Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3 Film Analysis

"A man who never made a mistake; never made anything. The trick is to be responsible and learn from your mistakes, and you can do that."

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The Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series was created by cartoonist and author Jeff Kinney and it started in 2007. As a kid in elementary school, these books held a special place in my heart as I thought they were extremely funny and were heavily relatable. I wasn't the only one who felt this way and soon enough Diary of a Wimpy Kid became a household name. Every kid knew about Diary of a Wimpy Kid and the name Greg Heffley. The books have sold more than 250 million copies around the globe and even today Jeff Kinney is still making more of them to read. In 2010 the very first live-action Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie was released and directed by Thor Freudenthal. After this two other Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies were released based on two titles from the book series Rodrick Rules and Dog Days. As much as I love the books and respect Jeff Kinney's work, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies are not only great films but also showcase themes and morals that surpass the books.

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Part 1: Diary of a Wimpy Kid

The first Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie does a great job of introducing and showing the life of Greg Heffley played by Zachary Gordon. The character of Greg Heffley starts in the series as an attention-seeking, arrogant, immature middle schooler with a superiority complex. He's a character who over exaggerates how great he is and puts himself on a pedestal while belittling others like his best friend Rowley played by Robert Capron. As an audience you see him get picked on repeatedly and keep trying to succeed in his goals even though he fails again and again so you feel sympathetic towards him. The film's main focus is on the relationship between Greg and Rowley. There's a lot of time spent with Greg and Rowley together and there's some time spent with Greg's family. Another thing here that is great about the first movie is giving you a feel of what Greg's family is like. They feel like an actual family. As a kid, I remember reading the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Movie Diary book where it said that all of the cast had bowling nights, played board games, and spent a lot of time together so it helped make them feel more like a family in the movie.

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The reason so much time is spent with Greg and Rowley in this slice-of-life format the film presents is that it shows that Greg is not a very good person. Greg is constantly putting down Rowley throughout the film as he ridicules him and attempts to fix Rowley to meet his selfish standards. Greg is a character that is so concerned about what others think of him and wants to be popular and a standout in middle school. He's constantly embarrassed by Rowley's interests or what he says for example Rowley asks Greg if he wants to go to his house and play. Rowley meanwhile is carefree about being popular and just wants to spend time with Greg as he can share his interests and feelings freely without being embarrassed. Things between the two reach a boiling point when Greg not only accidentally breaks Rowley's arm but gets Rowley in trouble for something that Greg did. Rowley decides to stop being Greg's friend and due to this over time causes Greg's ego to deflate. The movie shows Greg as a bystander as he watches Rowley get a new friend and Greg starts to question what is important to him if it's gaining popularity or about the people that love and care about him now.

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The Cheese

The moldy cheese on the school's basketball court that started the Cheese Touch represents the toxicity and unhealthy environment around the school. If you touch the cheese or get the Cheese Touch. It's a meaningless piece of cheese but the idea of "the Cheese Touch" symbolizes the normalization of bullying and judging others based on personal traits and factors. The kids who get the Cheese Touch are treated like they're infected and have something seriously wrong with them putting anyone who gets it at the lowest of the low in terms of popularity. That is why the ending of the film is easily the best part of the movie. Rowley has to eat a part of the cheese as a punishment from some teenagers who appear earlier in the film and Greg has to watch it happen. The teenagers flee after the gym coach comes over and soon enough all the students come back out and surround Greg and Rowley as they have now seen that the cheese has been eaten out of. Greg this entire time has been chasing popularity but as he's learned from losing Rowley as a friend that's not what matters especially in middle school and what matters most is the people that are there and truly care about you so when Rowley gets blamed for eating the cheese Greg steps in and says that it was him that ate it.

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Greg then grabs the cheese and holds it with everyone watching and then gives the best speech of the movie as he attempts to inspire the kids to care more about each other instead of worrying about caring what others think about them. But sadly the speech, of course, doesn't work and everyone runs away but that doesn't really matter. Greg in the film changes as a character. This one act of kindness showed who he really is and gained back his respect and friendship with Rowley. A big problem I always had with the books is Greg never really changed as a character or showed any signs of growth. He just went through life and everybody basically treated him the same since the first book. Here there is progression and growth. After the kids run away Greg throws the cheese and asks Rowley "do you want to come over after school and play?" It's a beautiful moment as Greg finally acknowledges and respects who Rowley is as a person as he himself has grown up too. The heart that makes this scene so notable stays present throughout all 3 movies.

