Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (stylized with a metal umlaut as Rodrick Rüles) is a 2022 animated comedy film directed by Luke Cormican (in his feature directorial debut) from a screenplay by Jeff Kinney, based on his 2008 book of the same name. It is the sequel to Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2021) and is the second adaptation of Rodrick Rules following the 2011 live-action film. The film also is the second fully animated film in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid film series and the sixth installment overall. Brady Noon, Ethan William Childress, Chris Diamantopoulos, Erica Cerra, Ed Asner, and Hunter Dillon reprise their roles as characters from the first film.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Bardel Entertainment, with the latter providing animation services, and it was released on Disney+, as a Disney+ original film, on December 2, 2022. The film received mixed reviews from critics. A sequel, based on Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever, was released on December 8, 2023, on Disney+.
Contents
Plot
Rodrick throws a party while Susan, Frank, and Manny go on a weekend vacation. Greg invites Rowley over to help set up, but Rodrick locks them in the basement before it starts. They manage to escape; Rowley runs home while Greg blackmails Rodrick with photos of the party. Susan suddenly calls, telling them that they are coming home after Manny got a stomach bug. Rodrick and Greg kick out the partygoers, clean the house, and replace the bathroom door, which has 'Rodrick Rules' written on it, with Sharpie.
In return for helping Rodrick clean, he tells Greg about his "Rodrick Rules": his rules for living a relaxed lifestyle. Rodrick offers to teach Greg how to play the drums, and Greg meets the rest of Löded Diper, which includes Bill Walter, a 35-year-old man. Löded Diper prepares for an upcoming talent show. Rowley, who will perform a magic act, offers Greg to be the assistant, but Greg refuses as he believes it will fail. Frank suspects that the boys are hiding something, but Susan is happy to see them getting along. When Frank asks about the bathroom door, Greg covers and claims that he accidentally slammed it too hard, explaining why it does not lock properly. Frank and Susan reschedule their vacation, but they instead leave the boys with their Grandpa at Leisure Towers, a retirement home, which excites Rodrick.
At Leisure Towers, Rodrick reveals that the board games contain Mom Bucks, an allowance system used by Susan where the boys trade toy money for cash. While playing a game, Greg's pants get wet, and he accidentally enters the women's restroom to change. He is accused of being a peeping tom and is chased back to the room. Grandpa tells Greg that he admires that he hangs out with Rodrick, as Frank did not with his brothers. At school, Rowley reminds Greg that their life science project is due today, and Greg asks Rodrick for help. Rodrick gives Greg his old project in exchange for Mom Bucks. The next day, Greg realizes that the paper had a failing grade.
Greg demands his Mom Bucks back from Rodrick in exchange for not snitching about the party. However, Susan sees the photos, grounds them, and forces Greg to be in the talent show with Rowley. As payback, Rodrick reveals that he plans to expose him for the bathroom incident at Leisure Towers. Greg and Rowley manage to get the phone from Rodrick, but accidentally send the photos. To Greg's surprise, he learns that the school believes he won a bingo competition, making him popular. On the night of the talent show, Greg sulks, having to perform. Löded Diper approaches Greg and asks him to be their drummer, as Larry loves magic and wants to switch places with him.
Cast
Hunter Dillon as Rodrick Heffley, Greg's older brother and the drummer of Löded Diper
Brady Noon as Greg Heffley, the main protagonist of the film
Ethan William Childress as Rowley Jefferson, Greg's best friend
Chris Diamantopoulos as Frank Heffley, the father of Greg, Manny and Rodrick, and the husband of Susan Heffley
Erica Cerra as Susan Heffley, the mother of Greg, Manny, and Rodrick and the wife of Frank Heffley
Gracen Newton as Manny Heffley, Greg and Rodrick’s mischievous younger brother
Veena Sood as the lady in the elevator
Ed Asner as Grandpa Heffley, Greg and Rodrick's grandfather. Asner recorded his lines for the character before his death on August 29, 2021, a year prior to the film’s release.
Kimberly Brooks as a news anchor
Nathan Arenas as Mackie, a member of Löded Diper
Jimmy Tatro as Bill Walter, the leader and the oldest member of Löded Diper who is 35 years old
Vincent Tong as Leland, Rowley's neighbor and babysitter
Albert Tsai as Drew, a bass guitarist in Löded Diper
Hudson Yang as Larry, a replacement drummer for Rodrick of Löded Diper
Lex Lang as the talent show announcer
Production
Development
On October 23, 2021, Jeff Kinney revealed that sequels to Diary of a Wimpy Kid were already in development. On Disney+ Day 2021, Kinney revealed the first sequel, which is based on Rodrick Rules. By October 2022, Luke Cormican was announced as the film's director.
Music
In March 2022, composer John Paesano confirmed that he would return to score the film's music. In October 2022, Paesano was confirmed as composer. The song from the movie, “Can You Smell Us Now” is also used in the 17th book in the main series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diper Överlöde.
Release
A teaser poster for the film was released alongside the announcement of the release date. A trailer for the film was released on October 18, 2022. On Disney+ Day in 2021, Kinney revealed that Rodrick Rules was set to be released in 2022. On September 12, 2022, it was announced for a release date of December 2.
Reception
Critical response
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 56% approval rating with an average rating of 6.10/10, based on 9 critic reviews.
John Serba of Decider stated, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules firmly meets low-ish expectations for this series/franchise (anyone out there giddy with anticipation for this? Anyone? Bueller?). So, STREAM IT I guess." Jennifer Green of Common Sense Media gave the film a grade of 3 out of 5 stars, writing, "Kids break rules, face consequences in animated adaptation."
Calum Marsh of The New York Times said, "It's the sort of bland, innocuous trifle that will swiftly recede into the oblivion of a streaming service menu — a comedy without laughs and a family movie without heart, lacking any of the wit or charm of Kinney's original stories."
Accolades
The film won Best Animation / Family Movie Poster at the 2023 Golden Trailer Awards.
Sequels
On December 3, 2021, Kinney stated that he intends to adapt all his books into animated features for Disney+.
On January 16, 2023, Kinney confirmed a sequel was in the works and that it would be based on the sixth book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever. Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever was released on Disney+ on December 8, 2023.
