Not Pixar's Best, But Surprisingly Great

Rating: 7/10 (29 December 2014)

I had pretty low expectations for Monsters University. This is the third sequel Pixar's made out of their last four films, and after seeing the terrible reviews for Cars 2, I assumed this would be another safe way to cash in on old characters and rake in the merchandising money for Disney. Thankfully, this movie isn't just an easy cash grab – there is a solid story here, and while this isn't as amazing as Monsters Inc. or Pixar's other masterpieces, it's undeniably Pixar. The first half is a lot of light action and typical kids-movie goofiness – you'll become acquainted with many new monsters, none of which I found particularly interesting or funny. But after the silliness of the "Scare Games" are over, the movie takes a dramatic shift and delves into the motivations of Mike and Sulley along with their interesting, turbulent relationship. The final third of the movie features multiple surprising plot twists, and since most movies seem to get worse as they progress, I must applaud this one for doing the opposite. Throw in quite a few funny and interesting references/connections to Monsters Inc. and a strong ending that connects the two stories very nicely, and you have a very solid movie.
Not all sequels/prequels are amazing as Toy Story 2. If you're something of that caliber, you're going to be disappointed. But if you'll be satisfied with yet another funny, clever, and engaging Pixar film, I highly recommend Monsters U. It's great to see that Pixar still knows how to make a great movie.