I don't know what to think about it. It's animation is weird at times, there are some audio goofs, but overall, it's more of a watch-one-time-and-forget-about- it-only-to-remember-it-and-re-watch-it movie.
71 Reviews
It's alright, I guess.
whatdadogdoin4 December 2021
Decent...
peterw12105 December 2021
It's... good enough
kminiclubt8 December 2021
Here are the main points I would like to make about this movie
Pros:
Cons:
Pros:
- This movie follows the book very well. Everything happens in the same order, which I find to be nice. I do think that this movie follows the storyline of the book better than the live action films.
- It is very nice to see Greg and his world in a fresh animation (manny is literally cursed.. the other characters are fine)
Cons:
- The voice acting throughout this movie isn't very "high-quality" Sometimes the characters' voices don't really capture the emotion as much as I would expect, and sometimes Susan Heffley sounds like her audio was recorded in a car..
- While the fresh animation style is nice, it seems unfinished. This movie seems to be experimental, like the animation isn't finished yet.
What Disney failed to tell us is that this movie is the cheese touch, and now we all have it.
Pjtaylor-96-13804410 December 2021
'Diary Of A Wimpy Kid (2021)' is a poor excuse of an adaptation. In fact, it's a poor excuse of a film. It just feels incredibly lazy. There's no reason for the thing to run a measly fifty-eight minutes, especially not when it cuts out considerable chunks of its source material to do so. It also lacks any semblance of structure, seeming more like a series of skits than an actual cohesive story. Each segment only has the loosest of consequences, and the overall piece lacks any real sense of escalation. I've read that it was initially planned as an animated series, which may explain why it's so short and lacks a solid structure; it's just a series of episodes smushed into one barely-feature-length feature film. They'll probably pump out another fifteen of these (one for each book) in the span of about five years. It's really underwhelming overall. For something so short, it sure is dull. The animation is plain bad, with weirdly low-effort character designs and generally unconvincing movement. It would've probably been better if the picture retained the style it adopts for its first few moments, one which emulates the crude drawings of the book using 2D animation that looks as though it's occurring on wrinkled sheets of lined paper (i.e. Within the eponymous diary). The characters are paper thin, too. What's worse is that only one of them is likeable, and he isn't even the protagonist. I get that Greg is meant to be selfish, jealous and so concerned with being cool that he can't see what's truly important (or that the obsession itself is what's primarily preventing him from being considered so). However, there's no real characterisation outside of these negative aspects, which leaves you feeling totally alienated from him. You're honestly more likely to cheer than cry when he gets laughed at. Ultimately, though, this just feels like nothing. It isn't engaging and it isn't enjoyable. It genuinely feels like the filmmakers don't care about it. If that's the case, how could they ever expect us to? Also, Rodrick is only in it for (literally) about two minutes. #notmyrodrick. 3/10.
Diary of a limpy kid
TheCorniestLemur13 December 2021
Well...it's better than The Long Haul? Cause, you know...that's so hard to do...
I don't know, I guess it's possible I'm being blinded by my nostalgia for the original trilogy and I would have been happy if those original actors never aged and they could have kept adapting this whole book series, but I think it's equally possible that what I'm really being blinded by is this uuuuuuugly animation.
I don't know if I'd consider this series to be something that would work better in live action or not, but I do know that if you took the drawings of an 11 year old and transcribed them into a 3D setting, you'd get...well, this. And if you think about that concept while pretending this film never existed, does it sound like a good idea? Because this film does exist, and pretty clearly, it wasn't a good idea. Why couldn't it have just been animated in exactly the same way as the book's illustrations, just with some colour added? I can't imagine how much more appealing that would have looked.
Even if you can ignore the *shudder* character designs, the whole thing looks so cheap. Sometimes, on my university campus, they show the animation students' work on a big screen on one of the buildings. The animation students who obviously don't exactly have a huge budget, and this really doesn't look too far from what they can do. The models all look untextured, the lip-syncing is pretty bad, and it all feels so flat. Ironic that it being 2D would have worked so much better.
And I'm just now learning that this was Jeff Kinney's idea. Just like how he actually wrote the script for The Long Haul. Why do you hate your own creation, Jeff? Are you just sick of the whole thing? Am I lucky that I stopped reading the books around 2014, and if I continued, I would have been met with crap like this?
Because the animation certainly isn't the only thing wrong with this. The voice acting is dull and forgettable, it's not very well directed, the story is pretty boring, at least when it's presented like this, and I chuckled maybe...three times?
