My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2

PG-13
Starring: Nia Vardolas, John Corbett, Michael Constantine, Lainie Kazan, Andrea Martin, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone, Elena Lampouris, Alex Wolff, Louis Mandylor,  Bess Meisler, Rita Wilson and John Stamos
Running Time:1 Hour and 34 Minutes

This movie takes you right back to 2002 in Chicago with the always entertaining Portokalos family.
This time around, Toula (Nia Vardalos) is the wife of Ian (John Corbett) and the mother to her seventeen year old daughter and only child Paris (Elena Kampouris).
Toula is embarking on a new phase of her life as her daughter Paris is about to graduate from high school and head off to college. Toula feels threatened by her new found empty nest status, as she was always a hands-on mother, loving and protecting her darling daughter Paris to the best of her ability. She is still working at the family restaurant, Dancing Zorba's.
Her husband Ian is the principle of the high school where Paris attends and also enjoys his close association with his daughter as well. The two of them are coming to terms with Paris leaving and trying to re-establish the romance in their relationship.
Her family is all back and reprising their original roles. Her father Gus (Michael Constantine) is still the heralded patriarch of the family complete with an ever present bottle of Windex to save the day. Her mother Maria (Lainie Kazan) is also back with her own ideas and an independent attitude.
The Portokalos' extended family is always involved in every aspect of each others lives. If there is an event taking place, the entire gang shows up. Gus is still busy trying his best to convince everyone that they are all decendant's of Greek heritage one way or another. While working on his family ancestry he discovers that the priest had not signed his name on he and his wife Maria's wedding license and all chaos ensues!
I really enjoyed this sequel and found it to be funny and uplifting while also somewhat sentimental.
It was a lot of fun to see all of the original characters, I am really happy that they brought it back before they had lost anyone. It was also fun to see how some of them had aged and some still looked exactly the same. If you got a kick out of the original movie, I think you will enjoy this one as well. Parents be advised: There really was nothing objectionable in this movie. One scene where Toula and Ian were trying to reenact their courting days in their car kissing and her parents and daughter found them and they were very embarrassed. I don't remember any profanity whatsoever. This movie is rated PG-13, but I feel it would be appropriate for children ages ten and over just because I think young children would get bored.
I am giving "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2" three bags of popcorn.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

PG-13
Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter and Gal Gadot
Running Time: 2 Hours and 31 Minutes

An interesting side note, at the critics screening earlier this week, the Director, Zack Snyder gave us a video warning not to release any spoilers via facebook or twitter before the movie is released to the general public. In all of the years that I have been screening movies, I have never experienced a warning from a director, very unusual.
This movie begins and ends the very same. In-between it is very dark and sinister. I was really excited to see Ben Affleck as "The Batman", he did a good job but I feel like he was a little stronger starring as Bruce Wayne. He is a very torn soul with a lot of anger and rage.
Henry Cavill stars once again as Superman and it takes right off from there following its predecessor, the earlier movie "Man Of Steel". Superman is trying desperately to redeem himself after all of the carnage he caused in the city of Metropolis.
 Batman is worried and concerned that Superman has become too powerful and will do whatever he wants to with no accountability to anyone or anything.
Since being restricted, I do not want to give away any spoilers. Amy Adams reprised her role as Lois Lane, Jesse Eisenberg stars as Lex Luther, he was a psychotic and chaotic character! A very unpredictable human with a cruel and unusual agenda!
 The new kid on the block was the up and coming "Wonder Woman" (Gal Gadot), she did a great job but didn't come into the movie until almost the very end.
I just felt like there was so much action and violence that is was very confusing and I came away feeling very conflicted. It was very dark and dismal with a lot of clang and bang, it was not the super-hero showdown that I was anticipating. I was sadly disappointed.
Parents be advised: This movie is rated PG-13. This is a hard PG-13! So much darkness, violence, anger, rage, and hostility. There is also a very chilling monster/hulkish character called
"Doomsday" that is very intimidating. There was quite a bit of profanity in this movie too, no F-bombs but plenty of other words. I think children ages 13 and over will be okay with this movie, but the younger ones should stay home.
I am giving "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice", two and a half bags of popcorn.