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Other Positive Elements

While the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie isn't at all perfect and is the weakest of the trilogy I still think there are a lot of positive things to say about this film. My highest praises go to the casting and performances in this movie. Devon Bostick does an amazing job as Rodrick as it sets him up for the next movie of the franchise. Steve Zahn does an outstanding job as Greg's dad Frank Heffley and Rachael Harris as Greg's mom Susan Heffley is the perfect casting as she's an endearing and kind mother you can't help but love. The side characters also do a great job as well whether you love them or hate them each actor or actress does their job incredibly well capturing the essence of the characters that were so present in the books. Another element that's fairly good in the film but gets really improved upon later on is the humor. Rodrick's story on Halloween about the devil worshippers in the forest that he tells Greg and Rowley is easily the funniest part of the movie and the opening scene is also equally hilarious. It also has these wonderful animated sequences that recreate moments from the book with the same exact notebook line look to it. Finally, the music and songs used while sometimes sounding a little dated mostly sound great.

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A Solid Start

Overall the first installment of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie franchise is a solid first step. It showcases ideas and morals that are present in all 3 movies and has some really great character and story moments. The pacing and writing could be expanded on more but it's perfectly acceptable the way it is. It follows the spirit of the books faithfully while adding new ideas that make it feel more like its own thing rather than a direct copy of the original book. As a kid, I still remember walking out of the theater content with what I watched and hoped to myself that a sequel would be in the works in the near future and this is where the real analysis begins as I'm going to talk about one of the greatest comedy films of all time Rodrick Rules.

Part 2: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules

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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules is the second installment of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid film franchise and stars Zachary Gordon and Devon Bostick as the leads. It also stars Robert Capron, Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn and newcomer of the series Peyton List. Rodrick Rules was released in 2011 and directed by a new director this time around David Bowers. Rodrick Rules is widely considered by fans the best movie of the trilogy and I too am in agreement. Right from the opening scene, it's clear that the film sets up a lot immediately and that it's going to be a bigger film than the first, taking everything that was great about the first film and improving it significantly. Greg is now a seventh-grader and due to the events of the previous film and growing older he's a much more likable character in this film. Zachary Gordon really nails his performance as Greg. He's still a kid figuring out his problems but there's more going on here. He's not being a self-centered jerk caring only about popularity. This time he's much more funny and caring about Rowley and the people around him while being much more open about his feelings. The story this time around has also been improved with it being more tightly-packed and wasting zero time getting to the meat of the film.

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A great example of the better direction and writing of Rodrick Rules can be seen in the opening scene. Greg and his family go to a back-to-school roller skating party, where Greg meets up with Rowley and talks about his summer. Greg then notices the new girl Holly Hills and develops an immediate crush on her, giving him already a new goal to get closer with her during the upcoming school year. Rodrick takes notice and tells Greg to ask Holly to skate with him and Greg, attempting to show his brother that he's not a wimp, accepts his offer. As soon as Greg is about to ask Holly to skate Rodrick then switches the romantic skating music with heavy metal causing Holly to leave. Greg then embarrassingly gets called out by his mom on the PA system and his dad carries him off the rink after Greg gets overrun with skaters. Afterward, Greg attempts to tackle Rodrick for ruining his chance to impress Holly and for embarrassing him but face-plants in a girl's cake instead and gets beat up. This scene is phenomenal. It not only sets up Greg's new love interest, the growing tension between Greg and Rodrick not getting along as brothers and it even sets up a dancing gag Susan does that pays off tremendously at the end of the film. There's a magic act that Rowley also mentions he's doing for a local talent show competition that at first doesn't seem like anything too important but carries a heavy significance as well. This scene is also hilarious and captures the characters' personalities perfectly just from how they act and their facial reactions, especially from Steve Zahn and Devon Bostick.

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The Humor

A big step up from the first movie is the humor. I cannot tell you how many great lines and jokes are used throughout this film as I've seen this movie countless times and the jokes still remain hilarious. The school scenes in the film are limited instead centering more around the family drama and there's a reason why their family dynamic together is so good. They feel so much like a family so it makes their jokes, facial expressions, and banter with each other feel way more real and believable. One of the funniest scenes in the entire film is the Mom Bucks scene where Susan is attempting to have a way to have Greg and Rodrick bond better as brothers. Susan explains in the scene that if you do a good deed you'll get a Mom Buck which can then be exchanged for real currency. The humor comes through all subtlety in this scene through Steve Zahn's facial reactions and looks in the scene as he's standing behind Susan as she's explaining how the system works. Rodrick and the way he delivers his lines in the full scene is also extremely funny and well-written. While there are many scenes of more situational humor, there's a lot of humor that you have to pay attention to making the film a lot more fun to re-watch so you pick up on more. The Mom Bucks scene isn't the only funny scene though there's a party segment in the film that has many of Rodrick's best lines with Devon Bostick giving it his all.

