Monsters University: Ultimate Collector's Edition Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack Review

After scaring up big laughs in theaters, the in-home release of Monsters University opens its doors to the movie in stunning high definition Blu-ray, and provides hours of all-new bonus material, in-depth behind the scenes features, deleted scenes, the animated theatrical short The Blue Umbrella and much more.  Monsters University marks Pixar’s 14^th consecutive film to debut at number one at the box office!

Mike and Sulley at Monsters UniversityCourtesy of Disney

Ever since college-bound Mike Wazowski (voice of Billy Crystal) was a little monster, he has dreamed of becoming a Scarer—and he knows better than anyone that the best Scarers come from Monsters University (MU). But during his first semester at MU, Mike's plans are derailed when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, "Sulley" (voice of John Goodman), a natural-born Scarer. The pair's out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University's elite Scare Program. To make matters worse, they realize they will have to work together, along with an odd bunch of misfit monsters, if they ever hope to make things right. Monsters University bravely explores themes of self-discovery and the revelations that come with growing up.

Mike arriving on campusCourtesy of Disney

The Bottom Line

Monster's University is one of those movies that manages to make things that are frightening fun as well, and beneath all the fur there's a great story about how sometimes your school rivals can also be the people who make you better at being yourself and striving to do your best. If there's one thing that sets this Collector's Edition apart from any others coming out right now, it's the jam-packed list of extras - for die-hard Pixar fans this will be a must-have for those alone! For those of you who caught MU in theaters, you'll recognize the animated short "The Blue Umbrella" from the beginning of the film - but that's not all - Pixar does it's best to take you behind-the-scenes and feel like part of the Monsters University crew with extras like "Campus Life," "Story School" and "Scare Tactics" (which shows you how the animators brough out their inner monsters to create the characters!) Monster's University was an incredible box office hit for a reason: it's simply a good story! And with the Collector's Edition you can make the story last even longer through the fantastic, in-depth bonus material.

The GangCourtesy of Disney

Special Features

• Campus Life – What's it like being on a production crew at Pixar? Get a look at a day in the life of the “Monsters University” crew through their own eyes.
• Story School – This documentary examines the challenges of creating a prequel as well as themes that run through the story, and the change in focus from Sulley to Mike.  We'll also look at how gags are developed – from writing jokes to brainstorming a million ideas, only 5% of which actually end up in the movie.

Bonus Clip: Designing the Campus

• Scare Games – At Pixar, we play hard while we work.  The same people who keep the film production moving - producers, managers, coordinators and artists - are also the ones who bring spirit and excitement to some of our extracurricular activities. We check out the MU production teams as they go head to head in the mostly playful Pixar Scare Games competitions.
• Welcome to MU – Sets aren't just buildings, they are the worlds our characters live in and explore.  This look at the Monsters University campus and its development is told from the perspective of the artists who created each piece of the campus from the architecture to the ivy leaves.  .
• Music Appreciation – Randy Newman's scores are a mainstay of Pixar films, and this documentary will give you a privileged look at his creative process.  We follow the “Monsters University” scoring process from spotting to writing and on to the scoring session. including special college-themed recording sessions.
• Scare Tactics – Animators are actors who digitally bring the characters to life. In this look at how the MU animation team worked, you’ll see their process of how they channeled their own monster-selves and created moments on screen that were really funny, really scary and also really serious, sometimes all at the same time. 

Beautiful Monsters University CampusCourtesy of Disney

• Color and Light – How can a single painting set the tone for an entire scene? We'll look at the creation of the colorscripts and how they were realized technically in the final film.  Along with the process, this piece explores the many layers of technical innovation required to produce such a naturalistic feel.
• Paths to Pixar - MU Edition – When one door closes, sometimes another door opens – one with an even more exciting opportunity behind it. Members of the MU crew tell their own compelling backstories and share the challenges they overcame along their paths to Pixar.
• Furry Monsters: A Technical Retrospective – Explore the difficulties in creating characters that are 20 years younger with tools that are 10 years more advanced in this contrasting look at the differing technical challenges that arose when making “Monsters, Inc.,” and “Monsters University.”
• Deleted Scenes – Four separate scenes – “Rivalry,” “Recon,” “Movie Night,” and “Drama Class” - are highlighted with an introduction from director Dan Scanlon.

Bonus Clip: Rivalry

• “The Blue Umbrella” – This animated short film from Pixar Animation Studios, directed by Saschka Unseld and produced by Marc Greenberg, played in theaters in front of "Monsters University." “The Blue Umbrella” tells the story of an evening commute in which the rain starts to fall and the city comes alive to the sound of dripping rain pipes, whistling awnings and gurgling gutters. And in the midst, two umbrellas—one blue, one not—fall eternally in love.
• Additional Bonus Features - Audio Commentary, Promo Picks, College Campaign, Theatrical Campaign, Set Flythroughs, Art Gallery and more!­

Monsters University: Ultimate Collector's Edition Rating:

Monsters University: Ultimate Collector's Edition Blu-ray 3D Combo PackCourtesy of Disney

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