Monsters University Review - Pixar Scares Up Some Laughs, Twists and a Lot of Fun

*This review is largely spoiler free, and most plot-details mentioned are evident in the trailers, but read cautiously if you haven’t seen the film yet*

Pixar are the gold standard of animation. Once upon a time that was Disney, and if all stays as is it might well be again sometime in the near future, but since 1995, Pixar have been fully leading the animation revolution. We've gone from a time when Disney was more or less the only source of feature animation, to a time when there's about a dozen mainstream animation studios. That's thanks to Pixar. Toy Story was a complete game-changer - revolutionary both visually and thematically - and since then the studio have created classics like The Incredibles and Up. Since 2011 and Cars 2 though, it seems faith in the studio has been broken: that film was widely panned, Brave got a much harsher reception than it deserved, and their fourteenth feature film, Monsters University, has been received - while rather more warmly than the previous two films - to a kind of glum acceptance unfitting of a Pixar film.

An editorial Munir wrote recently has stayed with me; Pixar haven't lost a step, they're not slumping, they're not making poor films, but it is undeniable that their last three films aren't their greatest. The key line, I thought, was "Toy Story 3 is Pixar's Lion King," meaning, once you have reached the absolute pinnacle of creative, critical and commercial success, there's nowhere to go but down. So, while Monsters University is not Pixar's finest film, while it's not as good or as groundbreaking as Monsters, Inc. was 12 years ago, it is still a fine piece of cinema, a testament to great storytelling, and proof that Pixar isn't going anywhere fast.

Billy Crystal on Monsters U: Voicing Mike Again and the Ending

Billy Crystal has always been vocal in his love of Monsters, Inc., specifically his own character in the film, Mike Wazoswki. And in a recent interview with THR, the When Harry Met Sally... star gushed about being back in Monstropolis for the prequel, Monsters University.

"He’s my favorite character I’ve ever played" the co-vocal lead says of Mike, while also singing the praises of co-star, John Goodman, and the chemistry the two have created on-screen, saying:

"We do it together and he’s a genius. That’s why I think there’s a lot of affection between Mike and Sulley on the screen -- the relationship between the two of us is so real. We really love working with each other."

Crystal (pictured, top, with Monsters U director, Dan Scanlon) also speaks about the film's ending so avert your eyes now if you want to avoid spoilers - that said, it's pretty tame given that it's a prequel:

"The movie ends with us walking into Monsters, Inc. and working in the mail room."

Monsters University looks every bit as great as the original, and the anticipation only grows and grows with every detail we're drip-fed. The film will be released almost 12 years after the original, on 21st June, 2013 (US) and 12th July, 2013 (UK).

Related news: Apply to Monsters University Now! No, Really. and Monsters University Plot Details Emerge

Via The Pixar Post.

Apply to Monsters University Now! No, Really.

Damn Pixar, you know how to market a film.

Pixar have gone viral with the marketing of their next feature film, the prequel to 2001's Monsters, Inc., Monsters University. The studio have launched a super clever, super cool and - oddly - super believable website for Monsters University - the place, not the film. It has an admissions page, a list of clubs, professors (that presumably will feature in the film), a map (below), a student portal and even a functioning MU store! Pixar have really gone the whole hog on this one!

Check out more awesomeness after the jump break!

Brilliant Monsters University Teaser(s) and Concept Art!

As promised, Pixar have finally released the first fantastic teaser trailer for their Monsters, Inc. prequel, Monsters University - actually make that teaser trailers, there's four! The four teasers are more or less identical, but apparently Billy Crystal (voice of Mike Wazowski) was so funny in his reading of four different possibilities, that they decided to release them all!

The first version (above) arrived on via Pixar's official YouTube channel this morning, and we get three more versions from Yahoo! Movies, iTunes Movie Trailers,  and The Huffington Post, check them all out below:

Yahoo! Movies


iTunes Movie Trailers


Huffington Post

The main thing to note is, as we've been told consistently since CinemaCon, the teaser is hilarious; the younger character models are also fantastic and the university looks great. But most of all, it's great to see Mike and Sulley back on our screens again after 11 years. Monsters U looks phenomenal!

In addition, we've been treated to some fantastic concept art from the film (presumably, although not stated, by the film's art director, Dice Tsutsumi). The two pieces (above and below) are wonderfully reminiscent of the original 2001 film, whilst also adding a new dynamic to the film - The Art of Monsters University will surely be a must-buy!

I'm curious to see how Pixar handles its first prequel and continues from Monsters, Inc. and greatly anticipate hearing more and more about it going forward, now that Brave is almost out. The synopsis reads:

Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan are an inseparable pair, but that wasn’t always the case. From the moment these two mismatched monsters met they couldn’t stand each other. “Monsters University” unlocks the door to how Mike and Sulley overcame their differences and became the best of friends.

Screaming with laughter and fun, “Monsters University” is directed by Dan Scanlon (“Cars,” “Mater and the Ghostlight,” “Tracy”) and produced by Kori Rae (“Up,” “The Incredibles,” “Monsters, Inc.”). The film opens in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2013, and will be shown in Disney Digital 3D™ in select theaters.