Granted, that's three times as much as The Long Haul, and I will at least applaud the fact that this film really did keep a laser focus on Greg and Rowley's friendship and is at least very short so I didn't suffer for too long, and I actually did quite like the changes they made to the Halloween sequence, but for all that...curse you entropy, why can't you just leave those original actors alone and let them make more of those films?
It occurred to me while watching this just how much that original cast really made those films as special as they are to me, because you take them out, and suddenly you have this. You take them out, and I'm not gonna like it.
I don't know, I guess it's possible I'm being blinded by my nostalgia for the original trilogy and I would have been happy if those original actors never aged and they could have kept adapting this whole book series, but I think it's equally possible that what I'm really being blinded by is this uuuuuuugly animation.
I don't know if I'd consider this series to be something that would work better in live action or not, but I do know that if you took the drawings of an 11 year old and transcribed them into a 3D setting, you'd get...well, this. And if you think about that concept while pretending this film never existed, does it sound like a good idea? Because this film does exist, and pretty clearly, it wasn't a good idea. Why couldn't it have just been animated in exactly the same way as the book's illustrations, just with some colour added? I can't imagine how much more appealing that would have looked.
Even if you can ignore the *shudder* character designs, the whole thing looks so cheap. Sometimes, on my university campus, they show the animation students' work on a big screen on one of the buildings. The animation students who obviously don't exactly have a huge budget, and this really doesn't look too far from what they can do. The models all look untextured, the lip-syncing is pretty bad, and it all feels so flat. Ironic that it being 2D would have worked so much better.
And I'm just now learning that this was Jeff Kinney's idea. Just like how he actually wrote the script for The Long Haul. Why do you hate your own creation, Jeff? Are you just sick of the whole thing? Am I lucky that I stopped reading the books around 2014, and if I continued, I would have been met with crap like this?
Because the animation certainly isn't the only thing wrong with this. The voice acting is dull and forgettable, it's not very well directed, the story is pretty boring, at least when it's presented like this, and I chuckled maybe...three times?
Granted, that's three times as much as The Long Haul, and I will at least applaud the fact that this film really did keep a laser focus on Greg and Rowley's friendship and is at least very short so I didn't suffer for too long, and I actually did quite like the changes they made to the Halloween sequence, but for all that...curse you entropy, why can't you just leave those original actors alone and let them make more of those films?
It occurred to me while watching this just how much that original cast really made those films as special as they are to me, because you take them out, and suddenly you have this. You take them out, and I'm not gonna like it.
The Start of Disney Plus' New Tradition
TheMysteriousReviewer2 January 2022
I've noticed Disney Plus is starting their new tradition that they're gonna start doing these kinds of films every year. And the 2021 Diary of a Wimpy Kid has given it to, well, quite a passible start. I'll be quite honest, I think I liked the live action film better than this one. But at least I obviously take this over The Long Haul any day. I do appreciate the effort of adapting to the book well, but the movie is too short for the story to show its first impression. The animation is okay, but it can be dated. The comedy can be fun to show a life in school like in the books, but it can end up a hit and miss. And the characters could've gotten the best than the live action films, but they feel off with Greg being stubborn to his own friend. I do get the same thing with the first live action film, but worse in this one. I know there will be Diary of a Wimpy Kid fans that grew up with the books and the live action films that would desire to watch a movie like this every year, starting with this one. So they probably have a good time with this one. However considering this is a short movie, I would recommend to treat this more like a special. It may not be the big zoo wee mama moment, but at least Disney Plus made a decent first impression with making more Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies.
Terrible.
oham-694696 December 2021
Only thought there were a few funny parts, most notable sequence was Fregley's house. They cut out really important parts from the book, (including the saftey patrol), plus only 2 minutes of Rodrick? They also made Greg likeable, which is not something you should do. Go watch the live action, this is very boring and mostly unfunny.
Worth the watch! Better than the Long Haul, but not as good as the classic live-action movies.
djdigga5 December 2021
When I heard about this reboot, I was relatively skeptical about it. I mean, after the dumpster fire that was "The Long Haul", I didn't expect too much out of this franchise anymore.
But, I watched it today. Aaaaand...
It's pretty good. Not as good as the original movies, but still pretty good.
Now, let's move into some pros and cons regarding the movie, shall we?
PROS: : The character designs and story are faithful to the book.
: The voice acting was good, except for Susan Heffley in a couple scenes where the audio quality was noticeably weak.
: It's quite relatable, but that's a given.
: The animation, while not excellent, did look pretty good and unique. Some of the lighting looked weird in certain shots, though.
: I liked how Greg and Rowley took Manny along with them when they went trick-or-treating. It's a cute addition.
