Monsters University is the latest movie from Pixar. Its a prequel to the classic Monsters Inc. but this time we find out that Sully and Mike were not always friends. Monsters University brings back characters and settings you love but brings a fresh feel to the beloved universe. Monsters University may not be up there with recent greats such as Toy Story 3 but it remains a powerful addition to the Pixar lineup.
Monsters University is the first prequel from Pixar and only the 4th revisit to a previously made universe, this time directed by Dan Scanlon. The original trailers may have been off-putting to some, coming across as a more cheesy comedy with college stereotypes but thankfully the movie has the heart that we love to see from a Pixar film. The film only gently pulls on your heart strings but nostalgic feelings from your childhood may make an appearance.
Monsters Inc. was released in 2001, directed by Pete Docter as the fourth film by Pixar Animation Studios. The concept was genius, what would a world be like inhabited by monsters? The clever use of children’s screams to power the monster city gave monsters a job to collect that scream. The simple notion of having children viewed as toxic gave the plot its premise as a child finds its way into the monster world.
As with any sequel or prequel, the audience are already familiar with the main characters. The prequel gives us a chance to see a side of Mike and Sully that we may not be aware of. Seeing Mike and Sully as rivals is amusing but we also root for them to become the friends we know from Monsters Inc. Billy Crystal and John Goodman return to play Michael Wazowski and James P. Sullivan respectively and Steve Buscemi returns to play Randall Boggs who in his college years is not so mean as he appears in Monsters Inc. Other characters do make the odd cameo but other than the trio, the cast is a whole new set of monsters for us to marvel at, you’re bound to have a favourite in the end.
The plot has Sully and Mike work together in order to stay in the university, they have to make some unusual friends in order to win a scaring contest held by the school. The movie will have you laughing on many occasions regardless of how old you are, this is a movie for everyone.
I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and look forward to buying it on blu-ray when its released.