Thoughts on Diary of a Wimpy Kid? Support this week's charity - www.lbbc.org/ Check out last weeks NC on Willy's Wonderland - ruclips.net/video/84hfP10KPk0/видео.html Follow us on Twitch - www.twitch.tv/channelawesome
Always hated the mom (Susan), the books were a lot of fun as a kid but I was in that perfect spot of my elementary school days when I disliked live action compared to visual and animated, so I never got into these.
yeah, but, if i remember right, the book world was equally dislikeable, so it made more sense. the world of the movie is annoying at worst, so in the movie Greg feels somewhat disproportionately mean
Funny thing is, when many people were younger, and read the books, we’d relate to Greg a little. Now, we see Greg as an egomaniac that doesn’t know how the real world works, and is willing to emotionally abuse his best friend for his ego and being popular. Which, let’s face it, being popular and in high school doesn’t matter. The nerd that was bullied in school could grow up to be an excellent engineer, while a bully, or someone that couldn’t care less about they’re education, could end up in a dead end job. Popularity in high school is meaningless compared to grades.
Honestly Greg being unlikeable isn’t a mistake of the movie. Greg is just a jerk, especially in the books. (And Rowley is also the best character in the books.)
Bro I know. Now that I'm older and understand it better Greg is so selfish and a big jerk that just wants to be better than everyone. But it's kinda accurate tho kids do tend to be so stuck up
Greg is just a kid who doesn't understand his own flaws, despite them being blatantly obvious to the reader. That's the joke. But when you're a kid, you get sucked into his perspective so much you don't really notice yourself or care. To the extent that you do notice, you just laugh at it because it's honestly the way most people were as kids. Self-absorbed and blissfully unaware of it.
Kinney does write a pretty cynical world where genuine, altruistic kindness is few and far between if present at all. The school system is a joke from the students to the teachers to the physical infrastructure, and the Heffley family need counselling both family and individual because they all contribute to the dysfunction. Granted, the narrative in the books is the account presented by a teenage boy, so of course Greg is going to be blind to his own flaws while maybe exaggerating the flaws of those around him because that’s how he sees them. The later books soften Greg, and his immediate family, where there rough edges start out overcompensate by either giving one person the jerkass ball (usually Manny) or making it seem the universe has it out for the Heffleys.
I don’t think he ever said it was a fault of the film’s, just that it rubs him the wrong way. I think we all had films that didn’t sit well with us despite others enjoying it.
As someone who actually read the books, the books are WAY darker. Greg is 100% a sociopath, and unlike in the movie, he never apologizes for Rowly or stands up for him or anything. Rowly is the only friend he’s willing to have because Greg has no feelings for anyone other than himself and just wants to micromanage people. And Rowly is so soft he’ll do anything Greg tells him to.
He kinda does stand up for Rowley by sacrificing his "reputation" by saying he picked up the cheese and threw it away instead of telling everyone Rowley ate it. Granted, he did this thinking everyone would admire him for getting rid of it, lied about having lactose intolerance to save himself making Rowley eat all of it, and admits to plan to use it as leverage in case Rowley ever crosses him.
@@coolbrickz657I didn't like him in the first film he was on his high horse the whole entire film and got his just desserts at the end (with the sacrifice of Rowley's taste buds) and his speech was more of a "I did this so you guys gotta honor me" kinda way. The other two films I thought he was more likeable but that's just me (Roderick Rulez a little less but it was better than how he acted in the previous film)....now the books he's just straight up awful.
My favorite part of the movies is the portrayal of Greg's dad. In the books he's an average, kind of strict dad who wants Greg to man up. But for some reason, in the movies (especially the second one), Steve Zahn plays him like an escaped mental patient.
Though this is a fun reinterpretation of Greg’s Dad, I think It would have been better if he was strict. A super strict father always wanting Greg to be a certain thing and act a certain way might make Greg insecure. He’d start believing he should gain something he doesn’t deserve. If Greg had a dad that would let up on his strict values Greg might see the friendship he has as special and that he doesn’t have to be cool to be content with himself. It would then make sense that Greg would want to be popular instead of being himself and becoming a better friend then. A super strict dad would give more (not all) justification to Greg’s actions. Might even make him a more sympathetic character.
@@moodyreviews5498 While that would definitely make sense. In the..world that DOAWK has been built in, this just feels, I suppose “too realistic” and “uncomfortable”
The funny thing is that in the sequel, Rodrick Rules, Greg actually becomes a better friend and overall seems like the character growth stayed from the last film; it makes rewatching the series very rewarding
That’s actually what makes the awful characters actually good in my opinion, Greg is still obviously selfish and flawed but he’s much more aware of peoples feelings and careful how he speaks to people. It’s maturity but also him improving himself, I wish we saw how he’s become a better person but what we got was enough and I’m glad the films end with a hopeful future where Greg and his family are still trying to be better but every time are more happy more successful
I also like how the events from Rodrick Rules carry into Dog Days with Greg and Rodrick acting more friendly towards each other and not hating each other like they did in the first movie
That's why I enjoyed this series, the point of a sequel is to continue the story and show how the characters grew and learn from their experience, but a lot of sequels like to return to the status quo so they can recycle the same jokes or plot points. But Greg actually does improve a bit even if he's not perfect.
"This is a bizarrely mean movie with a surprisingly unlikable protagonist" Nope that's 100% accurate. If anything he's only slightly better in the movies
@@alysssabear I get he hasn't read the books so he wouldn't know that but by now it's kinda like...everyone's pointed this out time and again I'd imagine most people unfamiliar would've heard about it by now. It's like how I haven't seen Alien Resurrection, but I can tell just from how my friend described it to me it sounds like it just might not be my cup of tea.
@@mrcritical6751 Sounds like you haven't read the books. In alot of them he doesn't do anything bad. He is more of an unfortunate victim of circumstance. Did you read Big Shot.
You know I don't understand why some women thinking it's demeaning to womankind for women to be strippers or have nude photos taken for magazines. Isn't it more demeaning for mankind? I mean some men pay these girls hundreds of dollars just to life up their shirt or spin on a pole. Whose really being taken advantage of here?
@@catdogmousecheese the point is that these sorts of women HAVE to objectify themselves in order to get this money from men- the reason why it's bad is because they are seen as less human, where they are seen as objects of men's enjoyment rather than actual people. while it can be an easy way to get money, it comes with that sort of sacrifice. it's a choice, but a brutal one. and sometimes, like with some sex workers, it's the only way they can make money.
@@AstroBelowZero Do they have to? No one's holding a gun to their head. They're free to turn down the money and job for something else. But when you have unresolved issues, that's what happens.
Row let finally calling out Greg for being a bad friend is one of the most satisfying scenes in all kids movies. Even if it’s supposed to be the low point. It’s nice to see him stand up for himself
A good thing to keep in mind with Greg is that he is SUPPOSED to be unlikeable. In the books, he is a certifiable sociopath with some of the things he does. The entertainment (at least for me) comes from seeing how terribly things go for him each book and the crazy shenanigans that happen in the wake of his narcissistic nature.
what is interesting to me is that while Greg is consistently unlikeable I'm not sure if he's supposed to be, like the little I know about jeff kinely doesn't seem to me like he's that self aware... I was a huge fan of the books as a kid and it honestly can be read either way(greg as a person you're meant to hate to love and greg as a good guy)
@@fluffandbutts7955 he's said that he was bored of books where the main character is a kid with no flaws whatsoever and are perfect and so instead he made the books to subvert that trope.
A huge thing to keep in mind is that Greg was always designed to be unlikable. Hell, he was far worse in the books. In the movie trilogy however he changes and becomes far nicer and more sympathetic, whereas in the books he's still just as much of an ass as he originally was. However I can still absolutely see why either would rub people the wrong way EDIT: By the way, Angie never shows up again. She's replaced by someone who frankly is kind of a mary sue but at least she has a point this time around rather than just being... the girl in the first movie
Yea, I think that was the one big part of Greg's character that Doug misses here: Greg is a narcissistic douchebag, he's not supposed to be likable. The type of character works a lot better for kids and people who grew up with it, which is why I think Doug isn't seeing what we saw growing up. I don't blame him for it at all, his points are valid. At the same time, if you focus on Greg's overall likability the way Doug did, you're going to get a massively different perspective of the series compared to what a good majority of us experienced.
I always thought he was a bigger jerk in the movies than the books. In the books he can be selfish but there is an innocence to him. He is usually an unfortunate victim of circumstance.
@@TheGreenAzumarill funnily enough i was that as a kid which makes a whole lot of sense why i despised th movie when i was a kid. Didn't help the gross out humor made me sick and was unfunny for young me. I always preferred the books overall
The funny thing about the character Angie is, from what I remember, she wasn't in the books. I believe she was completely made up for the movie, which makes the fact that she had very little screen time all the more confusing. Like, why would you make up a new character for a film adaptation of a book series and NEVER use them? Not only would it have saved resources, but it would've been more faithful to the source! It's so weird...
I felt that way about The One and Only Ivan. They made new characters who had little to do with the plot and weren't even interesting. It seems to me that when a book is adapted, it would make more sense to cut down on characters if you had to change something about them. I'm not adding, knowing I have a limited amount of time
The only thing I can think of is that Chloe Grace-Moretz was like THE child actor at the time, she was probably way too expensive to have in the whole movie
Pretty sure she was created because the director wanted to appeal to the girl demographic. The story is told in the point of a boy and any other prominent girl in the movie was Patty, who was annoying.
