Just reach deep down and let the scary out.

Fifteen years from now, hopefully my son will be spending the summer at home after a successful freshman year of college. Maybe he'll even take his old man to a big summer movie, like we used to go to when he was little. But, if in that same summer, he ends up home earlier than expected after failing his final and getting kicked out of a college for cheating? Well, at least I'll know where he got the idea. Damn summer movies.

Monsters University is probably better than anyone expected it would be. I realize that speaking ill of Pixar is blasphemous, but after the abysmal Cars 2 [review], and the glut of inferior Disney sequels throughout the years, I think it would be fair to say this one could have been another heartless cash grab. Luckily for everyone, that's not the case. This is a highly entertaining, charming and sweet movie - and one that you could probably watch a hundred times and still not get tired of. In other words, it's a Pixar movie. Without Mater.

Setting the sequel in the years before Mike and Sully worked at Monsters, Inc. turned out to be a brilliant move. Pixar, if you can believe it, has made a college movie for kids. And while my three and a half year-old son was giggling, my wife and were laughing. A lot. Sure it's safe and simple, but isn't it supposed to be? You can't make Wall-E every year. In fact, under the bright blues and greens is a solid (though familiar) story about friendship,teamwork and overcoming adversity. And as a bonus, the whole flick is saturated in little touches that no one under the age of 17 would really understand. Meaning the movie truly has something for everyone, as cliche as that may sound.