The Diary of a Wimpy Kid children's series, by Jeff Kinney, has become an overnight success with young adult readers everywhere; so it was no surprise when 20^th Century Fox released the first book in the series last year to cinema goers worldwide.  This year they continue in the series with the release of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules.
 
Greg Heffley is now starting his second year of middle school, and the year seems to appear to be going his way -- that is, of course, except for his relationship with his brother Rodrick.  At every turn of his life, Greg is at the mercy of his older brother, Rodrick.  Rodrick is there every step of the way to make sure he can cause turmoil in his younger brother's life, including such hijinks as locking Greg in the basement, embarrassing him at Church, and having him run around a retirement community in his undergarments.
 
The entire main cast is back for the sequel, including Zachary Gordon, Devon Bostick, Rachael Harris, Robert Capron, and Steve Zahn.  While the cast provided decent performances last time around, this time the actors appear to more comfortable in their roles and display more emotion and believability than the last outing.
 
Adults, who had a hard time getting into the first of Diary of a Wimpy Kid film might find this time around a bit easier to stomach.  Gone is the awkwardness of introducing the characters as you would in an original story; and after a quick two-minute exposition, the film flows directly into following the daily lives of the Heffley family.
 
The video is presented in the latest AVC MPEG4 codec with a DTS-HD Master 5.1 audio track.  In general, the video transfer displays a very soft, smooth picture that will not leave your eyes straining.  The audio track is front-loaded so that the dialogue is crisp and clear while still leaving the background unmuddled so you are able to hear it during each scene.
 
It appears the trend lately is to overload children's releases with a wide variety of extras and of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules doesn't buck the trend. The 3 disc Blu-ray set includes the Blu-ray copy of the film, a DVD, and digital copy.  20^th Century Fox Home Entertainment has also included some of the web-episodes found on the official website of the film portraying how the cast members spent their summer vacation before 7^th grade started.
 
Whether or not this Blu-ray finds itself into your home is mostly left to the decision of the child in your home, but adult should find comfort that the film will provide the entire family with enjoyment for movie night in your household (and even might have you singing Loded Diper songs for a couple of days afterwards!)