First Look: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

I'm a big fan of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, and en even bigger fan of the film adaptations.  Both entries have been refreshingly funny family fare that, though employing their share of easy toilet humor, also manage to capture a lot of the anxiety of adolescent life with wit and heart.  Thus, I can't help but be excited for the third movie, Dog Days, based on the third and fourth books in Jeff Kinney's beloved series, and follows Greg Heffley's attempts to navigate the trails and tribulations of the worst summer ever.

As with any franchise that features young protagonists (Harry Potter, Walt on Lost, etc.), there's a rapidly approaching deadline for when these movies need to be made as the young actors head through puberty.  It seems like we're at a critical point in that regard: the charming Zachary Gordon seems much older in this trailer, making me wonder how many more films he can pass as the titular Wimpy Kid.  This should probably be the franchise's last outing, but I could see them cranking out one more to cover books five and six.

Either way, I'm looking forward to Dog Days, even if I'm a bit less optimistic about the outcome.  It comes to theaters August 3.