I still think turning the fanciful art style of the illustrations in the Wimpy Kid books into 3D is a bit of an ugly mess (that baby design is a thing of nightmares). I’ll die on that hill while DIsney+ rakes in the subscription fees. But I found this second stab at the stories a bit better than the first.

So Rodrick Rules focuses on Greg Hefley’s older brother, the titular Rodrick (and his band Loded Diper). The brothers are partners in crime in this one with Rodrick showing Greg the ropes… and then taking revenge when he thinks he’s been ratted out.

I was iffy (once again) on this short flick until the brother stuff started to take center stage. And, I dunno, somehow their relationship started to work for me. It’s not high art, not high brow, and not high comedy either, but it was semi-charming and cute.

This flick is a bit of a nothing with a surprising nugget of heart. I’ll probably forget it soon enough… until I have to remind myself of the franchise when Disney releases the third book as Disney+ filler.

Score: 74