Review of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2012) by Henry P — 31 Jan 2015

1/31/15.

Let's just be clear: Yes, I am an adult, and I enjoyed this movie. True, the plot went to the dogs in terms of sense, but those dogs managed to fetch lots of heart and a little drama. Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) has faced the first two years of middle school, and now we finally see him on summer vacation. While it moved briskly, there was a jumbled feeling to it, because it would seamfully cut from one scenario to another with little or no conclusion. Greg would be dealing with his dad, then his brother, then his dad. Negatives aside, Greg was as relatable as ever: We've all had those summers we wanted to be great, but everything kept backfiring on him. He receives the most development, while everyone else shows up, and then disappears. Everything on screen is there for a reason, but there is some obvious green-screening, regardless of whether or not you knew, you can tell. Edward Shearmer brings in the usual kind of score for these films, and pop music finds its place. It's not all music and noise when silence proves its effect in one part. The humor stays out of the dog house, and is front and center as always for these films. When you watch it, you'll be entertained, you'll feel like you know the main character, but you'll also crave something better written.

8/4/12.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid's 3rd adaptation is a decent adaptation of the 3rd and 4th books. My problem with it is that there was too little of the third one, aside from the fear of being sent to Military School that Greg had because his dad saw what it did to that one boy who used to egg his house. The characters were very likable, even Rodrick, who was a total bleephole towards Greg. Some people might say that the jokes are cliche, but I swear I was laughing to death throughout the movie at certain points. I think that they could have still made the third and fourth books into SEPERATE movies instead of conjoining them since the actors would be too old for their roles. They should have done what Harry Potter did: Pick younger actors to grow into the role! In conclusion, I hope that next year's installment sticks purely to one book! (Not two or three).