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Great dialogue and humor are everywhere in Rodrick Rules and I can't do justice to how funny so much of this movie is by explaining it. You really have to see the movie for yourself to understand and fully get it. The situations and pranks Rodrick does are hilarious and so much of the humor revolves around how he talks with Greg and Devon Bostick does it all straight-faced. If you loved Rodrick in the first film then he is the absolute standout and showstopper here along with Greg not just with the humor but also the heart and soul of the film.

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The Story

Rodrick Rules follows the Heffley family as they are navigating through different parts of their lives. Greg and Rowley are trying to get internet famous and are now in the seventh grade. Greg is also trying to win the love of Holly Hills played by Peyton List. Susan is writing for a local news column about parenting and is trying to have Greg and Rodrick get along with each other. Rodrick finally is practicing with his band Löded Diaper to get ready to perform at a talent show as he sees this as his band's big break. Every plot point here has relevance for later and not a single moment in the film feels out of place. The plot serves as a three-act structure as the setup starts with a public fight between Greg and Rodrick at a church causing the two to be grounded for the weekend. Meanwhile Susan, Manny (Greg's little brother), and Frank all go on a short trip and the two brothers are told not to invite anyone over. Of course, Rodrick doesn't listen and invites everyone he knows for a house party.

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Act 1: The Party

Greg and Rodrick have a house party and this is easily one of the best segments of the film. Greg gets locked in the basement due to Rodrick yet again not trusting him as a brother. Rodrick also puts Rowley in the basement after Rowley gets called by Greg to come help let him out. The way Greg and Rowley get let out by Rodrick is extremely clever on Greg's part and hilarious to watch as again it showcases how much the humor and scenarios have improved compared to the first film. An interesting scene and side note in the party has Rodrick being egged on by his friend to ask any girls to dance at his party and he's too afraid to do so. Rodrick is not very talented except as a drummer in his band and it's implied that he's not very confident in himself here. It's an interesting parallel to the beginning of the film where he nags Greg to skate with Holly and unlike Rodrick, Greg attempts to do so. Greg and Rowley once they are let out actually get involved in the party and help make it better. In the morning when the party ends Greg and Rodrick frantically clean everything up. They find that someone wrote "Rodrick Rules" in permanent marker on their bathroom door and Greg smartly has the idea to replace it with a basement door he saw when he was locked in. The only problem is the original door had a lock on it unlike the new basement door so Rodrick tells Greg to always deny that the door is different to anybody that questions him about it.

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Act 2: The Lock

A scene with Susan noticing the lock being missing on the door and questioning Rodrick about it is Devon Bostick at his funniest as he continuously denies that the door had a lock on it. Realizing Susan won't get any answers from Rodrick she immediately goes to Greg and Greg admits that they had a party over the weekend. Greg then says he exaggerated and said that it was a band rehearsal and that he and Rodrick have been getting along better which they have. Susan agrees to let it slide if they continue to act nice to each other and this is really the turning point for how Rodrick feels about Greg. Suddenly Rodrick thinking that Greg had denied the existence of the party to Susan has given him real and newfound respect for Greg. Soon enough the two act like real brothers as Rodrick feels like now he can trust Greg and in turn helps Greg out with various things such as homework and how to get out of doing chores. Greg in return gains respect for Rodrick and starts opening up with him as he asks for advice on how to get Holly to like him.

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Holly is also a great character. She's likable, she's kind-hearted, and even talks to Greg about topics that help him in the process like how to handle his family. It makes sense for Greg to like Holly not just because of her looks but also her bright and caring personality. Rodrick and Greg become closer and have a night out to spend time together for fun and it's great to see. Seeing their brotherly bond deepen is the heart of this film and it all comes so naturally as it never feels forced when they start to open up with each other. Rodrick realizes that Greg can be someone he can talk to about things. As great as this is though it comes crashing down once Susan and Frank find out about the party taking place due to photos being taken on their camera. Susan reveals that Greg told her about the party and that she thought it was a band rehearsal and Rodrick naturally feels betrayed by Greg and their bond becomes locked again. Rodrick as the ringleader for starting the party loses his right to perform in the talent show that he had been practicing so hard for and of course, he blames Greg and becomes even more cynical towards him.