Rodrick was definitely the best character out of these movies, and I’m not alone in that! Rodrick Rules has been regarded as the best of the 3 movies, and when the 4th came out, people were pretty annoyed about the recast, but were MOST vocal about Rodrick
I have to say, I'm surprised he didn't like Rodrick. In his Home Alone 2 review, he praised Kevin's older brother Buzz for learning how to manipulate and talk his way out of things. I feel that Rodrick is basically an evolved version of that character type. But then again, this is the first film and not Rodrick Rules so maybe his opinion will change once he watches the sequel.
Had around 7 of the books as a kid And looking back, I'd say the movie is pretty spot on. Greg is just as unsympathetic, attention hungry, narcissistic and sociopathic as he is in the books 😆 And Rowley is also spot on The sequels actually did a great job at making Greg a better character as time went on tho, love these films and the books
There’s a great irony that Doug has covered just about every movie that was nostalgic for him and now he has to move on to more recent movies for fresh material and as a result, has ended up covering many movies that are nostalgic for my generation.
I think Doug might want to try reading the books. The character traits he attributes to Greg as being bad are some of the more accurate comparisons to the books. Even the whole "this is not a diary," making his friend suffer without repercussions, and his brother being abusive are all faithful retelling of the source materials.
@@logandh2 I always thought the problem with making the books live action was that it wouldn't be as funny or charming compared to the drawings. Now Greg definitely seems like a asshole and I can't really complain cause the movie is pretty accurate to the character
He doesn't even have to read the books, there's a number of videos on RUclips going into why Greg is a sociopath (and why his family probably doesn't help him in that department).
@@logandh2 they're children's books written in a fashion that flows along well and allows for you to see an overarching story in a diary fashion. Yes, Greg can be a sociopath, but he tells it from his perspective. The only reason he looks horrible in the film is it is from reality, not from his own eyes. The books are great and encouraged reading for a lot of kids. The movies were mediocre and a bit of a let down for fans.
@@briankelly130 100% true. I was just taken back when Nostalgia Critic made fun of the line "This is not a diary" when that's straight from the 1st page.
Even as a fan of the Wimpy Kid series even now as an adult, I completely understand where Doug is coming from in the review. Many people critique the series for Greg being unlikable and potentially to some, even a sociopath. I can definitely see where they are coming from, as Greg outside of the movie series stays consistently mean, which definitely can run people the wrong way who prefer more of a slice of life storyline versus a dark comedy. You have to really love the darker humor in order to enjoy the series, and I 100% understand if you do not like the series as a result.
But this is true to real life. Some kids are just huge jerks. Even some scrawny unpopular kids. I don't know I actually kinda like that he's not just a cookie cutter Disney channel kid but like a real kid.
Rodrick was the best character in the first movie, hence why the 2nd movie Rodrick Rules is the best of the movies. The brothers becoming friends and joining against the parents is a lot more believable and more down to earth to fit better with the "This happens to everyone this age" message.
I have to say, I'm surprised he didn't like Rodrick. In his Home Alone 2 review, he praised Kevin's older brother Buzz for learning how to manipulate and talk his way out of things. I feel that Rodrick is basically an evolved version of that character type. But then again, this is the first film and not Rodrick Rules so maybe his opinion will change once he watches the sequel.
The funny part is, I remember coming out of this film feeling dissapointed because they had made the main character too nice and redeemable. 😂 He's much worse in the books.
I'm 27 years old. I was born with Cerebral Palsy. I wanted to be an actor the moment I auditioned to play the starring role of Greg Heffley in a family comedy movie called Diary of a Wimpy Kid back in January, 2009 when I was 13 years old.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a critically-acclaimed and commercially successful American book series by Jeff Kinney. The first novel is about how Greg wants to be popular in middle school but his expectations never align with reality. This was something that I made an instant connection with. Unfortunately, by the time I turned 14 years old, I was considered too old to play Greg and I lost the role to a wonderful upcoming 11-year-old actor named Zachary Gordon. However, I never lost my bravery, persistence, and motivation to become an actor. I have an Associate's Degree in Theater Arts. I finished 14 acting classes in 5 years. I have more love, appreciation and gratitude for my acting career. I want to star in Pepsi commercials and supporting roles for family movies like Toy Story, Tom and Jerry, Luca, and Ghostbusters 3: Afterlife.
So, critic: as a fan of the books I can fill you in on at least the first one. The movie takes the major elements of the book and adds them into the movie but in the books Greg is a lot more introverted and quiet usually saving the mean things he has to say for his diar- I mean journal. And it honestly feels like he is using this journal as an outlet for his mean and often critical thoughts. And sometimes he does act out and sometimes he says mean stuff that gets him in trouble but at the end of the day he's like what 12 years old, he's still a kid. The movie Greg feels meaner because it's a movie. A movie shows and a book tells. But in a movie you can't tell so you have to show Greg saying these things. But he does expect to be famous for doing nothing, but occasionally he does have an idea that he thinks could get him there, some invention or feat that he thinks could score him big but he never fully goes through with his plans, he usually stops at step one. If you want the full diary of a wimpy kid experience go read the book, but if you want an average movie that's awkwardly posing as a book, watch this.
Actually they could show greg writing his mean things down in the journal as a vent like he does in the books, and the film coukd easily cut to these via drawings.
Also because of how detached the movie is compared to the book, it makes it much harder to root for Greg. This is because the first person narration style in the books carry’s Greg’s world views and makes you root for him, while the movie has to be in third person which makes it harder to get on the same page as him (no pun intended)
Doug, Greg is suppose to be unlikable. He's a self-centered narcissist. That's how he is in the books, and that's how he is in the 3 films. Except in the films, he actually learns to overcome his narcissistic traits. You should review the last two films in the trilogy, skip the fourth one, it doesn't exist. You'll see what I mean when I say he overcomes those traits to become more likeable.
And ignore the animated movie on Disney+. It’s a more faithful retelling of the first book, but cuts out quite a bit of content and doesn’t really account for this in what was adapted. Oh, and it barely runs to an hour, so runtime wasn’t a limitation.
@@jbcatz5 I don’t even think it’s more faithful of an adaptation since most of the core components in the book that were in the first film like Safety patrol were sadly cut. The only thing more closer to the book is the “authentic” 3D animation style
So he grows up to become Dennis Reynolds from It's Sunny In Philadelphia? Actually I would love it if Jeff Kinney wrote what Greg would be like as an adult
Thing about Greg, in the books he was always had massive ego. He always wanted things to go his way, always wanted attention and wanted to put zero effort into achieving said goals. The one time he actually did something and could have gotten praise (When i used to read the books) he asked a wishing tree for money and to place it under a recycling bin at a local church, he shovels all the snow off said churches driveway after a blizzard to find the money he asked for to no avail. Later on though the towns newspaper covers the story about a mystery hero who shoveled all the snow allowing the churches soup drive to operate that day. But because Greg's face was covered no one knew who it was. Greg is ultimately annoyed and ignroes this though as he didn't get direct credit or the money he was hoping to get. The one selfless thing he did and it wasn't intentional. Also, Greg isn't a good person, but I'd argue he's still better than his mother or his little brother. Fuck that little hellspawn Ploopy.
Oh yeah, I remember that moment. In that book he was producing his own sorta newspaper, and when he saw the real headline he decided to make a "special edition" of his paper that reveals that he did it, claiming he just "wanted to do the right thing." And yeah, his little brother is a shithead who at one point tried to get his family to freeze to death in a blizzard, and his mother is just a complete enabler.
There’s also when there’s an heirloom ring that’s up for grabs but no one can find it and it tears the whole Heffley clan apart. Greg ends up finding it but opts not to make this known, putting it back in the hiding place he found it in because everyone knowing would make things worse.
"Tamara, what you are showing us is disturbingly, concerningly, alarmingly wrong! ' 🤣 I love Nostalgia Critic's and Malcolm's facial expressions when Tamara is telling her story! 🤣
I think he was less selfish in the books. A lot of the time he is a victim of circumstance. In one of my favorite books cabin fever he tried to hang up green posters at the school for a holiday bazaar. It rained at it left green stains on the building. Cops came to interrogate the kids and they used a photo copier as a lie detector. One of the cops pressed the copy button and the paper said he's lying.
Yup, I remember seeing the movie as a kid and wondering if she was supposed to be the movie stand in for Holly but then Holly gets introduced in the sequels and they act like Angie never existed
Yeah, and she sucks. Gregg's obsession with popularity was a huge part of his character, and it doesn't make sense that some random other person is explaining his own logic to him. They could have easily fixed this by having Greg try to "teach" Rowley, instead of making an entire character solely for exposition.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid was the saga of books that made me like reading as a child. I still have like 10 books I made my parents buy. The movies were pretty good, I remember.
I was obsessed with these books as a kid. I remember there was a 3 or 4 month long wait-list just to check out one of these books at the school library and you couldn't have it for more than a week. Honestly, the movie nailed the spirit of the books. Greg taught me what not to do when making friends at school.
15:26 I’m so glad you drew this comparison! There is a whole theory going around about Greg being a sociopath (or at the very least one in the making), and there are so many signs pointing to it being true. In the books, it extends beyond Greg doing terrible things just because “all middle school kids are assholes”. His family life is awful, even abusive at times if you read between the lines. I highly recommend reading at least some of the books if that interests you. Also I really hope Doug reviews the rest of the movies in the trilogy. Greg’s character actually grows throughout the three films, which is pretty rewarding for fans of the books since book Greg just remains a sociopath throughout the series.
Fun fact: that kid who played Reilly would later play Bob in Tim Burton’s “Frankenweenie” (2012). Coincidentally, he also breaks his arm in the that movie as well.
Greg is like the personification of every crappy/selfish thing many kids have done in middle school, then look back on as immature and try not to remember.
@@Felixman128 what? Number of likes? You do realize those don't matter right? Especially since you will always have more likes than me because I don't praise the movie like you do, which gets more likes. Use your brain next time.
