Most adults do not have a high expectation for family movies like this, isn't it? After all, they are not those movies that contend for this award or that recognition. Then again, isn't it fun to have some great family fun once in a while at a movie like this?

The "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series is quite a big hit here in Singapore. Following the release of the first movie in this series last year, it received some criticisms on the pace and the low sense of humour but still managed to pull off a profitable $500,000 at the local ticket box office. This is indicative of its positive reception, probably owing to the vast number of readers of the illustrated novel series of the same name. As a result, Singaporeans are privileged to have "Diary of a Wimpy Kid Rodrick Rules" released a week ahead of its official theatrical release in view of March school holidays.

Typically, the young readers can relate to the obligatory activities and school life of Greg and friends. There must be someone in school that somewhat resembles Fregley, the queer one that often disgusts everyone. And also the puny but talkative person that cannot wait to show off what he had accomplished with his wits, just like Chirag Gupta. What about the most beautiful girl in class that everyone just can't wait to get close to? Lastly, let's not forget the die-hard BFF who does everything with you and even go through a distasteful sleepover. Even the older ones in the cinema could somewhat recall classmates who are fitting into these characters. With the talented child actors, they make these characters come to life and really lovable. There is great chemistry which makes it a joy to watch the development of the story.

This time, the movie has a pretty tight storyline and gave the audiences some really great laugh! The content is largely humorous, whether it's the quirky behaviours of the kids, the older brother Rodrick or even the Heffley parents. Comparing it to other movies in the same league, this movie stands out with better humour. One of the potential pitfalls of a family movie is having jokes that are too hard for children understand. In this case, they manage to dodge away from the potential pitfall as the jokes are pretty relatable to the children. Even the adults cannot help but to laugh at the goofiness. Enjoy some simple and good humour! One of the important factors that helped to increase the entertainment value was the 2-D sketches. They were incorporated seamlessly into the storyline and are both intriguing and eye-catching.

As suggested by the title, this movie is more focused on the brothers' relationship, a further development from the first movie of the series. Rodrick was more than an annoyance; he showed the "older brother" side more this time. Be it manipulating his little brother to achieve his motives, or embarrassing his little brother for his own pleasure, or even to passing on his little brother the "good" stuffs… aren't these again, pretty relatable to everyone? Exactly, we're back to it again: relevancy of the movie is indeed the biggest selling point of the movie.

As the movie winds up, it continues to stir our interest and leads us to a less sighted side of the brothers which is dear and heart-warming to watch. Upon watching, you'll probably nod to yourself and say 'indeed, blood is thicker than water'. Despite the older brother not wanting to befriend his little brother initially, at the end of the day he is still always there for him and vice versa. With more diaries to come, this series will definitely gain greater popularity among the young readers.

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"You'll always be my brother, but you'll never be my friend." After the fighting between the two brothers gets out of control Greg (Gordon) and Rodrick (Bostick) are forced to spend the weekend together, just the two of them. After becoming friends again one incident rips them apart and the family worries it may never be fixed. After reading the first book and watching the first movie, both of which I liked, I had higher expectations for this one. My son loves these books and movies so it's a lot of fun to watch him laugh at the movie, almost more fun then the actual movie is. Being that this is a kids movie I will make this one short. Overall I thought the first one was better, but my kids liked this one a lot more. I give it a B, my kids give it an A+ Would I watch again? - I saw it in theaters, then watched it again on DVD. My kids have seen it like 5 times already.

*Also try - Diary Of A Wimpy Kid & The Spiderwick Chronicles

Same song - second verse... Of course that doesn't mean it is bad. Some songs have a better second verse. I liked this movie. I find it hard not to like the family in this movie. I'm a school teacher and this book series is extremely popular with 8-12 year olds. I watched the first movie and found it to be better than I would have expected. This movie didn't give me the same feeling. Maybe the surprise was over or maybe it wasn't as good a storyline, but I like the first movie better. I noticed my kids didn't laugh as much during this movie and they both said they liked the first one better, but they were glad they saw Rodick Rules, of course they are both fans of the book series. If you have kids that are into this series then you need to take them to see the movie. I'm sure they will thank you for it.

After I saw the first installment a couple days ago, I was looking forward to the sequel, and I'm glad I did. Does Rodrick rule? Sort of. But he's not exactly made out to be the whole show here. With a movie this entertaining, its predictability is the least of its problems. In fact, its not a bad thing at all. Like I said, the movie is a bit predictable. Needless to say, the party sequence is, of course, more predictable than anything else. The movie just wants to entertain, tell a worthy story, and it never gets old. So, with a movie this good, its flaws don't matter in the slightest. So I hope there are more sequels to come.