First Look at Brave

Dutch blog, Animatie, (that a while back started the rumours that Monsters, Inc. 2 was in fact a prequel) gives us our first still (above) from Pixar's upcoming 2012 fairytale, Brave. The still looks to be the fully rendered version of the concept art we saw a while back.

Also, it is likely that this still will feature somewhere or other in the upcoming teaser trailer, to be attached to Cars 2.

Monsters University Logo and Synopsis Revealed

Disney and Pixar have revealed a little bit more about Monsters University, the 2013 prequel to 2001's Monsters, Inc.

Firstly, we have the above logo, the official logo for the film, it's simple, but it's effective. It's a nice combination of the classic Monsters, Inc. logo and vintage varsity writing.

Secondly, Disney and Pixar have also released the official synopsis for the film (below):

Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan are an inseparable pair, but that wasn’t always the case. From the moment these two mismatched monsters met they couldn't stand each other. Monsters University unlocks the door to how Mike and Sulley overcame their differences and became the best of friends.

As is to be expected from Pixar, it sounds great, a nice way to break up the massive stack of Pixar sequels as of late (with Toy Story 3 last year and Cars 2 due out this year) and I can't wait to see what Pixar'll do with a prequel.

The film is set to be directed by Dan Scanlon and produced by Kori Rae (A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., The Incredibles, Up) and is due to be released on 21st June, 2013.

Monsters University Delayed

2012 was due to be the year where Pixar changed their game plan and brought out 2 films in the same year, but no longer. Next year Pixar were due to release Brave and Monsters University (formerly Monsters, Inc. 2), however today (via Box Office Mojo) we were infiormed that MU has been delayed from November 2, 2012 to June, 2013. Whilst this is by no stretch a bad thing, as it means Pixar will have more time to try and live up to the original Monsters, Inc. and retain their standard, it seems bizarre that this announcement should come just after so much news about the film had been revealed.

I'm sad that I'll now have to wait until June 21, 2013 for the film, but I'm assuming it's for the best.

Monsters University Gets its Director



A week after Floyd Norman let it slip that "Monsters2" (now Monsters University) was to be helmed by a new director, we find out just who that is.

According to Mike of The Pixar Blog and other sources, at the Cars 2 Blogger event today, it was announced that Mater and the Ghost Light co-director, Dan Scanlon, will direct Pixar's first prequel. Scanlon also did storyboards on Cars and on Toy Story 3. Once again, it's great to see Pixar trust a new director with one of their established franchises.

Sure, it's no Bob Peterson, but I'm still excited to see how Dan fairs in the director's chair!

Monsters University

Months after all of the rumours that Monsters, Inc. 2 might in fact not be the sequel we expected, but rather a prequel, we get confirmation. We now know that not only is the film a prequel, but that it is not Monsters, Inc. 2 at all, the title for the film is Monsters University. This more or less confirms the rumours about the plot.

This announcement was made at today's CinemaCon event in Las Vegas and is, needless to say, very exciting.

Now if we could just find out who the director is...

Rumour: Monsters, Inc. 2 to be Helmed by New Director

You've met Floyd Norman before. The notorious Disney blabbermouth who has a tendency to leak things on Twitter, last year he was the first to report that Newt was cancelled, most recently he leaked plot details about Pixar's upcoming Toy Story Toon, Hawaiian Vacation; and now he strikes again. Over the past couple of days, Norman has gave us the most information we've received about Monsters, Inc. 2 since the prequel rumours.

Floyd tweeted earlier this week that he'd just seen a screening of "Monsters2", he later tweeted that it is "Nice to see a new director helming Pixar's "Monsters2." Very refreshing.", this spurred all kinds of guesses as to whom this may be.

The Pixar Times has some interesting ideas as to who this director may be, the main choice to come up is one that I would very much like to see as a director, Bob Peterson. The co-director of Up and voice of Roz in the original Monsters, Inc. has never served as a solo director and it would be great to see Bob - who served as a storyboard artist in the first film - helm the sequel. However, it could be a new director all together, a la Lee Unkrich's fantastic effort with Toy Story 3. I guess only time will tell, nonetheless I trust Pixar to make the right choice.

On a side note, Pixar Talk has an article interviewing Pixar's Tom McCarthy, about MI1 director, Pete Docter's next feature; described as "ambitious".

Can't wait to here more about Pixar's 14th feature film, as Norman says "Pixar will tell you when they're ready".

Monsters, Inc. 2, A Prequel?

Is the upcoming 2012 Pixar sequel, Monsters, Inc. 2, in fact a prequel? Dutch animation blog Animatie says that it may well be. The rumours (and we have to assume they are such until an official announcement tells us otherwise) aparently stem from a 2011-2012 catalogue from Walt Disney Pictures. The catalogue aparently claims that the film will follow Mike and Sulley back when they were both studying at the Monstropolis University of Fear, and that they were indeed rivals.

Whilst I was really looking forward to a Monsters, Inc. sequel, to see where it would take the story and how emotional it would be - playing off the nostalgia factor, like Toy Story 3, a prequel sounds like a really original and interesting concept.

Also of note is the fact that Monsters, Inc. 2 is now scheduled to be released on 2nd November, 2012, exactly 11 years after the original film.