I've always felt Greg works, mostly in the books, because the world around him is so much worse a lot of them. It feels like nothing goes his way with life being unfair. It's part of how the series protrays childhood as ugly, which it often can be. The balance isn't perfect, with the silly wacky jokes it also has but I do like the ugliness as it can feel spot on. Greg actually develops nicely in at least this movie so his flaws are to make him more fleshed out. He his this whole speech that was skipped here, about how awful school can be and how it kinda shaped him in a way. Rodrick Rules is better, as it feels less awkward as the cast got used to their rules. I have a lot of nostalgia for this series but this movie's not perfect for sure. BTW, Angie wasn't even in the books, she's just here to smash the point into us. She also isn't in the sequels and they never explain where she went. Greg as a sociopath is actually a big meme, it's pretty great. There's a recent spin off book from Rowley's POV that basically makes fun of how Greg comes across to others, it's kinda clever.
"You'll either end up as a crime boss or president. Either way people want to see you in jail." This surprisingly works for both sides of the political aisle lol.
The movie is exactly how the books are if you really pay attention to them. Greg is one of those protagonist that really should be the antagonist. I think the only person in his family that people like is Rodrick. After all Rodrick rulez (rimshot)
Why would that matter when it’s the FILMMAKING of a MOVIE that matters? Because I’m not reading a book, I don’t care how well it follows or doesn’t follow the source material, it’s what’s on screen that counts. For example, I heard that the movie There Will be Blood changes…pretty much everything from the novel, but I don’t give a shit because it’s such a well made movie.
12:45 To be fair that incident with Patty happened back in kindergarten they're in six grade now. The fact she's still hung up on that is ridiculousness.
The ending when Doug taps Malcom on the back and he falls dead and Doug’s settle reaction to it like if say “well I am screwed” has me laughing. I love you guys.
I love how each of the 3 films deals each of Greg's relationships. The first one is Greg becoming a better friend to Rowley. The second film is Greg improving on his relationships with Rodrick and the 3rd film is about Greg and his Dad its a beautiful coming of age trilogy
Yeah that was also the idea for the first couple of books in the series, like the first page always displays a bunch of relevant characters standing in front of Greg, with the most prominent one in front, looking at Greg in the eyes.
"everyone went through this is middle school!" "They did?" "Of course! ... I made sure of it..." I've never watched the movie but the whole opening skit was actually pretty funny. It's been a long time since I've chuckled out loud at a nostalgia critic video.
I have to say, I'm surprised he didn't like Rodrick. In his Home Alone 2 review, he praised Kevin's older brother Buzz for learning how to manipulate and talk his way out of things. I feel that Rodrick is basically an evolved version of that character type. But then again, this is the first film and not Rodrick Rules so maybe his opinion will change once he watches the sequel.
Zahn and Bostik are the most unintentionally great parts of this series. They’re both so over the top and trying way too hard for what this series is, but i love it. I never actually payed attention to it prior to it being shown in this video, but i guess Rowley’s actor also gave a great effort. Forgettable series with unforgettable actors that decided to just go all in anyways, and it worked out.
I wouldn’t say forgettable series, this series is loved by A LOT of people and everyone that grew up with the books love these movies especially rodrick rules
The thing is, Greg is an actual sociopath in the books so him being an asshole in the movies is perfectly adapted in this movie edit: also, almost everything in the movie is taken from the book, so yeah, him being an jerk in this movie isn't a writing choice, it's actually from the books
@@mimah1015 He hasn’t read the books. How was he supposed to know? Besides, just because it’s in the books, doesn’t mean he would immediately like it. If he’s not fond of Greg as a character in the movies, then he’s not going to be fond of Greg as a character in the books.
@@HB-fq9nn It's not about him being fond of the character or not. Lot's of people have read the books and aren't fond of Greg and rightfully so, the kid is a lot. My problem is that he doesn't get that Greg is SUPPOSED to be that way and docks the movie for that. He even faults the actor and the direction many times during the video. He's blaming the movie for something he doesn't know the books are even more full of. It makes the video come off as somewhat annoying. That's why one us meant to make proper research about the topic they are about to speak on before reviewing it or it'll just end up not holding any water. I've watched various RUclips videos of people who are diehard fans of the Wimpy kid books demolishing Greg's character because yes he's very off-putting. But saying Zachary Gordon didn't come off as charming or witty enough for the character is just completely missing the point. Like it literally flew right over his head.
@@HB-fq9nn If you read through the comments you'll see that other people also caught that he doesn't get that the characters are MEANT to be that way. They're even worse in the books. That's just the problem. And knowing Doug's love for characters who are worse and even more meaner spirited than Greg, like the Grinch makes his review seem forcefully self righteous and overly critical.
shame tbh. i wish the movie had given Greg the "Snape treatment" and made him a misunderstood dick rather than a normal dick. i think the movie's problem is that the rest of the world isn't mean enough (been a long while since the books for me, but i remember the world being much more cinical and mean). living in a sucky world and being a dick cuz that's what it takes is one thing; but living in a world that's just "meh", and being an absolute douche is another
I met Jeff Kinney twice, once in 2007 and then 2017. When I showed him the pic of us meeting when I was a kid and told him how I had kept reading for 10 years, he had the biggest smile on his face.
Fun story! My school, Canfield Elementary, actually was visited by the author of these books, Jeff Kinney. We had painted a big ole mural on the concrete of Greg and he painted a little Manny in the corner. He even named a character in his fourth book after our school: Mrs. Canfield.
I wanna talk about the scene where Rodrick gets punished. The movie was on in my house once and when Rodrick called his mom by her first name, that caught my mom's attention and she could tell he was gonna get an extended punishment for that. Then my sister said something like "I can't believe she took away his van. Once you have a car, it's like your whole life." I still remember all that to this day because I love how they both found something relatable in such a short part of the movie. The scene captures a teen and parent relationship really well.
I remember when having one of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books was considered a delicacy, back in Elementary school. We all loved reading those, as kids.
Those books were my first experience with Pre-Orders, back in Elementary School. We’d get so excited to see a new release, and when the box containing the books came in, we were hyped!
critic, this movie did such a good job at capturing Greg's character. Hell, in the books, he's even worse. He's narcasistic, egotistical, and all around a terrible person. "He just wants to grow up and be rewarded for doing nothing"- yeah. That's exactly how Greg is in the books. This movie is such a good representation of the books
24:56 To be honest, there's already a spin-off series called: " Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Book" where from what I can tell, it tells Rowley's side of the story and how he's been treated by Greg. Maybe that'll turn into a movie eventually.
Fun Fact: someone literally wrote an entire essay about Greg being a sociopath. The author of the book sent a cease and desist over. Yeah this books series is the prime example of "I'm rooting for the adults now that I'm older"
I've read the Wimpy Kid Movie diary and it specified a few reasons for certain scenes: - The movies (excluding the Long Haul) were filmed in Vancouver, Canada. Not many houses in Vancouver have finished basements, which is why Rodrick's bedroom is in the attic in the movies (and also why his band practices in the garage) - The scene where Frank douses Greg and Rowley with water was shot in one take -It was very hard to film the scene where Manny shouts "BUBBY!" upon seeing Greg onstage; even with actor(s) being twin brothers.
One of the most successful book series of all time... That led to a movie with serious ups and downs. But hey at least the OG Rodrick was in a Saw movie too!
I remember there was a book by Jeff Kinney discussing adapting the book into a movie. There was a part where the kid who played Chirag drew a picture of himself and the rest of the cast winning an Oscar. I remember reading that as a kid and laughing my ass off because he was so proud of himself for staring in a big movie that NEVER had that chance.
Well, Karen Barr went on to star on Jessie and Bunk'd on Disney Channel for 6 years with Peyton List, who played Holly Hills. Peyton List also appears on Cobra Kai.
Honestly this review doesn't do justice how big these books are honestly i remember walking down the hallways and seeing everybody reading them for a while it was insane how big these books got and the movie only doubled their popularity.
He mentioned that it’s the 6th most popular book series ever, and showed a clip of one of the books saying it sold over 250,000,000 copies. That paints a very clear picture as to how big the books were. We grew up with them, but Doug didn’t, and he said he hasn’t read any of the books.
@@HB-fq9nn If anything it's nice to have a fresh perspective of the material from an outsider, rather than just everyone in a bubble echoing eachother.
15:28 funny that you mentioned it, because there’s a theory that says that Greg really is a sociopath (specially in the books), based on his behaviours and treatment of others, as dark theories of kids media goes this one is surprisingly believable.
It's kinda funny how in all of the original books, Greg is a straight-up sociopath. Yet this is the only film adaptation that truly embraces his egotistical side.
I heard that when Zachary Gordon ended up getting the part as Greg, he slept on the books as a pillow for good luck on the night before the first day of filming.
One of my favorite movies as a kid. I read the books a lot back then, and if I finished the book I would just read it again. It holds a special place in my heart and look back on it fondly
Hey I just wanted to say that I really love your show and all the work the whole cast puts into everything. Your series got me through the worst days of the pandemic and continue to entertain me after. Thanks for all that you do and keep up being so Channel AWESOME
Long time listener, first time caller; This is the best the nostalgia critic has ever been. Unironically, the comedy, writing, pacing, acting, sketch work, editing, all of it, is the tightest and best it's ever been. Hats off to doug and the team, its a joy to have witnessed everyone become so skillful and dedicated. Big 'presh, thank you all for what you do, be well ✌🏻
I feel like we all forgot Tamara's first regular appearance on the show was as a psychopath with an obsession for wickerman beating doug over the balls with a baseball bat. I freakin loved the opening skit.
