I love my job! I have been an elementary school teacher for 20 years. During that time I have come across several authors that have made their way into the hearts of my students and me. From J.K. Rowling to Lemony Snicket, the excitement of reading and escaping to another place has created a generation of readers. I can’t even begin to tell you just how many times I have to tell students in my classroom to put the book away. Seriously, if I had to tally up in a week all the different “behaviors I have to deal with, telling kids to put a book away during instruction would be rated high. We have such an avid group of readers at my school!
Dav Pilkey, the author of Captain Underpants, is one of their favorites, and today one of their beloved characters hits the big screen in a big way! My family and I got to catch a glimpse of this movie last week, and let’s just say elementary aged school kids are going to LOVE it! This animated film is of potty humor that almost any elementary aged school would love, and truth be told, adults are going to laugh too!
What makes this film great for kids? Take it from my seven-year old nephew, who I taking to the theater this afternoon to see this movie. When I told him I was blogging about the movie, he told me to rate it with an “L!” When I asked him why, he said because kids are going to LAUGH! I agree!
First things first, if you think that the name “Professor Poppypants” is not funny, then you are not going to get this movie…but chances are your children will! George and Harold are best friends, and they are always up to no good. Their Principal Mr. Krupps has had enough of their pranks and has decided that the best course of action is to separate these two boys. No longer will they remain best friends because they just bring out the worst in one another, or rather they drive the principal crazy. In the process of separating these two, the boys discover that a hypnotizing ring they got in a cereal box has actually hypnotized their principal. Each time they snap their fingers, Principal Krupps becomes Captain Underpants in all his glory, including those tighty whities and a red cape. Of course, he is not your average superhero fighting crime in the usual way; he’s the kid hero that will have your kids rolling with laughter!
One thing that I truly love about this movie is that it does something that you may find helpful as a parent when school starts back up this coming year. As a teacher, I have seen how kids react when they discover that their best friend from the previous year is not in their class. It can be a bit much for the mind of a child to understand. This movie allows you to have that conversation with your child. The boys are best friends, and they are always together outside of school. As the movie plays on, the kids are going to see and understand that Harold and George can remain best friends even if Principal Krupps separates them into different rooms. If you find your child is distraught over this dilemma this year, remind them of what they saw and learned from this movie. Friendship is not limited to who is in your classroom.
We give this film up “bums up” for kids!
About the Movie
Based on the worldwide sensation and bestselling book series, and boasting an A-list cast of comedy superstars headed by Kevin Hart and Ed Helms, DreamWorks Animation brings audiences the long-awaited global movie event, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. This raucously subversive comedy for the entire family tells the story of two overly imaginative pranksters named George and Harold, who hypnotize their principal into thinking he’s a ridiculously enthusiastic, incredibly dimwitted superhero named Captain Underpants.
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