Inside Out (2015)

After a dip in quality – “Monsters University” was only cute – Pixar returns with their very best effort yet: An instant classic that resets the bar in how stories can be told to and of children, and for adults. “Inside Out” – directed by Pete Docter, who made “Up” – is joyous, funny, and heart-crushing. The death of a beloved character: I wept. (Michael Giacchino’s score pushed me.) Plot: We follow the emotions -– joy, sadness, fear, disgust, and anger -- inside the mind of a pre-teen girl as she moves from Minnesota to San Francisco -- all the hope, wonder, turmoil, and disappointment. I had a major move at 12. “Inside” hit me. Docter and his writers dare focus on the theme that Walt Disney hid in his own films: Heartbreak is as central to our childhood as happiness. They are intertwined. We bounce from inside our girl’s head to the outside world, and then into the brains of side characters: Parents, a teacher, a dog! – and Docter dazzles us again. It’s Pixar gold: The animation and voice talent (Amy Poehler!) is superb. But this gem has a vibrant life that takes hold of our heads, and our hearts. And shatters. A+

Jobs (2013)

“Jobs” -– the biopic of Steve Jobs -– is not the dud everyone has proclaimed it to be. I say that in hindsight having watched the movie after it took a critical drubbing and box office dive. Ashton Kutcher plays the famed Apple founder from bum-ass college days until the intro of the iPod, the tiny device that turned the music industry on its head. That’s the hook: We open with the iPod and jump back to Jobs in college, then lead back up to the start. We see Jobs’ genius and his gift of knowing what people want, and, yes, his asshole tendencies. The film is at its best when we stick to Jobs’ desire to change the world with tech that can change how people do ... everything. Oddly, we never do see the birth of the iPod. Really. Just hints. That stings. Edited out? Why? More oddly, we skip over the Pixar years where Jobs learned to see the visions of others and build his family. Kutcher has the look and quirky walk -– oddly comical to tell the truth -– down. That’s good. But those dark Jobs’ moments, Kutcher falls short, too nice a guy? Passable. B

Turbo (2013)

“Turbo” must have started from a resentful marketing meeting at Dreamworks, one where all the writers, animators, and ad guys took a resentful look at Pixar’s much-celebrated filmography and figured, “Let’s mash some shit up.” So “Turbo” is a “A Bug’s Life” crossed with “Cars,” the tale of a lonely garden snail (Ryan Reynolds, in voice, not a costume, silly) who dreams the life of a race car driver before an accident – he’s doused with nitrogen oxide from a hot rod -- makes him as fast as a lightning bolt. And it’s off to the races for him, his Debbie Downer brother (Paul Giamatti) on his tail, literal and figurative. Along the way, our snail boys meet up with two Hispanic taco vendor brothers (Michael Pena and Luis Guzman) who share a mirrored relationship, one dreaming big, the other always ready to down every hope. Let it be clear: I love that a major animated film stars American immigrant characters, but, really, taco vendors? Taco vendors?!? OK. Breathe. My nephew loved it. Does my Debbie Downer take matter? Well, yeah. The animation and voice talent (Giamatti!!) hit big, but this tale is as predictable as left turn, left turn… B

Monsters, Inc. (2001) and Monsters University (2013)

Animation wise, Pixar was knocking out instant classic year after year in the early 2000s, and “Monsters Inc.” stood tall among many gems. The fantastic story: All those shadowy monsters we saw in our closets and under our beds as children are real, and they live in monster city powered by the screams of bed-frightened youth. The kicker: The monsters fear children. Kids are considered toxic, and woe the hairy freak who gets a toddler’s sock stuck to his back. 

The top “scarer” is James “Sully” Sullivan, a massive blue-and-purple horned guy with the voice of John Goodman and a sidekick/manager/BFF named Mike Wazowski that looks like a giant eyeball with legs and arms, and the voice of Billy Crystal. (Just dig the names: Right out of any Philly neighborhood from my childhood.) All is well for these guys until Mike lets in a babbling toddler who mistakes our scary man for a big kitty. Mayhem ensues, with smart genre spoofing and asides as Ray Harryhausen’s name becomes that of the top spot to eat in town and medusa is, umm, a hot lady at work. For Mike no less. 

