MU 2013- A Movie Review

Like any true 90's kid who grew up with Monsters Inc, I was very curious and excited when I heard Disney/Pixar was finally making a sequel to this great movie! (I was also a bit skeptical)

Rachel took Anna, Leah and I to the theater a day after the movie came out and I was really hoping I'd come out with the normal Pixar buzz. ;)

Let's just say my hopes were raised as I watched the *amazing* short, The Blue Umbrella! This short was one of my all time favorites and the animation was almost unbelievable! :) 

But back to the feature film. The movie starts out with a tiny green monster named Mike. 

You should recognize him. :D Mike is a eager monsterling who is a little nerdy and doesn't have many pals at school. He's friendly and curious and all-around, pretty loveable. Mike's biggest dream is to attend Monsters University and become the greatest scarer out there. 

Now fast-forward 12 or so years.

This is Mike grown-up. Finally entering Monsters U!           And this is the cocky, popular guy, Sulley.

They meet each-other in scaring class, and there's immediate enmity between the two. Mike is the friendly monster who "doesn't have a chance" to become any sort of scarer, and Sulley is the cool kid who never studies, and shows off all the time. 

The rest of the movie focuses on the campus-wide Scaring Games where every fraternity competes to be the top scarers. Mike (and Sulley, too, after a series of events) belong to the "no-account group of misfits", Oozma Kappa. 

Oh, and here's one important person I forgot to mention:

The dean of Monsters University, is no push over. Dean Hardscrabble has had a problem with both Mike and Sulley, ever since the destroyed her highest ranking can of screams ever. She has it out for the two of them and they have to fight hard to stay at Monsters U. 

The animation blows my mind!!!

The boys of Oozma Kappa realize they have a lot to learn when they enter the Scare Games. Leadership and teamwork are the main weaknesses, and they have to overcome the odds to stay in the game.

I'm not going to spoil the ending for you, in case you haven't seen this yet.....but I'll just say that the story finishes very nicely, and lessons were learned. :) All us young adults who loved Monsters Inc as kids, were going into this movie with background to the story. (or foreground...) We had connected with Mike and Sulley when we were young, so I was slightly giddy when they threw in easter eggs from the first movie! (notes from Celia, "Little Mikey", "Winds of Change" poster, etc)
I really did like the story in this one, though it wasn't as touching as the first. (But with the college environment you'd figure that. ;)  And pretty much the only thing I missed was the songs! I enjoyed the bits of song in the first (Putthatthingbackwhereitcamefromorsohelpme) and even the credit song wasn't very lyrical. :P That would be my only complaint. There's great laughs, great lessons, and GREAT animation to be had at Monsters U.

Over-all Rating: * * * * * (5 stars)
-Sarah