To Adapt a Wimpy Kid: The Best, The Botched, and The Mid

[@JustStop]

Sorry if it looks like comments are getting turned off. KZbin keeps automatically doing it because they're annoying

[@QuinQueso]

KZbin’s annoying af with this stuff all the time

[@chucklesdeclown8819]

ohh thank goodness i thought there was something blatantly wrong with the video when i saw that lol

[@VenIGuess]

KZbin big poopy :((

[@RandumYTenjoyer05]

KZbin is a big ploopy

[@Swordkirby9999]

That's the algorithm for 'ya. Reading things and making assumptions that it's for kids based solely on data without context. And now a criticism that you may already be aware of. Tone back the pose-to-pose bounce on your cartoon avatar. Having him rock back and forth regardless of the pose he's changing to is pretty distracting, especially when quickly snapping between multiple poses.

[@monedooo]

the only time where the live action is better than the animated

[@mathiaslienafa789]

Yes 😂

[@jaxsterminator8634]

Nope. The animated ones are better.

[@mrfrog0913]

​@@jaxsterminator8634 You *clearly* have the cheese touch

[@levelupsonic]

@@jaxsterminator8634just stop

[@jaxsterminator8634]

@@mrfrog0913 No.

[@gravityhero2227]

Jeff Kinney has gone on record saying that the he'll only stop writing the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series when he's dead.

[@tachyontwo]

I wouldn't blame him

[@vectorequinox6202]

Good for him, I can't imagine the turnaround is particularly lengthy so there's no real reason not to.

[@thedeutschman9905]

Or when it stops making him money.

[@TheFallen-ff4xn]

@@thedeutschman9905that’s when Greg dies OBVIOUSLY

[@icecreamhero2375]

@@vectorequinox6202 Each book takes a year to make. Jeff Kinney spends the whole year writing it and does all the drawing in the last 3 months.

[@thehonoredone2361]

Steve Zahn as Greg's dad was a perfect match. I remember little ole me watching it for the first time and thinking "Hey that's the funny guy from daddy day care".

[@zeldagameryt4018]

Funny enough his first appearance I knew of was Chicken Little

[@dudemydude4969]

His first appearance I know him from was SubUrbia. It was trippy seeing him go from obnoxious and annoying to mature and serious

[@masterknife8423]

​@@zeldagameryt4018 Another voice acting role I thought he was great as is Monty from the first two Stuart Little films

[@sarahglasspool2379]

​@@masterknife8423 and going back further was a one-off role in an episode of Friends where he played a gay ice-dancer that was married to one of the main characters

[@tori5315]

holy shit. ive watched that movie so many times and only just realized thats him

[@board-qu9iu]

A huge problem I think plagues the animation trilogy is that Jeff Kenny tries too hard to "fix" Greg. The thing is, making Greg unlikable was mostly an unintentional side affect that caught on. Considering how he always refers Greg as a misunderstood kid as well as confirming that Greg isn't sociopathic, I think Kenny doesn't like peoples interpretation of Greg being a jerk and narssasist so when first animated movie was made, he likley wanted to fix this "issue" and make him likable likley missing the point of how Greg and the series got popular to begin with.

[@icecreamhero2375]

I don't think he is. People on the internet like to exaggerate how much of a jerk Greg is. People dislike the animated movies because they are different from the books and movies and they are nostalgic for both.

[@board-qu9iu]

@@icecreamhero2375 I do agree it is pretty exagerated how mean he really is (especially in the later books). I am just saying that Kenny likley feels like he needs to constantly clarify the only interpretation of his character, to the detriment of Greg's character

[@icecreamhero2375]

​@qu9iu Greg's character is the same as it has always been in my opinion. The newer books are as funny as ever. My Ranking goes like this 1) The books 2) The movies 3) The animated movies. I think the animated movies are fine. and Cabin Fever is the best of the bunch. They make a ton of changes to the books just like the movies did. I don't see the animated movies as fixing Greg. They are just apart of the Wimpy Kid Multiverse. The books are Universe 1, The Movies are universe 2, and the Animated Specials are universe 3.

[@board-qu9iu]

@@icecreamhero2375Ig that's your opinion but it feels like Kenny wanted to make a better first book with the animated movie but didn't understood clearly why it was so loved

[@icecreamhero2375]

@qu9iu Its not better the books are way funnier its just a slightly different take. Its like that one Sgt. Frog episode. In the very First episode of season 6 they characters decided to do a remake of the very first episode to introduce the show to a new audience. Keroro and the Platoon made their own version of the first episode. They got hate mail from the fans that said " Why did you remake it why not play the old one." Pretty Meta episode. LOL

[@gokuxsephiroth4505]

"How does the author of the books not know this?!" I wonder if the author always thought of Greg as a lil rapscallion imstead of a borderline sociopath, abd when people kept misinterpreting his work, he niced Greg up in the new films to "set the record straight". That's my theory anyway

[@board-qu9iu]

He did. He describes him as a boy who is a bit selfish but does the right things at the end of the day. I feel like however that Kenny is trying way too hard to "fix" that

[@icecreamhero2375]

​@@board-qu9iu He was never intended to be a borderline psychopath. What happened was people kept saying that as a joke on the internet and people took it as the actual interpretation of the character.

