Pixar’s 14th feature length release, the prequel to Monsters Inc., Monsters University is about Mike Wazowski’s college days (voiced by Noah Johnson and Billy Crystal), where he first meets Sulley (John Goodman), contends and head-butts rivalries, and manages to tick off a horrific-looking principal on a perpetual bad day (voiced by Helen Mirren). In the interim he (and Sulley) grow up.

MU is a college film. The trick was to make it (a) accessible, (b) not sound like a prequel, (c) stay away from artificiality, and (d) retain the feel of a college flick with a G rating. It is what I consider a screenwriter’s guide to writing a successful motion picture. It accomplishes grounded characters that you are compelled to synchronise your emotions with within its span of 94 minutes. Directed by Dan Scanlon, written by Daniel Gerson, Robert L. Baird and Scanlon, Monsters University is released by Disney and Pixar.

The Purge

Akin to The Hunger Games and Battle Royale, The Purge, has the same sociopolitical thoughts, trigger-happy violence and cliché plot. However, the winning point of this low-budget thriller is its George A. Romero/Night of the Living Dead-like ambiance which creates potential for its own unique cult following.

The year is 2022, in the dystopian future America remodeled by its new “founding fathers”, who have come up with an annual event called The Purge where citizens are encouraged to purge out anger, negativity and deeper instinct of violence from their system.

They have 12 hours to go on a rampage and crime — including murder — is legal during that time. The next day when people are cleansed of violence, things return to normal. The so-called purging has a unique side effect: there’s high employment and low crimes rate during the remaining days.

Things are good for James Sandin (Ethan Hawke); he is a successful sales guy whose company makes security systems for homes. With a big house, a Stepford wife Mary (Lena Headey) and two kids — Zoey (Adelaide Kane) a rebellious teen and Charlie (Max Burkholder) a tech nerd.

They are well off and well-protected, without being bothered about being hunted in the purge, nor sadistic enough to be a part of it. Purge hunters usually go after the poor or the unimportant who can’t save themselves — until one of the victims come knocking on the Sandin home.

Written and directed by James DeMonaco and released by Universal Pictures, The Purge is rated R for sadistic violence.

Despicable Me 2

Continuing from where Despicable Me left off, here we find ex-super villain Gru (Steve Carell) living a normal life with his three adopted daughters Margo, Edith and Agnes (Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier and Elsie Fisher). He now throws birthday parties and tries to succeed in a new jams and jellys business which no one can eat, including his yellow, tablet-shaped gibberish talking minions.

However, a secret agency named the Anti-Villain League (AVL) wants an ex-super villain on their side to nab a new super villain, who has stolen a lab that creates a mutation chemical. To aid in Gru’s mission AVL assigns a klutzy agent, Lucy (Kristen Wiig), who from the first scene is his obvious love interest.

As Despicable Me 2 progresses, the mutation chemical is narrowed down to a mall. Gru, Lucy and a couple of minions work undercover in a cupcake shop where two suspects — Eduardo, a Mexican restaurant owner (Benjamin Bratt) and Floyd, a wig shop owner (Ken Jeong) — are narrowed down.

Directors’ Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud, and writers Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul hold tightly to what had worked the first time round. This time they multiply each of these aspects out of proportion and what we get are half-developed side stories.Despicable Me 2 is too kiddie friendly and therefore parent repellent. Its only saving grace is the minions still at their weird best. No wonder Illumination Entertainment (producers) is coming up with a solo minions adventure next. Distributed

by Universal Pictures, Despicable Me is rated PG. — Farheen Jawaid