'Monsters University' Reviews: 'It Feels Very Real,' Say Critics

By Clare Morris, Christian Post Contributor Friday, June 21, 2013

2001's Pixar hit "Monsters Inc." is finally getting revisited by Pixar with a prequel, "Monsters University," which is set to hit theaters Friday, June 21. Check out what critics have to say about the newest Pixar film.

"Monsters University" serves to show the life of monsters Sully and Mike before they were teamed up to collect energy from children for a living, which was the storyline of "Monsters, Inc." The new movie follows the two monsters through their college years and their developing friendship. But does the movie live up to what has come before it? Critics have mixed opinions.

"The opening is nowhere as adorable as Boo from the first film and in no way does it tug at the same heartstrings Pixar is known for hitting early on … But even though this moment, and the rest of Monsters University, for that matter, never nails the perfect Pixar touch, its colorful cuteness and solid pacing are undeniable, Firstshowing.com's Jeremy Kirk said of the much-anticipated follow-up to "Monster's Inc."

Though Kirk believes "Monsters University" fails to live up to other Pixar movies, he does admit there is still some character to the film.

"When it comes to drawing laughter out of the crowd, Pixar still knows precisely which buttons to push and which dials to turn," he said.

Some critics disagree with Kirk, believing "Monsters University" is better than the movie that preceded it by 12 years.

"Monsters University' has an emotional quality that its whimsical predecessor lacked. It has a happy ending, of course, but this movie also feels -- in its monstery way -- very real," Rafer Guzman of Newsday said.

Audience turnout will have the final say on the movie's success, and many are eager to see how "Monsters University" does at the box office during this weekend, its opening weekend.