CONS: : They REEEAAALLLY made Greg less of a jerk in this movie, when that's kind-of his whole character.
: They cut a lot of content out of this movie compared to the book, and hell, even the original movie. This results in a 58m runtime, which I'm not a fan of.
: Why did they make Rowley steal the whole "Zoo Wee Mama!" joke from Greg, when in the books Rowley came up with the idea himself?! That doesn't make too much sense.
So yeah, to wrap things up, this reboot is pretty good. Not amazing, but worth the watch in my eyes. This movie receives a 7/10 from me! Hope they do more with this franchise now. :)
But, I watched it today. Aaaaand...
It's pretty good. Not as good as the original movies, but still pretty good.
Now, let's move into some pros and cons regarding the movie, shall we?
PROS: : The character designs and story are faithful to the book.
: The voice acting was good, except for Susan Heffley in a couple scenes where the audio quality was noticeably weak.
: It's quite relatable, but that's a given.
: The animation, while not excellent, did look pretty good and unique. Some of the lighting looked weird in certain shots, though.
: I liked how Greg and Rowley took Manny along with them when they went trick-or-treating. It's a cute addition.
CONS: : They REEEAAALLLY made Greg less of a jerk in this movie, when that's kind-of his whole character.
: They cut a lot of content out of this movie compared to the book, and hell, even the original movie. This results in a 58m runtime, which I'm not a fan of.
: Why did they make Rowley steal the whole "Zoo Wee Mama!" joke from Greg, when in the books Rowley came up with the idea himself?! That doesn't make too much sense.
So yeah, to wrap things up, this reboot is pretty good. Not amazing, but worth the watch in my eyes. This movie receives a 7/10 from me! Hope they do more with this franchise now. :)
VERY, VERY, MID TIER
itsdaapple4 December 2021
This film barely represented the main book at all. The main flow was there, but they added all these other characters or events just so the movie could be less than an hour. The animation is poor and lazy, and most definitely not one of Disney's best.
I'm still giving it 4 stars because at the end of the day, this movie is targeted toward younger viewers and if I were watching through the mind of a child I would like this film a lot. However, it's only natural that I compare this film to the other 4 live-action films, and this one doesn't stand a chance against any of them, even the reboot.
The comedy is not funny and the kids should not be in middle school, but the design style is so poor I wouldn't be able to tell.
The voice actors did their job nicely, nothing much to say expect for the voice actor of Greg's mother. She sounds like she recorded all her lines in her dining room, using her laptop's built in microphone.
4/10, would not watch again.
I'm still giving it 4 stars because at the end of the day, this movie is targeted toward younger viewers and if I were watching through the mind of a child I would like this film a lot. However, it's only natural that I compare this film to the other 4 live-action films, and this one doesn't stand a chance against any of them, even the reboot.
The comedy is not funny and the kids should not be in middle school, but the design style is so poor I wouldn't be able to tell.
The voice actors did their job nicely, nothing much to say expect for the voice actor of Greg's mother. She sounds like she recorded all her lines in her dining room, using her laptop's built in microphone.
4/10, would not watch again.
Terrible
yourmomisgay1234 December 2021
They don't add anything to the diary of a wimpy kid universe. This movie is the definition of lazy cash grab remakes. Not only does it not hold up to the original book but also to the original movie. They stripped everything that made the book and the original movie funny and special. Avoid this plz if you love the original books and movies because this is not the DOAWK I grew up to lover. Also, at least the Long Haul was an actual movie.
Not Bad
ethanisking844 December 2021
I don't think this one is better than the live action ones. But this one sure does get your attention from the start. Lots of familiar parts. Love how they made some details different but also keeping the point of the movie the same. My expectations for this movie were high and it was just an 'okay' movie. Would I watch it again? Not really. You can't remake perfection. The 2010 film will remain superior but I'll keep watching the remakes nevertheless.
Not as good as the first 3 live actions, but not awful
officialchunkthemonkey5 December 2021
I watched this new diary of a wimpy kid movie since I enjoyed watching the original live action films... And I wanted to see how bad this one would be. But to my surprise it was not actually as bad as I thought it was going to be.
The animation does need some getting used to, since it is odd seeing the characters, in a 3D style, and in colour. But after a while, the film is reasonably enjoyable. There are some good jokes.
In general, the film is not as good as the other ones, but it's also a good way to get a new generation into Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
The animation does need some getting used to, since it is odd seeing the characters, in a 3D style, and in colour. But after a while, the film is reasonably enjoyable. There are some good jokes.
In general, the film is not as good as the other ones, but it's also a good way to get a new generation into Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
"Zoo-wee mama."
nscoby935 December 2021
I grew up really enjoying the books through middle school. Saw this was on Disney+ so I thought why not.