Every moment – especially John Ratzenburger as an Abominable Snowman with self-esteem issues – is magic, and the film empowers children to not cry but laugh at the dark. How unfathomably cool is that? Besides “Incredibles,” Pixar has no better action scene than a long fight between our heroes against a lizard-like color shifter snidely voiced by Steve Buscemi among thousands of racing, shifting closet doors, each leading to the “real” world. 

 “Inc.” pops and crackles with glee, with Randy Newman’s jazz score tying the knot on the present. The last scene kills.

The sequel, “Monsters University,” is a prequel as we jump back in time to see James and Mike meet during their freshman year of college. Are they pals? No. Rivals. The gist of the story: Our heroes are at college to major in scaring children to land jobs at the power company Monsters Inc. James is a natural, coasting in on his family name, while Mike has mud in his eye, not the slightest bit scary. 

The duo find themselves on academic skids after destroying a prize possession of the dean (Helen Mirren, turning on the intimidation to full blast as a dragon-like scorpion). Along the way Mike and James join the Omega Kappa (O.K.!) fraternity, a bottom drawer of geeks who live with one of their own mothers. Will Mike and James and the team succeed against all odds? Yes! They will. (Debate: Is cheating OK? Well…) 

Pixar is coasting here, railing on “Revenge of the Nerds” jokes and our own love for the first film. Oh, there are laughs -- I dug the old lady librarian from Mordor – but the jazz pop of “Inc.” is sophomoric.

Inc.:  A University:  B+

Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

Walt Disney’s “Wreck-It Ralph” takes a nod and a rip from Pixar gem “Toy Story” and takes us inside the world of arcade games, where characters see the slide of a quarter as a call to work, and party when no one is looking. Oh, flattery. Story: Ralph (John C. Reilly) is the human wrecking ball villain of the 1980s game “Fix It Felix Jr.,” but he longs to be the hero. Ralph commits a no-no and crosses wires for his chance at glory, first to a shoot-’em-up alien game, then over to a racing game called “Sugar Rush.” Much mayhem ensues as Ralph wrecks. He can’t help himself. Now, this is not Pixar. It’s run-of-the-mill Disney. So, the score already is lower. The wit and heart, too. But this is flat-out great fun. The “Felix” game is so exactly rendered Atari retro-style, the characters blink when they move, I thought it was a real title from 30 years ago. It’s not. That and the ridiculously hilarious side characters (Alan Tudyk as a kooky king) make me game to play again. The myriad shrill corporate promos … not so much. B+

The Lion King (1994)

As Disney’s Pixar continues to dazzle eyeballs with animated CGI fare such as “Incredibles” and “Toy Story” sequels, it’s easy to forget the unbeatable magic of hand-drawn animation, and “The Lion King” is absolutely one of the best of now extinct ink-and-paint glories. This is a jaw-dropping beautiful epic with a capital “E” movie with music catchable, happy, and chilling, and characters straight from Shakespeare. You know plot: Young African lion cub Simba is the apple of his father/king’s eye until the latter is killed, leaving Simba on the run, under the impression that he did in his daddy. It is, of course, the uncle, to blame. In other words, “Hamlet.” The voice cast is perfect, from James Earl Jones as the king/father, and full “Reversal of Fortune” evil Jeremy Irons as Uncle Scar, to Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Matthew Broderick as young and adult Simba. But it’s visuals I love -– the exact strokes made by men and women, not computers, of a cub sinking in the grass in fear of dad’s wrath or the same cub trying to awaken his dead father. Breathtaking. Amazing. Art. The 18-year-old “King” has aged like royal wine. Classic. A+

Brave (2012)

In Pixar’s “Brave,” red-haired and wild Merida is a Scottish lass who must make that terrible choice that seemingly every other Disney Princess has ever faced: Marrying for duty, not for love. She is no wallflower longing for Prince Charming, though, but a huntress who climbs tall mountains that lord over her Highlands home. When iron-willed mother (Emma Thompson) pushes our heroine to choose a suitor, she bolts. “Brave” is, wonderfully, the first Pixar film to focus on a female lead, but it’s also, sadly and oddly, the first of its films to bear a heavy, unmistakable thumbprint from new parent company Disney. From the princess angle to the heavy lessons, the DNA here is as old as “Snow White.” The plot fully kicks off when runaway Merida encounters a witch who promises to “change” her mother with a spell. What trouble magic brings I will not say, but its resolution is so simple and straight forward, I kept waiting for another shoe, any shoe, to drop. More Hesitant than “Brave.” In true Pixar fashion, the animation stuns, and the voice cast (Kelly Mcdonald plays Merida) is flawlessly chosen for talent, not name. B