*** out of ****

After renting this movie on iTunes and watching it on my iPhone for the first time, I have to say that I really enjoyed this movie. I was a little disappointed with the first Diary of Wimpy Kid. As an avid reader of all Jeff Kenny books I thought that Rodrick Rules did his book justice. I believe kids to parents will enjoy this movie and its a good movie to have around the house for those TV-not-working-because-its-raining days. I suggest this movie. I'm only giving it a six out of ten though, because there were not enough "references" to the book. I really enjoyed this book. I say watch it A.S.A.P!

Okay seriously, why do I like these so much?

It's loaded with childish humour, isn't amazingly well directed, and Greg still has a few majorly rude moments, but holy hell does it still do all that with finesse, confidence, and a sense of some actual passion behind it all, which is unfortunately rare in films like this.

Admittedly, it does feel a little more crowded with plotlines that I remember being in the book but don't really lead to anything here, like Invisible Chirag and the tinfoil ball, but the main storyline of this film, Greg and Rodrick's relationship, is just so damn sweet, mostly true to life, and yes, legitimately funny that I can't hate on it at all.

And again...why are all the child actors in this so damn good and why do they fit their roles so well? It wasn't just a fluke in the first film, because even the new one who plays Holly is good, and there's a new director at the helm.

I still find the animated segments charming as all hell, it's well shot, the characters are all entertaining, and if you want, you can disagree with everything I just said...

But I will hear NO slander of Exploded Diper, aka the best song ever written for the silver screen.

And if you can't see that it has at least some understanding of what it's like having a brother, and how to display that in a funny and meaningful way, then...I don't know, you probably don't have one.

And dare I say that I think it may even be a little better than the first? Cause I do, so get the hell out and shut the d-o-r-e behind you.

This is cinema. We should all be grateful that this film blessed us with its presence. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules cured my depression. It cured my great grandmothers cancer. It is the reason I passed calculus. If you do not like this movie I do not trust you.

Rodrick Rules continues with it's memorable and funny cast, alongside new director David Bowers and book-related ideas. This instalment unfortunately can't beat the first, but families will enjoy picking back up the Wimpy Kid-style humour with a brother-themed message. The change of storyline is really great, but tweens will find that it's not as fast and lacks a fair amount of charm.

Peyton List is new to the cast, joining Zachary Gordon, Devon Bostick, Robert Capron and Rachael Harris. The familiar characters and childish humour will definitely please all of the Wimpy Kid fans.

But please do not enter Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2 with very high expectations. It's still funny and fast, but is quite overrated despite the great pacing and satisfactory storyline. Families are also best viewing this film after they've read Jeff Kinney's popular books; kids will enjoy both of their ideas.

If you liked this review, check out the full review and other reviews at aussieboyreviews.

The sequel to Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a tiny bit more mature than the first film, but it still overwhelmed by kiddy gags and annoying characters. I have read all the book released, and while they are a very easy read, they pack a lot of fun in those pages. I don't believe there is any successful way to adapt this series of books to film. The only way that could be done is to use the same animation of the book which just won't work period. It's a lost cause.

When it came to the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid, I hated it. I contemplated leaving the theater but didn't. I was hoping somewhere in the film a highpoint would be reached. It never happened. The film was way too childish, the characters, especially Fregley were just poorly put on film. I keep hoping they'll scrap that kid in the future films, but I doubt it. Just looking and hearing that kid is annoying. Even in the book he was an annoyance.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules is about Greg Heffley (Gordon) showing his life and how it is "ruined" by his older brother Rodrick (Bostick). Whenever Greg and his best friend Rowley (Capron) try to have fun, Rodrick humiliates, injures, or just annoys them in every possible way.

Rachel Harris and Steve Zahn are the mom and dad of Greg. Both actors are fine in other things they did. Harris was great in The Hangover and Zahn was funny in one of my favorite films of all time Joy Ride. Zahn seems to get stuck in bad movies like the 2004 adaptation of Speak. It's a great thing we get to see him on screen, hopefully soon he'll be in something way more entertaining.

The characters Chirag (Brar), Holly (List), and Rodrick are where the film shine. Chirag is hilarious in almost every scene he is in, but the scenes with him don't last nearly as long as I would've liked. We even get the unnecessary "poop" joke at Church which is unnecessary. And much like the first film a few scenes (like the ones with Fregley and the Church) I put my head in my hand because it was almost embarrassing to be seen in the same room this movie was showing.

