Animated book-based holiday tale has peril, potty humor.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
some
Animated characters fall and get knocked down, are nearly run over, imagine being bullied, are creeped out by an old doll who "reports to Santa" and seems to be following them, get hit by snowballs, fly off a trampoline, speed down a hill on a sled, wander around the woods alone at night, hear a story about a family lost in the snow that had to eat each other, suffer cold, hunger, and a flooded basement during a snowstorm, imagine getting thrown in jail, and lose sight of a baby.
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Kids dream of expensive gifts for Christmas and worry about what Santa will bring them based on their behavior. A single mother can't afford the gifts her young son asks for. During the holidays, a neighborhood collects toys for the less fortunate.
Positive Messages
a lot
Cherish your loved ones while you have them. Sometimes our own problems can be minimalized by looking at the struggles of others. Be grateful for what you have. Take responsibility for your actions. Family watches out for family. Be good just to be good, not for ulterior or selfish motives.
Positive Role Models
some
Greg and Rowley accidentally get themselves into trouble, and rather than confessing what they've done, they get deeper and deeper into trouble by trying to hide it. Greg's family comes to his rescue. The snow plower works extra-long hours during the holiday season to support herself and her son. Greg makes an exceptionally generous gesture for a child, showing maturity and empathy. Rowley thinks it's important to do right and not to lie.
Diverse Representations
a little
The characters of the book series and its many spin-offs are White and middle class. They celebrate Christmas. There are some background characters of color and one is seen in a wheelchair. A character in this film is a single mother struggling to make ends meet.
Kids can talk about the real meaning of Christmas and what Greg learns. They can also discuss the legend and significance of Santa (and their thoughts about his "naughty" and "nice" lists).
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever is an animated film based on the popular book series. In it, main character Greg Heffley (voiced by Wesley Kimmel, Jimmy's nephew) learns some positive lessons about the true meaning of Christmas. He and best friend Rowley (Spencer Howell) also get into all kinds of perilous situations as they try to cover up an accident they caused. Characters fall and get knocked down, are nearly run over, imagine being bullied, are creeped out by an old doll who "reports to Santa" and seems to be following them, get hit by snowballs, fly off a trampoline, speed down a hill on a sled, wander around the woods alone at night, hear a story about a family lost in the snow that had to eat each other, imagine getting thrown in jail, lose sight of a baby, and suffer cold, hunger, and a flooded basement during a snowstorm. Greg also learns that not every family has as much as he does, and he makes an exceptionally generous gesture on behalf of a child who's less fortunate than himself. Language includes "twerp," "heck," "dumb-dumb," "hooligan," and some potty humor involving smelly bathrooms and a teen band called Löded Diper. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
Don’t let your child watch this if they believe in Santa.
What's the Story?
In DIARY OF A WIMPY KID CHRISTMAS: CABIN FEVER, Greg (voiced by Wesley Kimmel, Jimmy's nephew) and Rowley (Spencer Howell) accidentally damage city property with a giant snowball that slides out of their control. Instead of 'fessing up, they try to hide the evidence. Greg needs to ensure he stays on Santa's "nice" list so he gets the new video game system he's asked for. A giant snowstorm, which knocks out electricity and forces families to shelter in place, seems the perfect scenario for hiding out, but Greg knows he needs to get across the neighborhood to find the incriminating evidence before someone else does. Rowley knows better but goes along with Greg's plan. Meanwhile, at home, Greg's parents (Erica Cerra and Chris Diamantopoulos) are going a little stir crazy locked up inside with diminishing supplies, and Rodrick (Hunter Dillon) seems close to discovering Greg's naughty secret.
Paring down the animation to what are essentially stick figures, like the original books' illustrations, this film keeps the focus on character interactions and positive messages. And make no mistake, Greg learns lots of positive lessons in Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever. Some come in the form of his sweet do-gooder bestie Rowley, who still wears footie jammies and likes staying home and singing at the piano with his doting parents. Others emerge from contrasting the relative abundance of the Heffley family with other characters who have less, a beneficial lesson in empathy and generosity. And, despite a few too many bathroom jokes, even bullying big bro Rodrick seems softened in this film and plays a key role in making this a happy Heffley Christmas.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what Greg learns in Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever. How about Rodrick?
What does "cabin fever" refer to? Who seems to experience the most cabin fever in Greg's family?
How does Greg demonstrate empathy in this film? Would you have done what he does for Tyler? Why or why not?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
