Poster art for "Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules."

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So-so
Avg. Critic Score: 51 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
9 OK for kids 9+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 75
    Boston Globe | Tom Russo

    Credit Bowers and company, finally, for making some good calls about where to follow the leads furnished to them by the book and the first movie, and where to get creative. Read full review

  • 70
    Los Angeles Times | Robert Abele

    Director David Bowers keeps things peppy and brightly lighted, but the movie's swiftest pleasures come from moment-seizing cast members. Read full review

  • 63
    Philadelphia Inquirer | Carrie Rickey

    Unlike the first film, which was broader and more episodic, this one has a narrative throughline. Read full review

  • 63
    USA Today | Scott Bowles

    Leave it to a wimpy kid to show Hollywood how to make a family movie with live people in it. Read full review

  • 60
    Variety |

    In the lead, Gordon has the wide-eyed appeal of a young Matthew Broderick: He looks nothing like Kinney's crudely rendered cartoon character. Read full review

  • 50
    Arizona Republic | Bill Goodykoontz

    An improvement over its predecessor. Read full review

  • 50
    San Francisco Chronicle | Amy Biancolli

    Rodrick Rules has a brighter comic edge than its predecessor - and a bit more spunk. Read full review

  • 50
    Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum

    Nothing is new, which is a problem. Nothing is particularly funny or endearing, which is a worse problem. Read full review

  • 50
    The New York Times | Mike Hale

    About the most you can say for it is that it's inoffensive. Read full review

  • 38
    Washington Post | Michael O'Sullivan

    You can't fault the filmmakers for reshaping a diary into a cohesive film. You can however, fault them for taking one of the great antiheroes in preteen literature and turning him into, well, an even wimpier kid. Read full review

View more reviews for Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 9+ More of Greg's humorous antics; fun for series fans.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that this sequel to 2010's Diary of a Wimpy Kid (based on the hugely popular series of books by Jeff Kinney) continues the misadventures of Greg, a middle-school kid who tries a little too hard to be popular. There's less scatological humor this time around (except for some bird poop), but there is a scene in which Greg's older brother, Rodrick, throws a wild party while his parents are out; teens drink from anonymous red cups and act crazy, though there's no real mention or implication of alcohol. Other scenes include some shouting, threatening, and bullying, as well as a brief fight. Characters also toss around middle-school insults like "jerk," "loser," and "butt brain." Fans of the original movie will find more to enjoy here, although there's less Rowley in this installment.
  • Families can talk about Greg's continued attempts to be popular. Why is being popular so important to him? Is that something that matters to you? What actually makes a person cool and/or popular?
  • Is Rodrick a good role model for Greg? Are Rodrick's "rules" helpful? Why or why not?
  • Is Greg bullied in this movie? Is he justified in feeling picked on?
  • Fans of the books: How does the movie compare? Which characters were different or new? Did you like the changes?
The good stuff
  • message true2 Positive messages: Despite his ongoing attempts to become popular with his peers (each and every one of which backfires), Greg learns important lessons about being himself and sacrificing his self-respect for someone else's best interests -- in this case, his older brother, Rodrick. The siblings find a way to bond with each other this time around ... although their bond springs from their mutual need to cover up some bad behavior.
  • rolemodels true2 Positive role models: In the previous movie, Rowley was a positive role model in that he was confident enough to be himself and became popular as a result. Here he's more of a supporting character to the misguided Greg and to Greg's mean older brother, Rodrick. The brothers begin to bond for an iffy reason, but eventually they learn to truly stick together, and Greg learns that being yourself can bring unexpected rewards.
What to watch for
  • violence false2 Violence: Some bullying and threatening. Rodrick picks on Greg mercilessly, and in one scene, they physically start to brawl; Greg jumps on Rodrick, and they both fall to the floor, struggling.
  • sex false1 Sex: Some minor flirting, as Greg develops a crush on the pretty new girl in school.
  • language false1 Language: Frequently used insults include "jerk," "lame," "loser," "fart," "doofus" and "butt brain." Also "oh my God."
  • consumerism false1 Consumerism: The kids in this movie seem to eat a lot of junk food, but for the most part, brands are effectively disguised or parodied. A bottle of "Cola" is visible in one scene, and it looks like it might be "Coca-Cola," but it's not for certain. "Cheese Curls" are visible, and a "Twix" candy bar is seen more than once.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false2 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Rodrick throws a wild party, and teens are seen drinking from red cups, the contents of which are unknown. No mention or suggestion of alcohol is ever made, but in that context, some viewers could infer that that's what's in the cups. In one scene, Rowley lip-syncs to Ke$ha's "Tik Tok," which includes lyrics about drinking and partying.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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