[@board-qu9iu]

@@icecreamhero2375 I know ... that's what I'm saying. He was intended as just a selfish kid or a personal reflection of Kenny when he was younger

[@Loner098]

Ah. The joy of terrible writers these days, like Tetsuya Nomura and Butch Hartman.

[@mdtisthebest6249]

@@Loner098Terrible writers and readers

[@j43b]

To this day the live action trilogy (yes, trilogy) is still considered to be an absolute classic. No other installment manages to come close to that.

[@jackofalltraits2145]

It’s also one of the rare cases where the adaptation is considered to be superior to the source material.

[@Mid-Finity]

Trilogy is wild

[@Mid-Finity]

But I mean, what else would u call it

[@BigSteve9713]

​@@jackofalltraits2145debatable

[@marocat4749]

Second the best, why did the third change roderick :(

[@nostalgiamostalgia0319]

I just love how much better Greg and Rodrick change as people, it carries through into Dog Days which is why it's NOT a significant downgrade like most people say it is. They become a bit more supportive towards each other and that really was great for viewers like me, because it drives the story along more efficiently.

[@thedeutschman9905]

I liked that as well, I’m glad I am not the only one who thinks this. And I think what makes it work in that movie is that they built up Greg’s development as a character a lot more than they did in the animated movies.

[@gbalph4]

I've watched Dog Days many times but I can see that Greg felt more mature in that one even if I didn't watch the other two back to back.

[@nyhtfall1969]

​@gbalph4 Greg's evolution in dog days was built off the the first movie and roderick rules

[@eatatjoes6751]

The fun thing about the original trilogy is it being so good that reading the books again leaves you underwhelmed in comparison. Also, what pisses me off the most about Long Haul is that the original movies felt like they had a mid-‘90s/late 2000s vibe to them despite being from the early 2010s. Long Haul wears its 2017 datedness like a suit and doesn’t take it off for the entire movie. The animated films…oh my God they’re soulless. It’s like watching the North Pole scenes from The Polar Express.

[@zeldagameryt4018]

At least the parts at the North Pole had something with them, I at least remember some of them like the that weird bank canister transport thing or the giant balloon aircraft’s

[@naterivers6107]

30:30 I remember when me and my little brother decided to stop hating each other. He just came up to me one day and asked if I knew, and wanted watch Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. Still no idea what drove him to originally ask, but we blew through 7 episodes in one night and we agreed to watch more the next day. Point is, I'm 31 and Rodrick's Rules still makes me happy watching 2 brothers bond.

[@Joppio05]

thats so dope! im happy for you and that you can bond over jjba (it being one of my favorite series)^^

[@naterivers6107]

@@Joppio05 Thanks! Also yes, Jojo is awesome. And to put a cap on it, we've been close ever since.

[@cdogthehedgehog6923]

I had a similar experience. Just went up to my lil bro and asked if he ever seen Space Dandy? We binged it all in one day and started watching more stuff together. Anime truly can mend even the most broken of relationships

[@ManLikeChesh]

Mine was playing saints row 2 and Black ops zombies, the good old days

[@cookiemonsterz413]

It's wild to me how the literal worst thing to happen to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies was the creator of the book joining the writing staff.

[@nyhtfall1969]

It's weird and abit strange for me to say the creator of his own book series is out of touch with his own series long haul and the animated movies feel so shockingly bad and he was the most involved in the process of those films compared to the first 3 movies which had very little input from kinney

[@salt3685]

I feel like that’s actually surprisingly common, particularly so when it comes to creators of children’s media, especially since there’s so much behind the scene stuff that goes on (see Danny Phantom fandom and Butch Hartman). Like Hartman, the author of Diary seems to have a pretty different perception of Greg’s character from his audience and so fundamentally misunderstands what the audience find so endearing about him in the first place.

[@sapphanimates]

At the ripe age of 8, I was at the library at with my mother, thinking about the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books I loved so dearly at the time. I had recently seen the first and third films and enjoyed them as well. Suddenly I had an idea, turned to mom, and said, "Mom, they should make a fourth Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie. They could do The Long Haul. They could make the pig CG just like in Nanny McFee Returns." This was around 2015. I didn't understand the concept of actors aging. I didn't know how old these films were. I'm sorry for bringing this apon all of you.

[@eatatjoes6751]

At the ripe old age of pretentiously 15 at the time I thought the movies were going to be a) really stupid in comparison to the books based off of the trailers with the only thing redeemable being Rodrick’s portrayal and b) why they couldn’t just make the entire movie animated with the style of the little book cutscenes. 13-14 years later and the monkey paw curls to reveal that the live-action movies captured the books *perfectly* and Disney’s slavish recreations of the book’s artstyle without any of the inherent snark come off in the same feel and tone of the North Pole from the Polar Express.

