This week, Disney has released Pixar’s first prequel on various home entertainment platforms and we’ve got our take on the release. Below is a repost of my original review for Monsters University followed by a breakdown and review of all the special features available on the discs.
Set to rebound with a sequel to one of their more popular films, Pixar is going round two in the sequel, err prequel, realm with their latest colorful and wonderful adventure Monsters University, directed by Dan Scanlon.
Monsters University starts off with a charming opening with Mike (Billy Crystal) as a child and how he develops his dream to become a scarer and get into the scare program at Monsters U. Upon acceptance, Mike arrives on campus and becomes roommates with his eventual enemy Randy (Steve Buscemi), together they attend their first class where Sullivan (John Goodman) is introduced as an egotistical jock riding on the coattails of his family’s name. After Sully stumbles into Mike’s room and then puts him down in front of the top scare fraternity on campus, Mike becomes determined to beat Sully and remain in the scare program. Eventually, things go wrong for both as one has the brains while the other has the scare factor and soon both fail out of the scare program. Determined to get back into the program, the duo join the lamest fraternity on campus, Oozma Kappa (OK), to compete in the Scare Games and make a bet with their creepy dean (Helen Mirren) that if they win they can be in the program, but if they lose they must leave the university. As you can imagine wild and hilarious shenanigans occur while lessons are learned and each monsters grows into the ones we know and love from Monsters Inc.
Much like some of the best Pixar films out there, Monsters University takes us on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, delivering an all around quality film that represents the rebound Pixar fans have been waiting for (even though I really liked Brave). The film teaches us about giving people a chance to prove their worth, to be honest, not to be (too) egotistical and why teamwork is such an important tool in life when trying to get things done.
Unlike in Monsters Inc. where most of the laughs were derived from Mike, Sully, and Boo, Monsters University spreads the love out with a slew of supporting characters that deliver a handful of laughs each and all with distinctive traits that make them very useful once they realize their potential. Most notably, the outside laughs come from the hodgepodge of a fraternity that they join which is comprised of monsters that have, at one time or another, been rejected from the Scare Program. Think of them like the PG version of Luke Wilson’s fraternity in Old School except that they live in one of the brothers’ mother’s house.
One of my favorite aspects of every Pixar film is the level of detail that they put into their productions, particularly the set designs, look, and twists on dialogue. The movie is absolutely stunning to watch with every color imaginable making an appearance on the screen at any given moment along with funny details like various plays on brands and names featured throughout. Plus, as much as I hate the medium I would actually recommend the 3D, it’s great.
If you don’t leave with a smile on your face after seeing Monsters University there is a good chance you have no soul. It’s an adorable film that isn’t necessarily as good as the original but it sure as hell comes close and is one of those crowd pleasers 
that the whole family can enjoy together or that a grown man can enjoy by himself, there are no barriers with this heartfelt and charming animated feature so be sure to check it out this weekend.
The Monsters University Collector’s Edition package comes with two Blu-ray discs, one with the feature film and audio commentary, one with the bonus features and then a DVD disc. The package also contains a slip to redeem your digital copy so you can play the film on the go with you portable device.
As you probably can guess, the movie looks unreal on blu-rya and if you have a plasma or LCD it’s going to pop like a zit on a teenagers face.
The film comes with a ton of bonus features which I’ve broken down for you below:
The Blue Umbrella Theatrical Short: This animated short is in line with the last Disney animated short, The Paper Man, in its sweetness and relationship-based charm. It follows a blue umbrella falls in love with a red umbrella on a rainy city night.
Audio Commentary: Various people including co-writer/director Dan Scanlon, story supervisor Kelsey Mann and producer Kori Rae discuss the film, the company’s first prequel, creating the story, animation, challenges and other aspects that have to do with bringing the film to life.
Campus Life: A “Day in the life” look at Dan Scanlon and various Pixar teams as they go about their jobs while working on Monsters University.
Story School: A look at what goes into the storytelling of Monsters University from the writers and story artists. This featurette includes storyboards and other visuals that break down scenes from the film.
Scare Games: The Pixar team create their own version of the film’s Scare Games on the Pixar campus.
Monthropology: A look at how the Pixar team creates and animates the vast array of life and characters on the MU campus.
Welcome to MU: Director Dan Scanlon breaks down the university campus, discussing the architecture, layout, production and more.
Music Apprectiation: A look at the scoring of Monsters University which took place at Sony Studios. Dan Scanlon, music editor Bruno Coon and Pixar music staple Randy Newman provide commentary.
Scare Tactics: Want to learn how to deliver the perfect scare? Pixar animators teach us how to perform and create the ideal scare for scenes in the film.
Color and Light: A 5 minute look at the film which shows us some before and after shots giving us an idea of what the film looks like throughout production as more color and light are added to show the layers needed to get to the final product.
Paths to Pixar: MU Edition: Dan Scanlon introduces us to a few Pixar employees who share their stories as to how they ended up at Pixar and in animation.
Furry Monsters: A brief comparison of the original 2001 film Monsters Inc. and the drastically different sequel in terms of the level of detail when it comes to the hair and fur movement on the monsters.
Deleted Scenes: Four unfinished scenes that didn’t make it into the final cut of the film. One shows us the first meeting of when Mike and Sulley originally met in elementary school but that was eventually cut because it didn’t fit into the film and drastically changed the story. The others include an alternate fraternity prank to embarrass Oozma Kappa called “Movie Night” and the others are called “Recon” and “Drama Class.” Each of the scenes have an intro from Scanlon and explains why it didn’t make the cut.
Set Flythroughs: We get a tour of the MU campus, the scare school, the Oozma Kappa house and Frat Row, giving us a slower look at each place that’s seen in the film.
Art Gallery: A look at various artwork that’s separated into five categories for our convenience.
Promo Picks: Various promotional spots and tie-ins for Monsters University.
Movie Rating: A very cute, heartwarming and highly enjoyable prequel that can stand up to the original while also being a solid film in its own right (7.3/10)
Blu-ray rating: (8/10)
Monsters University is now available on Blu-ray and DVD from Disney
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