This season’s films probably won’t be up for any Oscars, but that doesn’t make them any less enjoyable. From lovable monsters to the kind that take over the planet, this summer’s flicks offers plenty of variety. These are the films that should be on your must-watch list, with two you can see now and two to look forward to.
Been there, watched that:
**”Monsters University”**
Pixar sequels can be hit and miss (“Cars 2,” anyone?), so when news came around there was going to be a sequel to “Monsters, Inc.,” there were plenty of reasons to be worried. Luckily though, “Monsters University” is definitely worth a trip to the movie theater. When I saw it, I was one of the few in the audience who was above the age of eight and _wasn’t_ a parent, but I can say without a doubt that this movie is meant for our generation. Add in the college theme, and you get something that seems tailor-made for undergrads. And if you don’t chuckle every time the characters say “Go MU!” you’re missing out.
_5 eyeballs out of 5_
**”The Bling Ring”**
Before you go to see this movie, I want you to do something. Open up Netflix, and watch all nine episodes of “Pretty Wild,” the so-bad-it’s-good E! television series about some of the accused teenagers featured in “The Bling Ring.” I’ll wait.
Okay, so now that we’re on the same page, Sofia Coppola’s newest movie is a strange ride. The film follows a group of teenagers that robbed celebrities like Paris Hilton and Orlando Bloom in the late 2000s. It focuses on the power and obsession of celebrity and does so in a fairly gnarly way. I did not like a single one of the characters in the movie — even the California-ized Emma Watson. But, reflecting on the movie, I think that was the point. These kids are absolutely terrible people.
_3.5 kitten heels out of 5_
Coming soon:
**”Pacific Rim”**
It wouldn’t be summer without a ridiculous blockbuster with robots and/or monsters. Luckily, “Pacific Rim” brings both to the table in a seemingly over-the-top film. The world has been attacked by strange beasts from the deep, and it’s up to the pilots of skyscraper-sized robots to save the day. But what’s most interesting about this movie seems to be the pilots themselves — it takes two people to pilot a robot, one for each hemisphere of the brain, causing the pilots to share memories. This movie promises summer thrills and “Cloverfield”-esque monsters, perfect for a summer night.
_Anticipation meter: Hotter than Missouri summers_
**”The World’s End”**
Simon Pegg already made my summer as Scotty in “Star Trek Into Darkness,” but his next movie (with Edgar Wright, who brought us “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz”) looks to be his next hit comedy. The movie is about a group of friends coming back together to finish a pub crawl from their youth, but with a twist: robots. Yes, along the way the group has to save the world from robots because it wouldn’t feel like an Edgar Wright movie without it.
_Anticipation meter: Beer + Robots = Must-see_