I've read the book when I was a kid and I saw this movie on DVD a lot but I know it's not really one of the best but thank you for tackling it as I wanted to hear your opinion on this it's pretty funny 🤣❤️
I theorize that DoaWK became a thing because of school book fairs. It had the minimum amount of words necessary to qualify as reading, and it had a lot of pictures. I mean, of course students would be drawn to that!
You missed the fact that the Kid playing Mario kart on stage in one of the audition stages became renowned for murdering his own mother and delusionally planning to kill the Prime Minister of Canada. I guess the Tamara skit wasn’t too off…
This movie is far from perfect but as the oldest brother in the family, I resonate with Rodrick so much. Especially in the sequel where him & his brother actually have some bonding time and become closer. :)
The live action Diary Of A Wimpy Kid films are absolute classics! in fact they're even better than the recent animated adaptian of the first film, i mean i personally don't think that the animated adaptian is that bad but i still prefer the live action films. but anyway i'm glad that you decided to cover this film Doug and i look forward to any vids that you do on this franchise in the future!
I always felt they were trying to do the whole Malcolm in the middle shtick with breaking the 4th wall, how he talked, his mannerisms etc without understanding why people actually liked Malcolm in the middle. I do think Greg was suppose to be unlikeable and therefore had room to grow through the series. I do wonder if the blandness also served the purpose of allowing viewers to imprint on him to identify with not being top of social hierarchy. Every other character has a "thing" that essentially defines them, basically a more subtle version of the show Recess. I also wonder if it was a bit of unreliable narrator were everyone thinks they're brilliant at something compared to their peers but looking from the outside we can see its nothing special. In work we have had a few young new starts who grew up with this movie series heavily reference and quote it like it was the film of their childhood so there definitely is something there that resonated with them. I have a feeling it's those that read the book and the film tapped into that love and nostalgia becoming another way to consume and enjoy it rather than being the film of a generation.
I think a big reason this film is so beloved is because of Zachary Gordon's performance. He is playing the kid we either all were, or knew, during elementary/middle school, who valued popularity rather than buddy-in-arms friendship, but ultimately learns from his mistakes and chooses his selflessness rather than selfishness. youTuber Browntable's coverage of the Wimpy Kid film series sum up my opinion on the series as well.
When I was a kid, this was the first time I saw a movie and said "the book was so much better." Of course, I still loved the movie, but thebooks are on such another level. I remember when the first book came out, I was instantly hooked. After that, they kept coming out and surprisingly they stayed very consistently funny. I have about half the books still as an adult and will even still go to the bookstore and read through a Diary of a Wimpy Kid book because I still find them so hilarious. I'd say the second movie is marginally better than the first, but man Critic, this is a book series I HIGHLY recommend. I know it's weird and maybe my humor is still pretty childish but if you want mean-spirited characters in a setting that's a little wacky but still grounded in reality, you have yourself a fine read. It's too bad the movies don't really portray it but I still love this series even after 15 years
I hope you are reviewing the whole trilogy because I think Greg's character arc improves dramatically in the next two films. This is definitely the weakest film of the trilogy but I believe the three movies taken together form a pretty solid trilogy. I grew up on the Diary of a Wimpy kid books and really enjoyed the rather mean but entertaining brand of humor they utilize, especially with the stick figure drawings.
26:06: Actually, what makes this scene even worse is that it wasn’t even Rowley’s fault, but Greg’s that the truck got scratched. And Greg just stood by and watched.
I was literally just getting ready to reread the books and rewatch the films to see how they held up! I remember that, as far as adaptations of kid's books go, the original trilogy was more accurate than I would have anticipated. Even though both the books and films tend to be pretty immature, I always felt like they did a reasonable job at capturing the awkwardness of middle school and, heck, even those strange, little moments in life that you always remember, even if they really aren't that significant. The rotting cheese on the blacktop, Greg's dad inadvertently traumatizing innocent trick-or-treaters, all the attempts at flipping Rowley off the Big Wheel by trying to throw the football under the front tire...It's silly, insignificant stuff, but it feels real and sticks with you, just like any other weird childhood memories.
Adapting this sort of book into a movie is a challenge since 1. It is by default skewed by the main character's perspective and 2. these diary books never have a three-act structure, generally just having a loose string of events
I read a lot of the early books, and read the initial web release. Greg definitely an asshole in most of it. TBH, just jived with it because alot of kids at the time, at least from my experience , were kinda jerks too. You get why he would be angry with people, but he’s definitely at fault a lot of the time. I get why the books resonated why kids, because it goes in line with how kids thought of themselves and adults during that age.
Thoughts on Diary of a Wimpy Kid?
Support this week's charity - www.lbbc.org/
Check out last weeks NC on Willy's Wonderland - ruclips.net/video/84hfP10KPk0/видео.html
Follow us on Twitch - www.twitch.tv/channelawesome
Loved this movie. And this was so not what I was expecting.
You should review Judy Moody and the Not So Bummer Summer
I was expecting scream
It's great
Always hated the mom (Susan), the books were a lot of fun as a kid but I was in that perfect spot of my elementary school days when I disliked live action compared to visual and animated, so I never got into these.
Greg Heffley was built from the ground up to be dislikable, and I think Zachary Gordon really nailed it in the role.
yeah, but, if i remember right, the book world was equally dislikeable, so it made more sense. the world of the movie is annoying at worst, so in the movie Greg feels somewhat disproportionately mean
@@zilesis1 I never saw Greg as a jerk in the book.
@@Hectorferjr2 the man is sociopathic!
@@Hectorferjr2 Oh then you must have not read the book's orphans video was on it.
Funny thing is, when many people were younger, and read the books, we’d relate to Greg a little. Now, we see Greg as an egomaniac that doesn’t know how the real world works, and is willing to emotionally abuse his best friend for his ego and being popular. Which, let’s face it, being popular and in high school doesn’t matter. The nerd that was bullied in school could grow up to be an excellent engineer, while a bully, or someone that couldn’t care less about they’re education, could end up in a dead end job. Popularity in high school is meaningless compared to grades.
The line “I’m gonna make some kid’s day by sitting next to him” before getting rejected by everyone has always been hilarious to me
Me when I thought I was cool in school… turns out they were just mocking me and weren’t really my friend 🥲
My favorite line is "I'm the one who terrorized those kids." all because of the blunt excited delivery and that shit-eating grin on his face 😂
Hi.
Oh you meant in the movie.
“Don’t you have to be funny, for that?” Always gets me! Rowley just roasted the hell outta Greg, and didn’t even know it
Honestly Greg being unlikeable isn’t a mistake of the movie. Greg is just a jerk, especially in the books. (And Rowley is also the best character in the books.)
Zoowee mama
Bro I know. Now that I'm older and understand it better Greg is so selfish and a big jerk that just wants to be better than everyone. But it's kinda accurate tho kids do tend to be so stuck up
Greg is just a kid who doesn't understand his own flaws, despite them being blatantly obvious to the reader. That's the joke. But when you're a kid, you get sucked into his perspective so much you don't really notice yourself or care. To the extent that you do notice, you just laugh at it because it's honestly the way most people were as kids. Self-absorbed and blissfully unaware of it.
Kinney does write a pretty cynical world where genuine, altruistic kindness is few and far between if present at all. The school system is a joke from the students to the teachers to the physical infrastructure, and the Heffley family need counselling both family and individual because they all contribute to the dysfunction. Granted, the narrative in the books is the account presented by a teenage boy, so of course Greg is going to be blind to his own flaws while maybe exaggerating the flaws of those around him because that’s how he sees them. The later books soften Greg, and his immediate family, where there rough edges start out overcompensate by either giving one person the jerkass ball (usually Manny) or making it seem the universe has it out for the Heffleys.
I don’t think he ever said it was a fault of the film’s, just that it rubs him the wrong way. I think we all had films that didn’t sit well with us despite others enjoying it.
As someone who actually read the books, the books are WAY darker. Greg is 100% a sociopath, and unlike in the movie, he never apologizes for Rowly or stands up for him or anything. Rowly is the only friend he’s willing to have because Greg has no feelings for anyone other than himself and just wants to micromanage people. And Rowly is so soft he’ll do anything Greg tells him to.
He kinda does stand up for Rowley by sacrificing his "reputation" by saying he picked up the cheese and threw it away instead of telling everyone Rowley ate it. Granted, he did this thinking everyone would admire him for getting rid of it, lied about having lactose intolerance to save himself making Rowley eat all of it, and admits to plan to use it as leverage in case Rowley ever crosses him.
So why do you like him again?
@@coolbrickz657 Because its funny when he does that and he's clueless about how much of a prick he is and its also funny when it blows up in his face.
@@diegov1743 Oh so he thankfully always gets his comeuppance at the end.
@@coolbrickz657I didn't like him in the first film he was on his high horse the whole entire film and got his just desserts at the end (with the sacrifice of Rowley's taste buds) and his speech was more of a "I did this so you guys gotta honor me" kinda way. The other two films I thought he was more likeable but that's just me (Roderick Rulez a little less but it was better than how he acted in the previous film)....now the books he's just straight up awful.
My favorite part of the movies is the portrayal of Greg's dad. In the books he's an average, kind of strict dad who wants Greg to man up. But for some reason, in the movies (especially the second one), Steve Zahn plays him like an escaped mental patient.
Though this is a fun reinterpretation of Greg’s Dad, I think It would have been better if he was strict.
A super strict father always wanting Greg to be a certain thing and act a certain way might make Greg insecure. He’d start believing he should gain something he doesn’t deserve. If Greg had a dad that would let up on his strict values Greg might see the friendship he has as special and that he doesn’t have to be cool to be content with himself. It would then make sense that Greg would want to be popular instead of being himself and becoming a better friend then.
