Monsters University (2013)
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Two monster students navigate the challenges of college life while attempting to master the art of scaring.
The story
Mike Wazowski, a student at Monsters University, joins the scaring program and meets James P. "Sulley" Sullivan, the son of a famous scarer. While Sulley is a natural talent who enjoys the perks of his status, Mike works tirelessly to improve his skills. As the semester progresses, the two develop an intense rivalry while navigating the demands of their studies and the competitive atmosphere of the campus. Their differing approaches to scaring and their personal ambitions lead to a series of complications that test their friendship and their commitment to the program.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film begins with a young Mike Wazowski visiting the Monsters Inc. factory on a field trip, where he follows a scarer named Frank McCay into the human world. Years later, Mike attends Monsters University (MU) and meets Sulley. They are both part of the scaring program, where Dean Abigail Hardscrabble warns students of the consequences of failure. A rivalry forms as Mike struggles to be taken seriously while Sulley relies on his lineage. After a failed exam leads to both being penalized, they enter the scream can design program. Mike joins the underdog fraternity Oozma Kappa (OK) to compete in the Scare Games. After a series of challenges and a period of teamwork, Mike and Sulley are eventually expelled from MU for a reckless stunt involving a door to the human world. They eventually reconcile and begin working together at Monsters Inc., eventually becoming a successful team of a scarer and his assistant.
- First release year
- 2013
- Runtime (minutes)
- 104
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Dan Scanlon
- Writers
- Dan Gerson · screenplay; Robert L. Baird · screenplay; Dan Scanlon · screenplay; Dan Scanlon · story; Dan Gerson · story; Robert L. Baird · story
- Cast and characters
- Billy Crystal · Michael "Mike" Wazowski; John Goodman · James P. "Sulley" Sullivan; Steve Buscemi · Randall "Randy" Boggs; Peter Sohn · Scott "Squishy" Squibbles; Joel Murray · Don Carlton; Sean P. Hayes · Terri; Dave Foley · Terry; Charlie Day · Art; Helen Mirren · Dean Abigail Hardscrabble; Alfred Molina · Professor Derek Knight; Tyler Labine · Brock Pearson; Nathan Fillion · Johnny J. Worthington III
- Genres
- animated; comedy
- Themes
- friendship; self-discovery
- Tone and mood
- comedy
- Premise and plot tags
- prequel; coming-of-age
- Franchise connections
- Monsters, Inc.
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics and was noted for its high production value and successful integration of its characters.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 65 · scale: 100 · review count: 41
- Production trivia
- The film was the first Pixar film not to be nominated for an Academy Award or a Golden Globe.; The film used a new lighting system called global illumination.; The production team visited several real universities in the U.S. and Canada for research.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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