Monsters University

The prequel to 2001's Monsters, Inc. finds green eyeball Mike (voiced by Billy Crystal) and big blue Sully (John Goodman) entering college, where they hope to study at the exclusive School of Scaring, despite the disdain of faculty and fellow students. These Pixar features routinely spend several years in production, but the plot of this one bears a disconcerting resemblance to the current comedy The Internship—did Google have spies sitting in on the story conferences down the road at Pixar? Anyhow, this one has charms of its own: Crystal and Goodman still have their comic rapport; the supporting voice cast includes Steve Buscemi, Helen Mirren and Alfred Molina; and the fertile Pixar imagination is firing on all cylinders. Directed by Dan Scanlon, written by Scanlon, Robert L. Baird and Daniel Gerson.