Well, I'll admit I wasn't expecting much from Monsters University. I thought the original Monsters Inc. was a pretty-good movie, but not among Pixar's best. Since I'd first heard about Monsters U, it always struck me as being the sequel (or prequel) nobody asked for.

Also, it's been pretty frustrating watching Pixar deteriorate into a sequel machine. Toy Story 3, Cars 2, Monsters U... 3 of their last 4 films were sequels. 4 out of 5 if you count Planes (which was actually made by Disney Toons, but it's still a spin-off of a Pixar movie).

That said, I have to admit I enjoyed Monsters U. If anything, I think it's a better film than Monsters Inc. Monsters U follows the story of how Mike and Sully first met (although the story is more about Mike), and their efforts to become Scaring Majors in college. What follows is a Pixar version of a typical college comedy, albeit a very sanitized one. In fact, if I had a complaint about the film, is that it felt too sanitized. While there are some funny moments (and jabs at the usual college stereotypes), the movie always plays it very safe. There's nary a hint of drinking, carousing, or other decidedly non-G-rated shenanigans of most college movies. Even the stereotypes (jocks, cheerleaders, goths, frat boys) are all somewhat generic. There are very few characters that really stand out, and most are there merely to service the story. Admittedly, they're not the point of the movie - the relationship of Mike and Sully is - but I would've liked to have seen them take more chances and push things a little further. I hate to use the word "edgy", but certainly a more biting satire would have been in order. Or a more pointed parody. What's there is a good start, but I kept wondering how much more funny it could've been if they weren't trying to reign in their humor and make it family-friendly. (I should note that I'm all for family-friendly films. But a film about college that gets too sanitized just lacks honesty. I went to three colleges and have worked at one for many years. College is anything but sanitized.)

Despite that, the plot (while predictable) works well, as typical college movie clichés are nicely reworked to fit within the Monsters world. The story points make sense and the whole concept of a Monsters University works within the context of the film and justifies the story. I was worried this was just an idea thrown together to justify making a sequel (or prequel, in this case), but the story and in particular the character developments are strong enough in their own right. And while most of the story falls along predictable lines (see also: Midnight Madness), in the third act the movie takes a turn which really surprised me and took things in a (literally) unexpected direction. I thought it was the best part of the film.

While a lot of the ancillary characters are generic, there are a few standouts among the supporting cast. Art (one of their fraternity brothers) is particularly funny, as is Ms. Squibbles (the mother of one of their other frat brothers). Also, Dean Hardscrabble is amazing - one of Pixar's better characters and easily one of the best from the Monsters movies. Also, Claire (the president of the Greek Council), has a great design which instantly conveys her personality. Less like "let's design a monster" and more of a caricature. I wish they'd pushed some of the other character designs in that direction.

Billy Crystal is really the heart and soul of the movie though. He brings a great performance to Mike Wazowski, and there are some genuinely heartwarming as well as really funny moments from him.

I do have one big gripe with the film though. And I don't know if they did this just to throw the audience a curveball, or they thought it was "realistic" or just their best solution. But the moral of the story seems to be,

And while I doubt that was their intent, that's certainly how it came across to me.

Anyway, Monsters University was a pretty good movie overall. It was a fun take on college comedies (if not satirical enough for my tastes), had some nice nods to Monsters Inc. for fans of that movie, yet it wasn't just a rehash of it. There were some good character moments, and I liked seeing where these characters came from. If anything, they were more likable here than in Monsters Inc., and there were enough funny moments to keep me entertained.

I saw Monsters U in 3D, which worked very well. Movies rendered as 3D to begin with look far better than converted ones. That said, I don't think it really added anything to it either.

I'd give Monsters University a 6.9/10. (The sad thing is, their fictional campus has a better website than the one for the college I work for. )

The new Pixar short that preceded it - The Blue Umbrella - was decent enough, but not one of their better efforts. The story felt an awful lot like Disney's Paperman, or something I'd see from students where I work (and that's not a jab at the students, but I expect a different level of storytelling from Pixar).