A Thorough Analysis of Monsters University (2013) - A Prequel with Substance or Flawed Premise?

Monsters University (2013) has garnered mixed reviews from audiences. Some finds it funny and watchable, while others are left underwhelmed. This article aims to delve deeper into the nuances of this animated film, providing a comprehensive review.

Introduction

To begin with, Monsters University is a prequel to the beloved film Monsters Inc.. It attempts to delve into the college life of Mike Wazowski and Sulley, as well as their respective struggles and triumphs. However, the film faced criticism for its predictable storyline and poorly developed characters. This article shall explore the strengths and weaknesses of this film through the lens of several reviews.

General Reactions

The movie is generally seen as a "one-time watch" kind of film. As seen in the reviews below:

Review 1 - 5 Stars

"Heynto be honest i was not at all interested to watch this movie but i had to because of my younger sister as she conquered my rooms TV starterd watching HBO. But after about 20 mins i was totally into the movie watched till the end. it was funny and definitely one time watch."

Review 2 - 3 Stars

"Just an OK movie like the team of Sullivan and Mike OK. Not as great as first one but definitely one time watchable if you love animated movies. Could have shortened the movie a bit. The storyline was predictable and but there were some nice moments. The whole characterization of Sullivan as a person who cheats to win and happy go lucky guy didnt quite sync with his personality shown in 1st movie. Should have made a sequel and not a prequel"

Die-hard Fans' Perspective

For fans of Monsters Inc., there was a unanimous desire for this prequel to meet or exceed its predecessor. However, as seen in the review below:

Review 3 - 2 Stars

"Let me start by saying that Monsters Inc. is my favorite animated movie. Yes Ive seen all the works of Hayao Miyazaki and Wall-E and Up and Waking Life and Persepolis. Monsters Inc. is still my favorite animated movie. One can guess that my expectations were soaring to stratosphere when I went to watch Monsters University. I knew I was bound to get disappointed for Boo wouldnt be in this movie. Still I expected it to be at the very least be among the bests by Pixar."

Review 3 - 2 Stars Continued

"Still I expected that when someone asked me buts its way better than Cars 2. The voice actors and animators did an amazing job. They are not at fault here. Baby Mike was cute as a button. Had he shared screen space with Boo it would have put a million cat pictures from LolCats to shame. The old cast of voice over actors were awesome as usual but its the new ones that stood out for me. Hellen Mirren was amazing as Dean Hardscrabble and Nathan Fillion did a great job as Johnny too."

Review 3 - 2 Stars Continued

"The fault entirely lies with the script. Like all pixar films the story did have a lot of heart. It was a story about a teenagers hopes and dreams of making it big. The story was about dreams meeting reality. The story was about realizing of ones weaknesses and strengths and then readjusting of goals. The story was about not giving up to chase your dreams. Even when you know youre not going to get there try your fullest to get as close as you can. It would seem like a good story to have for an animated film. But then to make it funny and marketable they went ahead and added a pointless competition among college teams. Go ahead and look at all the done to death plots involving.

Critical Evaluation

The most notable issue with Monsters University is its structure and character development. The reviews highlight these aspects:

Characters and Plot

One of the main criticisms is the portrayal of characters, particularly Sulley and his team, Oozma Kappa. As mentioned:

"Like all pixar films the story did have a lot of heart. It was a story about a teenagers hopes and dreams of making it big. The story was about dreams meeting reality. The story was about realizing of ones weaknesses and strengths and then readjusting of goals. The story was about not giving up to chase your dreams. Even when you know youre not going to get there try your fullest to get as close as you can. It would seem like a good story to have for an animated film. But then to make it funny and marketable they went ahead and added a pointless competition among college teams."

The addition of these new characters and the competition plot, while meant to add excitement and humor, are seen as detractors by many. The characters and their arcs were not sufficiently developed for audiences to connect with them.

Conclusion

Ultimately, Monsters University is a film that caters to those who have a soft spot for the original Monsters Inc.. It's not without its strengths, as evidenced by the positive reviews praising the voice acting and character development of the returning characters. However, the pre-sequel premise and the heavy-handed competition plot may turn off potential viewers.

Recommendations

For those considering watching Monsters University, it would be wise to lower expectations. While it’s not a terrible film, it falls short of meeting the high standards set by its predecessor. It is, however, not entirely without merit, especially for those who have a deep connection to the original.

For those who have not seen Monsters Inc., it's recommended to watch the original before diving into its prequel. While Monsters University does offer some value, the experience will be slightly tarnished by the absence of Boo and some of the less developed characters.

Lastly, to those who enjoyed the teaser film - The Blue Umbrella, remember that the movie could have had a much different impact if it lived up to that promise. Unfortunately, it didn't quite resonate with the same level of joy and emotions as its short film counterpart.