The audience for the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series, based on the popular kids' novels by Jeff Kinney, splits into two distinct demographic pie slices. One is middle-school boys. The other is parents of middle-school boys.
Both groups - but probably the second more than the first - will be thrilled to know that the latest installment, subtitled "Dog Days," is the best, funniest and least obnoxious of the three films so far. This time, the embattled Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) is facing the doldrums, and this time, he is not a complete jerk to his best friend, Rowley (Robert Capron). Nor is Greg's older brother, Rodrick (Devon Bostick), a complete jerk to Greg. In this round of Heffley-centered shenanigans, characters are only partial jerks to one another; even better, at key junctures in the plot they're actually nice to each other. Real emotions get expressed. Real family harmony emerges.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days" opens on Greg's final days of seventh grade, and he's not happy. It's summer vacation and the grown-ups are barking at him to go outside when all he really wants to do is hole up in the dark with video games. That, and get a little closer to pretty Holly Hills (Peyton List).
Greg's dreams of slug-dom are dashed when his dad (Steve Zahn, who does some positively nuanced acting) guts all the TV cables and then insists on hauling him out for father-son activities. Greg's only recourse is to accompany Rowley to the country club every day and then lie to his parents about getting a job there. Needless to say, this is just the beginning of the young man's many minor misadventures.
Returning to the director's chair for his second "Wimpy Kid" installment is David Bowers, who brings zippy pacing and an overall sunny disposition to match the summer theme. Many scenes are amusing, particularly those that humanize and/or humiliate and/or dump trash on Rodrick.
Rating : 3 / 5
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