Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a 2021 computer-animated comedy film directed by Swinton Scott (in his feature directorial debut) from a screenplay by Jeff Kinney, based on his 2007 book of the same name. It is the second film adaptation of the book, following the 2010 live-action film, while serving as the first fully-animated reboot in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid film series, and the fifth installment overall. The film stars the voices of Brady Noon, Ethan William Childress, Chris Diamantopoulos, Erica Cerra, and Hunter Dillon. Diary of a Wimpy Kid was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Bardel Entertainment, with the latter providing animation services, and was released on Disney+ as a Disney+ original film on December 3, 2021. It received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the voice acting (particularly Noon's and Childress'), humor, animation, positive messages, and charm, but criticized its short runtime and the absence of elements from the original book; some critics and fans deemed it an improvement over the live-action adaptations after the critical and commercial failure of the final adaptation, but the responses from the audiences were mixed. A sequel, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, was released on December 2, 2022. Plot Best friends Greg Heffley and Rowley Jefferson are about to enter middle school. Greg gets advice from his older brother Rodrick on how to "survive", putting emphasis on avoiding the Cheese Touch, which supposedly makes one incredibly unpopular. Figuring that Rowley's childish tendencies will cause them to be bullied, Greg tries to urge Rowley to grow up, almost telling him about the cheese, but decides against it, not wanting to scare him too much. Before long, the first day of school arrives, and Greg tries to help Rowley adjust, though both end up shunned by the majority of the students, mostly due to Rowley's somewhat childish antics, which include the use of the word "play" over "hang out." Nevertheless, they manage to avoid scraping the bottom of the school hierarchy.