Not perfect, but a solid follow-up

Rating: 8/10 (14 August 2019)

In June of 2013, I was a twelve-year old kid who was over-the-moon that the sequel to her favorite childhood movie was finally being released in theaters. Ever since I first saw the movie, I was hoping that in some way, we'd get more of Mike and Sulley, and sure enough, my wish was granted. Monsters University is a movie that takes a route not usually seen in animated successors: it's a prequel! When I first discovered this, I was slightly disappointed we wouldn't be seeing Boo as a teenager or adult, but what we got instead remained nothing short of amazing.
The movie revolves around our two main characters, Mike and Sulley, during their first year in college at the prestigious fictional school Monsters University. Mike is your A+, diligent student who worked insanely hard to earn a spot in the freshman class. Sulley, on the other hand, got into the school based on a legacy status. His father previously attended the school and was a well-known scare major. Both students are polar opposites of each other, but throughout the film, they become unlikely friends.
One thing in particular I like about the movie was the realness of it. From the beginning, they make it clear that some of the monster students would not make it through the first semester in their major, which is very true at some schools. College is a beast for many people, and especially at an Ivy-caliber school, you have to keep up with all your schoolwork, on top of activities, friends and a possible job in order to succeed. The movie definitely proves this description to be true. Based solely on the prior statement, it would appear that Mike would excel in the scaring program; however, because he isn't scary and lacks the talent to be an excellent scarer, he gets kicked out. Sulley possesses all the talent in the world, but because he doesn't have a good work ethic, he gets ejected as well. I love how the film gives each character flaws, and shows that either extreme student type comes with problems. I actually relate a lot to Mike. In middle and high school, I was always the "perfect" student, getting good grades, never getting in trouble, winning all the awards, etc. However, in my major (which is, ironically, animation) I lack a lot of the drawing skills my fellow peers have had for years. So, no matter how hard I work, I will never be the most amazing artist in the room. However, that won't stop me from bettering my artistic self and working towards achieving my goal of having a job somewhere in the animation industry.
Being set in a new location and during a new time period, it makes sense that the film would include many characters not seen in Monsters Inc. Luckily, pretty much all of them add a lot of good merits to the prequel. Weirdly enough, Randall is actually a good guy in the movie (until the very end), so he does not return as an antagonist. Instead, we get Johnny J. Worthington III and the Roar Omega Roar frat, who compete against Mike and Sulley's frat in the scare games. Johnny is your stereotypical "leader of the pack" frat boy; jerky, full of himself, and likes to put others down. Nathan Fillion does a great job getting his suave personality down. His cronies, especially Chet Alexander, make for some chuckles throughout. The other antagonist we see in the film is Dean Hardscrabble, who makes the deal with Mike to let his team back into the scaring program if they win the scare games. Helen Mirren nails her cryptic, serious tone. On that note, there really isn't any bad voice actor or actress here. The movie was extremely well casted all around, for characters new and old. The members of Oozema Kappa are more wonderful additions to the movie. You can't help but fall in love with them throughout. Squishy's mother was hysterical, and the bit where it's revealed that she and Don are getting married at the end is sure to get some big laughs. I liked how each member of Oozema Kappa all found their own ways to succeed in scaring. Sure, they weren't scary in the way that most think of the word, but by using their unique talents, they were able to prove themselves "scare-worthy." I think that's a good message for kids and adults alike. I also enjoyed the many references to the first film sprinkled throughout, from them showcasing the Monsters Inc. building several times in the film to Roz getting her own cameo.
While I thought highly of the movie overall, there were a few minor things I was disappointed with. Firstly, since I love Randall, I would have liked to have seen just a bit more of him. Second of all, the film didn't have as much comedy as the first one did. Monsters Inc. was filled to the brink with plenty of sarcasm and witty one liners, something I felt that Monsters University lacked. That is not to say, however, that it wasn't funny. While Monsters University didn't have as many laugh out loud moments, it had plenty of scenes that made me giggle, smile or chuckle. Also, the beginning of the film was a tad slow; it didn't really start to get exciting until the scare games kick-off. Additionally, I noticed that some of the same background music was used in certain scenes. Some may say that this was a clever throwback to the original film, but to me, it felt like lazy nostalgia. Finally, the abominable snowman appearance at the end was more random than funny. I get that Ratzenberger needed to be in it somewhere, but how did the abominable snowman go from working at Monsters Inc. to living in the Himalayas? What could have been a great moment was ruined by the logic working against it.
Overall, this was a fantastic follow-up to Monsters Inc. Of course, I like the original better and do believe it is the superior film, but that's not to say that its sequel isn't something that can be enjoyed by fans. Recently, I rewatched Monsters University to celebrate my send off to college, which is why I am writing this review. Despite what others think, this will always be a special film to me, especially now that I am going to live it (well, kind of...).