Nothing great here, nothing terrible. Some solid animation and brought back memories of me ignoring my teachers in class as I read the back.
Maybe I'll check out the live action movies next. I was bored so that's why I saw this one.
4/10.
Nothing great here, nothing terrible. Some solid animation and brought back memories of me ignoring my teachers in class as I read the back.
Maybe I'll check out the live action movies next. I was bored so that's why I saw this one.
4/10.
A surprisingly enjoyable movie
adotson-982333 December 2021
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" 2021 was a surprise for me. This movie was not only enjoyable, and actually improved on some of the characters
Let me start of with the good. Even though at times the animation can look a little funky, it's still pretty good. The voice acting is also great. The give very convincing performances and act like the characters. The story moves at a very quick pace and was never boring. I also liked how they improved on the characters. Mostly Greg. Here he is definitely shown more as a friend who does care a little more about other people. There is also some great fan service from the books and first movie, as this one really does recreate certain scenes
Now this isn't a perfect movie. The biggest issue is the runtime. 58 minutes is way too short for this story. They should've definitely added at least 15 or 20 more minutes. The movie does feel like it's trying to end this very quickly. And certain things happen in the book that the movie takes out, and it can feel a little rushed. It felt like the movie wanted to be longer, but for some reason just couldn't.
Overall despite a short runtime, and rushed story, this movie really surprised me with its good acting, fun story, and faithfulness it has to the books and the first movie. Even if this movie isn't better than some of the live action movies.
Let me start of with the good. Even though at times the animation can look a little funky, it's still pretty good. The voice acting is also great. The give very convincing performances and act like the characters. The story moves at a very quick pace and was never boring. I also liked how they improved on the characters. Mostly Greg. Here he is definitely shown more as a friend who does care a little more about other people. There is also some great fan service from the books and first movie, as this one really does recreate certain scenes
Now this isn't a perfect movie. The biggest issue is the runtime. 58 minutes is way too short for this story. They should've definitely added at least 15 or 20 more minutes. The movie does feel like it's trying to end this very quickly. And certain things happen in the book that the movie takes out, and it can feel a little rushed. It felt like the movie wanted to be longer, but for some reason just couldn't.
Overall despite a short runtime, and rushed story, this movie really surprised me with its good acting, fun story, and faithfulness it has to the books and the first movie. Even if this movie isn't better than some of the live action movies.
bland, but faithful
rickothan4 December 2021
It's got a decent respect for the original, but it still feels mostly bland and is basically the same level of quality as the original movie, just a different way. Most characters are pretty poorly animated with mediocre designs, animation that looks like south park's weaker brother, and pretty mediocre editing with the audio. This movie looks more like a youtube poop than an actual movie. However, can't knock it too much for the animation when it is faithful, moderately enjoyable as a personality. Even without visuals that are good... at all, it's got enough going for it that it's bearable. It's a tolerable 5/10, not like something along the lines of The Last Jedi, which is infuriatingly unbalanced. This might grow on me eventually, but right now, it's average.
For what it is... I'm happy with it.
hotrobinproductions6 December 2021
Not the best but not the worst. Certainly are worse animated movies out there. The expectations were pretty mid for me, I didn't want to over hype it. Being a fan of the books you would be satisfied, if not it's probably just average if not below average. I enjoyed it overall. Solid did it's job can't wait for Roderick rules sequel!! I think it has potential to be better with sequels building it.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Review
theredsky12 December 2021
It's hard not to compare this to the Live Action films from the early 2010s so I decided that it's fair to compare them to the original films and when you compare them, it's terrible. If the original films didn't exist then this would be a 4/10 or 5/10 but because those exist, it makes this pointless. All of the charm and personality from both the original books and movies is just gone. It feels very bland and boring. The film only has a runtime of just under an hour but it feels longer. It goes by the book's plot beat for beat with minor changes and there's nothing wrong with that but it doesn't have that personality. The film decided to try and differentiate itself from the books in two ways, cutting whole sections it and changing Greg. There are whole sections from the book that don't happen here such as the play. It feels incomplete without those fun scenes. Greg in this isn't the sociopath he is in the books and movies. In fact, Rowley is the one in the wrong this time which completely goes what the books are about. The animation is fine I guess? It never looks terrible but it never looks good either. The voice acting is fine as well but it still lacks the personality and humor from the original films. Greg's Mom did a decent job but there didn't edit her audio sometimes so you could clearly hear that she recorded her lines in 2 completely different locations. I definitely would not recommend checking this out. Watch the originals instead.
