Monsters University (2013) User Reviews

Monsters University: A worthy prequel

[Platypuschow · 8/10 · 11 July 2017]

I adored Monsters Inc, it was one of those surprise movies you go into with no expectations and are blown away by. It took years for me to get round to this due to my endless watchlist but I'm so happy I can say that it's worth of the the franchise.

Charming, well written, full of laugh out loud moments and undeniably loyal to the original movie with tie-ins around every corner.

I especially liked Helen Mirrens character, part monster, part bat, part centipede? I like centipedes, I wanted to be an entomologist once upon a time, obsessed over bugs, learnt all about them then learnt about these things called university, qualifications and effort and thought against it. I'll leave entomology to those with motivation, you enjoy your bugs and I'll enjoy women, movies, video games and various other fun stuff.

I digress, Monsters University is a sweet heartfelt movie and makes me hope they make a final part to make a monsters trilogy. Maybe touching upon certain events that happened in this as opposed to it's sequel.

Sadly I don't see this happening, I think we have more likelihood of a Princess Bride 2, Brave 2 or a movie where Zac Efron doesn't play an arrogant douche who likes to take his shirt off.

Pleasant Story of Friendship

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 9 February 2014]

When Mike Wazowski is young, he visits the Monsters University in a tour of his primary school. A senior student gives his hat to Mike and he plans to become a scary monster.

Years later, Mike joins the Monsters University and on the arrival, he receives a flier of the Scare Games that will take place soon in the campus. Mike also befriends his roommate Randall. When the lazy student James P. "Sully" Sullivan, who belongs to a family of famous "scarers", breaks in his room, they start a competition in class. Their dispute ends when they accidentally break the pride and of joy of Dean Abigail Hardscrabble, a cylinder with her greatest achievement – a powerful scream of a boy. They both are expelled from the scare classes by Hardscrambble that tells that Sully is lazy and Mike is not scary, and they become enemies.

When Mike recalls the Scare Games, he sees his only chance to return to the scare course. He makes the application to participate, but he learns that he needs a fraternity. Mike joins the Oozma Kappa that is the only fraternity available with four losers, but he is informed that the fraternity needs to have six members. Sully offers to complete the team and Mike has no other alternative but accept Sully in his team. Then he bets with Hardscrambble that if he wins the games, she will accept them in the scare classes. Soon the game begins...

"Monsters University" is a pleasant story of friendship and a prequel of "Monsters Inc.". The plot is based on the American college life and despite the lack of any identification with my country, with fraternities and silly parties of American college students, the plot is funny and entertaining. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Universidade Monstros" ("Monsters University")

MU is more than OK.

[BA_Harrison · 8/10 · 2 November 2013]

The cruddy trailer hardly filled me with hope for this belated prequel to Monsters, Inc., and the relatively laugh-free first thirty minutes did little to change my mind; however, once Mike and Sully and their Oozma Kappa fraternity brothers enter the Scare Games, the film really picks up and the laughs start to come thick and fast. By the time the end credits were rolling, Monsters University had given me lots of giggles and even a few genuine belly laughs and I'd completely altered my opinion: the oft-used 'under-dogs do good' plot may not be as fresh as the original, but overall I reckon the film is well worth watching.

Some of the best moments are clever one-liners and subtle fleeting visual gags which could go unseen, or over the head of younger viewers, but that gives the film repeat value; I hope to catch even more funny stuff the second time around after I proudly add the DVD to my Pixar collection.

A very respectable 8/10 (If there had been more funny moments in the first half-an-hour or so, this would have been right up there with Pixar's finest).

Most enjoyable movie experience of the summers

[satyamsai · 15 October 2019]

It's the most enjoyable movie experience this summers, believe me. More than the story, it's the so well developed characters that blow away your mind. Laughs, fun and emotions are all there in lots to make you a kid again. When the audience lets you know through loud sighs that the interval was a big interruption, you know the movie has already woven its magic. Pixar seldom lets you down. And there is a sweet Pixar short called 'The Blue Umbrella' at the beginning. It would be sad if you miss it.

And yes, get admitted to Monsters University asap. 150 bucks is nothing for an admission fee.

The prequel that no one asked for, but everyone will watch.