Yes, the film shows how Middle School can be a drag for some kids, especially if you're not popular or you don't fit in. Middle School is also that awkward period where you're still a kid, but you're a young adult as well. I struggled a lot through Middle School because I was socially awkward and had a big mouth which more often than not got me in trouble. No movie is going to pin-point relate to you, but Middle School is nowhere near as bad as this kid makes it out to be. It sucks, but not this hard.

Plus, it doesn't help when you are a seventh grader and are a complete jerk to your only friend. In a way, this kid sort of brings it on himself.

For what it's worth, Rodrick Rules is a tiny bit more mature than it's predecessor, but in the long run it's just not at all funny. We can see Greg is getting more interested in girls, only to be dragged down by his childish friend Rowley. It's a shame Wimpy Kid gets such a poor adaptation on screen. I feel I've lost a bit of respect for the books because I watch the films. Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a witty book series, but a shameful blend of distaste and childish humor when it comes to seeing it on a big screen.

Starring: Zachary Gordon, Devon Bostick, Rachael Harris, Robert Capron, Peyton R. List, Karan Brar, and Steve Zahn. Directed by" David Bowers.

The funny action among the family paired with the hilariously exaggerated events at middle school made the film a charming comedy. I enjoyed the acting of Zachary Gordon, the mother, and Rodrick the most, well done!

Okay so the first one in this franchise is about a boy dealing with middle school life in a very stereotypical manner. But the nostalgia factor is what made that movie watchable and for kids, it's something they can relate with. And when a movie has character you can relate with you feel like your watching yourself sometimes or the thought of similar background makes the movie more immerse. And that might be it for this movie as well if you have older or even younger sibling. Cause this one deals more with the relationship between siblings than the actual middle school life. Older siblings have this mentality that they can mess and pick on you but others can't kinda deal. And you can sorta see the bond between them like any other family. Anyways this one also deals with Greg Heffley falling for a girl in the same class why dealing with his brother that constantly bully or pick on him. This is a kid friendly movie that kids and adults can enjoy, kids because they can currently relate with while adults can probably look back on their childhood while watching this.

6.5/10

The first film was quite a good laugh out loud family film, with decent comedy and good acting on Bostick's part. This film however was nowhere near as entertaining and it seemed to be a very forced, childish film. I do understand that it is from a child PoV so the humour is bound to be childish. The relationship between the brothers was quite entertaining and I enjoyed the prank montage in the car park. The door incident was drawn out and not very funny once the climax of the joke had been reached and was definitely not worth 10 minutes of the films entire run time The ending was quite good though and I did enjoy Rowley(or however you spell it)'s Ke$ha video. Decent but only good for smaller children and only worth a 6.

One aspect that's kinda nice about these movies is that they're just as episodic as the books, even if Greg isn't as likable as he should be. "Rodrick Rules" isn't as fun as "Dog Days" (I watched these out of order) but it's light, peppy, and there's a good chemistry between Greg and Rodrick; precisely what's needed for this movie to work.

I'm still partial to the books (in a big way), but the movies are a good way to kill an afternoon; this one included.

6/10

Of all the Wimpy Kid books, this second one I liked the least. Forgive me for being humorless, but I found this book a wee bit mean-spirited. I felt that this was not too good for younger kids to read. God forbid they should think all these shenanigans are cool! For adults, these things were funny to read. However, if your young kids will be reading this one, it is definitely in Parental Guidance territory.

The film also mainly dealt with Greg Heffley's tumultuous relationship with his elder brother Rodrick, who was already a teenager. The topics ranged from Rodrick's heavy metal band called Loded Diper, how Rodrick did his homework and projects, how Rodrick tried to get away with his secret house party when their parents were away, and the like. Same with the movie, and even more so, since this time you actually see these naughty kids in the flesh. You and your kids will see them disobey and lie to their parents.

To its credit, I liked how the lessons learned were somehow more visible here in the movie, than it was in the book. Of course, the misdeeds do get their comeuppance. Brotherly compassion and sacrifice also finds its way among the pranks. You just hope your kids see these lessons as well. Also the relationship of Greg with his cute crush Holly Hills was also quite charmingly portrayed in this movie. The character of the Mom is more well-rounded and developed here, so much better than in the first film. How they showed that very funny part of the book about what Mom was doing while Loded Diper was playing on stage was perfectly and hilariously executed. The Dad character though could need improvement.

I found this film just OK. My son thought it was lamer than the first. My daughter found it better than the first. I thought it was pretty much the same.

