Movie Review: Monsters University

Monsters University by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

Recommended For: All Ages

Rating: G

Disney Pixar proudly presents the hilarious story of how two mismatched monsters met and became lifelong friends in a movie screaming with laughter and oozing with heart. Ever since college-bound Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) was a little monster, he’s dreamed of becoming a Scarer—and he knows better than anyone that the best Scarers come from Monsters University (MU). But during his first semester at MU, Mike’s plans are derailed when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, “Sulley” (John Goodman), a natural-born Scarer. The pair’s out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University’s elite Scare Program. With their dreams temporarily dashed, they realize they will have to work together, along with an odd bunch of misfit monsters, if they ever hope to make things right.

I loved this movie! Although from the trailers it looked silly, and because it was a Disney sequel (or prequel) I expected it to be lame, like most Disney sequels, this movie exceeded all my expectations and turned out to be great. About far more than Mike and Sulley's hilarious moments at college, this movie was a good story and had a few great messages. I view this not as "good for a sequel" but as a story that is good on its own.

Technical: 5/5
The technical aspects of this film, as it was Disney, was best of the best. It was very well-done. There was no bad acting as far as I could tell, though I'm usually not the best judge on that sort of stuff, and the animation was well-done.

Setting: 5/5
Like its predecessor, Monsters University is set in the monster world. Most of the movie was on the campus of Monsters University, with a few scenes at the scare floor and in the human world. The settings were realistic and believable.

Plot: 5/5
This is where Disney usually fails on their sequels. Their sequel plots are usually unoriginal, incredibly predictable, and have horrible morals. Monsters University had none of this. The plot was surprisingly original, not quite predictable, and actually did have some good morals. SPOILER ALERT I mean, I knew that they would eventually win the Scare Games, but who would've thought that Sulley would cheat on them and confess it, which eventually led to Mike and Sulley getting kicked out of Monsters University? I was also surprised that Mike and Sulley worked their way into the Scare Floor without college! Especially in these days where most people think you have to go to college to have a successful life. This viewpoint, especially by Disney, was surprisingly refreshing. END SPOILER ALERT I liked how the movie taught that it's okay to fail at achieving your dream and everybody is special. I especially liked how it showed why Randy hates Mike and Sulley so much. The plot of Monsters University was all-in-all very good.

Character Development: 5/5
Disney seems to always excel at developing characters, no matter how bad the plot is. This movie was no exception. The old characters were well-done, as well as the new ones. The various character arcs were all very well-done. The characters were not flat at all.

This movie was very good, with good morals, and very enjoyable. A good movie enjoyable for all ages.