Saturday, April 25, 2020

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules 2011

    This film is based on a series of fiction books written by author and cartoonist Jeff Kinney.  This is the second Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie.  The first was Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2010.  Greg is in the 7th grade now and still facing school and home problems.  His parents want Greg to get along with his older brother Rodrick and the results are mixed.  Their mom begins Mom Bucks as an incentive.  Greg and Rodrick will receive receive rewards for getting along.  Rodrick isn’t the only problem bothering Greg.  He has to deal with conflicts involving Holly Hills and other embarrassing situations at school.
  
    This is funny!!  Picked on in school, liking the cute girl but they never like the social misfit boy.  Caught in the middle, older brother’s constant torment.  Younger brother always getting away with everything because he’s the youngest  Greg tries way too hard to be popular in school and Rodrick throws a wild party while his parents are out.  Teens are drinking from anonymous red cups and they act crazy.  There is no mention or implication of alcohol because what is in the cups is not mentioned?  Students call each other loser, jerk, butt brain and other kind and endearing words.  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)

99 min, Comedy directed by David Bowers with Zachary Gordon, Devon Bostick, Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn, Connor and Owen Fielding, Peyton List, Karan Brar, Laine MacNeil, Grayson Russell, Terence Kelly, Fran Kranz, Bryce Hodgson, Andrew McNee.

Note:  Imdb 6.5 out of 10 with 24,590 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 47% with 99 critics 61% with 33,396 user ratings, Amazon 4.7* out of 5* with 1,250 reviews, Common Sense Media Jeffrey M. Anderson, age 9+, 2* positive 2* role models, 2* violence, 1* sex,1* language, 1* consumerism, 2* drinking, drugs & smoking, Metacritic 51 out of 100 with 23 critics (7 positive 15 mixed 1 negative) 6.9 out of 10 (57 positive 18 negative 9 negative), indiewire.com Grade B-, Letterboxd 2.9* out of 5*, dove.org 1* language, 1* violence, 1* drugs, 2* nudity, 2* lying to parents but confess to a few lies, teen driving too fast, denying the truth to parents but then recanting, turns in brother’s paper instead of actual paper and is confronted.

Special Note:  Devon Bostick in the role of Rodrick learned to play the drums for this film.  Laine MacNeil in the role of Patty Ferrell did her own singing for her talent show number.  Most of the gags in a clean-up scene were improvised on set by the actors.  There is a mistake in a scene with the boys taking multiple bites of hot dogs.  In the next shot the hot dogs are completely whole again?

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