Color Force, Fox 2000 Pictures, TCF Vancouver Productions,
Zachary Gordon, Devon Bostick, Robert Capron, Steve Zahn, Rachael Harris
Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) is on summer vacation. Mom has an idea he ought to play sports and get lots of exercise, and Dad’s idea is work, but the both agree, NO VIDEO GAMES. This continuation of the popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid series tells us how Greg along with his pal Rowley (Robert Capron) and his big brother Roderick (Devon Bostick) spend their vacation, scamming their dad, and hanging around the country club, no, not as members, but first as a guest, and then as a stowaway. As the lies pile up, the boys get in deeper and deeper and the trouble mounts. This is an awesome summer, despite all the trials.
This third follow up to the previous two films (2010, 2011) is actually, in my opinion, even better than the first two. Certainly better than Roderick Rules, it’s every bit as good as the original, in my opinion. I guess too that I’m getting familiar with the series, since I did not have any kids young enough to be into the original series, and I’m starting to get it a bit better. There is some good “Caddyshack” like humor in this one that is really funny. Zachary is getting really good at playing Greg, and the events at the country club, and on an extremely funny outing with Rowley’s family that naturally ends in disaster. This reminds me of an extremely funny cartoon in the “Tiny Toons” collection where Plucky Duck heads off to Disney World with Hampton the pig’s family. This whole sequence is a scream.
All in all, this is a cool summer vacation film that is fun for both kids and grown ups who are young at heart. It’s really funny, has a little “coming of age” drama, and some dysfunctional family fun. What more could you ask for? This is a really cute PG film, for kids and parents alike.
EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog
Movie Review - Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2012) {PG},