Great visuals and great story! I expected it to be "Believe in yourself enough and you'll win!" but I was pleasantly surprised! Mike mentions that he had thought if he wanted it enough, he could be a scarer, but that he realized he should work hard at what suits him.
I highly recommend it!
Mike and Sulley are back again and this time they're actually starring in the animated version of "Revenge of the Nerds". Honestly, that's about all the description you'll need to know what's in store for you. Not that there's anything wrong with that. The "Revenge of the Nerds" story is loads of fun, so why not experience it again, but this time in the animated dimension that is the Pixar studios.
This is a fun movie, but it doesn't really come close to the great "Monsters Inc.". Pixar films are tough not to like, and "Monsters University" is likable. It's just that it seems kind of uninspired this time around.
[8.0/10] A lesser movie would have stopped half an hour earlier. Monsters University consciously apes the traditional college comedy, replete with nerds vs. jocks undertones and a fraternity/sorority decathlon to bring that rivalry to a head. Familiar faces Mike Wazowski and James “Sully” Sullivan have to learn how to put theory to practice and apply themselves respectively. But in the end, with enough digging deep and teamwork with their fellow misfits, they win the cup and earn their places in the titular vaunted institution.
Except they don’t. Except Mike realizes that Sully cheated because the big blue beast didn’t believe his little green friend really has what it takes. Except that both of our favorite monsters spend much of the last act of the film soul-searching over their failures rather than reveling in their successes.
It’s that extra layer that sets so many Pixar films apart, and certainly elevates Monsters University*over what could easily have been a charming but insubstantial brand extension from an era when the studio spent more time duplicating the familiar than breaking into the new. Instead, it’s the best prequel movie this side of *The Godfather: Part II. That’s no damning with faint praise; it’s a legitimately great movie when, with recognizable characters and a built in audience, it didn’t have to be.
But Monsters University makes a series of smart choices that give it a boost. One of them is to make Mike Wazowksi the main character. It’s a little tough to remember since the two main monsters are given relatively equal billing, but the original Monsters Inc. is really Sully’s movie, with Mike playing a prominent, but still supporting role. Sully’s the one on the emotional journey of discovery there, with Mike mostly existing for comic relief. That’s not a bad thing by any means, but it means there’s more character to explore (and create) with Mike, shaking off some of the major pathologies that prequels run into.
The film gives Mike a relatable backstory and motivation. He’s always been the little guy -- overlooked, underestimated -- which leads him to work harder than everyone else to get the respect he deserves. When a field trip to Monsters Inc. leads to a run-in with a scarer he comes to admire, and the first real attention he’s had as a dorky moppet, it inspires Mike to make it his life’s work, despite not fitting the mold of the traditional monster. Through determination and lots of effort, he even makes it to the hallowed halls of the same institution of higher learning his inspiration did.
It’s a good setup. We understand why Mike doesn’t naturally fit in, what his goal is, and how those two things work against each other. It also makes for a nice contrast with Sully, who’s the exact opposite. We learn that the eventual all-time great scarer is someone who spent most of his life coasting on nepotism and natural talent, without putting in the labor and study it took Mike to get to the same place. That sets the pair up as foils to one another in the early going, and creates plenty of room for both conflict and eventual earned understanding between the two of them as the movie progresses.
Amid that strong character backdrop, the film offers tons of gorgeous and eye-catching (and slightly more literal) backdrops as well. Monsters University is a quantum leap forward from its predecessor in terms of aesthetics. The characters all have cartoony but nuanced and emotionally resonant expressions. The animators went wild with tons of inventive character designs synced with distinctive animation to match. The collegiate setting gives the background designers an excuse to do scads of monster-y takes on the usual ivy-lined environments. Candy-colored beasties dot the screen, giving a sense of brightness and verve. And at times, the visuals even veer into straight horror, making the most of the chill factor right when it’s needed. The fur is furrier; the scales are scalier, and the figures and surroundings are more expressive and real.
That extends to Mike and Sully’s new (old?) pals. The pair join the lowest rung fraternity on campus, Oozma Kappa, in the hopes of proving their mettle by competing in the scare games. What’s more, in one of those types of wagers that only exist in college movies, they bet the dean that if they win, they’ll be readmitted to the school’s scaring program, and if not, they’ll leave the university altogether, adding some stakes. Their escapades through the various events and around campus give the movie the opportunity to riff on all the cinematic clichés for institutions of higher learning with a delightfully monster-y twist and lots of winning physical humor.
But the scare games also allow the film to zero in on its major theme -- that there’s no one single way to be useful or successful. Instead, there’s tons of approaches to being a success in your chosen field, and everyone has strengths that, when recognized rather than marginalized, can prove useful and even vital, regardless of whether they fit the usual mold. Age, quietness, and other unique qualities that people feel are hindrances can instead be valuable avenues to achieving your dreams.
Monsters Inc. doesn’t stop there though. It takes to heart the philosophical conflict that Mike and Sully represent, even when the pair are on the same page. In the movie’s most emotional scene, Mike laments that no matter how hard he works, he’ll never be scary, that he lacks the in-born talents to be great in his passion. And for his part, Sully confesses his constant terror at trying to live up to his family legacy and not let anyone down. It’s not a trite “We’re not so different, you and I” coming together of former rivals, but rather a sincere and piercing admission of personal insecurities and even failings that bring the two closer together.
In one of Pixar’s cleverer third act climaxes, Mike and Sully have to work together to reopen the door back to the Monster World after a foolhardy effort by Mike to prove himself goes awry. The effort requires scaring adults, and the creativity and innovation Mike shows, with his scare-tastically gifted but less cerebral partner in tow, proves the unprecedented things the two can accomplish when they align their talents’ with one another. It is, as the scary but Anton Ego-esque dean finally admits, something surprising, a feature the duo bring as they slowly but surely work their way to the top of Monsters Inc.
Most movies don’t go for that extra layer, especially sequels, prequels, and spin-offs. Monsters University is judicious with its call-forwards and references to its predecessor, instead focusing on crafting a new chapter of Mike and Sully’s story that can stand on its own.
But where the movie does feed into their later adventures is the idea when working as a team, the pair are ready for anything, with Sully able to use his natural talents in impressive ways and Mike able to deploy lateral thinking and improvisation that makes him vital as a coach and forward-thinking player in their world. That leaves the two of them poised and ready for the big changes to come, and mark Monsters University as a late-arriving prequel that nevertheless manages to punch, scratch, and scare above its weight.
I might be the only person who enjoyed this one more than the first film :)
One of my favourite childhood cartoon. Definetely deserves an 10/10.
Pixar didn't hit all that well with this one. A bit unfunny, and the story are not really worthy a Disney/Pixar production. The quality of the animation are excelent as usuall though, and the bright colours are bound to make this your kids favorite for a while.
When the animation (the assumption for children) amuses me, more than 20-year-old groupie drama and no happy ending, just know that something's up. Ravishing movie!
I was the Best Boy and was sexually harrassed on the set of this movie by Helen Mirren while Buscemi hid in the corner... Hollywood...a university of monsters
I enjoyed the original monsters inc so much , that this was slightly a let down. It's hard to improve on something so amazing and unfortunately they didn't quite manage it. However, this film is a good film in it's own right and still has a lot of humour and heart.
Great positive message at the end.
Very nice! Good moments!
As good as Toy Story 2. Unbelievably funny and good as the first.
Very worth watching if you enjoyed monsters inc
Saw the first one yesterday for the first time, and I must say I think I even like this one even over the first one
Was better than monsters inc, but still average.
i wanna hug baby mike so bad :(
small mike was super adorable
Thank God for Monsters at Work
Monsters University receives C, as in cliché. It's a low grade effort with much of its average work copied and lacking in originality. It passes, but with little class.
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.
Cute, inoffensive family fare; it's nice to get back in touch with two of my favorite Pixar characters, but this film is so light, airy and spacious I couldn't help wondering if we all might have been better served by a short featurette. Most of the returning secondary cast is relegated to brief cameos - particularly Steve Buscemi's serpentine villain Randall, who pops in and out in a set of very brief flashes - and their replacements generally play one note at best. In its heart, Monsters U is dying to mimic the kind of campus-friendly formula perfected by Animal House and Revenge of the Nerds, but it's kneecapped by a much younger target audience and the cast feels almost universally shoehorned into unfamiliar terrain. It enjoys some lively moments and a few solid laughs, plus the banter between Goodman and Crystal is as sharp as ever, but the scope feels much, much smaller than the preceding Monsters Inc. and the story never really shifts out of first gear.
Movie was good with great animation. my rating would be 7.5 from 10
This movie’s story did not make sense to me, although it was funny and it was an okay sequel. Not Pixar’s best though. :)
Not bad but nowhere near as good as the original. It's great to spend more time with Mike and Sulley and college is a fun setting.
Yes, Ok Spoiler for those yet to see this or Monster Inc. (if you like movies start to finish then the would be #1)
Now, I'll agree with most, the sequel or should we say prequel could've been a little better from an adult's perspective, but from a child's the actions & facts say otherwise.
My children love this movie as the day they each saw it for!
Synopsis: You know the dynamic duo of Mike and Sulley from Monsters, Inc....but, do you know how they first met and became friends? All young Mike (Billy Crystal) has hoped for is to be a scarer at Monsters University...but, he gets upstaged by James P. Sullivan, a member of the legendary Sullivan family. After getting kicked out of the scaring program due to lack of scariness, Mike issues the dean of the college a challenge: If he can win a competition, they must readmit him. Unfortunately, Mike and his fraternity of misfits don't seem to be well-suited to the games. Will they emerge victorious, and get readmitted?
A Pixar film.
The Good: Words can't describe how blown away I was by the animation; it was so detailed, I thought I was watching either a live-action film or stop-motion animation. The lighting, the scenery, the character designs...all incredible. It's also fun to see what happened before Mike and Sulley met Boo, and...well, you know that story. The narrative of the film is inspiring, and the content is very clean.
The Bad: Like with the other film in this series, some moments could be scary for young children; for older fans of movies like this, though, it's no big deal. That's really the only complaint I have.
Conclusion: It's been a while since I've seen it, due to us not having a DVD copy...but, Monsters, Inc. is my favorite Pixar film. It's much funnier than Finding Nemo and easier to appreciate on a small screen than The Incredibles, not that those flicks weren't great in their own right. I had my doubts on how Pixar could follow that film up...but, they did a bang-up job, especially with the animation. If Pixar keeps making movies like this, they've got my support.
Score: 5/5
Definitely not as good as Monsters Inc. I enjoyed it but the concept was hard to follow and it was kinda boring! Would not recommend this movie to any who have seen Monsters Inc., because it doesn't have Roz, Boo, Mr. Waternoose, or any of the other monsters except Mike and Sulley, but like Roz, "I am watching, always watching!"
Watched this recently on free TV: not as brilliant as "Monsters Inc." was back in 2001 but still quite enjoyable, Monsters University is a direct prequel to Monsters Inc. and tells the story of how Mike and Sulley became best friends in their university days and how they ended up at Monsters Inc.
So much better than classic (old) Disney movies and new Disney movies done in the old (classic) way like "Tangled"!
While Monster University isn't without charm; it doesn't feel fresh. Since there has been so many underdog sorority films in the past. Especially in the last decade with films like Old School, House Bunny and Sydney White.
A pretty average film compared to the original, but it's still good to see these guys again.
como hay q hacer para verla no me deja ami??? me ayudan
I really enjoy it, i had a fun time watching it.
Awesome! It's incredible the strength that this movie has to send your mind back to the first time that these two little monsters appeared on the big screens. I was just a little kid when the first movie came out and watching this it's like being child again.
Leaving memories apart and judging the movie for what it is, I can say that it's never boring and very funny.
Not near as good as the first.
Aw, this was cute! Not as cool as Monsters Inc., but still a fabulous prequel. I'm disgruntled they're not selling adult frat and sorority gear, though. I'm a PNK, through and through.
How I watch this movie?? Where is play??
I definitely loved the first part. The second one was just okay, not over the top though.
Nice prequal to Monsters Inc.
Another great movie from Pixar! Recommended!
Loved the first one, sadly I was disappointed here. Very predictable and the gags felt tired and uninspired. For the first time in a Pixar film, I fell asleep at one point.
just plain bad. Same old story with nothing to add.
Since I loved Monsters Inc. so much I was afraid for this one but I enjoyed watching it and I had good laughs! It's definitely not a film just for kids the adults will connect with it as well.
Monster's world continues to be as colorfull as ever and we can finally see where the friendship between Mike and Sully came from. The addiction of some funny characters were great!
I guess the only thing at turns this film a little bit down is the fact that it will be predictable because you already know what will happen to Mike and Sully. Apart from that I think it's funny, cute and very well made, once again.
Definitely recommend if you loved the first one
MUITOOO LEGAL...depois de 12 anos, somos presenteados por um ótimo filme, obrigado Disney e Pixar ---
Shout by ALAMLEDPVIP 5BlockedParent2023-01-06T15:45:25Z
"Monsters University" is a well-made and well-written movie that follows two monsters as they attend college and learn to work together. As the story progresses, the characters face challenges and learn important lessons about friendship and determination.
One of the technical aspects of "Monsters University" that stood out to me was the animation. The characters and environments were beautifully rendered and the attention to detail was impressive. The voice acting was also top-notch, with each actor perfectly capturing the personality of their respective character.
In terms of the script, "Monsters University" does a great job of developing its characters and themes. The friendship between Mike and Sulley is well-written and believable, and the lessons they learn about teamwork and perseverance are well-integrated into the story. The plot also keeps things interesting with its mix of humor and drama.
Overall, "Monsters University" is a fun and enjoyable movie that I would give a rating of 8 out of 10. It has great technical aspects and a well-written script that make it a great choice for families and fans of the "Monsters, Inc." franchise.