[MattBriselli · 7/10 · 30 April 2014]

Monsters University: the prequel that no one asked for, but everyone will watch. It would appear that Pixar has recently run out of original ideas and has resorted to making sequels and prequels of older more successful movies (Cars 2, Planes, Monsters U and Finding Dory). That being said, the film was actually pretty decent and was rather watchable and enjoyable. The film had multiple unexpected twists, which avoided having an all too predictable ending. It also explained many of the features of its sequel, like Randall's rivalry with Mike and Sully and the Abominable Snowman.

Reviving the voice talents of Billy Crystal, John Goodman and Steve Buscemi and adding Helen Mirren and Charlie Day, amongst others, this film stayed within the universe that the original movie had created, however in comparison failed to live up to its predecessor's greatness.

Not great, but totally fun

[zetes · 7/10 · 23 June 2013]

A prequel to one of Pixar's most beloved films, Monsters Inc. In all honesty, I wasn't looking forward to this one too much. A sequel would have been a better option. Like the Toy Story movies, it should take place a long while later, and Mike and Sully should meet back up with a teenage Boo or something. Boo was the soul of that movie, and, of course, in a prequel, Boo can't exist. Instead, we get the story of how Mike and Sully met in college. The story is made up of a ton of college movie clichés in the Monsters world. And it's fine. Not great, nothing really special, but it's very enjoyable and the animation is gorgeous. The last time I revisited Monsters Inc., the animation seemed a little primitive, but Pixar has more than perfected it now, and I loved seeing the wonderful monster designs. Steve Buscemi, the villain from the first film, is prominent in the cast again. Other famous cast members include Nathan Fillion, Sean Hayes, Dave Foley, Charlie Day, Aubrey Plaza and Alfred Molina. The most memorable new character is Dean Hardscrabble, played by Helen Mirren. The design, kind of a centipede dragon, is extremely cool and actually pretty creepy.

Nostalgic film for the old and young

[clumbj · 9/10 · 17 July 2013]

The first Monsters Inc. came out when i was just 7 years old and immediately became one of my all time favourites from the day I saw it. With extremely high expectations in mind and excitement especially for Pixar's close attention to relevance (as I am actually at university now myself) I went to see the new one as soon as it came out.

The film is a prequel following closely to our much loved earlier Characters, Mike and later Sully as they present to us their lives prior to the first movie. As well as an adorable new cast of monsters which are equally lovable as the old ones.

To my delight, the film exceeded most if not all my earlier expectations. The plot is well written, funny and most of all extremely heart warming especially to long time fans like myself as well as those younger viewers that might not have even seen the first one.

The nostalgic element of the film is perhaps the most well written. Every twist and turn reveals a huge or tiny explanation to the events and habits of the characters that I previously saw in the first film. Questions I never even asked myself, like why Randall's eyes are so squinty or how Sully and Randall's rivalry originated.

Although i absolutely loved the movie, perhaps its because I've waited for 12 years but at some points it left me slightly unsatisfied and I'd have loved for some parts to be explained more thoroughly.

Regardless of my only criticism, the movie made me laugh, cried with tears of joy, almost actually cried and was both heart warming and action packed. What more could you ask for? I urge those fans of the first film as well as anyone that just wants to have a good time at the cinema to see it. It'll be well worth your time!

Good but not great

[gaspyy · 6/10 · 25 June 2013]

Monsters, Inc. was the first Pixar movie where I saw their genius. Such an incredible mix of themes and emotions. From the basic premise of "humanizing" monsters to the tiny details in Boo's behavior that I did not notice until I had a daughter of my own, it was beautiful and original.

My top Pixar movies are (in no particular order) Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc., Wall-E and The Incredibles. These are movies that actually mean something to me.

Monsters University is definitely better than Cars 2 and Brave, but I did not find that "magic ingredient" in it. If anything, it was formulaic - the same old story retold for the millionth time.

It was certainly nice to see Sully and Mike again and see how they became friends, but the story was rather shallow with little character development (I would have loved to see Randall's evolution for example).

I guess that for once I was easy to please!

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 23 June 2013]

" Monsters University" is a new film from Pixar that is a prequel to their film "Monsters Inc.". In addition to the two main characters, a whole lot of new characters are introduced at the college that Mike and Sully attended. The plot involves Mike trying to become a 'scaring major'—something quite unthinkable since he isn't the least bit scary. There's a lot more to the film than this, but I won't spoil it by saying more about the plot.

My daughter was lucky enough to go to the debut of "Monsters University". She liked it but also felt the story was disappointing since it lacked original characters and the story reminded her of too many college films (like "Revenge of the Nerds" and "Animal House"). My wife saw it with me and she said that the film put her to sleep! This is all very odd, as I am usually the most difficult to please in the family when it comes to films—yet I thoroughly enjoyed the film and nearly gave it a 9. While I would agree it lacks originality, it did make me smile. It was a nice, gentle film—one that I didn't mind just watching without picking it apart (like I usually do). Much of this is because the CGI was simply gorgeous and It was a pleasure watching such a beautiful film…as well as such a nice and enjoyable film.

our dreams are as possible as we hope they are

[Shaimaa_Hakim · 7/10 · 15 November 2013]

Now! On to the review! The story of the origin of the friendship between one-eyed Mike Wazowski and the blue furred James P. Sullivan in their freshman year at Monsters University. This film has homages to all the classic college comedy movies, and as it doesn't hold out on laughs for the kids and adults, it has a great amount of heart. Questions of what the future holds, and if our dreams are as possible as we hope they are. Punches aren't pulled on these questions, which is why it isn't just some animated movie to take the kids to see. Now! On to the review! The story of the origin of the friendship between one-eyed Mike Wazowski and the blue furred James P. Sullivan in their freshman year at Monsters University. This film has homages to all the classic college comedy movies, and as it doesn't hold out on laughs for the kids and adults, it has a great amount of heart. Questions of what the future holds, and if our dreams are as possible as we hope they are. Punches aren't pulled on these questions, which is why it isn't just some animated movie to take the kids to see.

A must see prequel

[AvidClimber · 8/10 · 9 July 2013]

Monsters University is the prequel to Monsters inc., a wildly popular animation by Pixar. It's basically a college movie set in the monster world, but with a nice deviation from the standard.

The good. Still the same incredibly interesting world with all its colors, fantastic creatures, and quirks. Interesting story, especially for the twist. Great animation, as usual. Easily enjoyable by adults. Perfect ending. Excellent voice acting.

The bad. Lots of college movie, underdogs, and jocks versus nerds clichés.

The ugly. Nothing.

The result. If you liked the first one, you'll like this one too.

The Unnecesscary is strong in this one

[diac228 · 6/10 · 30 June 2013]

Pixar, where has your courage gone? In this decade alone, we have been treated to two sequels, a prequel, a princess story (as if Disney doesn't have enough of those), with another sequel on the way. Pixar's Dreamworks mannerisms has been kind of unnerving, especially when we have seen the ballsy efforts like The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and especially (especially) Wall-E. The original stories are occurring less frequent, and while it's leading to guaranteed money for the company and Disney the die-hard Disney fans and film fanatics have been less than impressed.

And now we have Monster's University. Surely the charm is there, the animation is the usual Pixar quality, and the production value remains the best in the animation business. But there was a constant sense of pointlessness to this prequel throughout the whole thing, and it lacks the heart and humor of the original Monster's Inc. The originality of the 2001 gem is also missing, as University dwells into familiar clichéd territory in the second half.

This movie works well with the tykes and the true-blue Mike and Sully fans, but with the rest of us who really didn't care much to see how they met----well, there's not much here. It is simply about Mike and Sully's rivalry during the start of their university career and how they had to learn to accept each other if they ever wanted a chance to remain in the school.

In the grand scheme of the G-rated filmmaking culture, Monster's University excels and surpasses that of the normal fare. But this is Pixar we are talking about, a company that bleeds pure quality and has created some of the greatest animated films in history. They have raised the bar too high to create something so….normal. It is odd from a Pixar movie to see failed jokes and a sense of predictability.

It's not as funny, not as heartfelt, not as surprising, not as deep, and not as engaging as Pixar's best, and not even Dreamworks' best for that matter. It is simply light entertainment that will calmly entertain and not overwhelm---while at the same time not linger in your memory like Pixar's best like Toy Story, Nemo, Ratatouille and Up.

Good but not great—and in Pixar standards that should never be good enough.

Monsters U, entertaining but fails to meet

[chris-braybrooke · 6/10 · 2 November 2013]

I really loved Monsters Inc, but this movie failed to meet expectations. Yes, it offers a little back story on two of the most memorable characters of all time, but I was not attached to them like I was during the first movie. The best scenes are at the end when Roz makes an appearance...Mike and Sully are great characters, but in the first one, you had some minor characters who made the movie much more charming (Roz, Boo, etc...) and I just didn't find myself growing any attachment to Mike's college nerd buddies. A good movie and maybe would be much more entertaining to someone who hasn't seen the first (little kids would giggle at the monsters I'm sure), but this movie misses the mark.

Monsters University pleasantly defines its title with a great story

[Junreviews · 10/10 · 25 June 2013]

With Animation industries overproducing computer-animated films for either sequels or prequels, expectations from critiques and longtime cartoon lovers who grew up with classic Disney movies are pretty high. For this reason, It has been a while since I get to be surrounded by parents who like to bring their kids to let them enjoy bright and comical scenes.

After coming to the theater with low excitement, not only does this movie exceed my expectation but it also proves that Pixar is not a sort of company that tries to take audience's wherewithal by making a mediocre prequel based on the reputation of an original one.

As usual, Pixar consistently unleashes intriguing, unique, and appealing characters with flexible movements and simplified traits that attract a wide range of audiences. Especially when it comes to presenting different breeds of monsters with extraordinary looks and abilities, followed by an absolute storytelling skill that moves everyone's emotion.

As the setting takes place in the old days before Mike and Sullivan get to work together in Monsters, inc., you get to find out how they meet and grow their friendship. The story consists of both internal and external conflicts that college students can unanimously relate to. Pixar does an amazing job on capitalizing as much college-related elements as possible to emphasize the importance of corroborations, personal identity, and working hard to achieve your goal. There are also tons of humors that make you laugh periodically.

In a nutshell, this is a sincere and endeavored film that sends us various messages to help us progress in many different ways. I strongly recommend this to all the students out there who are struggling with their school life. It is such an inspirational movie and Pixar still rocks!

A fun prequel

[r96sk · 7/10 · 18 July 2020]

A fun prequel to 'Monsters, Inc.'.

It isn't on the same level as the preceding film, but 'Monsters University' is a pleasing film nonetheless. It takes a trip backwards in time to see Mike and Sully pre-Inc. and it comes out good, it doesn't have as much as heart but the comedy is still there at a strong level.

John Goodman (Sully) and Billy Crystal (Mike) are again fantastic, while Helen Mirren comes in as a new character, Hardscrabble, and gives a pleasant performance. I don't love the other new characters, but they certainly serve a purpose and play a part.

The plot is entertaining, it drops a little bit once the competition begins but everything is still enjoyable - the 104 minute run time flies by. I think I would've preferred a sequel story featuring a grown up Boo (admittedly not sure in what way), but this production is a suitable attachment to the quality 2001 original.

Once again a pretty solid effort from Pixar. Great job.

[almanjit25 · 8/10 · 9 July 2013]

Pixar is the source of some of the most deep, thoughtful and meaningful CG films and have created a great name for themselves. Personally i love most of their films. I almost joined the naysayers prior to this films release before reminding myself that Pixar has never really let ME down. And as expected excellence reigned supreme. This is in my opinion a really good film. Perhaps not at the level of Up and Wall-E, but it is certainly not bad either.

Animation: A+ The animation is fantastic, then again what else can be expected from Pixar. Top quality CG that is detailed and yet so brilliantly original. Sully and Mike look fantastic as do all the other characters. And if you see the detail of the university, Mike's room and many other portions such as that in the human world, you will be flabbergasted by how amazing it looks. The cuteness of the characters is an added bonus. Pixar is one of those rare studios that pay the greatest attention to surroundings as well as every other aspect, making you want to take notice of everything from posters in the dorm, headlines in newspapers and the sheer workmanship of the great environments whether they are the university, the living room, the bedroom or any other setting.

Story: B+. OK i agree there were parts that had resemblance to Revenge of the Nerds and Harry Potter and the Goblet of fire and it got quite to close to situations in college movies of years past. Though the originality of the scare games and what they signify to Mike is really quite sweet and pretty original if you think about it. I like the youthful characters of Mike and Sully but the change in personality is way too drastic when comparing to how they turn out in Monsters Inc. Also they at some points feel like characters from similar movies and this tends to make the film feel tired. So it is best not to make comparisons if you want to have a good time.

You don't get your usual ending and the pretty true-to-life messages elevate it from being just ordinary. The reality of their situation and the hard life lessons that are thrust upon them give a picture of the pitfalls life gives us in real life and the effect it has on character. These are just some of the major, resounding themes. And yet even through it the positivity and depth still resonates. You will no doubt smile all through and have several genuine laugh out loud moments that add to this pretty great emotional mix.