[@Colon-D...]

You sound like a nerd.

[@samiam7327]

nah u good dw

[@weidie2moro]

At the ripe age of 11, I was at the book shop with my father, thinking about the Igdoof comics I liked so dearly at the time. I had recently seen the Sunday strip and enjoyed it as well. Suddenly I had an idea, turned to dad and said, "Dad, they should make a book series about some kid that is a literal jerk to his friend. They could call it Diary of a Wimpy Kid. They could make it online first, whatever that is." This was around 1991. I didn't understand what I'd cause. I didn't know that those claims would come true 16 years later. I'm sorry for bringing this apron you all.

[@haunting_bluejay]

Its so bizarre that Kinney seems to not understand his own character, its got me wondering if he never meant for OG Greg to be seen as a "bad" kid

[@tiablue9106]

from other comments I've read, yeah apparently he never meant for greg to come off as a jerk. and might've been based on kinney when he was a kid? hence why he's kinda softened him up over time greg: rowley? lol no i don't value him as a person. I just hang out w/ him bc he's easy to trick and pin stuff on jeff kinney: yup just an average slightly selfish preteen boy. all preteen boys see their friends as disposable lackeys, right?

[@Storymaker1316]

OG. Greg is not a bad kid, people jokingly interpreted him as such till it became serious. So the author tries to course, correct

[@Meeshilin_Man]

​@@Storymaker1316 Greg is a bad kid though..

[@KyleFriend-v1q]

He's just....a kid. Every preteen, hell every TEEN is a little rebel at one point. Right? So, calling him a bad kid is a misjudgment of how kids actually act.

[@Ronboy-20]

I remember when Cartoon Network aired the original Wimpy Kid trilogy all the time, and it was actually those movies that got me into the books. Younger me never liked reading, so as one of the few book series that I went out of my way to read every entry of, Diary of a Wimpy Kid will always hold a special place in my heart, no matter how many bad adaptations may come.

[@highdefinition450]

i still buy them even if i don't read them anymore lmao

[@NerdMiGerd]

The real tragedy of them rebooting the film series in TLH is that a movie adaptation of The Ugly Truth could’ve made for a perfect finale to the first film series. That whole book is about growing up and things changing, and you could easily rework the timeframe of the story to have it follow Greg’s final year of middle school and giving that iteration of the series a true proper conclusion. Like holy shit think about it Greg’s voice changing and his actor getting older would’ve fit into that story *perfectly*. Only thing you’d have to work around in that book is Rowley no longer being friends with Greg because he continued to be an awful kid throughout the books.

[@gbalph4]

I would say that The Ugly Truth film could feature elements of that book, Cabin Fever, The Third Wheel, and Hard Luck all set in one year (can be split into two parts but that's risky). From the Ugly Truth, Cabin Fever, and Hard Luck you could have Susan doing night classes and Frank going on more business trips forcing Greg to figure things himself like algebra and the science project (Rodrick and Manny don't have the experience that the parents do). Ugly Truth, Third Wheel, and Hard Luck could see Greg and Rowley growing apart again not through pure malice but differing life goals (Greg is wanting to leave middle school and looks down on school events while Rowley wants to enjoy the year and asks Greg to attend events with him like the lock in, holiday bazaar, and Valentines Day dance). Gary's wedding could be worked in somehow and serve as a family meeting since Gary doesn't have to be the DJ at the dance. Throwing a lot of ideas but yeah you could see it. It would probably be very Greg centered though. Maybe this idea is just wacky though and probably a 5th+6th adaptation is probably better.

[@NerdMiGerd]

@@gbalph4 Honestly yeah. Especially since Cabin Fever onwards cover shorter and shorter periods of time. Honestly ending on Hard Luck seems like a really fun idea, esp since the quality of the books gets hella dodgey after that point.

[@bachilles3285]

If you wanted to go the extra mile, somebody replied to me on another video and gave me the idea of the Third Wheel part of the adaptation using Greg and Holly and Rowley and Abigail to depict relationships, with the former being used to depict a healthy relationship and the latter depicting a toxic one.​@@gbalph4

[@makodolphus7810]

One thing I will say about Rodrick's ethnicity in The Long Haul: It isn't something that, if it was a good movie, wouldn't have needed to be addressed. Like, he could have just been unquestionably adopted (or anything else for that matter) and it just not come up because it was never relevant- and really, it never *needs* to be relevant in the first place! It happens, it's not *really* special and all that. But because it was an already bad movie, adapting and rebooting a series itself in a bad way, what would have been an entirely pointless and minor nitpick became a pretty significant point against it, even just in terms of the overall family dynamic.

[@Harrymation-productions]

I’ll always remember “a man who never made mistakes, never made anything”. diary of a wimpy kid shaped how I grew up being less of a troublemaker by learning from Greg’s mistakes.