A super strict dad would give more (not all) justification to Greg’s actions. Might even make him a more sympathetic character.
@@moodyreviews5498 While that would definitely make sense. In the..world that DOAWK has been built in, this just feels, I suppose “too realistic” and “uncomfortable”
I think every Steve Zahn character is supposed to be an escaped mental patient
Greg’s Dad reminded me of Hal from Malcom in the middle in the movies.
>plays him like an escaped mental patient
>for some reason
Steve Zahn. Steve Zahn is the reason.
I wish I saw him in more stuff.
The funny thing is that in the sequel, Rodrick Rules, Greg actually becomes a better friend and overall seems like the character growth stayed from the last film; it makes rewatching the series very rewarding
That’s actually what makes the awful characters actually good in my opinion, Greg is still obviously selfish and flawed but he’s much more aware of peoples feelings and careful how he speaks to people.
It’s maturity but also him improving himself, I wish we saw how he’s become a better person but what we got was enough and I’m glad the films end with a hopeful future where Greg and his family are still trying to be better but every time are more happy more successful
I also like how the events from Rodrick Rules carry into Dog Days with Greg and Rodrick acting more friendly towards each other and not hating each other like they did in the first movie
@@MaherandIbrahimsAvengers The series really does do great when viewed as a whole, as you do get to see growth and plots continued.
@@MaherandIbrahimsAvengers THANK YOU! I've been thinking that same thing for years!
That's why I enjoyed this series, the point of a sequel is to continue the story and show how the characters grew and learn from their experience, but a lot of sequels like to return to the status quo so they can recycle the same jokes or plot points. But Greg actually does improve a bit even if he's not perfect.
"This is a bizarrely mean movie with a surprisingly unlikable protagonist"
Nope that's 100% accurate. If anything he's only slightly better in the movies
At least on the movies he goes through arcs to become a better person, in the books he’s just a mean spirited sociopath
Fr that line didn’t make any sense at all
@@alysssabear I get he hasn't read the books so he wouldn't know that but by now it's kinda like...everyone's pointed this out time and again I'd imagine most people unfamiliar would've heard about it by now. It's like how I haven't seen Alien Resurrection, but I can tell just from how my friend described it to me it sounds like it just might not be my cup of tea.
I disagree he is better in the books. My brother said that Greg is a jerk in the early books then around book 6 he gets soft.
@@mrcritical6751 Sounds like you haven't read the books. In alot of them he doesn't do anything bad. He is more of an unfortunate victim of circumstance. Did you read Big Shot.
Not gonna lie, the "I'm sorry women" followed by the clapping bandmates got a big laugh out of me.
Same
You know I don't understand why some women thinking it's demeaning to womankind for women to be strippers or have nude photos taken for magazines. Isn't it more demeaning for mankind? I mean some men pay these girls hundreds of dollars just to life up their shirt or spin on a pole. Whose really being taken advantage of here?
@@catdogmousecheese The women
@@catdogmousecheese the point is that these sorts of women HAVE to objectify themselves in order to get this money from men- the reason why it's bad is because they are seen as less human, where they are seen as objects of men's enjoyment rather than actual people. while it can be an easy way to get money, it comes with that sort of sacrifice. it's a choice, but a brutal one.
and sometimes, like with some sex workers, it's the only way they can make money.
@@AstroBelowZero Do they have to? No one's holding a gun to their head. They're free to turn down the money and job for something else. But when you have unresolved issues, that's what happens.
"Rowley is easily the best character in the movie!"
Rodrick entered the chat
Roderick is like an off brand imatation Billie Joe Armstrong
@@rainbowdashsteve2068but he’s still good
Somebody farted
Row let finally calling out Greg for being a bad friend is one of the most satisfying scenes in all kids movies. Even if it’s supposed to be the low point. It’s nice to see him stand up for himself
Row let
A good thing to keep in mind with Greg is that he is SUPPOSED to be unlikeable. In the books, he is a certifiable sociopath with some of the things he does. The entertainment (at least for me) comes from seeing how terribly things go for him each book and the crazy shenanigans that happen in the wake of his narcissistic nature.
what is interesting to me is that while Greg is consistently unlikeable I'm not sure if he's supposed to be, like the little I know about jeff kinely doesn't seem to me like he's that self aware... I was a huge fan of the books as a kid and it honestly can be read either way(greg as a person you're meant to hate to love and greg as a good guy)
@@fluffandbutts7955 he's said that he was bored of books where the main character is a kid with no flaws whatsoever and are perfect and so instead he made the books to subvert that trope.
A huge thing to keep in mind is that Greg was always designed to be unlikable. Hell, he was far worse in the books. In the movie trilogy however he changes and becomes far nicer and more sympathetic, whereas in the books he's still just as much of an ass as he originally was.
However I can still absolutely see why either would rub people the wrong way
EDIT: By the way, Angie never shows up again. She's replaced by someone who frankly is kind of a mary sue but at least she has a point this time around rather than just being... the girl in the first movie
Manny scared the Hell out of me!
Yea, I think that was the one big part of Greg's character that Doug misses here: Greg is a narcissistic douchebag, he's not supposed to be likable. The type of character works a lot better for kids and people who grew up with it, which is why I think Doug isn't seeing what we saw growing up. I don't blame him for it at all, his points are valid. At the same time, if you focus on Greg's overall likability the way Doug did, you're going to get a massively different perspective of the series compared to what a good majority of us experienced.
Wanting to fit in can make anyone pretty shallow if they value their fame over their dignity.
I always thought he was a bigger jerk in the movies than the books. In the books he can be selfish but there is an innocence to him. He is usually an unfortunate victim of circumstance.
@@TheGreenAzumarill funnily enough i was that as a kid which makes a whole lot of sense why i despised th movie when i was a kid. Didn't help the gross out humor made me sick and was unfunny for young me. I always preferred the books overall
"I'm sorry Women" followed by a applause will never not be funny. Also love the Scott the Woz joke lmao
I hate to break the wall of Susan's logic, but it's not exactly offensive to women to have that magazine if they consented to model for said magazine.
I wonder if Scott The Woz ever saw this movie and saw that character and is like "Hey that's me!"
Hey, that guy in Roderick's band kinda does look like Scot The Woz
The funny thing about the character Angie is, from what I remember, she wasn't in the books. I believe she was completely made up for the movie, which makes the fact that she had very little screen time all the more confusing. Like, why would you make up a new character for a film adaptation of a book series and NEVER use them? Not only would it have saved resources, but it would've been more faithful to the source! It's so weird...
I felt that way about The One and Only Ivan. They made new characters who had little to do with the plot and weren't even interesting. It seems to me that when a book is adapted, it would make more sense to cut down on characters if you had to change something about them. I'm not adding, knowing I have a limited amount of time
The only thing I can think of is that Chloe Grace-Moretz was like THE child actor at the time, she was probably way too expensive to have in the whole movie
Yeah
@@kaldurskipper6821 the one and only ivan is a REALLY good book. And I agree with you
Pretty sure she was created because the director wanted to appeal to the girl demographic. The story is told in the point of a boy and any other prominent girl in the movie was Patty, who was annoying.
Rodrick was definitely the best character out of these movies, and I’m not alone in that! Rodrick Rules has been regarded as the best of the 3 movies, and when the 4th came out, people were pretty annoyed about the recast, but were MOST vocal about Rodrick
#NotmyRodrick
#Notmyrodrick
#Notmyrodrick
#notmyrodrick
#NotmyRodrick
Rodrick was also pretty funny, and so was Greg’s Dad. The other two movies flesh out each of them further, and give them more time to shine
It's no wonder fans said #NotMyRoderick when they recast the role in the fourth movie.
I personally didn’t like the first film. But I absolutely adore Rodrick rules and dog days, especially Rodrick rules
I have to say, I'm surprised he didn't like Rodrick. In his Home Alone 2 review, he praised Kevin's older brother Buzz for learning how to manipulate and talk his way out of things. I feel that Rodrick is basically an evolved version of that character type. But then again, this is the first film and not Rodrick Rules so maybe his opinion will change once he watches the sequel.
@@tobiaschristopher6131 EXACTLY! Fans were upset about the recast, but mainly vocal about Roderick!
Had around 7 of the books as a kid
And looking back, I'd say the movie is pretty spot on. Greg is just as unsympathetic, attention hungry, narcissistic and sociopathic as he is in the books 😆
And Rowley is also spot on
The sequels actually did a great job at making Greg a better character as time went on tho, love these films and the books
You saying Greg is just as a sociopathic jerk in the books as in the movie?
That may be true to a degree in the movie, but I thought Greg Heffley was INFINITELY more unlikable in the books. Well, the first book at least.
@@Jarod-vg9wq I would argue that Greg’s actually less sociopathic here than he is in the books
@@Jarod-vg9wq Yes,he is,but hey,he isn't Manny at the least
Honestly Rodrick was a spot on job of how every older brother treated their younger brother
Rodrick was always my favorite in the movies.
That is true because if you are or have had an older sibling than you've gone through some stuff like this before
I’m the oldest brother of three and I can vouch for how spot on the brotherly dynamic between Rodrick, Greg, and Manny is. It’s crazy accurate lol
I must be the exception to the rule. All I wanted was to be left alone.
@@robertbryant8243 Same here. We mostly do our own things.
There’s a great irony that Doug has covered just about every movie that was nostalgic for him and now he has to move on to more recent movies for fresh material and as a result, has ended up covering many movies that are nostalgic for my generation.
I think Doug might want to try reading the books. The character traits he attributes to Greg as being bad are some of the more accurate comparisons to the books. Even the whole "this is not a diary," making his friend suffer without repercussions, and his brother being abusive are all faithful retelling of the source materials.
