Arts & Entertainment
'Monsters University' Trailer and Reviews
Pixar rolls out a prequel to its 2001 film "Monsters Inc." this weekend.
The premise, courtesy of the film's official website:
Ever since college-bound Mike Wazowski (voice of Billy Crystal) was a little monster, he has dreamed of becoming a scarer — and he knows better than anyone that the best scarers come from Monsters University (MU). But during his first semester at MU, Mike’s plans are derailed when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, “Sulley” (voice of John Goodman), a natural-born scarer. The pair’s out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University’s elite Scare Program. To make matters worse, they realize they will have to work together, along with an odd bunch of misfit monsters, if they ever hope to make things right.
'Monsters University' feels like one of those direct-to-video knock-offs favoured by Pixar’s corporate parent Disney, rather than something that came from the heart or brain. —Peter Howell, The Star
... there's a point at which creative security can become complacency, and that's where Pixar finds itself with Monsters University, which isn't a bad movie at all. But it's disappointing. The movie is mostly fun and ultimately disposable, which is a letdown after Pixar's previous greatness. On the Pixar curve, a B grade doesn't pass. —Steve Persall, Tampa Bay Times
'Monsters University,' the weirdly charmless sequel to the animated 2001 Pixar hit 'Monsters, Inc.,' is no better or worse than the average (and I mean average) time-filling sequel cranked out by other animation houses. ... But this time the calculation is all too evident. Pixar has worked wonders. Just not lately, and not yet with sequels. — Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
The movie is not up to the company’s highest standards, but it’s certainly better than most other kid flicks you’ll see this year. ... There are few real surprises, several lost opportunities and some blunt moral lessons noticeably lacking in Pixar’s usual subtle complexity. — Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
This is not a bad movie, and to small children it will be a very good one. But it is closer to average than one would wish from the company that gave us 'Up,' 'Wall-E,' 'The Incredibles,' and 'Toy Story 3,' all films with depths that flatter older viewers and challenge the young. — Ty Burr, The Boston Globe
"Monsters University" is rated G. The movie runs 1 hour and 42 minutes.
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