Review of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2012) by Jeff B — 23 Sep 2012

Dogged by simplicity but not dazed beyond redemption, Wimpy Kid at least whiles away an hour and a half of your summer. Lightyears better than its predecessor, Rodrick Rules, this second sequel can't stand up to the all-around A-level family entertainment of Pixar but it does put forth better summertime hues than blues. In fact, there are a number of funny moments that are featured gratuitously in the trailer. Some involve humiliating a friend's odd family and some involve comic mishaps like a Civil War re-enactment gone awry, but most unfortunately involve upping the gross factor to the Ugh degree. Still, moviegoers can't help but become embroiled in the ne'er-do-well misadventures of Greg Heffley.

In this PG-rated family-friendly sequel, wimpy kid Greg Heffley (Gordon) pretends to have a job at a ritzy country club to while away the dog days of summer, but ends up embroiled in everything from a camping disaster to a public pool mishap.

Smartly, the series has relegated some supporting characters to the far fringes of the script (disgusting tag-along Fregley and Indian nerd Chirag, we hardly missed ye) while elevating more interesting players to the forefront (goody love interest Holly and Greg's wacky put-upon Dad, please step up). It's not always a fun-filled day at the beach but it's far from sitting through a laborious session of summer school. What's most amazing is that - given the modest budget, B-Level cast, and this series' success thus far -Diary hasn't been further exploited and spun into a Disney or Nick TV program.

Bottom line: The Kid is alright.