‘Monsters University:’ A fun movie
For a Pixar fanatic like myself, “Monsters University” is a must-see, but it is also enjoyable for any audience. This prequel shows how the protagonists of “Monsters Inc.” got their start as scarers, monsters who go into the human world and collect scream energy to power the city. As it turns out, future scarers get their start at Monsters University.
Surprisingly, the familiar characters Mike and Sulley start off as enemies in the movie. Mike is hard-working and studious; Sulley is laid back and convinced he can pass no matter what he does. Without spoiling too much, both eventually need to work together and beat all odds if they want a chance at being a scarer. In “Monsters Inc.,” only Sulley was a scarer and Mike was his coach. This may be confusing to fans of the first film because Mike’s entire motivation is to be a scarer. Luckily, all loose ends are tied up, though this does not happen until the end.
Because this is a college movie, all the tropes are present in “Monsters University” and it is fun to see their monster equivalent. Cramming for tests, partying and overly cheery people on the first day are only a few of the familiar scenarios that appear. Pixar once again shows its dedication by creating thousands of monsters that may appear for a split second. Most of the characters did not appear in the original movie, but the ones that did are fleshed out and audiences can understand why personality changes occurred in the monsters. There are many callbacks to the original, so it is best to watch Inc. first. That one was good, too.
The sets are nice, the monster variation is impressive, and the new main and supporting characters are creative and interesting. Even though a prequel to Inc. may not have been necessary, “Monsters University” is still a fun movie. And of course, Pixar fans can have fun with the annual “spot the Luxo ball” contest.
Jeremy Farbman is a freshman at Mt. Lebanon High School.