Learn how the gang of professional scarers came together in this prequel to the 2001 Pixar hit Monsters Inc. Short answer: They met in college. Billy Crystal and John Goodman once again provide voices for Mike and Sulley, respectively, in Dam Scanlon’s digitally animated comedy. Naturally, the two don’t get along — until they do — but their real adversaries are the Big Monsters on Campus, whom they face in a competition (shades of Hunger Games and Hogwarts). Disney’s acquisition of Pixar seems particularly evident here: the unnecessary second film; the more generic plotline; and the distinct feeling that many, many related toys are for sale. That said, this isn’t a bad film — the animation is top-notch, the balance of jokes-to-sentiment is about right, and who can’t help but root for a plucky green ball with one giant eye?

This article appears in Jun 19-25, 2013.

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