Captain Underpants is no classic--But so what?

Summer is a time for movies.

With a five year old in the house, the type of movies I see has changed over the last few years.  Even before I was a parent I would go see Pixar movies.

But I would probably not have gone to see Captain Underpants, The First Epic Movie.

The movie is based on the series of elementary school leveled books, Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey.  This movie is based on the first two books in the series.

I remember when the first book came out twenty years ago there was a lot of push back over the silliness of the books, but others would defend them because it got kids to read.  I am big fan of anything that gets kids to read.

I admit to not having read any of the books.  I have flipped through them and smiled at them when students would allow me to look through them.

The movie

The movie stars Kevin Hart, as George Beard, and  Thomas Middleditch, as Harold Hutchins, two fourth graders who constantly cause problems in their elementary school.

But at the same time they are two very creative boys.  They write and create their own comic books in their shared treehouse.  And Captain Underpants is their greatest and most popular character.

These two creative children of course view school as a prison.  The school is grey and made out of cinderblocks.  Children walk to school in a death march and then sleep during lessons.  They have taken it upon themselves to solve this problem.  Which is why they have done so many pranks over the years.

Making school fun is their mission.

Their enemy of course is their principal Mr. Krupp, played by Ed Helms.  Principal Krupp sole purpose seems to be catching George and Harold in the act of disrupting school.  When he does his plan is to end their friendship.

Now, how does a principal go about ending a friendship?  By simply separating them into different classrooms of course.

Now, since these two fourth-graders have been causing problems since Kindergarten why didn't Principal Krupp simply separate them before?  Because, I know, that is a tool in the toolbox of teachers and principals.  Separate students the next that shouldn't be together.  But in this movie universe that tool is apparently is not available.

The movie is written from the elementary school students point of view, so being separated into two different classrooms would seem to be the death of a friendship.

Once the pair is caught doing a prank at an Invention Fair, where they sabotage the Turbo Toilet 2000 made by class intellectual Melvin Sneedly, played by Jordan Peele, the boys become desperate.

  As Principal Krupp is about to sign the papers permanently separating them into separate classrooms.  George pulls out a toy ring he got out of cereal box and points it at the principal. 

This is where the movie seems to break its own rules.  The ring has magic powers and hypnotizes principal Krupp.  And they turn him into Captain Underpants, of course he does not have magic powers, he is just a hypnotized man running around in his underwear. George and Harold quickly realize that they can control Krupp with a simple snap of the fingers.  The boys get to stay in the same classroom and the school gets more enjoyable.  

Another teacher joins the school to replace the fired science teacher.  He introduces himself as Professor P, played by Nick Kroll.  Professor P hates laughter, his mission in life is to destroy it.  We find out that he wants to destroy it because his real name is  Professor Pee-Pee Diarrheastein Poopypants, Esq.

This is where the movie again seems to forget or not care about its own rules.  When the ensuing battle with Professor P suddenly Principal Krupp develops true superhero abilities, such as flying and super strength.  The last quarter of the movie is over the top silliness. So much so at one point, Harold stops the story and tells it in flipbook form because the movie would have gotten too violent.

The movie is silly and strange.  It is an assault on the senses.  And it revels in silliness.  It is not a classic, it is not a Pixar movie, it is not a Disney movie.

But as it ended my five-old was dancing to the music out of her chair and turned to me said, "I didn't like that movie.  I loved it!"

And that's the only review that matters.