Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

The third movie based on Jeff Kinney's hit book series for preteens has the same problem as the first two Wimpy Kid outings: Protagonist Greg Heffley (played once again by Zachary Gordon) isn't very likable. He treats his best friend like crap, taking advantage of him to weasel his way into a posh country club, where he plans to spend his summer pursuing a cute classmate. And he lies outright to his dad (Steve Zahn) about his summer job so he doesn't have to take an internship at his father's company. Greg learns to admit his mistakes by the end of the movie, but it doesn't quite redeem his flaws. Kids will like the slapstick humor, but adults will have a hard time sympathizing with such a bratty wimp.