[@Temp-nj8rm]

25:23 i am a grown ass adult and that whole scene with Rodrick showing greg the " optimal " way to pack up the leaves still gets me after all these years.

[@Sephus912]

I just wanna say that, as a guy who loved the Dog Man books as a kid and still remembers them fondly, seeing you put a Dog Man book on screen as an example of “wannabe manga” made me laugh in my chair. Also, I know that I've been saying this for a while, but the next "To Adapt" video should be on the Scott Pilgrim adaptations.

[@SylviaGrome]

Yeah Scott Pilgrim is definitely more weird when it comes to different adaptations with massive changes in every adaptation some changes good while others just were odd or bad (the way Scott defeats Roxie in the movie just really feels creepy to me)

[@EternityKingdomsHeadHoncho]

Good on Brady Noon for moving on up the world. He’s gone from the second wimpiest Wimpy Kid actor to a pretty solid Raphael VA.

[@EternityKingdomsHeadHoncho]

@@JohnDoe-pb4dr Mutant Mayhem/Tales of the TMNT

[@gbalph4]

I know Brady played in the Mighty Ducks reboot and Family Switch. It's a shame though that he won't be in Rust but it's not his fault that film's production went off the rails.

[@SomeAsian]

Speaking of Wimpy Kid actors moving up, did you know Zach Gordon is in Genshin Impact?

[@EternityKingdomsHeadHoncho]

@@SomeAsian I'm sorry WHAT

[@gbalph4]

@@SomeAsian yes I knew. However Zach also has some music as well and he also met with Grayson Russell (Fregley) who also has a music career and they did some shows together.

[@aranaewastaken]

As someone who has read every Wimpy Kid book besides Diper Overlode, yeah the books went downhill after Long Haul. In addition to the problem about Greg almost never being causing his own suffering, imagine the problem you described about small actions leading to a snowball effect but with the third act of almost every book following this one (Or in the case of the most recent one No Brainer nothing happens until the last 30 or so pages)

[@jaxsterminator8634]

Nah

[@thedeutschman9905]

The worst thing about the more recent books is not only is Jeff Kinney unwilling to let anything change permanently, he throws out all potentially good ideas for books in the future. All those problems of Jeff running out of ideas could go away if he just let things change instead of keeping everything the same.

[@Noone-d6u]

Yeah, know it's either good or bad. There's still some good there's definitely some bad

[@jaxsterminator8634]

@@Noone-d6u There are no bad Wimpy Kid books.

[@Noone-d6u]

@@jaxsterminator8634 the 18th was

[@BinglesP]

I love this thumbnail style of the guy just being surrounded by the main characters of the movies he's reviewing The several clones of Greg Heffley, some in straight up anime style, makes this the best one of the format so far

[@zeldagameryt4018]

Good video and all, but can we all agree that the Somebody farted scene in the original Rodrick Rules is comedy gold

[@elkowasaki]

peak comedy imo

[@kaijuslayer3334]

1:38:07 Aight, there’s no way in hell my boi Greg gonna be donating a whole ah console to someone else. He’d unapologetically keep that thing.

[@kierinhernandez7524]

I feel the Live Action Trilogy started out as an adaptation, but became a successor to Diary of A Wimpy Kid. I think the writing and characters and richer in the movies than the books. The books were meant to be an entertaining comedy about the everyday shennanigans of a middle schooler, but the movies turned the concept into a heartfelt drama of a kid trying to be a better person in a world that wants him to be wimpy. The movies in my eyes are the truest form of Diary of A Wimpy Kid even though I find the books great as well. As for the 4th movie I think it would have been great if we continued this sort of theme of Greg Bonding with people with his mom at the center. Reimagine the scenes to put up a sort of stress meter for Susan as she breaks partway through the road trip and snaps at Greg. You could have Greg trying to sabatoge the trip to go home early a very understandable perspective, while Susan tries her best to get her desired outcome of the trip. Greg could have a heartfelt conversation with his mom about what they want from the situation and can learn to be more open about their relationship and how he's not the young baby she remembers raising. You can have the other family members agree with Greg and also attempt to sabotage, but more subtley. Ditch the streamer concept imo as it felt weird and maybe redirect the trip to someplace the family can go together and have the shared experience. I feel with the right perspective and direction the whole movie could have been a success.

[@twilightexabyte]

For a minute I thought this was an LS Mark Video

[@Pizzamanfr420]

Mark better

[@twinzzlers]

​@@Pizzamanfr420No

[@ThatRandomEncounterGuy]

Same

[@MaxiemumKarnage]

It is

[@78jujubs]

@@MaxiemumKarnageLS Mark has a video on Diary of a Wimpy Kid? Time to switch vids 👀

[@cyberz55]

Let me just say, your deconstruction of Long Haul Susan was masterful, that whole section was so entertaining to watch

[@mechajay3358]

**LS Mark Makes an Hour Long Wimpy Kid Retrospective** Just Stop: _"Hold. My. BEER"_

[@sharkbyte1565]

it baffles me how kinney made tha animated films to "tell a improved version of the original story" when that already existed its called the live action films

[@aeroblu2002]

0:32 My Wings of Fire fanboy/girl getting excited to see Winter Turning is the highest selling graphic novel.

