Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog DaysMovie Reviews

Poster art for "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days."

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days Showtimes + Tickets

So-so

Avg. Critic Score: 54 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore^® based on all critic reviews

Information for Parents:

OK for kids 9+

Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

83

Entertainment Weekly |
Though often self-centered and conniving, Greg remains a likable kid, and the movie entertains by pulling off over-the-top scenarios that set up digestible life lessons for youngsters. Read full review
75

Washington Post |
It really captures what it feels like to be a kid. Read full review
70

Boxoffice Magazine | Pete Hammond
Fox is smart to keep turning this stuff out before star Gordon grows too old for the role. He's terrific in a Leave it to Beaver way, perfectly capturing the angst of being in-betweener. Read full review
70

The Hollywood Reporter | Michael Rechtshaffen
Oroves nimbler and truer to its origins than last year's "Rodrick Rules." Read full review
63

USA Today | Scott Bowles
Maintains the franchise's knack for getting kids right. Read full review
50

Slant Magazine | Andrew Schenker
A half-hearted morality tale about taking responsibility for your actions as a sign of impending maturity. Read full review
50

Boston Globe | Tom Russo
Compared to the first two movie installments, this one is uncharacteristically scattershot in the life-lessons department. Read full review
40

New York Daily News | Joe Neumaier
Unlike last year's superior "Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer" - which put its grade-school heroine through similarly seasonal woes - "Dog Days" squanders several chances to find something magical in the mundane. Read full review
38

Chicago Tribune | Michael Phillips
Here and there, in the father/son scenes, you see a glimmer of an honest interaction. All in all, I'd rather watch a "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide" rerun. Read full review
25

New York Post | Lou Lumenick
I'd call Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days harmless if it weren't for some totally unnecessary gay-panic jokes that could actually encourage bullying. Read full review

Metacritic link View more reviews for Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days on Metacritic

Information for Parents

Common Sense Media says OK for kids 9+ More Wimpy Kid fun mixed with worthy messages, potty humor.

What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that the third adaptation in the series of movies based on Jeff Kinney's phenomenally popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid books is, like its two predecessors, full of the kind of physical and scatological comedy that tweens love. Language includes standard insults like "loser" and "jerk," and the violence is of the humorous ball-in-the-groin variety, with one potential jump scene when an adult scares kids during a campout. Parents wary of bathroom humor should know there are many jokes about pee, farts, boogers, dog spit, etc. There's a brief glimpse at a boy sitting on the toilet and an extended men's locker room sequence in which a lead character tries to avoid looking at all the fat, hairy, and shirtless men toweling off or taking showers. Overall, the movie (like the book) has a sweet message about father-son bonding and being honest.

Families can talk about how the various parent-child relationships are portrayed in Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days. Which parents are more believable -- the Heffleys or the Jeffersons? How does the relationship between Greg and his dad change?
Why are movies aimed at tween boys filled with so much potty humor? Are the fart and booger jokes necessary? Do girls like this kind of humor, too?
Rowley is a fiercely loyal friend to Greg, but is Greg always a good friend to Rowley? What does Greg do to redeem himself to Rowley?
Fans of the books: How does the movie compare to the Dog Days novel? Which characters were different or new? Did you like the changes?

The good stuff

Positive messages: Alongside the many examples of misguided teen behavior, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days has several positive messages about family, friendship, and even early romantic relationships. Greg tends to tell lies big and small to try to get his way, but Rowley and Holly help him realize that it's more important to be true to yourself than to tell lies to try and impress people.
Positive role models: Holly and Rowley are great kid role models. While Holly is pretty enough to be a "mean girl," she's not. She's kind to everyone and abhors her older sister's diva-ish behavior. Rowley is never afraid to be exactly who he is -- a sweet, obedient boy who loves his parents and shows it. Despite his initial lies, Greg learns from his mistakes and apologizes to his father and Rowley. Greg and his father grow closer by being honest about their interests.

What to watch for

Violence: Some humorous slapstick: During a doubles tennis match, Greg and Rowley are hit in various places with an aggressively served tennis ball. They double over in pain as they're hit in the stomach and the groin. Greg has a bag full of ants crawl on him during a camping trip. During a scary campfire story, a counselor jumps out of the darkness and scares the kids.
Sexy stuff: Greg has a crush on Holly and stares at and tries to flirt with her. They end up holding hands. Rodrick fancies Holly's older sister, Heather. While it's not sexual, there's an extended scene in a men's locker room in which Greg sees many half-dressed men taking a shower (no nudity, but their big, hairy chests and stomachs are on display). Greg is shown sitting on the toilet (no nudity).
Language: Like the books and the previous movies, language is mostly insults like "idiot," "loser," "shut up," "midgets," "jerk," and "freak." There's also a good bit of potty and scatological humor. References to farts, boogers, and dog spit are common.
Consumerism: Apple's MacBook Pro is displayed and used in a few scenes. Video game consoles and the Sony PSP are shown (and played). A couple of cars, like the Volvo station wagon and a Jeep, are driven by parents. Greg eats a snack of Coke and Utz potato chips.
Drinking, drugs and smoking: Not an issue

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