So the books are as bad as the movies then
@@logandh2
I always thought the problem with making the books live action was that it wouldn't be as funny or charming compared to the drawings. Now Greg definitely seems like a asshole and I can't really complain cause the movie is pretty accurate to the character
He doesn't even have to read the books, there's a number of videos on RUclips going into why Greg is a sociopath (and why his family probably doesn't help him in that department).
@@logandh2 they're children's books written in a fashion that flows along well and allows for you to see an overarching story in a diary fashion. Yes, Greg can be a sociopath, but he tells it from his perspective. The only reason he looks horrible in the film is it is from reality, not from his own eyes. The books are great and encouraged reading for a lot of kids. The movies were mediocre and a bit of a let down for fans.
@@briankelly130 100% true. I was just taken back when Nostalgia Critic made fun of the line "This is not a diary" when that's straight from the 1st page.
I have to say, "How can a butt be cute? It's a butt." is one of the most quotable lines from a movie I've heard in awhile.
Along with "I'm sorry Women."
🤣🤣🤣
@@mimah1015 that’s not me - Rodrick Diary of a Wimpy Kid Roderick Rules
@@mimah1015 By the way how’s Brian Little doing ? Does he still have Mono?
Loved that too! XD
"Let go, baby hippo!"
Even as a fan of the Wimpy Kid series even now as an adult, I completely understand where Doug is coming from in the review. Many people critique the series for Greg being unlikable and potentially to some, even a sociopath. I can definitely see where they are coming from, as Greg outside of the movie series stays consistently mean, which definitely can run people the wrong way who prefer more of a slice of life storyline versus a dark comedy. You have to really love the darker humor in order to enjoy the series, and I 100% understand if you do not like the series as a result.
Greg makes Homelander look like a half-decent person 😂
the thing of that humor is that you actually need humor, or it's just jackass for serial killers
@@johnnym3071 uh, no, not even close. Greg may be selfish and, frankly, an asshole, but he's not a sociopathic, genocidal rapist and murderer
Yeah I think alot of fans think Greg is an ass
But this is true to real life. Some kids are just huge jerks. Even some scrawny unpopular kids. I don't know I actually kinda like that he's not just a cookie cutter Disney channel kid but like a real kid.
Rodrick was the best character in the first movie, hence why the 2nd movie Rodrick Rules is the best of the movies. The brothers becoming friends and joining against the parents is a lot more believable and more down to earth to fit better with the "This happens to everyone this age" message.
I have to say, I'm surprised he didn't like Rodrick. In his Home Alone 2 review, he praised Kevin's older brother Buzz for learning how to manipulate and talk his way out of things. I feel that Rodrick is basically an evolved version of that character type. But then again, this is the first film and not Rodrick Rules so maybe his opinion will change once he watches the sequel.
@@harrisonho8934 My guess is that he didn't like his acting or line delivery. So no point in liking the character
It’s no wonder Rodrick’s recast was the one most talked about
The funny part is, I remember coming out of this film feeling dissapointed because they had made the main character too nice and redeemable. 😂
He's much worse in the books.
I'm 27 years old. I was born with Cerebral Palsy. I wanted to be an actor the moment I auditioned to play the starring role of Greg Heffley in a family comedy movie called Diary of a Wimpy Kid back in January, 2009 when I was 13 years old.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a critically-acclaimed and commercially successful American book series by Jeff Kinney. The first novel is about how Greg wants to be popular in middle school but his expectations never align with reality. This was something that I made an instant connection with. Unfortunately, by the time I turned 14 years old, I was considered too old to play Greg and I lost the role to a wonderful upcoming 11-year-old actor named Zachary Gordon. However, I never lost my bravery, persistence, and motivation to become an actor.
I have an Associate's Degree in Theater Arts. I finished 14 acting classes in 5 years. I have more love, appreciation and gratitude for my acting career. I want to star in Pepsi commercials and supporting roles for family movies like Toy Story, Tom and Jerry, Luca, and Ghostbusters 3: Afterlife.
You are a brave fellow.
Are you the same Hector from double toasted
So, critic: as a fan of the books I can fill you in on at least the first one. The movie takes the major elements of the book and adds them into the movie but in the books Greg is a lot more introverted and quiet usually saving the mean things he has to say for his diar- I mean journal. And it honestly feels like he is using this journal as an outlet for his mean and often critical thoughts. And sometimes he does act out and sometimes he says mean stuff that gets him in trouble but at the end of the day he's like what 12 years old, he's still a kid. The movie Greg feels meaner because it's a movie. A movie shows and a book tells. But in a movie you can't tell so you have to show Greg saying these things. But he does expect to be famous for doing nothing, but occasionally he does have an idea that he thinks could get him there, some invention or feat that he thinks could score him big but he never fully goes through with his plans, he usually stops at step one. If you want the full diary of a wimpy kid experience go read the book, but if you want an average movie that's awkwardly posing as a book, watch this.
Actually they could show greg writing his mean things down in the journal as a vent like he does in the books, and the film coukd easily cut to these via drawings.
Also because of how detached the movie is compared to the book, it makes it much harder to root for Greg. This is because the first person narration style in the books carry’s Greg’s world views and makes you root for him, while the movie has to be in third person which makes it harder to get on the same page as him (no pun intended)
Doug, Greg is suppose to be unlikable. He's a self-centered narcissist. That's how he is in the books, and that's how he is in the 3 films. Except in the films, he actually learns to overcome his narcissistic traits.
You should review the last two films in the trilogy, skip the fourth one, it doesn't exist. You'll see what I mean when I say he overcomes those traits to become more likeable.
And ignore the animated movie on Disney+. It’s a more faithful retelling of the first book, but cuts out quite a bit of content and doesn’t really account for this in what was adapted. Oh, and it barely runs to an hour, so runtime wasn’t a limitation.
@@jbcatz5 I don’t even think it’s more faithful of an adaptation since most of the core components in the book that were in the first film like Safety patrol were sadly cut. The only thing more closer to the book is the “authentic” 3D animation style
@@TomLegobro21 The scenes that are adapted are a lot closer to the book, but like I said don’t account for what wasn’t included.
2 and 3 are amazing movies
So he grows up to become Dennis Reynolds from It's Sunny In Philadelphia? Actually I would love it if Jeff Kinney wrote what Greg would be like as an adult
Thing about Greg, in the books he was always had massive ego. He always wanted things to go his way, always wanted attention and wanted to put zero effort into achieving said goals. The one time he actually did something and could have gotten praise (When i used to read the books) he asked a wishing tree for money and to place it under a recycling bin at a local church, he shovels all the snow off said churches driveway after a blizzard to find the money he asked for to no avail. Later on though the towns newspaper covers the story about a mystery hero who shoveled all the snow allowing the churches soup drive to operate that day. But because Greg's face was covered no one knew who it was. Greg is ultimately annoyed and ignroes this though as he didn't get direct credit or the money he was hoping to get. The one selfless thing he did and it wasn't intentional.
Also, Greg isn't a good person, but I'd argue he's still better than his mother or his little brother. Fuck that little hellspawn Ploopy.
Oh yeah, I remember that moment. In that book he was producing his own sorta newspaper, and when he saw the real headline he decided to make a "special edition" of his paper that reveals that he did it, claiming he just "wanted to do the right thing."
And yeah, his little brother is a shithead who at one point tried to get his family to freeze to death in a blizzard, and his mother is just a complete enabler.
There’s also when there’s an heirloom ring that’s up for grabs but no one can find it and it tears the whole Heffley clan apart. Greg ends up finding it but opts not to make this known, putting it back in the hiding place he found it in because everyone knowing would make things worse.
@@blue_boo3171 He’s only fwee 🥺
Even weirder: Angie didn't even exist in the books when this was made! She was literally made for the movie!
"Tamara, what you are showing us is disturbingly, concerningly, alarmingly wrong! ' 🤣
I love Nostalgia Critic's and Malcolm's facial expressions when Tamara is telling her story! 🤣
Doug has one of the best "horrified" expressions I've seen in a long time.
Maybe my memory is wrong, but i recall Greg being even more sellfish in the book. I do remember Chloe grace´s character definitely not existing there
No you're right Greg was a straight up a-hole in the books and Chloe Grace's character did not exist in the books either
I think he was less selfish in the books. A lot of the time he is a victim of circumstance. In one of my favorite books cabin fever he tried to hang up green posters at the school for a holiday bazaar. It rained at it left green stains on the building. Cops came to interrogate the kids and they used a photo copier as a lie detector. One of the cops pressed the copy button and the paper said he's lying.
@@icecreamhero2375 he was baaaaad though. A full ass... ass. But if the movies make it less extreme overall... I don't mind it
Yeah Chloe Grace was made up. I remember saying it to people when the movie ended
Fun Fact: The character of Angie was not in the book. She was created exclusively for the movie.
Well that explains everything.
Yup, I remember seeing the movie as a kid and wondering if she was supposed to be the movie stand in for Holly but then Holly gets introduced in the sequels and they act like Angie never existed
i remember watching the movie in class and when she shows up every classmate legit said "who the fuck is she???"
Yeah, and she sucks. Gregg's obsession with popularity was a huge part of his character, and it doesn't make sense that some random other person is explaining his own logic to him. They could have easily fixed this by having Greg try to "teach" Rowley, instead of making an entire character solely for exposition.
@@iamtriston666 Indeed
Diary of a Wimpy Kid was the saga of books that made me like reading as a child. I still have like 10 books I made my parents buy. The movies were pretty good, I remember.
Same. The movies and books are fantastic
Same, I wouldn't be reading now without them.
I read the first two books in middle school
My guilty pleasure is buying the newest wimpy kid books on my birthdays. I'm 21.