[@babbaboy]

I feel like its a crime to not own the original live action trilogy on dvd. They are just too iconic NOT to have in a collection with other classics like the 2000s Spiderman trilogy. Good things tend to always come in threes.

[@jbcatz5]

Angie was an interesting addition because she gave Greg a female character to interact with that wasn’t his mother, and he doesn’t have much of anything going with his female classmates in the book. His social circle is his family, Rowley and on occasion and reluctantly on Greg’s part, Fregley. And yes, I immediately noticed you misnamed her.

[@tacoforce5]

my dad is obsessed with these movies and when he remembered that the long hall was a soft reboot, he immediately turned it off in shame lol

[@jaxsterminator8634]

Why? It’s better.

[@deathbyplasma3202]

​@@jaxsterminator8634 are you high?

[@jaxsterminator8634]

@@deathbyplasma3202 Nope.

[@gbalph4]

Yeah let's just say I was on a flight back home from Mexico and I had the choice between the Long Haul and any other movie. I watched whatever else was available even if it was a rom com. I was in 9th grade at the time.

[@tacoforce5]

@@jaxsterminator8634 i am convinced certain opinions are held by people who elect to have them cuz no one else will.

[@geet9830]

1:09:55 this exact reason is why i've grown to dislike the whole "mean popular bullies and misunderstood losers" trope. as an unpopular kid, a lot of other unpopular outcasts were outcasts because they were rude assholes (including me for a period, angsty 12 year old and all) and/or outright bigoted. a lot of popular kids were popular because they were genuinely nice people, like rowley and holly. in that aspect, the original movie trilogy and early books are a lot more accurate to my school experience that most middle/high school movies.

[@mdtisthebest6249]

I mean everyone is an asshole in some way. I can’t agree that a lot of popular kids were popular because they were nice. Mostly nice nasty. Then again, I went to a very violent school.

[@nonamepasserbya6658]

@@mdtisthebest6249 This is what geet and the video maker doesn't understand. The animated shows are better because Greg is NOT a psycho. And in real life, being nice does not always mean being popular

[@PJ-Creativity]

I blame Disney’s involvement for ruining Greg’s character in the new animated movies. Greg is everything they hate in a protagonist because he’s not a 100 percent perfect typical “hero” and the whole point is that you’re supposed to hate him. Disney don’t know how to do that anymore because everything they make has to be completely sanitized and artificial so it can “appeal to kids”. I blame them for the animation too, they’ve proven that they’d rather make a shitty looking 3D movie rather than a really good 2D movie because of the money it costs to do 2D. Look at Wish, it was supposed to be 2D as an homage to Disney’s past, but because 2D animation is more expensive they changed it to 3D and just had a different art style, which ended up making the movie look like it was made by Illumination.

[@RustyLeguitoSecundario]

It is very likely considering that the 2010's trilogy was made before the Fox purchase by Disney. Also, the budget of the animated films must have been very, very low, or even worse, rushed to make it to the deadline.

[@jbcatz5]

The Long Haul movie had three major obstacles: 1) Following three well received movies 2) The overdone road trip plot. We’ve seen it done many times and better, like National Lampoon’s Vacation and for the dysfunctional family road trip there’s Little Miss Sunshine for example. 3) The recasting after the previous movies had endeared viewers to the characters, and the characterisation (or lack of) didn’t help

[@Thenerd-ch7cb]

With the animated films I remember hearing that Jeff Kenny wanted to debunk the "Greg Heffley is a sociopath".

[@indigomizumi]

Considering that the books don't really follow a "conventional" three act structure I wonder why they've never tried to adapt the series to an episodic format.

[@doomdimensiondweller5627]

I love the way the first 3 movies took the entries from the diary but tied them together with a more cohesive story arc

[@OmegaSpark01]

What's more hilarious is Jeff Kinney literally said he fully intends to keep writing DOAWK until the day he dies

[@thedeutschman9905]

Honestly, I would have loved to have seen a live action movie of Cabin Fever combined with Ugly truth (like the dog days movie) and then after making another movie about him finishing eighth grade just divert after that and make the movies kind of their own thing. I know they couldn’t have done that, but I’d have absolutely been on board with it. But at least we have the trilogy we got, and I will always be a fan of it.

[@dinocrafter6987]

The Rodrick Rules live action movie was always my favorite one. Also, this is a great video, and Im glad you were able to explain in a way I could understand.

[@HamsterHotline]

I've never read the books, but I always loved the movies. I didn't know any of the characters before hand, but I still really liked them. I say this to to emphasize, when I watched long haul, I didn't need to read the books to know it was dog shit.