I enjoyed the second installment in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid franchise better than the first. Maybe it is because of my own upbringing with a brother, but I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Greg and Rodrick. There was more emotional depth (though still shallow), the jokes were better written, and Rowley continued to steal the show (especially with his Ke$ha lip sync). Though not a high-quality film in the first place, it is a fine interpretation of middle school life of a wimpy kid.

This is truly outstanding compare to the other three it was funny and it had a good song at the end to. I liked it when they were running away the teacher I thought it was funny. Now this one has proceeded then the others no wonder why it has a better rating then the others. It did not ruin the trilogy either. Now the first one was orite but it was still worse then this impressive won

My 8 & 9 year old kids wanted to see this movie. They've read the entire series. After seeing the low rating on IMDb, I was expecting this to be another disappointing kids movie. I have no idea why the rating is so low, this movie was hilarious. I'm a 34 year old mom and will say that this movie made me laugh harder than I have in a very long time. Don't let the low rating keep you from seeing this one! This movie will make you laugh. This movie will make your kids laugh. It's a great movie for the whole family. I thought it was better than the first wimpy kid movie and so did my kids. I am not going to spoil it for you. See it for yourself, you won't be disappointed.

If your a sheltered person or child that enjoys the illusion of the wishful immature mind then this is the movie for you. The film is focused of 2 7th grade boy that do the typical day dreaming, have the overbearing mother, the sexy/jerk/older brother, the hopeless crush, and the happy ending. The setting is always dazzled in bright rainbow colors and the imaginary non/perfect world. No one over the age of 10 should go to see this movie wanting an extremely hilarious movie. The comic compared to the average these days is low. Don't spend the movie on this movie unless your making it a super clean family outing with grandma.

I was really hoping this movie would have been a better experience for me. I liked the other movie so it was very disappointing, I actually thought it looked like a good trailer too, for a decent family movie that a kid would like but that wouldn't bore parents out of their minds too. Oh well at least we had fun making fun of it. It was very predictable and not very deep plot wise, even for a kid's movie. I thought the acting was okay it's just that the characters were so basic and one dimensional, even more so than in the beginning, that there really was not much for any actors to do. The writing was obviously very lazy in this. It was a decent concept and I didn't hate it but there are much better kid's movies to see and much better things to spend your money on than this below average movie.

Quite well made with slightly more use of the cartoons I liked in the first one used to illustrate the story. These were woefully underused in the first film and, although still not used consistently enough, it was nice to see them still there.

I still think the character of Greg is a little too self-centred, for him it's all about being popular which never seems to work out the way he plans. This time his big brother is going to help him out… or is he? In the first film I felt the character of Rowley stole the show and this time around it seemed he took more of a back seat with Rodrick moving nearer to the limelight. This didn't work quite so well (for me) but I guess the production company must think they're doing something right because the third instalment is already in the can. Over all, not as good as the first film but there were still a one or two good points… I'm undecided about the third instalment, but we'll see next year when it airs on TV.

My score: 5.5/10

IMDb Score: 6.2/10 (based on 7,145 votes at the time of going to press).

MetaScore: 51: (Based on 23 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes 'Tomatometer' Score: 47/100 (based on 94 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes 'Audience' Score: 63/100 (based on 29,070 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).

You can find an expanded version of this review on my blog: Thoughts of a SteelMonster.

Seriously, I once almost managed to sit through this tasteless, idiotic, immature and slightly offensive "movie". Really, if you're over the mental age of 12 and find this funny, you've got serious issues. And if you consider yourself to be a responsible adult, never ever let your children watch this. It makes this extremely unrealistically depicted Greg-fella seem like a role-model for middle-schoolers. He is pathetic, lazy and is constantly whining about how his parents, who can't act for nothing, punish him and his idiotic numb-brained older brother, who is also a terrible, terrible actor. They also have another younger brother, like what? 2-3 years old? Let me tell you something about little children: They don't have a sense of humor yet. They don't enjoy telling on their older siblings and then sit in their crib in a tuxedo and sip liquor, laughing and going: "HA! I really got him with this one!" They are infants! And in this "movie", their little brother also isn't depicted in a quite realistic way( I'm saying it like this in a sarcastic tone). How exactly did we arrive from Citizen Kane, The Godfather, The Shining and Midnight Cowboy to tasteless material like this? I weep for humanity. When I came here, I expected to see an average rating of approx. 4-5, not 6! Movies rated 6 generally aren't good, but for this crap, even 6 is overrated!