Would Should Watch "Monsters University"

Monsters University - Movie Review

If you have seen Monsters Inc. then you are very well aware of the ultimate "scare team": Mike and Sulley. The two powerhouse monsters from Monsters Incorporated were not always the prime example of what a scare team should be. The story takes place at a time when Mike and Sulley, were not Mike and Sulley. It takes place at the very beginning: a young Mike Wazowski (and by young I mean very child young) on a class Field Trip to Monsters Incorporated, where the inspiration for pursuing a career in scaring takes hold in his mind. In order to do that, he'll have to learn from the best: Monsters University. Mike climbs his way up the academic ladder and gets accepted into the Scaring School of Monsters University. It is here that he meets Jimmy P. Sullivan who will eventually be known as Sulley. The two don't start off on good terms but eventually find themselves confronted with a situation that could make or break them at the University.

The Problem with Prequels

Monsters University, is a prequel. This is an area that Pixar has not adventured in before. They have done sequels which help progress the characters forward and add more depth to them. However, the thing about Prequels is simply this: we know what happens to them. We know that Mike and Sulley will succeed, in some form or another. We know how their relationship is going to wind up in the end. Mike (Billy Crystal) will be the coach and Sulley (John Goodman) will be the scare master. The premise of seeing how they come together was not really something that was on people's minds when they watched Monsters Inc. However there are some rare occasions when a Prequel Works.

What I liked about "Monsters U."

1. The evolution of Mike's character. His origin was the most interesting of the duo. While we know Mike doesn't wind up being a scarer in Monsters Inc. it is interesting to point out that being a scarer was his original dream to begin with.
2. Sulley, or rather Jimmy, in the film as a cockier version of himself. While I found it cliche that they went with the most obvious angle for his character's origin, a cocky jerk who turns out to be a softy, the way it was handled was so well that the cliche could be forgiven. Besides, what else were they going to do?
3. Oozma Kappa Fraternity. The characters in Oozma Kappa were both fun and a great representation of Pixar at their best. The stand out of the bunch was Art voiced by "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's" Charlie Day.
4. All the voice acting was superb. With voice cameos all around, it all felt natural to watch and absorb. It never felt like someone was in there as a gimmick. It all just worked.
5. The twist of how they really end up to work at Monsters Inc. was obviously well thought out and a clever way of throwing viewers off with how you expect the story to go.

What I didn't like about "Monsters U."

I really only have one thing to say which is, that twist I mentioned before. That twist really makes me question the message that this movie is trying to send. Obviously education is important, but given what happens in the movie it makes it seems like it isn't. Not that there's anything wrong with what they did, it just makes me wonder what kind of message they're trying to send to children. It makes sense to us who are in college, however I don't know what this could mean to kids who see it. That's just me. You can interpret it anyway you want. I suppose it means: Never Give Up On Your Dreams.

Verdict: A great pixar film, not amazing and emotional, but great

8/10 - This isn't Pixar's best film, but it is pure entertainment!

Who Should Watch Monsters University?

This is definitely a film that everyone can see. However if you have a really big problem with prequels, then this probably isn't for you. If you have a strong hatred for Pixar (I know a few people who don't like Pixar) or animated movies made from America in general (same exact people I'm talking about earlier) then by all means save the trouble of everyone else who want to enjoy it. It seems pointless to watch a movie you know you're going to hate just to prove that you hate it. You're just wasting money. Whereas the people who will watch this will find their money's worth. It isn't going to reach the emotional highs that previous Pixar films had achieved (sans Cars 2 and Brave) but it is definitely a fun and enjoyable movie to watch.