Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
More of Greg's humorous antics; fun for series fans.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 44 parent reviews
Based on 162 kid reviews
Kids say this movie is an improvement over the first, delivering a mix of humor and relatable sibling dynamics that resonate well with its target audience of tweens and families. While it showcases fun comedic moments and character bonding between the brothers, some reviewers noted the presence of crude humor and potential inappropriateness for younger viewers, making it a bit divisive among parents.
- improved sibling dynamics
- family-friendly humor
- crude humor present
- relatable for tweens
- entertaining for families
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Greg (Zachary Gordon) and Rowley (Robert Capron) begin seventh grade in DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES. Greg falls for cute new girl Holly Hills (Peyton List) and renews his attempts to be popular. Meanwhile, his mom (Rachael Harris) has begun writing a newspaper column about parenting that further embarrasses Greg. And his older brother, Rodrick (Devon Bostick), continues to torment him. When their parents go out of town for a weekend, Rodrick throws a wild party, and then the brothers conspire to clean up their mess and hide the evidence. This conspiracy brings them closer as brothers, but what happens when the other shoe drops?
Is It Any Good?
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series gets a new director in David Bowers, but retains continuity with tone and the same funny in-betweens, animated in the style of book author Jeff Kinney's artwork. The scatological stuff seems toned down in this installment, although there's certainly a fair share of embarrassment-related humor.
The focus here is less on Greg and Rowley and more on Greg and his brother Rodrick. As with the previous film, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules seems to actually get what it feels like to be a middle-schooler with older and/or younger siblings. Overall, it's fast, funny, and effective and will probably please fans.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Greg's continued attempts to be popular in Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules. 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?
Movie Details
- In theaters : March 25, 2011
- On DVD or streaming : June 21, 2011
- Cast : Rachael Harris , Steve Zahn , Zachary Gordon
- Director : David Bowers
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Twentieth Century Fox
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Book Characters , Friendship , School ( Middle School )
- Run time : 96 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some mild rude humor and mischief
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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