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Act 3: The Magic Act

Susan and Frank make Greg and Rodrick go to the talent show and Holly Hills is there too. There Rowley's partner who was supposed to do the magic act with him gets stage fright and chooses not to be Rowley's assistant. When Rowley asks Greg to be his assistant of course he says no as he would be embarrassed to do the magic act especially when Holly would be watching him. The talent show goes on and Rodrick notices from backstage that his band is going to perform without him because of the new band member that got added named Bill allowing it. Bill is a deadbeat and a washed-out musician who is introduced earlier in the movie. He's what Rodrick could become if he only cared about himself and had no empathy for anyone else who has any hope for him. Rodrick is a person who is loyal and who cares about others. He only feels like he'll betray or cross someone if he gets wronged for something. Rodrick when asked about the door lock never put the blame on Greg and even if he's a liar he still has compassion and is loyal. Greg, seeing that Rodrick got wronged by Bill, asks his mom if she could lift the punishment off of Rodrick so he can play with his band for the talent show. When she says no he gives her an offer saying that if she lets him play in the show then he'll do the magic act with Rowley.

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This scene is excellent. Greg shows how much of a good person he is here. He's not doing the magic act for himself and he's not looking for some sort of reward. He doesn't even care if he gets embarrassed in front of his crush. What matters to him like in the first film are the people he ultimately loves and cares about and Greg wants Rodrick to be happy. This one scene connects the entire movie together. All the bonding and compassion Greg and Rodrick had shown throughout the movie was genuine and real and Greg loves his brother. It's a beautiful moment and Susan agrees to let Rodrick play once again, unlocking the bond between him and Greg again. Holly tells Greg that he did a great job after his magic act with Rowley and even she notices that he made up with Rodrick which also impresses her, resolving her plotline and resolving the conflict that Greg had with Rodrick. Bill gets kicked out of the band rightfully so and Rodrick along with the rest of Löded Diaper has a great performance. The performance gets recorded along with Susan dancing like in the beginning of the film and this ties together Greg's and Rowley's dream of getting internet famous as the clip becomes viral.

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A Superior Sequel

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules is a fantastic movie. It adds new scenes, ideas and reinvents characters from the books, and improves them drastically. There isn't any fat in the movie and every single scene is either funny, important, emotional, or all three. The direction and focus this time around were a lot better and this remains one of the most triumphant comedy sequels ever made. There are still details and things I didn't mention because there's so much to unpack and take away from this film. It's a fantastic film for kids and adults alike and even now just like when I saw it for the first time in theaters I will forever believe that Rodrick rules.

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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days is the final installment of the original live-action Diary of a Wimpy Kid trilogy and was released in 2012. It was directed again by David Bowers and once again like Rodrick Rules the writing along with the directing of the film stays extremely airtight and phenomenal. This film is the perfect ending to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid franchise. It's a movie that masters the themes and heart of the previous two movies while also once again being a mature and hilarious film. Like the previous movies with Greg connecting to Rowley, Susan, and Rodrick Greg has to connect this time with his dad Frank Heffley. Something that I can always commend and applaud about these movies is that every character gets a good amount of screen time even if they aren't the main character. It's something the series has done exceptionally well and once again it's showcased here.

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The Story

Dog Days focuses on the dynamic between Greg and his dad which is set up immediately during the beginning of the film. The summer is here and all Greg wants to do during summer break is to get closer to Holly Hills and play video games. It's simple enough and it makes Greg very easy-going and relatable. Frank has a different idea for his son and wants him to be more responsible and active during the summer break as he sees the sons of his boss and neighbor Stan Warren who are active and doing sports as the prime example of what Greg should be like. The two don't feel like they have a lot in common with each other and can't really agree on each other's lifestyle choices. This reaches a boiling point when Frank realizes that Greg lied to him about playing sports and that Greg actually played video games for the whole day which causes him to snap and hilariously unplug all the cables in their television. A great scene has Susan talking to Frank about how he can't take away Greg's things that he loves and that he should try bonding with him. She then says to be the father you wish your father had been and Frank agrees to try to connect with Greg better.

