Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
March 25, 2011
Fox
Comedy, Children's
DVD
B-

DWK regulars are (* means new to the series but will be back for #3):

1. Dalila Bela as Taylor Pringle*
2. Owen Best as Bryce Anderson
3. Devon Bostick as Rodrick Heffley
4. Karan Brar as Chirag Gupta
5. Christopher DeSchuster as Chris the Bass Player*
6. Connor and Owen Fielding as Manny Heffley
7. Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley
8. Rachael Harris as Susan Heffley
9. Bryce Hodgson as Ben Segal
10. Ava Hughes as Marley
11. Alf Humphreys as Rowley's Dad, Mr. Jefferson
12. Terence Kelly as Grandpa Heffley*
13. Peyton List as Holly Hills
14. Laine MacNeil as Patty Farrell
15. Andrew McNee as Coach Malone
16. Belita Moreno as Mrs. Norton
17. Samantha Page as Shell(e)y
18. Melissa Roxburgh as Rachel (although she'd be Heather Hills in the next one)*
19. Grayson Russell as Fregley
20. John Shaw as Mr. Draybick*
21. Jake D. Smith as Archie Kelly

Also, author Jeff Kinney makes his first appearance as Holly's Dad, Mr. Hills.  Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs again collaborated on the script, but the director is new: David Bowers, who did Flushed Away. I would say that this movie is a shade better than the first, not quite a B since it's not quite as funny and it does feel a little unbalanced, focusing much more on Greg's home life than on his school life.  That said, everyone, especially the kids, seem to have settled into their characters more, so that much less time is spent on set-up.  Just as DWK1 gave us Greg's friendship with Rowley, #2 tracks the shaky brotherhood of Greg and, as you may've guessed from the subtitle, Rodrick, allowing the whole Heffley family to shine.  There are funny moments (like Susan's "mom dance") but also more heart and realism than in the first movie.  A B- and a half I guess.

Dawn Chubai would return as a newscaster in DWK3.