One of the more interesting films of 2010 was Diary Of A Wimpy Kid, it got lambasted in a lot of circles but certainly didn’t deserve it as it was one of the few children’s films of last years that was actually entertaining. The big question is whether Diary Of A Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules would hold up to its predecessor seeing that Chloe Moretz had decided that after Kick-Ass she was too important to slum it in a kids movie, hence the series lost one of its most interesting characters.
So with Angie Steadman out of the picture Diary Of The Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules instead decides to focus on the relationship between Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon – Beverley Hills Chihuahua 2, The Search For Santa Paws) and his older brother, Rodrick (Devon Bostick – Sacrifice, TV’S Being Erica). Rodrick has used Greg as his doormat for years and their parents, Susan (Rachael Harris – Natural Selection, TV’S Archer) and Frank (Steve Zahn – Diary Of A Wimpy Kid, TV’S Treme) have had enough. They draw an ultimatum and force the two brothers to spend time together… but can they do that without killing each other?
Strangely enough the story of the relationship between the two brothers works so well that you even forget about the love story that has been brought in for Greg. Also coming to the party is director, David Bowers (Astro Boy, Flushed Away) who doesn’t try anything to fancy but manages to incorporate some animation into the real-life action remarkably well. The script also allows for some great characterization, so good in fact that you don’t even seem to realise that the film’s story is what you would normally expect from a television series and not a feature film.
One of the other things that makes Diary Of A Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules work so well is the performances of the some of the young actors. Zachary Gordon and Robert Capron (who plays Rowley Jefferson) once again put in some fine performances, and it’s scary to think that as a mature they will get even better. But the person who steals the show this time around is Devon Bostick… he is a star on the rise and his comedic acting means he steals every scene he is in here yet. He is certainly an actor to watch in the future.
A simple story (with a moral) for the kids and interesting enough characters to keep the adult’s attention and once again this series of films produces a winner!
Year: 2011
Director: David Bowers
Stars: Zachary Gordon, Devon Bostick, Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn, Robert Capron
Classification: PG
Runtime: 99 mins
Rating:
