--- title: "Monsters University: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/monsters-university/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/monsters-university" critics_score: 63 critics_reviews: 25 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Monsters University (2013): what the critics said Critics' score 63 from 25 reviews: 11 positive, 10 mixed, 4 negative. The reviews lean towards qualified approval: most critics find Monsters University entertaining, though many see it as a lesser companion to Monsters, Inc. Praise centres on the detailed campus, imaginative monster designs and carefully choreographed animation. Mike and Sulley’s rapport also earns broad affection, alongside the sight gags and Helen Mirren’s stern Dean Hardscrabble. Even several less enthusiastic reviews acknowledge the humour and the pleasure of returning to these characters. The main divide concerns the storytelling, with verdicts ranging from enthusiastic to sharply dismissive. Reservations cluster around familiar college-comedy routines, predictable underdog plotting and a weaker emotional pull than the original. Collider, however, praises the intelligence of its treatment of friendship, failure and finding one’s strengths. Empire finds the plotting smart and unpredictable, while The Hollywood Reporter regards the story and Scare Games as tame and uninspired. The visual craft commands much wider agreement than the writing. ## Empire — Olly Richards Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 5 July 2013. Richards finds the prequel clever, funny, and successful as a film in its own right. He especially praises its smart, unpredictable plotting and how it enriches the original. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/monsters-university-review/) ## Radio Times — Terry Staunton Rating 4/5. Staunton presents the prequel as a gag-packed return to the characters’ college days. He singles out Helen Mirren’s performance as the stony-faced Dean Hardscrabble for praise. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-f7ktod/monsters-university/) ## Time Out — Trevor Johnston Rating 4/5. 12 August 2013. Johnston awards the prequel four out of five stars, indicating a favorable verdict. The available page text says only that the premise initially sounds like a comedown for Pixar, without revealing what he singles out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/monsters-university-1) ## The AV Club — A.A. Dowd Rating B. 20 June 2013. Dowd finds the prequel charming but minor, saying it echoes rather than enriches the original. He praises the returning Mike-and-Sully pairing, while faulting the college-comedy plot for lacking comic inspiration. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/monsters-university-1798177149) ## IndieWire — Charles Solomon Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 June 2013. Solomon finds the film a lot of fun despite its predictable, thin story and weaker emotional core than Monsters, Inc. He praises the animation, especially the carefully choreographed scenes showing Mike and Sulley’s growing friendship. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-monsters-university-122845/) ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 June 2013. Ebiri finds the prequel funny, fast, and likable, but ultimately a disappointment beside the original. He praises its visual surprises and offhand gags, while faulting its reliance on familiar underdog-story beats. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2013/06/movie-review-monsters-university.html) ## Screen Daily — Mark Adams, chief film critic Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 10 June 2013. The page identifies this as a review, but its verdict is unavailable in the visible text. No specific praise or complaint can be confirmed from the accessible content. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/monsters-university/5057161.article) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The review’s verdict and specific praise or criticism cannot be verified from the inaccessible page. No reliable account of the critic’s assessment is available here. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/21/movies/monsters-university-unfolds-before-monsters-inc.html) ## Total Film — Neil Smith Rating 3/5. 9 July 2013. The critic finds it an entertaining, exuberant romp, though short on fresh ideas and far from a classic. The colorful peripheral characters and their inventive designs are singled out as the film’s main selling point. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/monsters-university-review/) ## Variety — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 10 June 2013. Chang calls the prequel agreeable entertainment, though artistically middling and less ambitious than Pixar’s best. He praises its richly detailed campus and visual design, while noting that its cuddly monsters rarely feel genuinely scary. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/film-review-monsters-university-1200494184/) ## Slant Magazine — Nick McCarthy Rating 2/4. 18 June 2013. McCarthy finds the film stale and formulaic, lacking the original’s wit and charm. He praises the detailed campus setting and colorful animation, but says predictable storytelling overwhelms them. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/monsters-university/) ## Evening Standard — The Standard Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 12 July 2013. The critic finds the prequel entertaining but ultimately stale, with little of the original’s moral complexity. They praise its spry one-liners and ravishing animation, while faulting the thin characterization and limited screen time for Randall. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/monsters-university-film-review-8703419.html) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 11 July 2013. Bradshaw finds the prequel funny but regards it as a standard buddy movie that fails to restore Pixar to greatness. He criticizes its sanitized, barely recognizable reference to Carrie. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/jul/11/monsters-university-review) ## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 20 June 2013. Sharkey finds the prequel fine but forgettable, criticizing its stale storytelling and predictable college antics. She praises the animation and the chemistry between Billy Crystal and John Goodman, but says the pranks lack invention and the score’s marching-band music irritates. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-monsters-university-20130621-story.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 9 June 2013. McCarthy finds the prequel a notably uninspired, underachieving Pixar film. He faults its predictable story and tame Scare Games for lacking the inventiveness and surprises of the studio’s best work. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/monsters-university-film-review-564746/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating A-. 20 June 2013. Goldberg praises the film as intelligent, funny, and a return to form for Pixar. He singles out its thoughtful message about discovering your strengths through friendship and failure. [Read the review](https://collider.com/monsters-university-review/) ## /Film — Germain Lussier Rating 9/10. 10 June 2013. Lussier calls the prequel a great, heartfelt film that works on nearly every level, despite an obvious-feeling second act. He praises how the character-driven third act delivers excitement through interaction and misdirection. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/526578/monsters-university-review-a-hilarious-heartfelt-return-to-the-monsters-universe/) ## Den of Geek — Louisa Mellor Rating 4/5. 10 June 2013. Mellor finds the prequel an entertaining family comedy with a touching emotional story, though not quite as vital as Pixar’s finest films. She especially praises the imaginative monster designs and meticulous animation that bring the university world to life. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/monsters-university-review-2/) ## The Skinny — Nathanael Smith Rating ★★★★. 5 July 2013. Festival review. Smith finds the prequel funny and enjoyable, but ultimately lacking the invention of the original. He praises Pixar’s razor-sharp humour and the sight gags filling its monster-filled college world. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/festivals/edinburgh-festivals/film/monsters-university) ## Paste — Curt Holman Rating 7.0. 19 June 2013. Holman finds the prequel entertaining and emotionally affecting, though it lacks the imaginative scope of Pixar’s best. He praises its thoughtful lesson about mismatched aspirations and Mike and Sully’s partnership, while faulting the forgettable Oozma Kappas and a climax that falls short of the original. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/monsters-university) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 23 June 2013. Wilkinson finds the film enjoyable but less memorable and focused than Monsters, Inc. She praises the vibrant animation and the chemistry between Mike and Sulley, while wishing the film spent less time on its large cast of new characters. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/monsters-university-2013-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The accessible page contains no review verdict. Its anti-crawler notice prevents identifying any specific praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-disneypixars-monsters-university-20130617/) ## Digital Spy — Ben Rawson-Jones Rating 3/5. 21 June 2013. Festival review. The reviewer finds the prequel uneven and predictable, though ultimately rewarding. They praise Helen Mirren’s vocal performance and the clever climax that improves the film’s closing stretch. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a492132/monsters-university-review-edinburgh-film-festival-2013/) ## HeyUGuys — Jamie Neish Rating 3/5. 25 June 2013. Festival review. Neish finds the film charming and entertaining, though less inventive and emotionally affecting than its predecessor. He singles out the animation and the reunion of Mike and Sully for praise. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/eiff-2013-monsters-university-review/) ## The Wrap — Alonso Duralde Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 9 June 2013. The critic finds the film sweet and entertaining but ultimately average and forgettable. They praise the leads’ comfortable rapport while faulting the familiar plot and lack of Pixar-level wit and poignancy. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/monsters-university-review-wait-didnt-we-see-all-internship-96186/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/monsters-university.md