College - cartoon monster style, uniquely and well done

Rating: 9/10 (28 March 2014)

I have to admit something: I prefer "prequels" to sequels, and may have rated this a point higher than normal, but then again, I believe it fully deserved it. The one thing I like about a prequel is finding out how they became what they are now - the "before they were famous" story.
The animation is top-notch as is usual from Pixar. But I did feel the score isn't as good as it was in the original, but that may be due to this being a "college" movie, and thus lots of marching-band type scoring.
The story is excellent however. Sure, at times it's like a typical college movie - how the protagonists became best friends, the experiences that bonded them together, the hi-jinks and the one awesome event that defined their college experience. But it's not a typical setting (monsters, not people) and it's not a typical movie (animated effects vs real life), and that works in its favor, making this something unique and thoroughly enjoyable.
Check out how the typical college experience has been adapted for monsters, see some of the other characters (who are in the original film ) when they were younger, enjoy the references to the original film.
Adults will enjoy this, I believe, more than the kids (at least, I believe those with college experiences will). But the younger viewers will no doubt still enjoy the story and the action.