The smartest move the Diary of a Wimpy Kid franchise has made was going animated.
Yes, the first three live-action films are classics for a certain generation, but that fourth film — The Long Haul — showed the series' absolute floor.
But the switch to Disney+ brought along a new idea. The franchise has since gone animated, with these 3D-animated adaptations staying true to the original drawings from Jeff Kinney.
There's more longevity in the animation medium, and three entries in, it seems Disney+'s films have found their footing. They are now in uncharted territory, as they already adapted the two most famous stories in the franchise.
Cabin Fever was the sixth book in the series. It hasn't ever gotten a proper adaptation, and that's a shame as a big fan of this particular book. Now, Kinney revisits it with this new Christmas film, and the end result is a great adaptation that isn't shy from changing things up.
What's it about?
It's another typical Christmas season for Greg Heffley (Wesley Kimmel), who's forced to be on his best behavior. As he ages, Greg fears getting boring gifts like clothes. But this year, he wants a brand new video game system. It's not as easy as that, though, as he feels the heat from his mom's elf on the shelf (known as “Santa's Scout”).
After a blunder playing with his friend Rowley (Spencer Howell), Greg has to rights his wrongs. Unfortunately, he couldn't have picked a worse time as a snow storm hits. That means he's locked in with his family while also stressing over possibly getting in trouble.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever review
From the very first frame of Cabin Fever, it's clear that the filmmakers are gaining more confidence in these films. There is more scope in the first shot than the other two films — which were fine adaptations in their own right — as the camera shows a wide shot of the Heffley's surrounding town.
That confidence also carries into the story, which Kinney wrote. Cabin Fever was one of my favorite Diary of a Wimpy Kid books as a kid, though I haven't revisited it in over a decade. That said, I remember enough of the story to know that some tweaks were made, though Cabin Fever's core story remains intact.
The biggest change comes in what Greg is afraid of being arrested for. In the book, he and Rowley accidentally vandalize the school. No spoilers, but something far worse happens in the Disney+ film.
The voice cast
The animated medium comes with its own strengths and weaknesses. On one hand, unlike live-action actors, you can replace voices with more ease. Brady Noon (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem) was replaced by Wesley Kimmel, who does a serviceable job. Ethan William Childress, voice of Rowley in the first two films, was replaced by Spencer Howell.
Truthfully, it's hard to tell the difference in these two cases. Both of the new actors did enough to sound like their predecessors. But the rest of the Heffley family, voiced by Hunter Dillon (Rodrick), Gracen Newton (Manny), Chris Diamantopoulos (Frank), and Erica Cerra (Susan) are handled well.
You also lose some of the emotion and connection to the characters with this type of animation. Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Rachel Harris, Steve Zahn, and Devon Bostick made their characters endearing in the live-action Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.
Ultimately, you can't get that same type of performance out of an animated film like Cabin Fever. And that has to be accepted when going into the film.
The power of Disney
What also enhances the film is the power of Disney. There is a lot of licensed music throughout Cabin Fever, even more so than the live-action and other animated films combined. “Blitzkrieg Bop” and “Last Christmas” are both used throughout the film. They even pay homage to John Carpenter's Halloween at one point.
It's a bit strange, yes, but having the resources and power that Disney possesses goes a long way I suppose.
Should you stream Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever?
Cabin Fever was never one of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid franchise's best stories. Rodrick Rules is now 2-for-2 when it comes to being the strongest adaptation of these books. That said, from an animation perspective and its cast, Cabin Fever may stand tall among the Disney+ adaptations.
It's the perfect family Christmas movie, as its brisk hour-long runtime gets straight into the meat and potatoes. This entry proves that the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series has staying power, and with the confidence growing with each entry, the bar is set high for next year's adaptation.
Grade: B
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever will be released on December 8 on Disney+.
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