Puss in Boots (2011)

Antonia Banderas as Puss in Boots was the best gag in the latter “Shrek” films, boring affairs that smelled of hastened scripts and all eyes on boosted 4Qs at Dreamworks. Luckily, the stand-alone film of “Puss in Boots” – the Latin Lover kitty stars, with no ogres or talking donkeys about – stands on his own four legs despite the studio curse of all jokes and flimsy story. Puss teams with Humpty Dumpty to score the golden goose from “Jack and the Beanstalk” fame. Salma Hayek voices a femme fatale, and Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris play a redneck Jack and Jill. A flashback is dull, Jack and Jill are after-thoughts, and Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) is a shell, but the writers clearly love cats, and they pitch gags galore as Puss breaks his cool to chase a light or give himself a bath at the most dramatic moment. The “camera” has fun as we weave around this CGI world, over a bridge, and later up a beanstalk. Cat nip for feline lovers. B-

Finding Nemo (2003)

Pixar’s underwater adventure film “Finding Nemo” is another pearl in the studio’s collection. Here, a father clown fish (Albert Brooks in splendid Defcon 4 Meltdown) searches the Pacific Ocean for his only child, Nemo, who has been taken by an underwater diver. The captured boy fish is kept in a tank and befriends other sea creatures, quickly growing up away from his father’s helicopter parenting ways. Well, OK, so the plot riffs close to “An American Tail.” This is far better. “Nemo” has a pack of sharks forming a vegan support group, Ellen DeGeneres as a fish with a “Memento” problem, and a visual concept so marvelous, it’s a treat just to watch. The textures of the fish skins change in and out of water, and as they float, the body’s weight and fins are flawlessly rendered. I also dig Alexander Gould as Nemo, a scared boy with a damaged fin. In perfect child sync, Gould trips over many of his lines, barely able to get the words in order. In Pixar fashion, story and character still top the effects. Magical. A

Toy Story 3 (2010)

*SPOILERS ABOUND* You will mourn every lost or thrown out toy in your life after seeing “Toy Story 3,” the final chapter in the wildly popular, vastly successful Pixar franchise. I did. And I still am, days after seeing what has to be the best “third chapter” film ever made. (Even “The Godfather” series could not pull off that trick.) This gem packs an emotional wallop like nothing ever made by Disney. It is about nothing more than the need to be wanted and remembered, a child crossing into adulthood, and the notion that throwing your cherished toys out is akin to sending them to hell. And there’s a literal inferno at the film’s end. All in a "G" movie.

The story of this “Story”: Young Andy is now 17 and looking toward college, leaving home and packing away all his childish belongings to the attic, donation, or … the trash. Andy hasn’t touched his toys – stashed in a trunk -- in years. Many, including Bo Beep, have been, for lack of a better term, killed: Thrown out. Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the rest, fear the same fate. Ten minutes in, this animated CGI film is aiming for the adults in the audience, even as children laugh at the jokes and thrill to the action. It got me.

But I digress. The plot thickens: Woody, Buzz and pals end up at a daycare. There, countless children will play with them and cherish them, and the toy world is run by a soft pink bear that smells of strawberry. Heaven? Not so. The children are wild beasts who torture their toys, and Lotso Hugs Bear is a dictator, a vengeful, angry Tennessee Williams character stitched onto the cold-as-ice warden of “Cool Hand Luke,” dangerously sweet Southern accent and all.

Woody, of course, wants to go back to Andy. But is that the best course of action? After a daring escape from Sunnyside that tips its hat to “The Great Escape,” the toys find themselves at a garbage dump, inches away from a blast furnace. Hell. And, by God, I knew all was going to be OK in this film, but as Woody, Buzz, Jessie, etc., all face death, and hold hands as they sink toward flames … wow. I got verklempt. I haven’t done that in a film since “E.T.” in 1982.

