MONSTERS UNIVERSITY

2013, Pixar

Animated

Rating: G

Approx. 104 mins.

THE STORY:

Mike (Billy Crystal) is a monster on a mission to become a Scarer, one of the elite at Monsters Inc. Sulley (John Goodman) is the son of a famous Scarer trying to live up to the family tradition. Sulley has the lineage and the natural attributes for the job, while Mike has the drive and work ethic. But before either can make it to the big leagues, they have to make it through the rigorous program at Monsters University.

The two become immediate enemies, but become linked when both are thrown out of the program and have to fight their way back in. They join forces with a fraternity of unlikely wanna-be Scarers (Sean Hayes, Dave Foley, Peter Sohn, etc.) to compete in the grueling Scare Games, knowing that victory is the only way to recapture their dream.

Through the competition, the two learn to appreciate each other's strengths and accept each other's weaknesses. In the end, they achieve their goals through hard work and ethical action.

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• Stupid 
• Lame
• Loser

VIOLENCE:

• None

TEACHING POINTS:

• Living ethically is more important than living for personal success at any cost
• There are no short-cuts to true success
• Accepting people means accepting who they truly are
• Don't let others tell you who or what you are
• Some goals can't be achieved the way you think, so the challenge is to reframe your goals for success

THE UPSHOT:

This film works on a variety of levels depending on the viewer. For young kids, there is humour and action enough to entertain for the duration. For older kids, there is a lot of very positive messaging, both overt and subtle, on top of that. For adults there is the extra layer of humour that floats above the heads of younger viewers.

What I especially like about this movie is its realism. Mike wants to be a scarer, but he just isn't scary. He studies as hard as he can, he has the right attitude, he believes in himself; he does everything right. But he just doesn't have the essential attributes to achieve his dream. However, he doesn't curl up in a ball of self-pity. He takes the realization of his limitations and runs with it to become a scare coach, thereby putting his skills to use, indirectly achieving his initial goal, and ultimately achieving his full potential.     The ending is happy, but, unlike in a lot of kids' movies, not idealistically fantastical.

Although this film is available in 3D, there is no real justification for that. Save yourself the added expense and see it in regular format-- you won't be missing anything. 

4.5/5