Shadowing Practice: Why Monsters University is Pixar's Greatest Underrated Masterpiece - Learn English Speaking with Video

Originally, I had set out to make a video on Monsters, Inc.

But before I rewatched Monsters, Inc., I decided I should also rewatch Monsters University, you know

because I'm just a bit of a completionist and I like to watch movies in order if there's multiple of them.

And I thought maybe there might be something in Monsters University that I'd like to mention in my Monsters Inc review.

However, I had forgotten just how good Monsters University actually is, and I kept thinking throughout the movie about how much stuff I wanted to say about this movie.

So much so to the point that I realized I had to make a video on Monsters University as well.

And since it chronologically comes first, I thought I'd do the video on this movie first.

about this movie that I've always found to be relatively true

and agreed with is the oft -brought -up idea that this is Pixar's most underrated movie.

But I don't just think it's their most underrated movie.

I also think that this is an underappreciated masterpiece.

Monsters University is one of Pixar's most personal,

profound, and sad movies, yet at the same time one of their most fun, of different factors.

Of course the parts

that I think make this movie such a masterpiece is most of the stuff relating to Mike and Sully's character arcs.

But before I get into all that, let me talk about a few of the other reasons that make it a masterpiece.

Because even movies that have great themes and deep morals

and all that aren't guaranteed to be a masterpiece just because of that.

You have to have the rest of the movie back you up as well.

And this movie definitely succeeds in all those categories.

One of the first things anyone should notice that this movie does great is of course the world and the world building.

The universe and world building of the original Monsters, Inc is one of my favorite parts about that movie.

too much time talking about it here, but I do want to mention that this movie does just about as good of a job as the original, although perhaps a bit less clever than the original.

It still adds lots of creative and unique things to this world

that expand upon what we saw in the original movie and fits perfectly with it.

This is best showcased by the scene where Mike walks into Monsters University for the first time and looks around everything.

I especially love how there's a whole underwater area for underwater -related monsters,

which completely untouched upon in the original movie, but is a logical addition to the world.

Then there's the comedy.

While it may not be as funny as the original Monsters, Inc., Monsters University definitely has its fair share of laughs.

There are so many great comedic scenes sprinkled throughout this movie, and some of them do even give the original movie a run for its money in the comedy department, such as the library sequence.

The soundtrack for this movie is also really great, but I mean, it's pretty hard to go wrong with Randy Newman, unless it's Toy Story 4 where you basically just re -earn it use all the same music from the older movies,

but all the other Randy Newman soundtracks are great.

This movie in general is just really entertaining.

It's really well paced and fun to watch, and that's part of what makes it so rewatchable.

And now with all that out of the way, we can finally talk about all the deep and profound moments of this movie, which there are a surprising amount of.

The primary aspect of this movie that makes it so good is, of course, the dynamic between Mike and Sully.

greatest characters ever invented in the history of cinema, and in my opinion, they're just as good in this movie as they were in the original.

And it's not just because they make such a great comedic duo, but also because they have a really excellent story to be told in this movie.

Now at first it may seem like a simple "two guys don't like each other

but eventually they become best friends by the end" type of plot, but this one is particularly well executed and there is so much more to it than a simple best friends storyline.

I like how Mike and Sully don't like each other at first, not necessarily because they think each other is annoying, although they do kind of think that, but also, and more importantly,

because they have a pre -established biases towards who they think they will like and who they won't like.

Mike and Sully come from completely different worlds.

Mike is a small -time monster who believes in hard work and has been bullied all throughout his life, whereas Sully thinks he's a cool guy because his father is famous

and he thinks that that automatically means that he should be treated with respect.

despite not having earned that respect.

However, of course, he does have some issues deep down that isn't much talk about, which we'll get to in a bit.

By default, Mike sees Sully with a negative perspective because Sully resembles many of the people who bullied him in the past, and Sully sees Mike with a negative perspective

because to him he just seems like a nobody who could never be on the same level as him

or other more famous and noteworthy people.

program.

And of course, this is where the story gets interesting, since of course in order to gain a second chance,

Mike is forced to work with his arch -nemesis Sully and win the Scare Games.