[@chloemackinly6762]

I can still remember when I walked into the movie theater bathroom and saw the Long Haul poster on the wall, and the crushing disgust I felt

[@coreylineberry8557]

I'll give Cabin Fever one thing: It gave us one last on-screen role for Windham Rotunda, AKA the professional wrestler Bray Wyatt, who passed away last July at the age of 39.

[@jackisbored2608]

I cried when he passed, so did my dad

[@kellydemando3303]

I’m not very passionate about any aspect of the Wimpy Kid franchise, but I enjoyed your perspective and I appreciate the passion put into this video. It’s just so joyful (even the angry ranty bits, paradoxically enough). I don’t think there’s a chance that Braxton/Just Stop will read this comment, but if you do then I’m wondering if you’re aware of the original 1,000 page Wimpy Kid book that was essentially the first three books all smashed together into one narrative. I read it years ago and found it quite enjoyable.

[@Haunted_Plush]

Do you happen to have a link to read it?

[@WhyYouWahYoo]

As someone who are up with the first several books, the original and Rodrick Rules live adaptations are legitimate classics.

[@marocat4749]

Honestly roderick rules even better as its kinda roderick moviie, and the first 2 part actor, is great. And he is likable as that. I mean the first is good with him being a bad friend and having to own up at the end and thats good, but roderick is better even.

[@MisterMistea]

I think a good thing to keep in mind with Angy is that she does treat Rowley nicely and is often smiling with him, but makes fun of and mocks Greg.

[@dellosayshello5405]

Also some of the people Greg targets are portrayed as less sympathetic in the movies than the books chirag was just a easy target in the book in the movie greg made the invisible chirag joke cause chirag kept talking smack

[@The_coolest_dude101]

if greg is the hateable side of children doesnt that mean that rowley is the good side of them?

[@hollycarpenter9126]

I believe they're supposed foil each other, so yes.

[@JustShawn11]

Diary of a wimpy kid was the first "big" book i read as a 12 year old that got me into reading and later into novels. After reading all the books and seen all the live action,i have one thing to say *Not my Rodrick* ✊

[@SylviaGrome]

Yeah the live action Trilogy is currently the only time where I’ve found a live action version/adaptation of something is the one I like more. Everyone in the cast just bounced off each other so well and the writing just was amazint

[@joesmutz9287]

I remember not liking the original Live Action movie because it felt too generic, toning down Greg a little too much, and giving him too many wins in the end But with the way you've explained it, it actually makes a lot more sense with the difficulties of adaptation I don't think I'll ever revisit them, but I can definitely feel a better appreciation for them Granted, I was also right at the tail end of the target demographic when it came out, so that probably contributed

[@BransonGracy]

0:36 you shall not slander dog man’s good name

[@harmonetheanimationaddict4419]

Dang, this franchise was my Harry Potter as a kid.

[@PicherPerson]

1:13 "hello, I am a grandma, and welcome to my object show, battle for grandma!"

[@DKTH77]

I feel Rodrick character was well set in the opening scene of the 1st movie where he reset Greg clock, said Mom waiting outside for school then was back to fast asleep so nobody believe Greg saying he was tricked but Rodrick grins while "asleep" once the parents left

[@flazzorb]

I will now make you feel old, in 2010 I was eight years old. I am old enough to drink now.

[@doomdimensiondweller5627]

I remember a wimpy kid fan function that had greg as an incel LMAO

[@TheWaterEater760]

and where rodricks an archangel.

[@runkdapunk8622]

dude your intro was describing my exact taste in books as a kid, crazy

[@SapphireCarbuncle009]

My favorite take on the movies being more wholesome/positive of Greg compared to the books is a meta-narrative of Greg making the movie depict him in a better light than the original diary did

[@reds.3873]

I feel like the reason these films work so well is that while the books are strictly from Greg's perspective the films necessarily aren't so we get to see the depth other characters have that Greg doesn't

[@Groggle7141]

The first movie is about Greg and Rowley. The second movie is about Rodrick. The third movie is about Greg's Dad, Frank. I think Long Haul is supposed to be about Greg and his Mom, Susan. But it utterly fails because Susan is the primary antagonist the film refuses to acknowledge. Greg makes only one mistake of his own, so it’s just unsatisfying.

[@CalmTrickster03]

Agree. To prove your point even further, because Long Haul isn't connected to the original three movies, it makes the relationship between Greg and Susan worse as the former's development isn't present. If Long Haul was connected, Greg would've known better and be open to the road trip, especially with bonding with his family.

[@daddykarlmarx6183]

God stop living my life, we're already the same age, watched the same shows, and read the same books, but you ALSO had an armoured skeptic phase in middle school??? That's just fucking creepy dude

[@BlazingCyberKnight95]

Sometimes, when I watch the original Trilogy and looking at Zachary Gorden, I kinda feel proud that he now voices a Forest Ranger Half human and half Fennec Fox from a popular open world game.