@@HermitKing731 I stopped at number 15
I was obsessed with these books as a kid. I remember there was a 3 or 4 month long wait-list just to check out one of these books at the school library and you couldn't have it for more than a week. Honestly, the movie nailed the spirit of the books. Greg taught me what not to do when making friends at school.
15:26 I’m so glad you drew this comparison! There is a whole theory going around about Greg being a sociopath (or at the very least one in the making), and there are so many signs pointing to it being true. In the books, it extends beyond Greg doing terrible things just because “all middle school kids are assholes”. His family life is awful, even abusive at times if you read between the lines. I highly recommend reading at least some of the books if that interests you.
Also I really hope Doug reviews the rest of the movies in the trilogy. Greg’s character actually grows throughout the three films, which is pretty rewarding for fans of the books since book Greg just remains a sociopath throughout the series.
Fun fact: that kid who played Reilly would later play Bob in Tim Burton’s “Frankenweenie” (2012). Coincidentally, he also breaks his arm in the that movie as well.
Greg is like the personification of every crappy/selfish thing many kids have done in middle school, then look back on as immature and try not to remember.
Can we admit that the "I'm sorry women" scene was perfectly delivered?
No
@@mihaimercenarul7467 ratio
@@Felixman128 cringe
@@Felixman128 what? Number of likes? You do realize those don't matter right? Especially since you will always have more likes than me because I don't praise the movie like you do, which gets more likes. Use your brain next time.
Yes
Wait until he finds out Greg is five times meaner in the books than in the movies lmao
Now Doug needs to do the sequels. Make it happen!!!!
It’s just weird that the movie is almost 14 years ago!
I've always felt Greg works, mostly in the books, because the world around him is so much worse a lot of them. It feels like nothing goes his way with life being unfair. It's part of how the series protrays childhood as ugly, which it often can be. The balance isn't perfect, with the silly wacky jokes it also has but I do like the ugliness as it can feel spot on. Greg actually develops nicely in at least this movie so his flaws are to make him more fleshed out. He his this whole speech that was skipped here, about how awful school can be and how it kinda shaped him in a way.
Rodrick Rules is better, as it feels less awkward as the cast got used to their rules. I have a lot of nostalgia for this series but this movie's not perfect for sure. BTW, Angie wasn't even in the books, she's just here to smash the point into us. She also isn't in the sequels and they never explain where she went.
Greg as a sociopath is actually a big meme, it's pretty great. There's a recent spin off book from Rowley's POV that basically makes fun of how Greg comes across to others, it's kinda clever.
"You'll either end up as a crime boss or president. Either way people want to see you in jail."
This surprisingly works for both sides of the political aisle lol.
Surprisingly….yes…..unfortunately…..yes
I love this line.
The movie is exactly how the books are if you really pay attention to them. Greg is one of those protagonist that really should be the antagonist. I think the only person in his family that people like is Rodrick. After all Rodrick rulez (rimshot)
And then the 4th one made him Asian
I mean considering Greg's parents and younger brother you can really understand how Greg became a sociopath.
Idk, the Zahn is pretty likeable
Why would that matter when it’s the FILMMAKING of a MOVIE that matters? Because I’m not reading a book, I don’t care how well it follows or doesn’t follow the source material, it’s what’s on screen that counts.
For example, I heard that the movie There Will be Blood changes…pretty much everything from the novel, but I don’t give a shit because it’s such a well made movie.
@@supermariofan03 okay but there talking about the differences between the two you don't have to read it nor is it being offensive so chill
12:45 To be fair that incident with Patty happened back in kindergarten they're in six grade now. The fact she's still hung up on that is ridiculousness.
The ending when Doug taps Malcom on the back and he falls dead and Doug’s settle reaction to it like if say “well I am screwed” has me laughing. I love you guys.
I love how each of the 3 films deals each of Greg's relationships. The first one is Greg becoming a better friend to Rowley. The second film is Greg improving on his relationships with Rodrick and the 3rd film is about Greg and his Dad its a beautiful coming of age trilogy
I dunnoooo, I'd say more like "better" friend for Rowley.
Yeah that was also the idea for the first couple of books in the series, like the first page always displays a bunch of relevant characters standing in front of Greg, with the most prominent one in front, looking at Greg in the eyes.
That’s like the first few Ramona books.
"everyone went through this is middle school!"
"They did?"
"Of course! ... I made sure of it..."
I've never watched the movie but the whole opening skit was actually pretty funny. It's been a long time since I've chuckled out loud at a nostalgia critic video.
I have to say, I'm surprised he didn't like Rodrick. In his Home Alone 2 review, he praised Kevin's older brother Buzz for learning how to manipulate and talk his way out of things. I feel that Rodrick is basically an evolved version of that character type. But then again, this is the first film and not Rodrick Rules so maybe his opinion will change once he watches the sequel.
Zahn and Bostik are the most unintentionally great parts of this series. They’re both so over the top and trying way too hard for what this series is, but i love it.
I never actually payed attention to it prior to it being shown in this video, but i guess Rowley’s actor also gave a great effort.
Forgettable series with unforgettable actors that decided to just go all in anyways, and it worked out.
I wouldn’t say forgettable series, this series is loved by A LOT of people and everyone that grew up with the books love these movies especially rodrick rules
11:33
Best moments ever: The Nostalgic Critic thirsting for Zachary Gordon.
11:33:
Not sure why he’d be interested in calling up the number of some rando that gave it to him. He probably has better things to do.
The thing is, Greg is an actual sociopath in the books so him being an asshole in the movies is perfectly adapted in this movie
edit: also, almost everything in the movie is taken from the book, so yeah, him being an jerk in this movie isn't a writing choice, it's actually from the books
Exactly!! It's actually upsetting that Doug doesn't get that. The review would've been so much better.😂😂
@@mimah1015 He hasn’t read the books. How was he supposed to know?
Besides, just because it’s in the books, doesn’t mean he would immediately like it.
If he’s not fond of Greg as a character in the movies, then he’s not going to be fond of Greg as a character in the books.
@@HB-fq9nn It's not about him being fond of the character or not. Lot's of people have read the books and aren't fond of Greg and rightfully so, the kid is a lot. My problem is that he doesn't get that Greg is SUPPOSED to be that way and docks the movie for that. He even faults the actor and the direction many times during the video. He's blaming the movie for something he doesn't know the books are even more full of. It makes the video come off as somewhat annoying.
That's why one us meant to make proper research about the topic they are about to speak on before reviewing it or it'll just end up not holding any water.
I've watched various RUclips videos of people who are diehard fans of the Wimpy kid books demolishing Greg's character because yes he's very off-putting.
But saying Zachary Gordon didn't come off as charming or witty enough for the character is just completely missing the point. Like it literally flew right over his head.
@@HB-fq9nn If you read through the comments you'll see that other people also caught that he doesn't get that the characters are MEANT to be that way. They're even worse in the books. That's just the problem.
And knowing Doug's love for characters who are worse and even more meaner spirited than Greg, like the Grinch makes his review seem forcefully self righteous and overly critical.
shame tbh. i wish the movie had given Greg the "Snape treatment" and made him a misunderstood dick rather than a normal dick. i think the movie's problem is that the rest of the world isn't mean enough (been a long while since the books for me, but i remember the world being much more cinical and mean). living in a sucky world and being a dick cuz that's what it takes is one thing; but living in a world that's just "meh", and being an absolute douche is another
I met Jeff Kinney twice, once in 2007 and then 2017. When I showed him the pic of us meeting when I was a kid and told him how I had kept reading for 10 years, he had the biggest smile on his face.
Fun story! My school, Canfield Elementary, actually was visited by the author of these books, Jeff Kinney. We had painted a big ole mural on the concrete of Greg and he painted a little Manny in the corner.
He even named a character in his fourth book after our school: Mrs. Canfield.
25:19. OH GOD! I just realized the mother is played by the actor for Dr. Linda Martain from LUCIFER! How do you go from THIS to THAT?!?
I wanna talk about the scene where Rodrick gets punished. The movie was on in my house once and when Rodrick called his mom by her first name, that caught my mom's attention and she could tell he was gonna get an extended punishment for that. Then my sister said something like "I can't believe she took away his van. Once you have a car, it's like your whole life."
I still remember all that to this day because I love how they both found something relatable in such a short part of the movie. The scene captures a teen and parent relationship really well.
I do agree the meanness of Greg makes some uncomfortable moments, but rowley, Rodrick and Greg’s dad make up for it for me.
Don't forget, little Manny is also Frank's son!
I remember when having one of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books was considered a delicacy, back in Elementary school. We all loved reading those, as kids.
Right! Me and my friends would trade them and read
Those books were my first experience with Pre-Orders, back in Elementary School. We’d get so excited to see a new release, and when the box containing the books came in, we were hyped!
critic, this movie did such a good job at capturing Greg's character. Hell, in the books, he's even worse. He's narcasistic, egotistical, and all around a terrible person.
"He just wants to grow up and be rewarded for doing nothing"- yeah. That's exactly how Greg is in the books. This movie is such a good representation of the books
I think we forget that Tamara (as a character) was brought onto Critic's team because she was insane. It's nice to be reminded.
Wow 2009 through 2012 were times of golden for me enjoying the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. I was such a die hard fan.
24:56 To be honest, there's already a spin-off series called: " Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Book" where from what I can tell, it tells Rowley's side of the story and how he's been treated by Greg. Maybe that'll turn into a movie eventually.
Yep, it's way more explicit about Greg being a terrible person, too.
Fun Fact: someone literally wrote an entire essay about Greg being a sociopath. The author of the book sent a cease and desist over. Yeah this books series is the prime example of "I'm rooting for the adults now that I'm older"
Really?