But one thing I like about Mike being forced to work with Sully is

that he thinks that he doesn't really need him to win the Scare Games, that he can essentially do everything himself, missing the entire point of it being a team in the first place.

And Sully isn't much different either.

This is of course a big problem, because you have to work as a team team in order to win the Scare Games, the only way to get back into the scaring program,

and the rest of Mike's team is not exactly in ship -shape form.

Mike thinks that it'd be easier to win the Scare Games if he does everything,

but ironically he's only making it harder because he's putting all the effort of everyone on his team on his own shoulders, making it an impossible task.

This of course is best showcased in one of my favorite scenes of the movie, the glow urchin toxicity Scare Games scene.

And not only because it's a hysterically sequence, but I really like how the movie doesn't explicitly tell you that the game requires teamwork in order to win,

but rather implies so by how every other team is planning to work together and giving each other good advice.

Meanwhile in Uzma Kampa, Mike

and Sully are challenging each other as to who will actually be the one to cross the finish line first, completely missing the point of teamwork in the first place.

Take that, Wazowski!

Are you oblivious?

I beat you!

The final segment of this scene is perfect.

Mike and Sully crossed the finish line, so pleased at themselves, believing each other to have beaten the other in the race only to realize

that neither of them won anything at all, as they were so focused on beating each other that they left their entire team behind and crossed the finish line last.

But of course, thanks to a miracle, they get a second chance at their second chance.

And through the events of the Scare Games, Mike and Sully, of course,

are forced to confront all of their flawed perspectives and come to terms with each other, at what they do.

I really like stories in

which the two best friends are only as good of best friends as they are because they had a troubled past.

These types of stories work really well in my opinion, because the two main characters had to overcome their flaws in order to become the best friends they are now. Which means

that it is even harder to break them apart than other best friends who have not yet encountered each other's flaws yet.

As those flaws might tear down their relationships whereas these relationships are stronger because they prove those flaws don't matter,

and that they can be better than the worst of themselves.

But as good as the bonding friendship between Mike and Sully is, that isn't what makes this movie a masterpiece on its own.

The real reason that I call this movie a masterpiece, and the thing that pushes it over the edge into that category for me,

is the movie's themes and messages about the hard truths of reality.

And what do I mean by that?

Well to begin, let us go back to Mike's character arc.

His separate character arc from the growing friendship with Sully that is.

and what ultimately caused his rivalry in the first place.

I'm of course referring to his dreams of becoming a scarer.

Ever since Mike was a kid, he wanted to become a scarer because he saw them as the coolest people in the entire universe.

And he witnessed first hand just what they can do, and how important they are to society.

And from that moment forward, he planned his entire life around becoming a scarer.

And of course, another problem Mike has had throughout his entire life is that everyone keeps telling him that he's not scary, he's not good enough.

But every time someone says this, it does not convince Mike to change his mind.

It only adds more fuel to the fire.

It also doesn't help that Sully also thinks Mike is not scary.

Mike has worked hard every single day to get what he wants to eventually go to Monsters University

and learn to become a true scarer.

And he believes that if you put in all the hard work and study better than anyone else, that you will succeed.

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And this is of course why Sully bothers him so much at first.

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Because he sees Sully as a cheater, someone who is given everything in their life, who can climb his way to the top with no hard work at all, just based on the reputation of his family.

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And this of course causes Mike to become so over -determined to prove that Sully isn't good enough, He's better because he put in all the work,

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and Sully in return, trying to outdo him, is of course what causes them to get dropped from the class.

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Because their own selfish desires became more important than the actual work

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and studying they were supposed to be doing in the first place.

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But the thing that hits Mike harder than being dropped from the class, is that he's told by a professional scarer, the type of people he looked up to, that he isn't scary.

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But Mike is too far into his idea of becoming a scarer, that he still refuses to accept what anyone says,

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and he boldly claims that he will prove Dean Hardscrabble wrong, that he will surprise her.

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Dean Hardscrabble, of course, is quick to press X - to doubt, but at this point she knows that nothing she says will ever stop Mike,

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and that only time can tell.

