Mike Wazosky enters university - Monsters University ï ¿½ Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures

Monsters University is the prequel to Monsters & Co, the film that a few years ago won a heterogeneous audience made up of adults and children, aims to exceed the figures of the first episode. Monster University is the background that explains how the two nice friends, Mike and Sullivan, expert scarers, become the professionals who, with their gags, made entire audiences laugh. In this prequel, Mike and Sullivan meet for the first time and become friends after the first misunderstandings. In fact, the two of them will be the undisputed protagonists of the 3D movie populated by fantastic creatures with bright colors and improbable shapes.

Little Mike Wazosky is a slightly clumsy puppy who is not calculated by his schoolmates, so far quite normal, except that Mike is a monster baby, a large greenish ball with a single central eye that modulates an infinite number of expressions. Little Mike grows up with the desire to get noticed by others and show what he's worth. The meeting, during a school trip, with an expert scarer is emblematic. The monster, to demonstrate to small pupils how to scare children, and therefore to fill large containers with the energy of their cries, vital for the world of monsters, opens a door that connects the human world with theirs.

Monsters University ï ¿½ Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures

Having entered directly into the child's room, he silently crouches in the dark, jumps on top of him and the helpless little one lets out a shrill cry of fear. Mike, evaded security, enters the boy's room and witness the scene. Since that day his greatest wish would have been to become a professional fright monster. Thus he enrolled at the University of Monsters. The practice is the typical US one, arrival of the admission letter, departure for campus, orientation programs for freshmen and sharing the room with another student, a sort of lizard that manages to become completely invisible except for the glasses.

Finally the time comes to be part of a brotherhood and here, for poor Mike, the problems start again, no really cool group asks him to join. Disappointed, he begins the lessons of the Spaventology course, but even here things are not easy. Being a scary monster is difficult and the poor freshman seems to have a lot of skills except that one. Those who, by nature, seem to have an advantage is the big hairy blue pink spotted monster Bill Sullivan, for friends Sully who, making his entrance to the lesson already begun, begins with a big, cavernous, frightening monster scream. From that moment on, Sully and Mike's destinies will be linked throughout the film.

Sully - Monsters University ï ¿½ Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures

The date of the Scarcity exam is fixed, who will not pass it he will have to abandon the lessons and the dream of becoming a scarer. The terrifying Rector Tritamarmo, a species of female dragon with a long neck and bat wings, more frightening than anyone else, will be present at the exam and will judge who will be eligible and who will not. Mike starts studying at a good pace, while the big Sullivan, also thanks to the notoriety of his family, takes the test lightly and begins a life as a freshman made of fun and recklessness. Appreciated by all students, it is disputed by the brotherhoods.

Meanwhile Mike learns of a important competition, the Scared Game, the game of Fright in which only the most skilled team can win a coveted trophy. The monster is intent on winning, but there is a big problem, to participate you need to be part of a brotherhood, only the Oozma Kappa, whose elements are extravagant and little loved by the rest of the students invites him to join the group, but Mike is certainly not thrilled. The fateful day of the exam arrives. You have to answer the theoretical part and pass the practical test inside the scare simulator inside is a robot child that the candidate will have to make scream in fear.

Monsters University ï ¿½ Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures

During the exam, however, an accident occurs caused by Sullivan and Mike, the precious container where the most important scream of fear of Tritamarmo's career is kept is overturned and the scream dissolves in the air. The hideous Rector holds back his anger, but both Sullivan and Mike do not pass the test, Sullivan because he is not sufficiently prepared, Mike because he is just not afraid, and that - something you can't learn in books - snaps the We mince. Disheartened, both they leave the course of Scarecrow and are forced to follow the lessons to become builders of screaming containers.

Mike is increasingly distressed, until he remembers the Scared Game. He decides to participate to prove that it can be scary and, by betting with the horrid rector that he can make it, he plays the reintegration in the course of scaring and the stay in the University. Become part of the Oozma Kappa, but since one element is still missing and his cowardly and opportunistic roommate has accepted the invitation of the Roors, the trendiest brotherhood on campus, Mike accepts, as a last element, fellow sufferer Sullivan, also interested in being readmitted to the course. The stakes are in fact the admission to Spaventology of the whole team.

Monsters University ï ¿½ Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures

The boys train hard to pass the tests of the game, and thanks to Mike's tenacity and the peculiar characteristics of each member, the team, despite the predictions against it, reaches the final. The last test is to enter the simulator and scare the sleeping child. Sullivan is sure that Mike won't make it, but the monster gives his best and the boy screams so loud he reaches the maximum score. The monster is very happy and the team wins the game. Everything seems to prepare for the classic happy ending, with the morale of those who have it hard to win, but that's not the case. Mike discovers that Sully rigged the simulator by deceiving it to win. The whole team is disappointed by the behavior of the big monster and gives up the prize. Sullivan begs Tritamarmo not to blame the other boys who are so forgiven, but he must immediately leave the university.

Meanwhile Mike wants to prove to himself and to others that he is capable of frightening, so, as a child, he evades the surveillance of the laboratories and enters the human world to scare a little girl. The result is negative. The rest of the story focuses on the good feelings of friendship, team complicity and the important teaching of accepting one's limits, an excellent message even for the little ones. The ending has a surprising twist. Overall the narrative is smooth, the story well structured and the dialogues entertaining. The 3 D effect makes the images very vivid, thanks to a very well developed and newly designed graphics. A film to see with the family, until the last unexpected gag before the end credits, to spend a couple of hours full of fun.

Original title: Monsters University Country: USA Year: 2013 Genre: 3d animation Duration: 104 ' Director: Dan Scanlon Official site: http://monstersuniversity.com/edu/ Production: Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures Distribution: Walt Disney Studios, Motion Pictures Italia Release date: 21 August 2013

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