Monsters University

Pixar has been known for making great films.  Ask any Disney fan what their favorite Pixar movie is, and chances are good that they’ll have a hard time deciding (I know I do!).  But if it really comes down to it and I was forced to choose, I think I might have to say that Monsters Inc. is my favorite to date.  So knowing that, this prequel had a lot to live up to.

One of the things that I loved most about Monsters, Inc. was the unique concept behind the movie – getting to see the daily life of those monsters in your closet that you were so scared of as a kid.  Monsters University has the advantage of still having that interesting premise.  Even with the advantage, though, MU is still smart and creative, and doesn’t just rest on the fact that it had a popular movie to back it up.

The best thing about the film was that I found it absolutely hilarious.  There are so many laugh out loud moments, and that’s what I loved about the original.  It’s just a feel good movie, and we need those in the world.  There are lots of great quotes and one-liners here, from almost every character.

Speaking of characters, I also love character driven pieces, and this definitely was one.  Even though the Scare Games are arguably what pushes the plot forward, we don’t even get to that part until about halfway through the movie.  The first half is getting to know Mike, Sully, and to some extent Randall.  I adore Mike Wazowski, so I loved that this movie was more centered on him.  It was also extremely interesting to see how both Sully and Randall evolved into the characters that we know in Monsters, Inc.  Sully was just the type of person that I hated at first!  And in the beginning Randall would’ve been the guy that I would have been friends with, so it’s funny to see how they change.

And then, of course, there’s a whole host of new monsters to get to know and love.  Mike and Sully’s new fraternity brothers are such an interesting bunch.  You’ve got Squishy, Art, Don, Terri and Terry.  Someone asked me who my favorite new character was, and I thought that was a great question.  I originally said Squishy, but after seeing the movie a second time I think I would have to go with Terri & Terry.  They are all funny and loveable in their own way!

The one slightly negative thing I will say about the film is that is played it slightly safe – most twists and turns of plot were fairly predictable.  This, of course, is partly due to the fact that it’s a prequel.  We already know that Mike and Sully will become friends, Randall will turn “bad,” and that they will all eventually become scarers.  But they still throw in a few surprises, and the film is so funny and great with the characters that I don’t really mind at all that it was also predictable.

Overall I loved Monsters University – enough to see it in the theaters twice, which is something I almost never do!  I highly recommend it if you haven’t seen it, and I know I can’t wait until it comes out on DVD!

What did you think of Monsters University?  Who’s your favorite new character?