The animation is perfect, crystal clear and yet subdued. At every chance, a lesser animated film would go for the brightest effect, but Pixar pitches this “Toy Story” perfectly. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are, of course, perfect. And the new cast members bat with equal gifts: Michael Keaton as Ken, Ned Beatty as that dastardly pink bear, and Timothy Dalton as a toy named Mr. Pricklepants. The music is priceless.

“Toy Story” 1 and 2 had their own layers of story and themes: jealousy, growing up, wanting to be wanted. But this is a whole new ballgame. If having a relative throw your old vertically enhanced Spider-Man action figure (it was not a doll) into the trash is sending it to hell, then giving it to another child to play with is heaven. And what better heaven is there than a child’s imagination? My childhood mashed the worlds of Star Wars, G.I. Joe, The Black Hole and the Six Million Man in perfect, epic battles, and it made sense to me. To think most of those toys are in a trash dump somewhere is heartbreaking. My 8-year-old self would be furious with the adult who didn’t care enough to save much of anything. (My favorite toys: A set of Coca-Cola trucks, and anything “Star Wars” or G.I. Joe.)

The final scene is perfect. Andy has his toys back and, unwittingly pushed by Woody, hands over his treasures to a young girl who lives nearby. As Andy drives off, I thought of the finale of “E.T.”, where the wrinkled alien left Elliot behind, to go off to his own world. Here, it’s the boy that leaves for a new world, knowing that the joy of a small girl outweighs his need to hold onto the physical past. He always will remember his toys. As Woody and Buzz and all stay behind, they grow up as well. Andy is not God. They are not here on Earth solely for him. If anything is “God” to a toy, it’s the limitless imagination of a child’s mind. Any child’s. The themes are akin, even without a glowing finger pointed at a boy’s chest: “I’ll be right here.” It’s unspoken. But, wow. Our toys will be always with us. And, in some weird way, us with them. Pixar is a masterful film studio, and a master story teller. A

Toy Story 2 (1999)

“Toy Story 2” may not quite top its predecessor. But it’s pure Pixar joy. Here, after toy owner Andy leaves for summer camp, well-loved Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) finds himself accidentally included in a (horror!) yard sale. Before one can say, “Ride ‘em cowboy!,” this plastic poke is swiped by a fat bastard bent on selling Woody to a museum in Japan. Buzz (Tim Allen) and the gang go to the rescue, with hilarious results. That’s it, basically, for plot. But there’s so much heart to this sequel: The film rests on the fact that children will reject their toys as the former grow up, with no need for the latter. But the toys remain committed nonetheless, knowing time is not on their side. Take it as you will: Rejection of parents by newly independent children, or just a fun, brilliant animated story. Bonus points to the creators for allowing Woody to become a jerk, and a full-rounded character, midway through. Best scene: The old man from the short film “Geri’s Game,” gives Woody a spit and polish. The scene is pure art. A

Shrek (2001)

After nine years, “Shrek” still is Dreamworks’ best animated film. Here’s a tale that can play in the same park as MVP Pixar, even as the filmmakers (many ex-Mouseketeers) give a swift, knowing and hilarious kick to Disney’s sparkly animated shins. Every animation junkie young and old knows the plot backward: Shrek (Mike Myers, going Scottish) is a green ogre who finds himself on a classic fairy tale princess rescue mission as part of a deal to get his swamp back from a tiny tyrant (John Lithgow, deliciously sinister). “Shrek” spoofs and dissembles every fairy tale even as it gleefully plays by the genre’s rules. It also is the only Dreamworks film I’ve seen that builds a story on and around strong characters, ones with heart and brains, not just lazily hangs a plot on snarky cynical jokes. Eddie Murphy as Donkey is genius. He’s firing on all cylinders and having a blast. How can that not be infectious? A

Monsters vs. Aliens (2009)

“Monsters Vs. Aliens” follows the exact sandwich construction of many a Dreamworks production: Lots of sight gags piled on top of film spoofs piled on sight sags, with the story as garnish.