[@TheRealLegoDocOck]

Greg is Canon to Genshin Impact

[@LooneyTuneLegendYT]

Damn, This franchise was my childhood. Me and my sisters loved the original movie trilogy. This series gave me so many great memories.

[@ModernAegis]

0:16 The answer to all of these questions is a very very sad no.

[@bnb6868]

I had the special edition book explaining the background of how they made the movie, the vision, casting choices etc and it was so rich in content not only because how detailed it showed how movies are developed and all the neat easter eggs and references to the source material

[@itsnoteasybeinggreen7076]

This was an insanely well crafted commentary essay video, honestly, one of the best I've ever watched. Your writing and speech is incredible, not only did you captivate me through the entire video, you never once retreaded previous subjects and continued to provide insightful commentary and amusing humor. This video is truly a master class in writing, you contextualize how much the original movies add to the books while staying true to the source material, as well as the problems with the "modern" movies. I don't know if you'll ever read or see this comment but bravo, this was truly an amazing video to watch.

[@itsnoteasybeinggreen7076]

Also I just say I really like you read the source material and provide your own commentary on it as well. You aren't afraid to praise the originals series while also criticizing some of its lacking features without discounting the series and it's writing as a whole. It's refreshing to see a three dimensional take like that instead of the usual "this thing is good or bad" that so many express nowadays. Anyways great video, keep up the amazing work, I'm looking forward to more of your content.

[@monoduck]

My family tried making me watch the long haul, and I literally just left. It took 15 minutes for me to dip out

[@nothingishere2837]

Think of the orginal live action movies this way, they are what actually happened while the books or diary is how Greg saw it

[@wherewego6960]

Your Dr Seuss video is probably my favorite video of yours so I'm really excited to see more videos in this same format!

[@prtyproductive]

I died laughing at the random clip from Saw 6 of Devon Bostick's character about to melt a guy intercut with all of the wholesome moments of Rodrick and Greg

[@lobotomyjames913]

timestamp?

[@LeoTheDowl]

Me too! I thought it was maybe Jasper from The 100 but I was wrong!😂

[@Goomba1309]

56:18 - 56:48 You kinda left out one minor, but no less important moment that showcases just how awful Susan is in the Long Haul movie: there is one scene where Greg almost gets run over by a car, and she is more concerned about Manny taking a nap than Greg almost getting hurt and tells him to be careful because he almost woke up Manny. That's right: instead of being grateful that Greg, HER OWN SON, wasn't injured or worse, she just takes him for granted and worries about something (or rather, someone) far less important!

[@hammywoods]

Im so glad someone brought up middle school, they were my favorite growing up, mostly bc Rafe is a more nuanced character that actually grows up both physically and mentally 😭

[@jonathanjohnny345]

if you're going to make a movie about diary of a wimpy kid about a family road trip, the getaway and the deep end is your better choice than whatever the heck long haul tried to be.

[@MugmanTheMugOfficial]

To be honest, both are also just bad.

[@jonathanjohnny345]

@@MugmanTheMugOfficial at least both felt entertaining compared to long haul. and they were at least a couple jokes i laugh at. long haul jokes my ass.

[@jonathanjohnny345]

and also these two books are more outlandish than a more realistic tome of long haul, at least we can call it a a guilty pleasure and this is greg heffley remind you, long haul felt more realistic than the two and feels more relatable in s malcolm in the middle style, not the best way to describe it, but hey, it's more relatable in wrong haul,

[@worth779]

"You can't punch a baby!!!! They're still developing!!! My iron knuckles on the equip screen: 😊

[@monsterislandtales5788]

Guess you ain’t getting top comment with this classic…

[@hisuianzoroark5726]

I like the fact that there are some PvZ soundtracks used in the background for this vid (the D.S. edition's "Loonboon" and roof music, to be specific). Anyways, great video.

[@guythatgames9045]

Disney: Alright let’s get one thing straight! This is a cash-grab baby movie, not a diary.

[@jaxsterminator8634]

The animated ones were better.

[@thedeutschman9905]

It’s just Disney knowing they’re creatively bankrupt and is going through Fox’s catalog of IP’s to recycle stuff already done. They’re no different than the direct to dvd movies disney made in the 90s/2000s.

[@TheRealLegoDocOck]

@@jaxsterminator8634 Okay pal

[@TheRealLegoDocOck]

(Jaxsterminator is serious btw)

[@jaxsterminator8634]

@@TheRealLegoDocOck I am.

[@-Meatlorf]

Oh shit, near the end of the video I had a deep memory unlock. My Mom took me to see the first movie's premiere when I was nine, and Jeff Kinney was there. He shook my hand and gave me a Greg Heffley shrinkey-dink on a keychain. What an absolute legend.

[@doctorwhosit3896]

0:30 I can’t help but feel the same way about what’s happening right now.

