Time has not been kind to 14-year-old child star Zachary Gordon. He was never a great actor. Now, two years on from taking the first instalment of this mega-successful franchise, he’s still a not-great actor but with Walter Matthau eyes and saggy jowels.
Middle-school malcontent Greg Heffley looks older than his teenage brother. He looks older than his dad, for heaven’s sake. Which makes his crush on a fellow student slightly creepy. Still, Dog Days (which has little to do with dogs) gets better as it goes along. It’s actually quite entertaining to watch our cash strapped, non-sporty and not very bright hero as he is, by turns, repulsed by the world and found repulsive.
A libidinous schmuck let loose among country-club snobs, he’s Rushmore’s Max Fischer with a spot of Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Larry David thrown in. For grumpy parents desperate for a few hours of peace, what’s not to like?
Cert U, 94mins
