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Monsters University

age 5+
(i)

 

Monsters Inc. prequel is a fun college comedy for all ages.
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Parents recommendPopular with kids
  • Review Date: June 18, 2013
  • Rated: G
  • Genre: Family and Kids
  • Release Year: 2013
  • Running Time: 110 minutes

What parents need to know

Educational value

This isn't an educational movie, but kids will learn a bit about the college experience (albeit a fictional one with monsters), the Greek system, and dorm life.

Positive messages

Like the original, the prequel stresses the importance of friendship, perseverance, and teamwork. The relationship between Sulley and Mike proves that once you get past superficial differences, others might have more in common with you than you first thought. The story also teaches that you shouldn't let others dictate whether you're good at something or not. If you're willing to work hard and team up with other people, you can accomplish almost anything.

Positive role models

Mike works and studies hard while he's at the university, even though many of his classmates rely on their physical attributes. Sulley transforms from a procrastinator who doesn't study to a disciplined worker thanks to Mike's guidance. Sulley makes a mistake but owns up to it and faces the consequences.

Violence & scariness

Not really violence, just "scares" that include watching or listening to monsters scare real or simulated children. Several of the monsters have to practice various forms of scaring, and the flying dean is a frightening monster. In one scene, Mike and Sulley must frighten human adults. Mild bullying and pranks among the fraternities and sororities, including a pledging "paddling" scene that's briefly scary but turns comical.

Sexy stuff

Don and Ms. Squibbles show an interest in each other and eventually announce that they're engaged. They kiss once.

Language

Mild insults, mostly toward Mike Wazowski -- i.e. "jerk," "lame," "failure," "you don't belong here," etc.

Consumerism

While there are no product placements in the movie, as part of the Disney empire, the Pixar movies have a ton of advertising, licensed merchandise, and products available, including stuffed plushes, board/video games, apparel, accessories, and more.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking

Some mild college partying scenes, in which characters are seen holding red party cups (the contents of which aren't commented on) and playing a version of a well-known drinking game.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Monsters University -- a prequel to Pixar's hit 2001 comedy Monsters, Inc. -- tells the story of how Mike (voiced by Billy Crystal) and Sulley (John Goodman) met in college. This animated comedy has fewer frightening antagonists than the original, but it does include several scenes of monsters trying to scare simulated (or in a couple of cases real) kids. The flying Dean Hardscrabble (Helen Mirren) is a scary sight, and there's some mild bullying and pranks from the popular fraternities and sororities toward Oozma Kappa (Mike and Sulley's frat of misfits). Some scenes imply a little bit of college "partying" (characters hold red party cups, the contents of which aren't discussed), and there's one kiss. Fans of the original comedy will recognize certain characters and themes, which ultimately emphasize friendship, teamwork, and perseverance to overcome your fears.

What's the story?

In this prequel to Monsters, Inc., a young Mike Wazowski (voiced by Billy Crystal) first idolizes professional scarers during an elementary school field trip to the Monsters, Inc. factory, where a top scarer encourages the kids to attend his alma mater, MONSTERS UNIVERSITY, and bestows on little Mike an MU cap. Years later, Mike has finally arrived at MU, ready to prove that, despite his unintimidating looks, he can be a scarer, too. He and his roommate, Randall (Steve Buscemi), end up in a class that's interrupted by an imposing young monster, James P. Sullivan, aka Sulley (John Goodman). Cocky "natural" scarer Sulley rubs hardworking MIke the wrong way, and, on the day of their final exam, the strict Dean Hardscrabble (Helen Mirren) throws them out of the scarer program. But the annual Greek Scare Games offers the two flunkies one last chance to rejoin the program, if they can somehow lead their newfound fraternity of misfits, Oozma Kappa (OK), to victory.

Is it any good?

QUALITY

Monsters University is a clever mix. It draws from the best (and cleanest, of course) of college comedies like Revenge of the Nerds, Animal House, Old School, and basically any movie in which a band of misfits rallies together and emerges victorious against all odds. As in Revenge, Monsters' much-ridiculed OK fraternity includes a hilarious group of misfits: mama's boy Squishy (Peter Sohn), two-headed Terry (Dave Foley) and Terri (Sean Hayes), mustachioed "mature" student Don (Joel Murray), and U-limbed Art (Charlie Day). Each is adorably memorable for their earnest enthusiasm and their complete lack of guile (although Art is, surprisingly, an ex-con).

The story arc is simple and formulaic, but that's fine. Most movies are derivative, so it's just a matter of how well the filmmakers put their own spin on a tried and true story. In this case, the Pixar crew has lovingly refashioned the R-rated fraternity comedy into a G-rated adventure that kindergarteners, fraternity brothers, and tired parents can all enjoy equally and without reservation. Pixar purists may quibble that the studio is becoming more mainstream and losing its artistic edge. But that doesn't mean that Monsters University isn't a beautifully animated comedy filled with nuanced jokes and perfect characterization. Watching Mike and Sulley go from frenemies to friends isn't a revolutionary as watching them save Boo, but Pixar still deserves an A for making audiences laugh and love these characters all over again.

Families can talk about...

  • Families can talk about whether Monsters University lives up to your expectations. Do you wish it had been a sequel instead? Which do you usually prefer -- sequels or prequels?

  • How does Monsters University depict the college experience? Parents, talk to your kids about which aspects of university life are realistic.

  • For those who've seen the first movie, what does the prequel explain about the friendship between Mike and Sulley or the way Randall dislikes them? What else do you learn?

  • The movie is about monsters, but it's not intended to be scary. Do you think that combination works well for young kids?

Movie details

Theatrical release date:June 21, 2013
DVD release date:October 29, 2013
Cast:Billy Crystal, Helen Mirren, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi
Director:Dan Scanlon
Studios:Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures
Genre:Family and Kids
Topics:Friendship, Misfits and underdogs, Monsters, ghosts, and vampires
Character strengths:Empathy, Perseverance, Teamwork
Run time:110 minutes
MPAA rating:G

This review of Monsters University was written by

Sandie Angulo Chen
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are conducted by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

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Teen, 16 years old Written bySean Broucek June 20, 2013
age 9+

Great. Pure Great.

Parents, this clever and fun prequel to the Pixar classic is very entertaining, but adds some more mature content to the mix. There is some scary images, much more than the mix, bullying, and lots of action-packed comical chase scenes. Sexuality is very low, but flirting and kissing are shown briefly. The insults are very mean. There is jerk, failure, idiot, stupid, jerk, you don't belong here, son of a gun, monster, freak, lame, and one hard-to-hear "penis" during a call. In the end, this animated fun college comedy is very good, but meant for bigger kids. Rated PG For Partying, Bullying, Some Scary Images, And Brief Crude Language.
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Kid, 12 years old June 21, 2013
age 4+

Great Film

This film is really good. It has only clean humor and really good graphics. There is a lot of name calling, though, like jerk, idiot, and you don't belong here. Mike does use this to fuel him, though, show it shows how to ignore name calling and turn it into perseverance. Also, they scare little kids.
What other families should know
Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
Too much swearing
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Parent Written byriorhu July 13, 2013
age 7+

Hate this movie, what it did to my 4 year old kid!

I hate this movie, I mean what it did to my 4 year old kid. He wasn´t afraid of darkness, even he used to like some scary stuff but not in his room while he is sleeping!! The other day he slept on the floor close to the door of the bathroom because there is a light. I am so pissed!! Should be rated PG!! I want to sue them, this was my worst decision as a father.
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