Edd Watches Pixar: Monster University Review

I’m a grown man who hasn’t seen most of the Pixar movies that people are obsessed with, but I was challenged to check ’em all out and share my thoughts. Join me as I watch ’em all one by one – see if I buy into the hype.

Movie No. 14: Monsters University (2013)

I was pretty hyped about this one. Monsters, Inc has been the biggest surprise so far of PixarMania 2020, a movie I knew nothing about going in and came out of the other side loving. Sulley and Mike > Woody and Buzz. Yep, I said it.

After watching Monsters University, though, I wish they left the memories alone.

Ever since Pixar hit the 5-star motherload with Toy Story 3, they’ve been sliding into cash-in mode. Cars 2? Sell more toys! Brave? Get those Disney princess dollars, playa!

So now we’re stuck with Scared by the Bell.

I know this is an origin story or whatever, but what’s the points of revisiting Mike and Sulley at scaring school when the last movie established that fear is moot and the kid’s laughs are more powerful than their screams?

But I guess nothing is scarier than studio executives not getting their bonuses to buy their gold yachts, so here we are.

What’s most annoying is that this feels like every coming-of-age college movie ever. Nothing is new. The coasting legacy student, the pack of loser nerds who get embarrassed at the party, the evil dean trying to undermine the heroes, everyone learns to work together, blah blah blah. If they’re gonna steal from college themed-shows they should have given A Different World some love and featured a caterpillar Mr. Gaines or something.

So if you can just win a contest and get into the school’s scare program, what’s the point of studying and filling out applications? But LOL at them having a “toxicity challenge.” Today, that’s just called Twitter. Double LOL at the octopus frat dude getting engaged to the other frat dude’s mom. “Just think of me as your big brother that’s marrying your mother!” ENTANGLEMENT.

The stuff at the end with Mike and Sulley having a heart to heart in the human world before scaring everyone into submission felt the most like the magic of Monsters Inc. Everything else is typical college kid stuff with slugs and demons in letter jackets. It’s mildly interesting at times but nowhere NEAR Pixar’s level.

What lazy trope is Pixar gonna pull out next? Legally Bugs with Flik? Finding Nemo the Dream Master? Deliver us from EVAAAAAAAAAA? WALL-E Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? Dory the Explorer?

Oh wait, they do that last one, don’t they?

3 stars out of 5

Toy Story 3
The Incredibles
Monsters, Inc
Ratatouille
WALL-E
Finding Nemo
Up
A Bug’s Life
Toy Story
Toy Story 2
Cars
**Monsters University**
Brave
Cars 2

Next up is Inside Out and PRAISE THE LORD we finally get back to good movies again. This was my original pick for Best of Pixar but that was before I experienced the awesome that was Toy Story 3. Excited to see if it holds up.

Want to see more? Keep up with Edd as he stumbles through the world of Pixar here.