It is funny, and the animation is delightful (dig the fur!), but I spent more time guessing the famous voices (Rainn Wilson!!) of the moment than taking any real interest in what was happening on screen. Two days later, I had to IMDB the film to make sure it wasn’t called “Aliens Vs. Monsters.” It’s that memorable.

Here, a bride (Reeese Witherspoon) is struck by a meteor on her wedding day and grows large, Large, LARGE before her fiancé and family. Now a freak -- a monster -- she is captured by Uncle Sam and tossed into a Monster Mash military prison with a glob, a talking man-sized insect and a lizard dude from the Black Lagoon. Enter the aliens (Wilson is the leader), cue the hero Monsters, and we have ourselves a story idea. Add in a “Close Encounters” music gag, and we have a film.

In a stellar year for animation (I love “Coraline,” and “Up” is another Pixar gem) being funny and well-animated no longer cuts it. Not unless it’s Saturday morning TV. Watching most any Dreamworks film (not all) is now akin to watching a child drag his plastic chair to the adults table for dinner. Even if he can look everyone in the eye, he still can’t keep up with the conversation. B-

Spirited Away (2002) and Ponyo (2009)

Until just recently, I had not yet seen a Hayao Miyazaki film. Shame on me. This brilliant animator is a reminder that hand-drawn can out ‘wow’ even Pixar’s best computer effects. Plus, his films have deep themes and wonderful characters to match the visuals. Wow.

“Spirited Away” is intricate, imaginative and beautifully bizarre, and even two viewings don’t do its themes justice. That the plot can’t be summed up in a movie poster tagline is a treat onto itself. Long story short: Whiny pre-teen Chihiro must grow up fast after she and her parents become trapped at a derelict supernatural theme park that is anchored by a mysterious bathhouse. The kicker: Chihiro’s parents have been turned into pigs, and she alone must save them. The animation is pure magic: Every scene has depth – rooms look full and packed, as do stairs and even a rail car, and when characters collide into each other or into walls, you can feel the impact. There’s blood, and it looks sinewy and real. As Chihiro becomes the hero, it’s a pleasure to be by her side. Hell, Miyazaki’s fascinating world made me want to be inside the action. The voice cast, even in the American dub, is flawless. An absolute gem of animation. A+

“Ponyo” is geared toward a younger crowd, but has such a joyful surreal bounce to it, that the ride is equally enjoyable for adults. Here, a young boy finds a fish by his ocean island home. But, this is no ordinary fish. Ponyo, once she tastes bloods, can turn into a human girl. The film follows the boy, his mother, toddler Ponyo, her father – a protector of the water, and her mother – a goddess of the ocean. Bold colors, wide eyes and “monstrous” waves with scowling eyes all sparkle like the best children’s picture book ever given life. It’s not a homerun, though. Two of the major celebrity voices in the English dub don’t work. Mainly, Liam Neeson as the fatherly protector of oceans. With an unmistakable sound of stern male authority, I never once believed his was the voice of such an oddball, clumsy antagonist. Equally, Cate Blanchett is playing off her “LOTR” elf while voicing the goddess. The effect distracts. A-

Favorites: Animated Full-length

Heavy on the Disney, I know.

1. Toy Story (1995)
2. Pinocchio (1940)
3. The Incredibles (2004)
4. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
5. Spirited Away (2002)
6. Peter Pan (1953)
7. WALL-E (2008)
8. One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
9. Persepolis (2007)
10. The Lion King (1994)

Up (2009)

"Up" continues Pixar's domination of not just the animation genre, but maybe every Hollywood studio. What other studio consistently puts out such high-level works of art that touch ever genre and age-level?

I love "Toy Story," "The Incredibles" and "WALL-E," and "Up" is in their league. Some scenes rise above their level in pure smartness and pitch. It's not a typical children's film, but a beautiful romantic film about an old man's (Voice of Ed Adsner) love for his dead wife. Heavy, eh?

There are funny talking animals, a pint-sized sidekick in the form of a quasi-Cub Scout (Jordan Nagai) and lots of slapstick. But there's also death and the sad reality of an old man left alone. It will make you cry.

The film starts with a boy watching newsreel film of a Howard Hughes/Douglas Fairbanks-like explorer globetrotting the world. The hero, though, is lambasted as a fake by the news reels and disappears. The little buy meets a like-minded girl, they grow up, fall in love and marry. They are childless, struggle with money and grow old. She dies. Almost all of this is told in wordless, glorious music provided by Michael Giacchino ("Lost" and "The Incredibles" -- give this guy an Oscar and a Grammy).

