On par with level 2 movies of Pixar

Rating: 8/10 (28 June 2014)

Pixar has made some very well regarded animation films that will surely stand the test of time as some of the best animated stories of all time. In level 1 of these movies, and the ones I consider classics we find Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2 (1999), Monsters Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004), Wall-E (2008), Up! (2009) and Toy Story 3 (2010). This prequel to one of the movies above is on par with level 2 of Pixar movies with movies like Cars (2006) and Ratatouille (2007). They don't necessarily disappoint, but they lack the powerful brilliance of the other films.
So the plot centers around young college freshmen and bitter enemies at first, Mike Wazowski (Crystal) and James P. Sullivan (Goodman), as they attempt to get their scaring majors at Monsters University. For little monster Mike, things are very tough to achieve and his main challenge in the movie is to work against adversity and prove to the whole school that he is scary. As for Sullivan, he seems to have it all easy and is very much admired by his fellow classmates due to his family's good name. But with the pressures of living up to the high standards he is expected to meet, he will have to find the strenght within him and believe in himself. Both these characters look to show this at the annual Scare Games, with the haunting Dean Hardscrabble watching their every move.
Like I said, the unique feeling of the first one is missing. While in Monsters Inc. Boo churned most of the heart, in this one the scenes involving Mike and Sullivan's vulnerability just don't match up, despite being great on their own. The laughter is as good, if slightly different from the previous movie. In the end, I think this movie is yet another delightful movie from the studio that has become the hit maker of Hollywood. Out of the two movies I prefer to watch MI, but don't pass out on this one either. It's a real treat.
Rating: 8/10