Yes a college comedy does not need to be PG or R rated to be funny and this one succeeds in triumphing over other college movies. And as someone who understands and has been through what Mike's character faces in this movie, that added extra resonance and heart. A twist on the similar films, heart(as with all Pixar), depth, resounding mature themes, life as we know it, witty humor and smiles galore, what more could you ask for? There are some minor continuity errors between the prequel and the original but those are minor and the story more than makes up for it. All in all a good effort. Monsters Inc is a great film, and one of the absolute best from Pixar. Monsters U may not be at its level but it nevertheless a very good film.

Music: A. The score is good, really good. Though i felt so much similarity between it and the Toy Story trilogy as well as The Princess and the Frog. Then again they too were works by Randy Newman and those scores were great too. Perhaps it is just me but i also noted similar music to Up in this awesome film.

Overall: A great film that can be seen as a family, a group of friends or individually. A film that will be appreciated especially by college student. Pixar once again does a good job.

As a small note, look out for great references to Monsters Inc. It will add to the smiles.

8/10.

Beautiful animation but it's just not funny enough

[tomgillespie2002 · 6/10 · 23 October 2013]

It's hard to believe that it's been 12 years since the original Monsters, Inc. graced the screens and introduced the world to a green, one-eyed motormouth named Mike Wazowski and a lovable furry giant called James P. 'Sully' Sullivan. Although it was far from Pixar's best effort, Inc was charming and a surprisingly moving little film that made a killing at the box office. So why the wait for a sequel? Cars 2 (2011) aside, Pixar have always prided themselves on putting story above all else, so perhaps the writers simply could not come up with something solid enough to warrant another outing for Mike and Sully. But now Disney are in charge, I guess that if there's money to be made, they'll make sure it's made.

Before the events of Monsters, Inc., Mike (Billy Crystal) is a young monster with only one goal in his life - to become a top scarer at Monsters, Inc. The only problem is that he's not scary. Inspired by an encounter on a school trip, Mike studies and studies until he is enlisted in Monsters University, the best place for any budding scarer to learn their craft. Sully (John Goodman) enlists too, with a legendary family name and a clearly formidable appearance. Sully's lethargic approach to study annoys Mike, and a fallout between the two leads them to be kicked out of the class by the terrifying Dean Harscrabble (Helen Mirren). With seemingly no hope, Mike sees the upcoming Scare Games as the chance to prove himself to Harscrabble, who agrees to let him back in if he triumphs, only he has to team up with Sully to make up the numbers.

The main problem with Pixar's output in the last few years is that they seem to be slowly moving away from making movies that please adults in equal amounts to children. Toy Story 3 was their last great movie and that was three years ago. Cars 2 and last year's Brave were mediocre efforts, certainly beautiful to behold but relatively hollow inside. Much of the same can be said for Monsters University, as although it's nice to see these characters again, it lacks that Pixar touch that led to so many of their films to now be considered classics of the genre. We are left with not much more than a collection of wonderfully constructed set-pieces based around a thin plot that we all know the result of anyway.

Of the new additions, Charlie Day's Art and Helen Mirren's Dean Harscrabble steal the film, the former a truly bonkers creation and the latter given some quality thespian backing. We also get the welcome return of Steve Buscemi's Randy, who's downturn we get to witness thanks to a very clever moment. But ultimately, Monsters University's biggest problem is that it's just not that funny. The best moments are seen in the trailer (such as the snail monster trying not to be late for class on his first day), and the best aspects of college life can't be played with as they involve alcohol, drugs or boobs, a no-no even for Pixar. So we are left with a very pretty film (possibly the finest animation-wise to date) full of breathtaking set-pieces, but one that lacks that special touch I came to love from Pixar and one I am becoming reluctantly resigned to never seeing again.

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studio recaptures the magic in this snappy prequel

[Special-K88 · 27 July 2013]

Pixar returns to form in this charming, laugh-out loud funny prequel to Monsters, Inc. The film focuses on Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan in their early days at MU when they were two young, ambitious, and fiercely competitive students trying to make their mark as scare majors. Eventually, circumstances force them to put aside their differences so they can try and accomplish their ultimate goal. Despite the familiarity of the characters, and an inevitable resolution, this feels like a fresh studio product with a good setup, clever and original gags, splendid animation, wonderful vocal talents, and an ingratiatingly feel-good tone. ***

Not as good as everyone is saying

[joshua-303-92778 · 6/10 · 11 October 2013]

This film continues a downward trend at Pixar, whose movies have declined measurably in quality, especially since being purchased by Disney.