Good
jonflottorp3 December 2021
I really liked it but some of the characters didn't look that good like Fregley or Frank Hefley.
They did Almost the same thing like the one from 2010, they should have made a movie about one of the other books that they didn't already make a movie about.
They did Almost the same thing like the one from 2010, they should have made a movie about one of the other books that they didn't already make a movie about.
Nothing Good to watch on Disney Plus
ThunderKing614 January 2022
Why is everyone so rude?
This is just a lazy, one dimensional product. Did a behavioural student write this?
This was a horrible expereince.
Despite the horrible animation, this movie had potential and failed out of the starting block.
Don't watch this show.
This is just a lazy, one dimensional product. Did a behavioural student write this?
This was a horrible expereince.
Despite the horrible animation, this movie had potential and failed out of the starting block.
Don't watch this show.
Fan Pleaser
andreadustin4 December 2021
Disappointing
khloode-5299612 February 2022
Well i was waiting for something impressive but unfortunately i was really disappointed from the sounds ,the duration, the short stories
But i wish the second part would be way better
Thanks for your efforts and everything .
Thanks for your efforts and everything .
Quite a lot of nothing
wumbi30 December 2021
Empty and lifeless movie, sure the story is close to the original book but it lacks one major thing, narrative. There's no structure or narrative in this movie its really hard to force myself to follow along. The animation is really ugly especially that baby which looks nothing like a baby. And what's the deal with the audio, why is the sound so scuffed, are they recording it in a walmart parking lot? Who knows. Lastly is this really necessary, do we really need another diary of a wimpy kid movie after that abominable fourth adaptation, that fourth one was bad enough and this movie somehow surpass its ugliness.
Decent Guilty Pleasure.
BlakeWildfong24 October 2022
First of all, let me get something straight: This is a film, not a diary.
Honestly it was a lot better than I had expected. The animation style is directly from the books. True, Greg, Manny and Rodrick do look practically bald this way, but I don't mind. Frank should be glad he has a full head of hair when his children are all balding. It lives up to Jeff Kinney's book. Yeah, it left out some moments from the original book/film that I wish were included, but I'm genuinely pleased with what we've got.
Brady Noon's voice fits Greg surprisingly well. Noon did a decent job voicing Greg.
Ethan William Childress voice didn't suit Rowley that well, but it's alright I guess.
I think Fregley's voice (Christian Convery) is the most accurate compared to the original. He did an amazing job capturing Grayson Russell's portrayal.
Erica Cerra's voice is an okay fit for Susan. Just okay.
Chris Diamantopoulos does a decent job as Frank. He's just having fun with his role.
Rodrick (Hunter Dillon) sounds like a middle schooler himself, not someone who is almost done with HIGH SCHOOL.
Overall, the voice acting is decent. All the actors did great in their roles. Honestly, I would watch this again.
Honestly it was a lot better than I had expected. The animation style is directly from the books. True, Greg, Manny and Rodrick do look practically bald this way, but I don't mind. Frank should be glad he has a full head of hair when his children are all balding. It lives up to Jeff Kinney's book. Yeah, it left out some moments from the original book/film that I wish were included, but I'm genuinely pleased with what we've got.
Brady Noon's voice fits Greg surprisingly well. Noon did a decent job voicing Greg.
Ethan William Childress voice didn't suit Rowley that well, but it's alright I guess.
I think Fregley's voice (Christian Convery) is the most accurate compared to the original. He did an amazing job capturing Grayson Russell's portrayal.
Erica Cerra's voice is an okay fit for Susan. Just okay.
Chris Diamantopoulos does a decent job as Frank. He's just having fun with his role.
Rodrick (Hunter Dillon) sounds like a middle schooler himself, not someone who is almost done with HIGH SCHOOL.
Overall, the voice acting is decent. All the actors did great in their roles. Honestly, I would watch this again.
So bad its good
maxradewaldt15 January 2022
The animation is beyond terrible and looks like it was made with blender the most budget went into the meatballs you see in the beginning of the game. Another think that makes the movie even worse is the terrible voice acting wich is also terrible ive watche this movie on german so i cant say anything about the english voiceatcing. The world feels very empty and isnt kept in a consistent art style. It isnt even kept similiar to the books as far as i recall and is just weird mash up of the first few books.
Funny sequence of childish sketches
briancham199426 February 2022
I haven't seen the other Wimpy Kid books or movies, so I watched this with no context. It's very short and aimless, but ultimately a harmful and nostalgic series of sketches that remind me of exaggerated childhood days. It's just the ups and downs of immature friendship, and it doesn't need to be anything more than that.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
