Monsters University

G
Starring The Voices Of: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi and Helen Mirren.
Total Running Time: 1 Hour and 47 Minutes

This is the prequel to the Pixar original "Monsters, Inc" of 2001. It is the story of Mike and Sully and how they meet and become buddies.
When they first met, there was a little animosity between them. When Mike (Billy Crystal) applies and is accepted to the "scaring program" to scare human children at Monsters University, he is absolutely elated!
 It has been his dream to attend MU all of his life. On the other hand, Sully (John Goodman) takes it for granted and just expects to be admitted to the scare program because his family had all gone through the program before him.
They are told by the scary and very intimidating Dean Hardscrabble (Helen Mirren) that at the end of the program there will be a test that they must take in order to continue on with the program, if they fail it, they will be out immediately!
Mike is terrified and becomes consumed and obsessed with studying and preparing for the final exam.
Sully is more laid back and easygoing. He doesn't worry about the consequences.
Sadly, they both get kicked out of the scare program and they have just one chance to get readmitted.
They have to join forces with a team of outcasts and win the intramural games, that way they will be allowed back into the scaring program.Their team is known as the Oozma Kappa (OK). They have to go up against the tough-guy athletic team known as the Roar Omega Roar (ROR), they are patterned after the Greek systems at many universities.
The games were fun and exciting to watch. All of the monsters and cute little characters were adorable and Pixar as always did an outstanding job on the detail and development of the creatures! Pixar is in a league of its own in the animation department and it did not disappoint in Monsters University!
The one thing missing in this movie was the absolutely adorable "Boo" from Monsters Inc. I really missed the human contact and the relationships that made Monsters Inc. so irresistible!
I really enjoyed this darling little film, but would have loved to see a child or two meshed into the story.
I think children of all ages will enjoy this movie.
Parents be advised that some characters get bullied a little bit and some get their feelings hurt.
I am giving "Monsters University" three and a half bags of popcorn!

Man Of Steel

PG-13
Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Russell Crowe and Antje Traue.
Running Time: 2 Hours and 23 Minutes

Okay, so there has been a lot of talk about this movie. Some people are even saying that it has an over-riding Christian message to it. If that is the case, then it is alright with me!
While there have been many "Superman" movies, this one, "Man Of Steel", was really good.
 I am partial to Christopher Reeve as the super-hero but Henry Cavill did a very good and convincing job.
We begin as Superman (Henry Cavill) is being born while the planet he is on is under assault. With the transition taking place and his future at stake, his parents Jor El (Russell Crowe) and Faora Ul (Antje Traue) make the decision to send him to planet earth where he will grow up safe and help save mankind.
The evil General Zod (Michael Shannon) is frantic to find the baby Superman and pledges he will not rest until he does! That sets up the plot for this story.
Young Clark Kent grows up on a farm as an only child with his earthly parents, Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner) and Martha Kent (Diane Lane). They recognize that he is not an ordinary child.
 They discover that he has super-strength and super-powers that are far superior to anyone living on earth and that he does indeed have an extraterrestrial heritage! They teach him that he can never, ever use his powers, that he must suppress them, that he must fit into society just like the rest of the kids for his own safety.
He attends school and settles into regular life just as any other ordinary child would.
I especially liked one particular scene where he is on the school bus with the other students when he is approached by a bully! He finally cannot suppress his super-powers any longer and uses them to strike back at the bully!
 He eventually grows up to be a very sensitive and responsible young man. He has a very tender and touching relationship with his earthly parents.
He encounters Miss Lois Lane (Amy Adams) as her job takes her to the Antarctic to report on a mysterious and strange occurrence.
When General Zod finally discovers that  Superman is living on Planet Earth, he overtakes the world's airwaves to warn everyone that there will be grave circumstances if this mysterious individual who has been living amongst them on Earth, is not turned over and surrendered to him immediately!
All chaos ensues and the Earth is under a vicious attack!
I really enjoyed this movie a lot. I thought that the characters were well cast and I really liked the storyline.
 It was fun and exciting and the special effects were a thrill ride! The relationships were touching too.
Parents be advised there is a lot is sci-fi violence and action, some mild language and a naked baby boy briefly on three occasions.
I am giving "Man Of Steel" four bags of popcorn.