Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (12/16/2012)

Rated PG for some rude humor.

Starring Zachary Gordon, Devon Bostick, Robert Capron, Rachael Harris and Steve Zahn

Directed by David Bowers (Diary of a Wimpy Kid)

Fans of the books and Middle School boys will no doubt love this one.

During his summer vacation, “Wimpy Kid” Greg Heffley, the hero of the phenomenally successful book series, hatches a plan to pretend he has a job at a ritzy country club — which fails to keep him away from the season’s dog days, including embarrassing mishaps at a public pool and a camping trip that goes horribly wrong.

My son, Caleb, has read every “Wimpy Kid” book and he LOVES them. So we were so excited for a father/son day that consisted of video games, dinner and the newest Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie. As we walked out of the theater, we had two very different reactions. He loved it, I …well not so much.

First of all Zachary may still be funny, but he looks more like a punk teenager than the wiry middle schooler he is suppose to be. So some of the physical humor doesn’t work.

Secondly because he looks more like his older brother, he loses the cuteness factor. So instead of laughing at Greg’s hijinks, I found myself being annoyed. I was actually cheering for the parents. In the other films it looked like innocent fun or misunderstood accidents. Now it looks more like disrespectful rebellion.

As a dad, most of what I saw was not funny, cute or acceptable.

Structurally I didn’t have any issues; this movie follows the same formula that made the books and first two films successful. And with the same cast and director, I knew exactly what to expect.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days is an O.K. movie, but I would have been content watching it on DVD…because its a “Rental.”

SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
This is a PG movie with some rude humor. If you were O.K. with the first two films, you won’t have any problems with this one.

CONVERSATION STARTER

1. Throughout this movie how do Greg and his parents get along?


2. Have you ever had a disagreement or fight with your parents? What was it over? What happened?


3. Have you ever disobeyed your parents? Tell me what happened.


4. Read Ephesians 6:1-3
   
   Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”
   
   On a scale of 1-10 (1 being not at all and 10 being perfect) how well does Greg live out this passage?


5. Using the same scale, how well are you living out this passage?


6. What is one thing you can do this week to improve your score?