Man of Steel

Superman is the original Superhero, created in comic book form in 1932 and brought to life on the big and small screens numerous times. To me and many of my generation, Christopher Reeve will always be Superman, so I have a hard time watching someone else try and fill those shoes. I was pleasantly surprised by Brandon Routh's recreation of Clark Kent/Superman in 2006's Superman Returns and I hoped I would like this one just as much, but I just didn't.

I had a hard time following the characters and with such a different storyline than what we are used to with the previous depictions of the comic book hero, it was much different than what I expected.

I have to give it props for action scenes ~ and there were MANY, but it lacked the romance between Lois and Superman that is present in the previous renditions. I was impressed by the performance of both of Superman's fathers, played by Russell Crowe and Kevin Costner. I wanted to like Henry Cavill as the Krypton-born protector of the Earth, but it just didn't work for me. Perhaps I hold a little prejudice in knowing that he's British. Really? A British guy playing OUR American Superhero??? That would be like making an epic film about the Beatles and having the gang from Jersey Shore playing the Fab Four. It's. Just. Not. Right.

Ok, with the casting flub aside, my boys were glued to the screen. The fact that it kept their attention for 2 hours and 23 minutes at the drive in theatre is saying something. But in the end, they all agreed with me that it was a remake that didn't need to be done. The previous versions were better. Wait for it to come to DVD or Netflix and spend your time and money on a different Summer blockbuster.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give it 4 buckets of popcorn.

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This movie is a must see for any baseball fan and especially for any fan who is also familiar with the history of baseball and the struggle of African-Americans to be recognized for their talent and accepted in the game.

I would have liked to have had a little more explanation of the background of Robinson and what led up to his entry into the major leagues, but the movie got across the intended message of how one individual changed the entire sport forever. I believe that it barely scratched the surface of what Robinson and players like him endured, but it gave enough Hollywood version of the situation to get people thinking and it offers many teachable moments where parents can tackle the subject of racial equality and other important lessons.

There were a couple Oscar-worthy performances, including that of Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey. Although it covered some controversial material, it is a feel-good movie that conveys how sweet the rewards can be when you fight for what is right.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give it 9 buckets of popcorn.

Monsters University

Summer is here and along with it is a long list of new flicks, from tame animated adventures to dark, action-packed themed productions and everything in between. My kids (two of whom are teens) have pretty much moved beyond the cute Disney movies filled with cartoon creatures in favor of super-hero scenes played by Hollywood actors. However, everyone seemed on board with going to see Monsters University, which thrilled me.

It's been a dozen years since its predecessor, Monsters, Inc. was released and I can't tell you how many times that DVD played over and over in this house. Maybe that's why I didn't get any resistance from the boys when it came to seeing the prequel. I think they're as nostalgic as I am and the thought of it brought back good memories of snuggle time and Sully bed sheets.

Anyway, on to the movie. Although it might have seemed the characters couldn't be any more lovable, taking them back to their younger days just made them adorable squared (I can't figure out how to make that symbol work on my keyboard.)

The movie returns you to when Sully and Mike Wazowski met and follows their friendship and the two worked to become successful scarers. The same great actors, John Goodman and Billy Crystal lent their voices, which was essential.

I don't want to give too much away, so I'll just say that it offered all the good themes and lessons that you'd hope that young kids would walk away with -- the importance of friendship, rooting for the underdog, not bowing to the bullies, how perseverance and hard work pay off and many others feel-good themes.

On a scale of one to 10, I give Monsters University 8 buckets of popcorn.

Mom Movie Review: Rock of Ages

I'm a child of the 80's and ever since I saw the trailer for Rock of Ages, I've been pretty pumped. I knew it would be loaded with those great tunes from the 80's metal hair bands that I grew up on. I also wanted to see how Tom Cruise would fare in this flick three decades after skating into the big screen in his whitey tighties in Risky Business.


My oldest, age 18, is as big a fan of 80's music as I am, so I knew I'd be taking him along when it came out. I also thought about taking my just turned 13-year-old, as well. I'm glad I didn't. The drug themes and strip club scenes even made me squirm a little next to my grown-up son. It's definitely not family friendly and well-earned the PG-13 rating.


Beyond that, and just viewing it not as a mom, but as a 30-something who loved this kind of music and loved  Tom Cruise when I was a pre-teen, it was fun. I didn't realize until I looked it up the day we were heading to the theater that it was based on a musical of the same name. Didn't realize such a musical existed. 


So, seeing that it was a musical, it was pretty much full of over-the-top corny numbers of cheesy karaoke-like renditions of 80's hits. That's okay, I happen to love over-the-top, cheesy and corny. Julianne Hough is nothing short of adorable. Diego Boneta was a fresh face with some awesome pipes, a couple times my son commented on how closely his voice matched REO Speedwagon's as he sang. Tom Cruise was dark and just plain weird, but that's what the role called for and he pulled it off pretty well, even doing his own vocals, which in some scenes I was pretty darned impressed with. (so much so that I went home afterwards and listened to the soundtrack samples online more than a few times.) I wasn't crazy about Catherine-Zeta Jones, but Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand were a hilarious duo. 


If, like me, you grew up on this music and are nostalgic, sappy and a little cheesy, you'll likely enjoy yourself. Just leave the kiddies at home and make it a girl's night out.


On a scale of 1 to 10 buckets of popcorn, I give "Rock of Ages" 6 buckets.

Mom Movie Review: Johnny English

Rowan Atkinson is one of the funniest men alive. Best known for his Mr. Bean character, he is a master in physical comedy and says so much through non-verbal methods. Johnny English (2003) is a speaking role where Atkinson plays a clumsy and unlucky government agent who is given an important assignment by default.

A Bond-spoof that is pulled off well by Atkinson, sidekick Ben Miller and which also stars the incomparable John Malkovich provides a dose of British humor that a lot of Americans may not "get," but is hysterical to the audience that appreciates his timing and comedic talent. Full of action, but also full of laughs, this movie will be a favorite of young and old. It's really funny without being vulgar, something that you don't always find in American comedies.

A 2011 sequel didn't fare well in the U.S. even though he has a huge world-wide fan base.

On a scale of 1 to 10 buckets of popcorn: I give Johnny English 8 buckets.