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As well as Frank's intentions are, the attempts to try to bond with Greg end in failure as Greg keeps messing up. Susan tries to start an at-home book club to the dismay of Greg, Rowley, and Chirag, a side character throughout the series who are all forced to attend. Rowley tells Greg about their local country club and that he can invite him as a guest at first he denies Rowley's offer but then later agrees and learns of the luxuries of the country club. Not only does Greg enjoy being at the country club with Rowley but he learns that Holly Hills is also a member there. Holly teaches tennis at the country club and it's a nice detail that shows she has more going on for her than just being a love interest to Greg. Dog Days gives more time to establish the relationship between Greg and Holly. The scenes where they interact together are great as they both have chemistry and work off each other really well. A fantastic scene that shows their chemistry is the tennis scene where Greg and Rowley play a tennis match between Holly and Patty Farrell. It features one of the more funny exchanges of dialogue of the film as Greg interprets Holly saying 15-love as her actually calling him her love for real.

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Greg and Rowley lose horrifically at the tennis match and Holly gives Greg some pointers and shows him how to swing the tennis racket it's a really sweet moment that gets interrupted by Holly's spoiled and bratty sister Heather. Heather in a way is what Greg could've maybe become if he never changed or grew up. A bratty, selfish, and stereotypical teenager who only cares about herself. When Greg gets home his dad tells him that he got him an internship spot at his office. Greg, not wanting to go to the internship, tells a lie to his dad that he went to the country club with Rowley and got hired by the manager there. Frank, extremely impressed, becomes a lot more proud of Greg and like the party in Rodrick Rules, Greg has to figure out how to keep his lie a secret. From there Greg starts going to the country club every day now. The Heffleys attend Stan's Fourth of July cookout and Rodrick mentions to Greg that he knows that he's lying about having a job at the country club in one of the best lines of the movie with Rodrick stating bluntly: "You having a job doesn't pass the smell test." Heather works as a lifeguard at the country club so to not get ratted out Greg agrees to sneak Rodrick in also so he can see and make an impression on Heather.

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Also at the party, it shows the tension between Frank and Stan. Stan thinks of himself as a much better father and views Frank as inferior to him throughout the film. Stan brings back old memories of his Wilderness Explorer days and subtly insults Frank for being a wuss during those times. He also brags about his Wilderness Explorer boys and tells Frank that he also should enlist Greg in the Wilderness Explorers. Stan is to Frank like Bill was to Rodrick in Rodrick Rules. From there Greg goes on a trip with Rowley and his family and this segment is not only entertaining but also has a lot of importance during a specific moment. Greg and Rowley go to the boardwalk and Rowley's parents tell them to meet them in an hour and to not go on any "dangerous rides." Greg wants to go on the Cranium Shaker due to his brother recommending it and, doesn't listen as he and Rowley both do other things at the boardwalk until the line is gone for the ride. After their nauseous ride on the Cranium Shaker, more than an hour had passed and Rowley's mom tell him that she was very disappointed with him. It's a small thing at first and you don't think too much of it but the way this line is used later is really effective as the rest of the trip doesn't get much better for Greg from here.

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After the trip goes south and Greg messes up by accident again, he gets sent home by the Jeffersons and isn't allowed to be Rowley's guest at the country club anymore. Greg has to then start using multiple identities to get into the country club along with having to still bring Rodrick along with him. Rodrick stays as a great character just like in Rodrick Rules and like in that movie they stay as friends and help each other both constantly with different situations. Greg does a fantastic thing to Rodrick's delight and gets his band Löded Diaper a gig at Heather Hill's sweet sixteen birthday party. Greg helps Rodrick out of kindness and Rodrick even thanks him with one of the most awkward and funny hugs in cinema. Things, unfortunately, come crashing down for Greg when Frank drops him off at the country club. Up to this point, both Frank and Greg had become friendlier to each other around the house and had bonded much more together.

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Frank comes to Greg's workplace to drop something off that he left in the car and not only did he learn from the country club manager that Greg never worked there in the first place but that Greg had also racked up a massive bill for smoothies from his time at the country club. Steve Zahn from here on out in this movie does a phenomenal job at acting by just his facial expressions. A simple exchange when Greg and Frank are heading home is really effective in which Greg asks him if he's mad at him and Frank tells him that he's not mad at him and that he's just disappointed. From here Greg has a fear that he'll have to be sent to Spag Union, a disciplinary school. Rodrick helps Greg and tells him that he needs to impress Frank on the "Wilderness Weekend" camping trip so he doesn't have to go to Spag Union. Greg and Frank go on the trip and Greg is put in the troop that has his classmates from school with Rowley, Chirag, and Fregley. Stan is also there with his troop and he automatically has a superiority complex over Frank as he kicks Frank and his troop off of the campsite they were originally on first. Greg and Frank are still not able to connect to each other and this comes to a head when Greg accidentally hits Frank's hand with a mallet.