Facing eviction from his ancient house, the old man ties thousands of balloons to his home and flies away to South America, the dream spot of he and his now-gone bride. The Cub Scout is a stow-away, hiding on the porch. To give more away will spoil the film.

The entire film is a visual delight, with the rising of the home on all those balloons one of the great moments in animation -- the colors of the balloons vibrate and reflect a rainbow of wonder. Christopher Plummer grounds the film as a late-coming villain who is Pixar's greatest show of greed and evil yet. Dig the scene where he knocks mock skulls of prior victims of a table. Wow.

All praise to directors/writers Pete Docter and Bob Peterson (the latter who voices the scene-stealing dog, Dug.) Pixar films are built on beautifully told stories with heart and then fabulous jokes (Squirrel!!) with voice talent that isn't built on casting top stars, but the right voices. There's hardly a star here. Take that over most Dreamworks films that have flimsy stories built on jokes with highly paid voices hired to cover up the mess.

"Up" is a gem, I can't wait to see what Pixar has next. A

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)

Even at just more than 80 minutes "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" seems a padded, toss-off of the 2005 original. Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer and Jada Pinkett Smith return as the voices of a lion, a giraffe, a zebra and a hippo, respectively. In the original, they went from New York to Madagascar for the comedy. Here, it's Madagascar to Africa. Yawn. The jokes, for the most part are OK funny, but they prop up the mediocre story. Typical Dreamworks. A great animated film (Pixar) has brilliant jokes built upon a solid story. The climax is so lame it needs a song on the soundtrack to limp by. The animation is top notch, naturally. But, who cares. C+

Bolt (2008)

"Bolt" isn't Pixar, but this Disney animated film has John Lasseter's hands all over it. And it shows. It's a witty, funny film that makes a tired film plot -- a trio of animals travel cross country to find one's person -- new again. And it has a hamster in a ball. A delusional, spastic, pop culture obsessed hamster who is a laugh riot. Rhino the hamster is found by Bolt, a TV star who is: 1) Lost and far from home and 2) Under the assumption that he's a real super hero. The trio is completed by Mittens, a New York alley cat. The three are trying to get to Hollywood, where Bolt's owner, Penny, lives. I focus on Rhino because he's the best thing in the movie. I'm a movie snob. I turn my nose up at Hollywood fare. But I cried from laughter when that furry thing fogged his ball up from over exertion and Rhino then drew in a happy face. The film isn't ace. I The finale is a bit much. Mark Walton, a Disney animator/writer, voices Rhino. John Travolta is Bolt. Bolt may be the hero, but he's the butt of most jokes and you can hear the game joy in Travolta's voice. B+

Ice Age (2002)

"Ice Age" is a cute but marginal CGI cartoon about a bickering woolly mammoth and a sloth caring for a human toddler while finding his family. The animals fare way better than the humans, in animation and plot. The few sly jokes about evolution, spaceships and mortality are for adults, and will go over the heads of children. The poop jokes are entirely for children, and will bore adults. The star and saving grace of "Ice Age" is a mute, always perplexed primitive squirrel driven nuts by an acorn. I swear the whole film is filler built around him. Ray Romano stars, voicing a woolly mammoth. Far more advanced than Ray. C+

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

I wasn't keen on seeing "Kung Fu Panda." The previews made it look like a bad "Kill Bill" spoof, and I'm dead tired of the animated spoof genre. So, I was stunned to love this Jack Black-voiced animated film about a hefty Panda who finds his kung fu fantasies coming true. The plot is simple: Chinese Panda Po (Black) diligently but unhappily works in his father's noodle shop until he is inexplicably tapped as the Dragon Warrior by the town's kung fu mystic guru. Tasked with training Po to fight a greatly feared enemy are Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) and the Furious Five (Angelina Jolie, Davis Cross, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen and Lucy Liu).Black, by the way, seems perfect for animated films. He has an outsized persona that can grow bewildering on screen, but behind a microphone and with a Panda taking the place of his body, he's never been more ... human. B+