That is the most Greg way Jeff Kinney could respond to being compared to Greg
"Now what I'm older"???
You mean Mumkey Jones?
@@BrendanJSmith Are you honestly pointing out what is clearly a minor typo? Yeesh
I've read the Wimpy Kid Movie diary and it specified a few reasons for certain scenes:
- The movies (excluding the Long Haul) were filmed in Vancouver, Canada. Not many houses in Vancouver have finished basements, which is why Rodrick's bedroom is in the attic in the movies (and also why his band practices in the garage)
- The scene where Frank douses Greg and Rowley with water was shot in one take
-It was very hard to film the scene where Manny shouts "BUBBY!" upon seeing Greg onstage; even with actor(s) being twin brothers.
Fun Fact: this movie came out the same month with How to train your dragon, but how to train your dragon is a lot more better.
Debatable
25:50 Ok, that’s one of the funniest uses of a family guy clip 🤣
One of the most successful book series of all time... That led to a movie with serious ups and downs. But hey at least the OG Rodrick was in a Saw movie too!
I remember there was a book by Jeff Kinney discussing adapting the book into a movie. There was a part where the kid who played Chirag drew a picture of himself and the rest of the cast winning an Oscar. I remember reading that as a kid and laughing my ass off because he was so proud of himself for staring in a big movie that NEVER had that chance.
Well, Karen Barr went on to star on Jessie and Bunk'd on Disney Channel for 6 years with Peyton List, who played Holly Hills. Peyton List also appears on Cobra Kai.
Honestly this review doesn't do justice how big these books are honestly i remember walking down the hallways and seeing everybody reading them for a while it was insane how big these books got and the movie only doubled their popularity.
He mentioned that it’s the 6th most popular book series ever, and showed a clip of one of the books saying it sold over 250,000,000 copies.
That paints a very clear picture as to how big the books were.
We grew up with them, but Doug didn’t, and he said he hasn’t read any of the books.
@@HB-fq9nn If anything it's nice to have a fresh perspective of the material from an outsider, rather than just everyone in a bubble echoing eachother.
maybe it's an age thing or I'm out of touch but this is the first time I see anything about it. I didn't know this existed.
"He's the best character in the movie."
Well, what a huge slap in the face to Rodrick then
This is probably the best pre-review skit you guys have ever created! Hilarious from beginning to end
Now here's a film I'd never thought I'd the critic cover, but I'm glad he did.
Same. This film is a fantastic one and a definite favorite of mine
15:28 funny that you mentioned it, because there’s a theory that says that Greg really is a sociopath (specially in the books), based on his behaviours and treatment of others, as dark theories of kids media goes this one is surprisingly believable.
That’s one that I’m not too cynical of. I feel all the more crappy for Rowley.
It's kinda funny how in all of the original books, Greg is a straight-up sociopath. Yet this is the only film adaptation that truly embraces his egotistical side.
Because the filmmakers made the smart choice to have him grow with each movie
12:18 Never before have I ever laughed at a scene like this
I heard that when Zachary Gordon ended up getting the part as Greg, he slept on the books as a pillow for good luck on the night before the first day of filming.
19:27 "He must be the only kid in history to dress up as King Wart from Super Mario 2."
Just more proof that Rowley was best character in this movie.
Let's be real here, the casting is absolutely perfect.
One of my favorite movies as a kid. I read the books a lot back then, and if I finished the book I would just read it again. It holds a special place in my heart and look back on it fondly
Same here.
Loved the book and the film.
Hey I just wanted to say that I really love your show and all the work the whole cast puts into everything. Your series got me through the worst days of the pandemic and continue to entertain me after. Thanks for all that you do and keep up being so Channel AWESOME
Long time listener, first time caller;
This is the best the nostalgia critic has ever been.
Unironically, the comedy, writing, pacing, acting, sketch work, editing, all of it, is the tightest and best it's ever been.
Hats off to doug and the team, its a joy to have witnessed everyone become so skillful and dedicated.
Big 'presh, thank you all for what you do, be well ✌🏻
I feel like we all forgot Tamara's first regular appearance on the show was as a psychopath with an obsession for wickerman beating doug over the balls with a baseball bat. I freakin loved the opening skit.
You nailed it on Rowley's likability, Nostalgia Critic.
I've read the book when I was a kid and I saw this movie on DVD a lot but I know it's not really one of the best but thank you for tackling it as I wanted to hear your opinion on this it's pretty funny 🤣❤️
I theorize that DoaWK became a thing because of school book fairs. It had the minimum amount of words necessary to qualify as reading, and it had a lot of pictures. I mean, of course students would be drawn to that!
You missed the fact that the Kid playing Mario kart on stage in one of the audition stages became renowned for murdering his own mother and delusionally planning to kill the Prime Minister of Canada.
I guess the Tamara skit wasn’t too off…
This movie is far from perfect but as the oldest brother in the family, I resonate with Rodrick so much. Especially in the sequel where him & his brother actually have some bonding time and become closer. :)
Never thought you’d cover this underrated classic Doug!!
Same. He remembers it so we don’t have to.
Underrated????? Bro, there were so many memes about it!
The live action Diary Of A Wimpy Kid films are absolute classics! in fact they're even better than the recent animated adaptian of the first film, i mean i personally don't think that the animated adaptian is that bad but i still prefer the live action films. but anyway i'm glad that you decided to cover this film Doug and i look forward to any vids that you do on this franchise in the future!
Y'know i've expecting the animation Version Will be more like the book,but the story felt rush cuz' they cut alot of story from the book.
I know part 4 is the best one☺️
i didn't know there was an animated version
@@alexputman6380 You're being sarcastic, right?
I thought these movies sucked.
This wasn’t a bad adaption really, it’s memorable and Roderick stole the show
I always felt they were trying to do the whole Malcolm in the middle shtick with breaking the 4th wall, how he talked, his mannerisms etc without understanding why people actually liked Malcolm in the middle.
I do think Greg was suppose to be unlikeable and therefore had room to grow through the series. I do wonder if the blandness also served the purpose of allowing viewers to imprint on him to identify with not being top of social hierarchy. Every other character has a "thing" that essentially defines them, basically a more subtle version of the show Recess. I also wonder if it was a bit of unreliable narrator were everyone thinks they're brilliant at something compared to their peers but looking from the outside we can see its nothing special.
In work we have had a few young new starts who grew up with this movie series heavily reference and quote it like it was the film of their childhood so there definitely is something there that resonated with them. I have a feeling it's those that read the book and the film tapped into that love and nostalgia becoming another way to consume and enjoy it rather than being the film of a generation.
I think a big reason this film is so beloved is because of Zachary Gordon's performance. He is playing the kid we either all were, or knew, during elementary/middle school, who valued popularity rather than buddy-in-arms friendship, but ultimately learns from his mistakes and chooses his selflessness rather than selfishness. youTuber Browntable's coverage of the Wimpy Kid film series sum up my opinion on the series as well.
"youTuber Browntable's coverage of the Wimpy Kid film series sum up my opinion on the series as well"
How so?
@@dylansharp8471 well his videos i agree with 100%
When I was a kid, this was the first time I saw a movie and said "the book was so much better." Of course, I still loved the movie, but thebooks are on such another level. I remember when the first book came out, I was instantly hooked. After that, they kept coming out and surprisingly they stayed very consistently funny. I have about half the books still as an adult and will even still go to the bookstore and read through a Diary of a Wimpy Kid book because I still find them so hilarious. I'd say the second movie is marginally better than the first, but man Critic, this is a book series I HIGHLY recommend. I know it's weird and maybe my humor is still pretty childish but if you want mean-spirited characters in a setting that's a little wacky but still grounded in reality, you have yourself a fine read. It's too bad the movies don't really portray it but I still love this series even after 15 years
I hope you are reviewing the whole trilogy because I think Greg's character arc improves dramatically in the next two films. This is definitely the weakest film of the trilogy but I believe the three movies taken together form a pretty solid trilogy. I grew up on the Diary of a Wimpy kid books and really enjoyed the rather mean but entertaining brand of humor they utilize, especially with the stick figure drawings.
It’s probably the most consistent trilogy ever made in my opinion. Yes, I think it’s more consistent than Back to the Future.
I lost it when Doug said 'Billy' at the end. One of his best delivered lines ever
26:06:
Actually, what makes this scene even worse is that it wasn’t even Rowley’s fault, but Greg’s that the truck got scratched. And Greg just stood by and watched.
I was literally just getting ready to reread the books and rewatch the films to see how they held up! I remember that, as far as adaptations of kid's books go, the original trilogy was more accurate than I would have anticipated. Even though both the books and films tend to be pretty immature, I always felt like they did a reasonable job at capturing the awkwardness of middle school and, heck, even those strange, little moments in life that you always remember, even if they really aren't that significant. The rotting cheese on the blacktop, Greg's dad inadvertently traumatizing innocent trick-or-treaters, all the attempts at flipping Rowley off the Big Wheel by trying to throw the football under the front tire...It's silly, insignificant stuff, but it feels real and sticks with you, just like any other weird childhood memories.
Adapting this sort of book into a movie is a challenge since 1. It is by default skewed by the main character's perspective and 2. these diary books never have a three-act structure, generally just having a loose string of events
I read a lot of the early books, and read the initial web release. Greg definitely an asshole in most of it. TBH, just jived with it because alot of kids at the time, at least from my experience , were kinda jerks too. You get why he would be angry with people, but he’s definitely at fault a lot of the time. I get why the books resonated why kids, because it goes in line with how kids thought of themselves and adults during that age.
4:36
NC: I don't think the movie got it right. Isn't the kid suppose to be sympathetic.
The community: nah they nailed it to a T just read the books