[@HortayaBorzaya]

1:18 ok you're on my good side now because i have read those dumb books probably about 4 times, like, tge whole collection

[@Spaghetti48284]

43:28 The yo kai watch music almost gave me a heart attack omg

[@KawaiiJackHonne]

THE LAUGHINGST LAUGHER THAT EVER LAUGHED

[@Halfendymion]

The film trilogy wasn't an adaptation, it was the Wimpy Kid's true form

[@Omori201X]

Long Haul’s Heffley Family is about as dysfunctional as the Aftons.

[@ThatRandomEncounterGuy]

>Universally beloved and popular films >brought down by terrible sequels made just for money >animated cash grabs drawing attention purely based on name recognition Oh shit…you just described Star Wars.

[@eatatjoes6751]

- beloved, popular films - brought down by literally zero deviation, a failed reboot, and outside influence/slavish source material worship leaving it a brand name and nothing more - animated cash grabs drawing attention purely based on that brand are made It’s definitely Star Wars. And Percy Jackson, but mostly Star Wars.

[@TheCanaaniteUnionist]

Also Terminator, Universal Soldier and so many others.

[@iAMtwoman22]

the new diary of a wimpy kid movie series just REEKS sanitation from disney, there's a REASON why the original movie was MADE for theaters. and that's a result of the right inspiration to make the first movies from fox more disconnected from the original books, and made the movies take place out of greg's perspective, and actually show what happened, and in result breathes new life into the original source material.

[@marim8494]

Rodrick Rules is such a good, rewatchable movie. It’s definitely the standout of the series

[@New3DSLuigi364]

SO If He really WAS An A$$hole; Why Did I find him Relatable when I read the books in middle school; Why did I Sympathize for him; Why did I Still in spite of his Actions; Still Root for his success in spite of how bad they may have been?!! Seriously; I gave him so much leeway as a Teenager; simply BECAUSE He was the Protagonist of the story; and because the Protagonist was usually the character we were SUPPOSED to root for!!

[@BugsyFoga]

I remember when the first film came out was when I got into the series, and while I’m not as much as an avid reader on series as I use to, I still make to get every new book to keep my collection consistent.

[@TOAOera]

The actors they picked for the first 3 movies were so perfect that anyone else who doesn't have at least the same level of acting just sucks. Plus, the writing in ALL of the recent movies just SUCK.

[@nyhtfall1969]

They should of just got the previous cast but have them voice act the animated ones even if it wouldn't save those movies from being dog water

[@hrgjblv]

you can’t fool me. i noticed that split-second shot from saw 6. I’m unhealthily obsessed with saw theres no way i wouldn’t notice.

[@YarnLalms711]

Loved the original trilogy growing up, never saw Long Haul (Memba #NotMyRodrick? I memba), and the funniest part of watching the first of the animated movies was me and my friends just constantly ragging on it together.

[@SnoFitzroy]

I had no idea blonde-who's-name-I-forgot was a separate character from Holly Hills lmao

[@idkany293]

I believe the wimpy kid animation test was made at blue sky in the early 2010s for the unproduced cabin fever tv special

[@dylansharp8471]

Animation test as in the one shown at the Investors thing?

[@idkany293]

@@dylansharp8471 yup lol. It looks different enough and it explains why it looks so peanuts movie-ish

[@MugmanTheMugOfficial]

No, that was for the first animated movie, as the scene was from the first book.

[@Mistimene]

1:16:56 I think not all of the blame can go onto the author, maybe it was Disney who pushed Greg to being a nicer and more sympathetic dude. Since modern Disney doesn’t want unlikeable main characters in the movies, I could see Disney forcing a few changes onto the script and overall direction.

[@nikolaiyeoqty5261]

Funny you say that considering most main characters Disney is churning out these days are exactly that - unlikeable.

[@Mistimene]

@@nikolaiyeoqty5261 they only unlikeable is because they don’t have much flaws, nor learn anything from their story *cough* Asha. *cough* so the audience doesn’t like them, but they weren’t intended to be unlikeable. It’s just overall bad writing and execution.

[@dylansharp8471]

@@Mistimene Asha was the main character of Wish right?

[@Mistimene]

@@dylansharp8471 yes

[@gbalph4]

Yeah I noticed that Cruella and the Wet Bandits got this treatment when they're supposed to be unlikable for the story's effect. You just get worse remakes that suck the charm out of the story.

[@christiandevey3898]

The Trilogy adaptations are more like the film adaptations of short stories, take what's there (premise and a few plot points) and expand it into a longer, more in depth story. Other films like this that come to mind are Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and the adaptations of Philip K. Dick stories.

[@RustyLeguitoSecundario]

Ohhh man, I loved Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs movie.

[@Tkscz]

I still don't think Kenny is what why wrong with the animated movies, I'm positive it was Disney. Literally, every issue you have with them reflects on Disney shows, especially the basic bitch lessons. Every criticism you gave them I seriously went "that sounds like a Disney thing"

[@Anthony-co4wz]

This review has made me revaluate how I view the Diary of the Wimpy Kid trilogy. Great Video.