For a sequel, Monsters University makes an earnest effort, and is reasonably watchable. But there's not enough meat in the haphazard plot to really capture the viewer's imagination. The themes are childish and familiar.

Technically, the film looks good, as expected. The voice acting from Crystal and Goodman are as good as you would expect.

There's just not a lot else I can say about a sequel to a film which I always thought was a weaker entry in Pixar's catalog.

It Shines in a Summer of Disappointment

[boberdorf · 9/10 · 22 June 2013]

First and foremost, this movie should be almost painfully relatable to the Disney Renaissance Generation. For the convenience of the meanings told in Disney and Pixar films, couldn't be more relatable to the age of those born in the mid 90's growing up. Also, for the question of a Monsters Inc. Prequel being necessary? Make that decision after the credits roll, for this was the most enjoyable movie I've seen so far in 2013. In an overwhelming blockbuster summer of over-hyped excitement followed by mild to severe disappointment, Monsters University isn't just a good sign for Pixar, it's a good sign that 2013 can be one of the best years of film.

Now! On to the review! The story of the origin of the friendship between one-eyed Mike Wazowski and the blue furred James P. Sullivan in their freshman year at Monsters University. This film has homages to all the classic college comedy movies, and as it doesn't hold out on laughs for the kids and adults, it has a great amount of heart. Questions of what the future holds, and if our dreams are as possible as we hope they are. Punches aren't pulled on these questions, which is why it isn't just some animated movie to take the kids to see.

References to real college life are blended with superb imagination of the monster world. Rather it be a long blonde haired guitar player, or the horns on the school bus. All original voice talent returns and keeps up with the track record of great performances in Pixar films. Billy Crystal, John Goodman, and Steve Buscemi grasp their characters and give them entirely different motivations compared to the original. Instead of a hardworking team, the two have a rivalry, and the supporting cast of their fraternity supply more relatability with a great variety of lovable monsters who help fill the story with even more heart.

The compatibility with Mike and Sully can be a bit surprising, for one is the study hard teachers pet, and the other a natural born scare student. And just as you think your more like one, the other comes in and you realize that even monsters can be scared of the real world just like us today. Fear of what life has in store, and if we have the talent to fulfill our dreams. This is a theme a lot of critics are missing, and shines making it worthy of being a great Pixar movie and prequel to a great classic.

The story isn't terribly generic as one may think, and every act is more different from the last. Starting with the clash between Mike and Sully, then onto the scare games, an intense series of games that declare supremacy of M.U. For the third and final act couldn't be more surprising though. It not only serves as a great climax, but something that we can once again commend Pixar for telling great stories in out of the box thinking that we should think paying for the $10 dollar ticket is worth it. And boy did I think this movie was worth it, for I will be definitely be seeing it a second and possibly third time. It wasn't a prequel we originally wanted, but it was a film that we and Pixar needed. And boy am I glad it happened.

Still Funny After 12 Years

[zkonedog · 7/10 · 5 March 2017]

Considering that the original "Monsters Inc." was released all the way back in 2001, I was interested to see if this long-time-coming sequel could re-capture the magic. By-and-large, it does with that patented PIXAR mix of humor and heart.

For a basic plot summary, this film details the meeting of young one-eyed monster Mike (voiced by Billy Crystal) and Sullivan (John Goodman) at Monsters University, a monster-world school for "scarers". Randall Boggs (Steve Buscemi) also plays a role (a "returning" character from "Inc."), while a group of geeky monster freshmen discover what working together and for a better future is all about.

Simply put, "Monsters U" is a very solid effort in the animation category. To be sure, it is not in the upper-echelon (Toy Story, Nemo, Tangled, Wall-E), but it is purely entertaining. The humor will make even adults laugh (or any of those who can relate to the college experience), while the "heart" moments (while not quite as emotional as "Inc.") are present and in the right places.

I had fun watching this flick with my younger sister...simple as that. It doesn't go on any of my "best of" lists or anything like that, but I would recommend it for family viewing to anyone. Even after 12 years away from Mike and Sullivan, director Dan Scanlon manages to keep the characters and their universe relevant.

They're back... and its GOOOOD.

[andre_rox99 · 9/10 · 19 June 2013]

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY is a prequel to MONSTERS INC., directed by Dan Scanlon. The characters include the voices of Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Hellen Mirren.

