Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days 2012

Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle: Real emotions get expressed. Real family harmony emerges. Read more

Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: ...I think it's possible that all tween audiences, wimpy or not, deserve better than this. Read more

Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: The execution isn't great. David Bowers, the director, allows too much hammy acting. Read more

Tom Keogh, Seattle Times: It is less unified and more predictable than its predecessors, and doesn't play to all the franchise's earlier strengths. Read more

Nathan Rabin, AV Club: Diary Of A Wimpy Kid benefits from not trying too hard, but it wouldn't hurt if it had tried just a little bit harder anyway. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: Either they're getting better as they go along, or they're wearing me down. Read more

Tom Russo, Boston Globe: The sort of mischief that felt cutely wise-alecky up to this point often just doesn't work here. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: Why are the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" movies so much less fun, and funny, than the best of the books created by Jeff Kinney? Read more

Abby West, 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 more

William Goss, Film.com: We jump back and forth between so many other half-hearted threads that it can feel a bit like surfing between channels that strictly show episodes of a never-made "Wimpy Kid" TV show. Read more

Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter: The third time might not be the charm, but this harmless family comedy proves more pleasant than its episodic 2011 installment. Read more

Stephanie Zacharek, Los Angeles Times: Ends the series' winning streak, or at least slows it down to a panting, dog-day crawl. Read more

Rafer Guzman, Newsday: Old-fashioned and small in scale, the movies sometimes feel like after-school specials from a bygone era, which is part of what makes them so endearing. Read more

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: Like a kid in a mid-day algebra class, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid; Dog Days" only wakes up for the louder, crasser jokes its pals crack. Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: 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 more

Michael Rechtshaffen, Associated Press: The third installment in the "Wimpy Kid" franchise turns out to be not so wimpy after all. Read more

Derek Adams, Time Out: Slightly better than its predecessors - although it's still the same disjointed fluff about an aloof American middle-class kid with a bunch of hang-ups. Read more

Matt Singer, Time Out: Viewers enduring early adolescence or those grappling with its psychic scars will recognize the honesty in the comic humiliation. Read more

Scott Bowles, USA Today: It all makes for goofy fun, and physical comedy that will have parents rolling their eyes. Read more

Lael Loewenstein, Variety: [It's] formulaic in adhering to the sitcom-style tone of the first two films. Read more

Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice: Released right when summer starts to drag, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days at least doesn't add to the exhaustion. Read more

Sean O'Connell, Washington Post: Spending time with Kinney's characters has become an annual treat. Read more