't going anywhere anytime soon, which is more of a comforting thought than… More
  I haven't read any of Jeff Kinney's massively popular books that these films are based on, but I can spot a franchise in the making and with it being safe to say that "Wimpy Kid" isn't going anywhere anytime soon, which is more of a comforting thought than anything else. It feels so few quality live action films are made for the younger crowds anymore. If I were a child growing up right now I would no doubt have tired of computer animated films long ago, no matter how magical Pixar's are. The kids need some variety, something more real to grasp onto, but most importantly something they can really relate to. This is why the books are such a success and that is why these movies will continue to grow in popularity. As I said after stumbling upon the first installment of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" last year, these are films I could have easily seen myself watching multiple times as a child and definitely enjoying them. Heck, I enjoyed watching it yesterday and I am nowhere near the key demographic of the film. No, these may not be as smart or creative as the first two "Home Alone" films, but that is what I feel they are for this generation. Giving the awkward age crowd of 11-13 year old's a voice. The main protagonists in these films certainly share many qualities, both are stubborn, picked on by their siblings, but ultimately just trying to win the approval of their peers and parents. And while Zachary Gordon's Greg Heffley will never be Kevin McCallister in my 1990's mind, I can see the same appeal and am relieved to see that the underdogs of the middle school world can find some hope and escape through the antics and accomplishments we see Greg go through. Whereas the first film was mainly focused on Greg and his best friend Rowley beginning the sixth grade this second movie is a little closer to home. Straying from some of the pressures put on by the social structures of middle school and instead focusing on the relationship between Greg and older brother Rodrick, the second "Wimpy Kid" allows us to get to know the Heffley clan a little more. It is to the makers credit they cast more adult type comedians in the parent roles, though Steve Zahn knows his way around a kid flick, here he plays the suburban dad with not only the grace of a man blessed with patience but with a knack for making the most common "dad" traits humorous. As the Heffley mother, Rachael Harris is the ringleader and the instigator of this new bonding session between Greg and Rodrick.With these two in the parental roles, they make them plausible enough that not only will the children in the audience be relating to Greg and his friends, but the parents probably see a litle bit of their struggle in Mr. and Mrs. Heffley. It is nice to see the siblings relationship grow and develop from where it was in the first film to what it becomes at the climax of number two, as well as where it may go from here. What "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" loses for cheap laughs throughout it makes up for with genuine moments of inspired hilarity such as Greg running through a retirement home in only his underwear or the disaster of the poop stain in church. As I sat in the theater experiencing these embarrassing moments through this adolescent on screen I couldn't help but look around and notice the key demographic for this movie laughing it up and not only them, but there parents who brought them were clearly enjoying the film as well. It is a great family film, it is relatable and we really shouldn't analyze it too hard or pick out its faults. It is a rarity in film these days, and if anything we should simply appreciate the effort. Its doesn't hurt the movie is pretty dang good as well.

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