The film goes back to where Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan were before they were buddies and in Monsters Inc. It shows how the two of them were in university, showing the relationship between them which led up to the two of them becoming the best of friends.

Alright, so MIKE AND SULLY ARE BAACKK!!! Well, thats what every kid or adult that was associated with the enjoyment of Monsters Inc should say. Okay, so it's been 12 years since we saw these two on-screen, providing us with animated humor, and now they're back again, to show us how they were in University. The teaser trailer was extremely funny as it showed a prank played on Mike by Sully, and it gave a short look-in into the sort of relationship we would be seeing. Soon enough, the trailer came out and boy did it get people hooked. Finally, I was able to catch a premiere screening of the film, to my advantage, and IT WAS GREAT.

So let's start talking about the film, not necessarily the trailers. Who are we kidding, at first when we heard that Monsters University was coming, that a sequel was coming to the classic Monsters Inc, we gave up hope, saying that no one could make it better than the first one. But Dan Scanlon challenged that, and the first teaser proved it. And I think that the movie does it as well- kinda. So, Monsters University isn't AS good as Monsters Inc, but it does come second in line. It includes Mike and Sully in an underdog team, but throughout the film, you can't help and laugh out at the jokes, and smile at the fact that the sequel is finally out.

Monsters University is GREAT. It has two parts and its all happy and fun. I, honestly, liked the way they showed the chemistry developing between Mike and Sully. You can actually feel it, and even though its animation, it feels real. This one isn't quite sad, like how Inc was. Inc ended in a sad tune, at the fact that Boo was gone, but this one ends at the beginning of Inc. I loved the way it ended. The line that Mike uses just makes you go like, 'YEAH! Thats what I'm talking about!' Honestly, I'm not gonna say any more, because I don't wanna spoil anything for anyone.

In the end, Monsters University is great fun. Pixar has done it again, the director has managed to do it. I don't think that there is gonna be another part to the franchise, which kinda dulls me, but at the end of Monsters University it makes you wanna see more, which you will only get by watching Inc, since its the continuation. Go watch Monsters University, with anyone to be honest. I guarantee you an extremely fun ride that these two will give you.

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY- 9.5/10

It's fun, but still hoping more from Pixar Studio

[aldri-feb · 7/10 · 21 June 2013]

In 2001, movie fans was amazed with the appearance of Pixar's creation 'Monsters, Inc'. 'Monsters, Inc' is one of the most brilliant and original animation movie ever made. The movie wasn't only successful at box office worldwide, but also it's favored among kids and adults audience even for critics too. No wonder the studio without any doubt continuing this franchise after over 10 years. 'Monsters University tells story happened before 'Monsters, Inc'. It has a lot more focus on Mike's character, how he wanted to go to college, dreamed to be a fearless monster and joined scare competition, how he first met with Sulley and annoyed by his behavior.

'Monsters University' is kind of prequel that is necessary to be made because in 'Monsters, Inc' they didn't explain much about Mike and Sulley's relationship before and how they could be best friend which is quite important. 'Monsters University' is fun, interesting and colorful movie. The relation between Mike and Sulley is well-developed in this movie, from they hate each other because of their differences to become a good team. But there is still something missing from it. Pixar used to create deep storyline and a heartwarming moment that this movie doesn't have. The storyline is quite safe and feel less emotion if compared with 'Monsters, Inc'. It's too shame because 'Monsters University' is just continuing brilliant material in 'Monsters, Inc' and should make it more right though. Also Randall's character is unnecessary here and feel to be forced in this movie, I think he should just appeared directly in 'Monsters, Inc'. Overall, 'Monsters University is acceptable, entertaining and not disappointing at all, it's also funny that audience would easily enjoy especially kids. Definitely it's not as dumb as 'Cars 2' and worth to see as a family entertainment. But I'm still hoping much more from Pixar Studio that has brought masterpiece creation like 'Toy Story, 'Up', 'Wall-E' and many more. Besides animation from Pixar only comes out once a year, so they have time to make it more serious than this.

The Pixar we all fell in love with is back!

[damh_frikinlater · 10/10 · 20 June 2013]

Monsters University is the best Pixar film since Toy Story 3 in 2010, and as good as Monsters Inc.