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Everybody Messes Up

After hitting Frank's hand with a mallet by accident, Greg denies it because he's nervous he'll get into trouble. Frank asks why he's mad at him and Greg says it's because he keeps messing up. Frank says this dialogue next and it remains one of the best parts of the movie.

"Look everybody messes up, even me. But I'm not afraid to admit it when I do."

Finally, Greg understands why Frank hasn't been able to fully connect with Greg. Frank isn't a perfect character like Greg either and throughout the film, it's clear they have a lot of similarities to each other. Frank wants so badly to trust his son but he just can't when Greg can't own up to his lies or mistakes and Greg now understands this also. It's a lack of trust and it draws a wedge between the two as it's shown brilliantly in a sleeping bag shot.

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The shot shows the two having to sleep in the same tent yet are emotionally disconnected from each other. The next day Greg and his friends overhear Stan insulting Frank and the Heffley name and Greg decides he wants revenge. He and his friends set up a trap which, due to a series of events, causes Stan's expensive tent to catch on fire. Frank steps in and asks who was the cause for this. Greg now finally has the understanding that he can't run away from his problems anymore through lying or denying and says that he was the one responsible for the trap and for burning the tent. Frank in the film has all these expectations that he wants Greg to fulfill from being good at sports to be more mature and disciplined and while Frank was expecting so much of Greg, he failed to see that Greg was a very good and kindhearted kid already. Frank projected what he wanted to be onto his son Greg because Frank's dad was never the father figure he needed back when he was a kid. Frank instead yells at Stan for berating his son and figures out that he's a fraud due to the television, microwave dinners, and knots that were found in Stan's tent.

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Motel Pizza

The two decide to leave the campsite and stay at a motel for the night and order pizza. Frank talks about how he actually hates camping and tells Greg that he's not sending him to Spag Union. This scene is my favorite scene of the entire film and possibly my favorite scene of the entire series. It's symbolic as unlike the shot where it shows Greg and Frank looking away from each other in the tent as they're trying to sleep in their sleeping bags, this time this shot has them in the same bed smiling and looking at each other as they're both able to accept each other for who they are. The next thing that makes this scene really something special is what Frank says to Greg.

"I'm not sending you to Spag Union. You know what my grandpa always used to say? A man who never made a mistake never made anything. The trick is to be responsible and learn from your mistakes, and you can do that. You're a really great kid Greg, and I'm not just saying that because we're a lot alike."

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This scene connects everything together beautifully. It's a triumph for Greg and it really shows how far he's come from the beginning of the first movie to now. Greg's actions and character growth have consistently led to his success because he deserves it. Greg has earned the affection of Rowley, the respect and kindness of Rodrick and Susan, and the love and appreciation of Frank. It gives closure to Greg's character arc and it wraps up Frank's relationship with Greg. Afterward, they see on the motel television that the author who makes the Li'l Cutie comic strips in the newspaper that they both hate so much is making a comeback and they both groan and complain. It's scenes like this that remind me why I love movies and why Diary of a Wimpy Kid is such an incredible series for all ages.

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The Best Summer Ever

The finale of Dog Days takes place during Heather Hill's Sweet 16 and just like in Rodrick Rules the film ends with a Löded Diaper song. Rodrick on lead vocals does an amazing cover of Justin Bieber's Baby that's far better and more hilarious than the original and the party ends up as a disaster for Heather. Greg tells Holly that he feels bad about the party and Holly holds his hand. From there Holly now his girlfriend and Rowley are invited as Greg's guests at the public pool with Greg's family also being there with him and Greg has what he calls the best summer ever.

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More Than a Wimp

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid live-action film series has left an impression on so many kids and adults alike through its themes, characters, humor, consistent writing, and its heart. Dog Days leaves you wanting more and yet at the same time feels like the perfect ending to a phenomenal trilogy that does nearly everything right. Greg is more than a wimp in this series and he proves to be an incredible and lovable character but it's not just him. Everyone from the Heffley family to Rowley and the side characters all have a purpose and a point and really give it their all. There's a reason these films stay beloved by grown-up young adults like me and someday when I have kids I'll be showing these films to them too. Diary of a Wimpy Kid has stayed as a consistent and wonderful childhood icon for me and it'll stay as something I'll love forever as the Diary of a Wimpy Kid film series really is the ultimate comedy trilogy for kids, adults, and wimps alike.

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