DIARY OF A WIMPY KID (2021)

Name: DIARY OF A WIMPY KID (2021)
Item: DIARY OF A WIMPY KID (2021)
Author: Tess Farrand

"Friendship Is Key"

Content: +1 Moderately questionable elements. (Discernment required for young children.)

Entertainment Quality:

	None	Light	Moderate	Heavy
Language
Violence
Sex
Nudity

Credits →

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What You Need To Know:

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID is an animated adaptation on Disney Plus of the illustrated book by Jeff Kinney. Greg Heffley is a scrawny, ambitious boy who worries about going through his first year of middle school. Thankfully, Greg has his best friend, Rowley and doesn’t have to go into the scary new year alone. However, he worries that Rowley is stuck in his childish ways and wonders if he should follow his older brother’s advice and cut ties before the school year starts. Greg writes down his adventures and mishaps in a journal as he and Rowley navigate bullies, curfews and the dreaded “cheese touch.”

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID is an entertaining, fast-paced movie with engaging animation. That said, at only 58 minutes, the movie sometimes feels rushed. Greg deliberately disobeys his parents several times, but his actions have consequences. Also, the movie has a moral, redemptive message about forgiveness and sticking up for your friends. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID has some rude name-calling and brief moments of comic peril. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for younger children.

Content:

(B, C, V, M):

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:

Light moral worldview with light redemptive elements where a character learns that disobedience has consequences, parents encourage children to do the right thing, forgiveness is extolled, and sticking by your friends is promoted, though children continue to be disobedient after seemingly learning their lesson

Foul Language:

No obscenities or profanities, a few examples of bullies tearing people down with their words, one use of “idiot,” one instance of “what the heck,” plus boy accidentally touches another child’s booger

Violence:

No violence, some examples of cartoon peril where Greg and Rowley are chased by a group throwing water balloons, one scene that includes ventriloquist dolls will frighten younger viewers

Sex:

No sex

Nudity:

No nudity Alcohol Use/Abuse: No alcohol

Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:

No smoking or drug use;

Miscellaneous Immorality:

Bullying, but rebuked.

More Detail:

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID is an animated movie streaming on Disney+ and is the latest adaptation of author Jeff Kinney’s 2007 book of the same name.

The movie introduces the audience to a young, skinny, ambitious boy named Greg Heffley. Greg has an older brother, Rodrick, and a 3-year-old brother, Manny. Greg has big plans for his future, but there’s just one thing standing between him and his dreams – middle school.

Thankfully, Greg is accompanied by his best friend, Rowley and doesn’t have to go into the scary new year alone. However, Greg worries that Rowley is stuck in his childish ways and wonders if he should take his older brother’s advice and cut ties before the school year starts.

Aside from a few mean comments, Greg and Rowley successfully make it through the first few weeks of school. However, once Halloween arrives, Greg again wonders if Rowley’s costume will doom their chances of making friends. In an effort to get more candy, Greg disobeys his parents, and they take a shortcut. This leads to a run-in with the town’s “teenagers,” who chase Greg and Rowley home.

There is no way around telling his parents, and Greg is grounded from video games for a few weeks. Greg reverts back to the game with Rowley, which their parents told them not to play, which results in Rowley getting hurt. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, Greg recognizes it as a chance to get some positive attention at school for once.

To Greg’s dismay, the positive attention only comes Rowley’s way, and he ends up getting pushed further away from the popular kids at school. Greg holds a grudge against Rowley, but this only makes Greg more miserable than before. After not talking to each other for a while, the two are about ready to fight when the teenagers show up again.

Will Greg and Rowley lay aside their differences to help save each other from the teenagers seeking revenge?

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID is an animated adaptation of the illustrated book by Jeff Kinney. The movie takes on the events of the first book, as the ambitious but scrawny Greg Heffley begins his first year of middle school.

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID is an entertaining, fast-paced movie with engaging animation that’s reminiscent of Jeff Kinney’s original illustrations. That said, at only 58 minutes, the movie does feel rushed at points. Greg deliberately disobeys his parents several times, but his actions have consequences. Despite the moments of disobedience, the movie has a moral, redemptive message stressing forgiveness and defending and sticking by your friends. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID has some rude name-calling and brief moments of comic peril. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for younger children.