After Toy Story 3, Pixar Animation has been doing films that got short for the standards make by them. Cars 2 in 2011 didn't make it to the final round on the Academy Awards and Brave in 2012 won that year just because it was Pixar and they didn't receive the Oscar the year before, but the movie didn't have anything special. So, after the good streak of Wall-E, Up and Toy Story 3, Pixar fell way too low, buy this summer they have raise up and brought the perfect family movie of 2013 (by far).

Even thou we are seeing some of the old characters like (obviously), Mike, Sully, Randall and even George Sanderson (the monsters that is shaved for the 3312 alert), this movie feels different from its predecessor/sequel. What Monsters Inc. gain in sweetness with the Boo's character, this one compensates it with laughs. Since Finding Nemo in 2003, Pixar films has lost a little laughs, and introduced sweetness, but in University the smiles are back.

But it's not only about the laughs. The whole philosophy of the world is different. Inc. was about questioning the world they live in and everything they know about human kids. In University, scaring a kid is a good thing and is what give value a monster. If a monster is not scary then, what kind of monster is it? So, those two simple things gave the movie a whole new and different vibe.

The story is pretty much what we have seen in the trailers, but funnier. However, there are some unexpected twists that make it a even more solid film. So, we are safe to say that you haven't seen it all, even if you have seen every single trailer and clip in the internet. The ending is great, odd coming from Pixar, it works perfectly to the story when you think about it and don't make room for any sequel to the prequel, because it closes every gap.

It would be a cliché to say that the animation is amazing. This is Pixar that we're talking about. All the details on hair, scales, skin and even feathers are stunning. Even better than that is the animation on the characters expression. It is unbelievable. They don't have to say a word to send a message because with their faces they say it all. Sully could be an Academy Award winner, but what Mike does with one eye and a round body doesn't have a word to be described.

Some people will say that in Monsters Inc. Mike says to Sully, "You have been jealous of my looks since fourth grade". However, the characters first meet in college. Well, director Dan Scalon said that they actually thought about that and get to the conclusion that Mike said that as a common expression referring to a long time period and not literally that they have meet since 4th grade. The only problem is that to sustain that excuse they should have use it at least one time in this film. However, we never hear such a phrase to be told by Mike or any other character in the film. That will make those people think that Scalon only said that excuse to safe the story.

If you are human enough to ignore that stupid and insignificant expression, then you will enjoy Monsters University. You will laugh, the kids will love it and everyone will remember why they fell in love with Pixar and this particularly characters 12 years ago.

Monsters University- A Charming and Mildly Humorous Prequel Weighted Down by Unoriginal Formula and Predictable Development

[generationfilm · 6/10 · 19 June 2013]

Pixar's creative soul has slowly begun to drain most likely due to its ill-advised marriage with the overbearing influential force of Disney as we're seeing their consistent quality and originality slowly disappear from existence with occasional reminders of what made them so unique. Three out of four of Pixar's last couple of films can all be categorized in the sequel department, including the excellent Toy Story 3, the annoyingly awful Cars 2, and their latest genial yet unoriginal Monsters University, with one original yet subpar effort in Brave that at least reminded us that despite weak plot they can make some awe-inspiring visual animation. Monsters University might be mildly humorous in its animated mockery of college life, whether it's the obnoxiousness of the frat culture or the awkwardness of social fits, but what it truly lacks is what Pixar is known for, which is meaningfully deep values, inventive inspiration, and original storytelling. This unnecessary prequel to Monsters Inc. simply borrows the template of Revenge of the Nerds and inserts the familiar characters of Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) and James P. Sullivan (John Goodman) in a rather typical underdog college adventure giving us an occasionally fun but more often tedious trek through their formative years. Nothing about the film even remotely justifies its own existence since everything from the unoriginal story to the gimmicky humor to the formation of the characters never feels organic. Ironically enough at the heart of Monsters University is the message that sometimes it's alright to simply be OK, which is the best word that can describe this arguably watchable but incredibly unambitious work of animation. Pixar has gone from creating exceptional original storytelling combined with gracefully executed pristine animation with the likes of Up, The Incredibles, and Finding Nemo to now churning out basic children's entertainment which is not only disappointing, it's practically shameful. Despite this relentlessly negative perception on the unnecessary existence of Monsters University there is enough guilty charm and likable scenarios featuring two favorite characters from the Pixar universe that will undoubtedly please most audiences at the basic level. But basic was never a word that would even enter a conversation about the quality of a Pixar film and it's unfortunate that this is the third consecutive film in a row from the company to warrant that description.

Read more: http://wp.me/py8op-zY; More reviews: Generationfilm.net