r/LodedDiper • u/notagoodcartoonist • 1d ago
Discussion People who prefer the DOAWK movies over the books, why do you prefer them?
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u/Jamz64 THREE-TIME Contest Winner 1d ago
Because they develop the characters more, they never jumped the shark like the books did, and are very faithful to the source material with any changes made being for the better. Also, “WHAT WAS GENERAL GRANT DOING ON THE THERMOSTAT?!”
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u/xXxHuntressxXx Angie has Sassitude 📸 1d ago
THESE ARE NOT TOYS – THEY’RE FIGURINES!!
Also, the whole “HA! LOOK AT ME! I’M LAUGHIN’! I’M THE LAUGHINGEST LAUGHER THAT EVER LAUGHED! HAHAHA, HAHAH, HA! FUNNY STUFF!” outburst in the third movie
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u/closetedbehavior 1d ago
i do love the books but the movies develop the background characters so much more because of the format. we get to see way more of chirag, holly, fregley, rowley, and heather— plus there’s also new characters like angie and ben
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u/catandchickenlover 1d ago
This feels like comparing an apple to an orange as in books and movies are different media.
Another important thing to remember is the books are from Greg's POV, it's a diary after all. The movies can't really do that because watching movies is seeing the plot in third person.
I believe some of the things that make the movies great is while the versions aren't identical to one another, the movies still used the source material to make it cohesive for a movie formant. They kept around the support characters(Chirag, Patty, Rodrick, Holly, Fregley) and gave them active roles as the sequels continued. Greg also gets some character development. He's pretty much what he's like in first movie throughout the books(this isn't bad, just different). The actors pulled it off well of bringing the characters to life in live action.
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u/IshtheWall 1d ago
I'd imagine it's either because it's simply not a book, many people prefer watching over reading, or because it's live action, many people still stigmatize cartoons, especially since the book is made for kids, even if many adults do read it (I'm in this camp, I'm not judging)
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u/ticket140 1d ago
I feel both are such different types of media, you can’t really say one is better. That’s what I generally think about movie adaptations of books.
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u/punkrockasshole420 1d ago
Those were "killer" movies
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u/yobaby123 19h ago
That and the characters are generally way more likable.
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u/punkrockasshole420 14h ago
I remember when the books came out the first 2 movies are the best imo because Chad boswick makes the best Roderick are the new animated movies any good why did they remake Roderick rules but not the first movie?
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u/FluorideAvenger 1d ago
Can't say I prefer the movies, just that the books are upstairs and on a hard drive and the movies are closer by. Plus books tend to take longer than movies.
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u/Nic2751 1d ago
Simple: Creating the most cohesive storylines with the source material as presented and reframing things to work better and adding new substance to the events and characters now that they are no longer confined to one individual’s perspective and showing everything for what it really is to the benefit of the audience
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u/CleverUsername488 Yo Slap Happy Granpappy! 1d ago
This is like trying to compare an apple to an orange, or a hawk to a vulture. They are completely different types of media. But if I had to pick on reason to prefer the movies, it's probably because Greg and Rowley are much more believable as friends.
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u/TheLocalRobloxDude 1d ago
i just feel bad for the guy who played Rodrick in the long haul. he became a meme just because he looked just, not how people liked, there was once a #notmyrodrick army over it, and the people who wrote the script make Rodrick look like an 100% idiot, unlike the other movies, where hes not fully an idiot but also a maniacal mastermind and yet people blamed him for it.
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u/xXxHuntressxXx Angie has Sassitude 📸 1d ago
Devon Bostick, Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn and Zachary Gordon all bring the characters to life and make them each delightful. Devon’s Rodrick is iconic, Rachael Harris NAILS the “perpetually-stressed-but-trying-to-keep-it-together-and-be-kind-for-her-kids” role, Steve Zahn is absolutely hilarious, and Zachary Gordon is just a great Greg. I can’t explain it, but the movies just have that extra quality of “dysfunctional family that still loves each other despite everything” that the books seem to just lack for me. The family in the books is dysfunctional for sure, but there are only a few times where I feel their love for each other shine through in spite of the hardships.
Definitely could just be a personal preference on my part – I’m all about that feel-good, love-is-the-answer sappy stuff!
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u/Queen_Ann_III 1d ago
I can’t speak for the fans who prefer the movies but I can say that this franchise is a pretty good example of transmedia storytelling. like Scott Pilgrim or Hitchhiker’s Guide, no two adaptations are quite so alike, and every version is a little bit relevant to the bigger picture
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u/YourSexyLawyer 17h ago
I’d put my answer in here, but it turned into a whole analysis essay that I had to transfer over to my notes app😭😭
To put it simply, emotional depth/complexity alongside Greg’s character growth and realizations on the kind of friend, brother, and son he should be no matter what kind of consequences it could bring.
In the first movie, he lies about being the one who ate the cheese in order to stick up for Rowley, with him not even caring anymore about the popularity ranking he made earlier in the school year at that point because he realizes what truly matters in his life.
In the second movie, he makes a deal with Shan to be in Rowley’s magic act—even if it means embarrassing himself in front of Holly—because he wants to see his brother get to live out his dream of performing with his band(and in a way, this decision could partly be pinned on Holly and Greg’s conversation at Leisure Towers when discussing the importance of their respective dynamics with their elder siblings—showing how Holly’s values and mannerisms give Greg a chance to realize it’s not all about maintaining an image—but that it’s about being a genuine person to those around you).
In the third movie, he admits to ruining Stan’s camp set up to Frank despite the potential threat of being sent to Spag Union because he realizes through his previous conversation with him that it’s ok to mess up, but to own up to it when it happens.
Point is, Greg learns a lesson in each movie and instead of taking it for face value like he does in the books—he applies it to himself and shows just how much he’s willing to learn to be a better person for his family and his best friend. In three movies he goes from a typical shallow pre-teen boy who is obsessed with maintaining images and having everyone admire him to a respectable, genuine person who is content with his best friend and crush being the main people in his life, is closer than ever with his brother despite the occasional bickering between the two, and has found a ground level with his father as they both unlearn their respective differences and show their genuine selves to each other.
Still a bit long, I apologize🤕But that is my take on why the Wimpy Kid movies essentially are much more solid and fleshed out than the books.
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u/smitt3n3bula 1d ago
i think their both better in their own way. i usually like films more nomatter what cause i can experience the charecters feelings better
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u/RoyalStarEagle 23h ago
honestly the characters are a lot more likeable that way, Rodrick and Greg connecting was way more sweet than anything in the book tbh, and this is coming from someone who read the books first and grew up with them
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