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Though she'll probably be right.

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Over the course of the scare games, Mike seems to have his idea that he can be a good scarer backed up,

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and soon he shall prove to all the world that he is a true scarer.

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But there is one challenge remaining: if Mike cannot do a good scare in the final game,

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their team will surely lose, and everything watch.

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Deep down, Sully knows that Mike isn't really scary, but he doesn't want to either tell Mike that he's not scary and potentially ruin their friendship,

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nor does he want to let down all the rest of the Uzma Kampa team who've done

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so well and genuinely prove him that they have it in them to be scarers.

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So he makes the misguided decision to cheat in order for their team to win.

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When Mike goes in to complete the final scaring challenge

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and succeeds with the most scare energy of anyone in the entire challenge, to him quite possibly the greatest moment in his entire life up until that point.

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Which is of course, what makes the very next scene so crushing and heartbreaking, not only for him, but for us, the audience, as well.

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As soon as Mike discovers that Sully cheated, and his scare was only successful because Sully cheated, Mike is devastated.

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Firstly, because now he believes himself to be a liar, and that he's not really accomplished anything at all.

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His big moment of proving himself was fake, which in his eyes robbed him of the true chance of proving himself since he still believes

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that there's a chance that he really is scary, but also, and arguably more devastating.

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It revealed to him that Sully had lied when he said that he thought he was a good scarer.

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All throughout Mike's life, everyone had been telling him that he isn't scary, and all it did was make him want to be scarier even more.

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And everyone who told him he wasn't scary was someone that he had a disdain for, even Sully at first.

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But that moment when Sully said

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that he thought he was a good scarer was a moment that proved to Mike that Sully was his friend now.

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Because he had changed his mind and seen the truth.

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That he really was a good scarer.

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But of course, that wasn't really the truth.

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And Sully, despite being his friend now, even willing to cheat to try and help him get what he wants.

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Still didn't believe that he was a good scarer.

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But Mike's hard -coded belief

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that he is a good scarer now causes him to abandon Sully

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because Sully has gone back to the dark side in his mind.

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No true friend of his would ever say he isn't scary.

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Only his enemies.

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Those he must prove wrong.

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Of course, Sully now knows that he made a big mistake by cheating, and he tries to reconcile this by admitting the truth to Dean Hardscrabble.

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And this is pretty much the pinnacle of Sully's character development in this movie.

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Not only has he learned to value others instead of just trying to do things on his own, but he has now come to a point where he is willing to sacrifice all his hopes

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and dreams just so that they can still complete theirs.

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visions as he is now so determined to prove that he is right, that he breaks into the door room, and enters the first door he sees,

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without even realizing how dangerous it actually is.

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Sully, of course, hears about Mike's adventures in the human world, and quickly rushes to save him.

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As he understands the type of danger Mike is in, Mike doesn't because he thinks that if something goes wrong, he can just scare everyone and make a break for it.

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kidnapped or killed.

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The scenes that take place in the human world are the peak of Monsters University.

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The defining moments that make this movie the masterpiece that it truly is.

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The cherry on top of the sundae, but they're also some of the most heartbreaking and realistic scenes in cinematic history.

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It takes a really powerful, emotional, or moving scene in a movie to make me cry,

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but even I had a hard time not getting watery eyes while watching these scenes.

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When Mike does enter the human world and tries to prove himself by scaring the kid behind the door, not only does he realize that he's way in over his head,

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as this is not just a simple kid's bedroom,

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but his attempt at being scary backfires so badly that not only are the kids not scared of him, they actually laugh at him.

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be admitting that he was wrong, and everyone he always criticized for saying that he wasn't scary would be proven right.

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Eventually Sully shows up and finds Mike.

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He's in a state of depression, sitting alone, questioning his entire existence up until this point.

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Every single thing Mike ever believed is thrown into question.

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Not only has Mike been proven wrong, that he isn't really scary after all, but he also seems to have been proven wrong in his idea that through hard work,

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you can do anything.

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As he's done all the hard work, He put in all the effort.

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And still, he failed.

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And worst yet, this has been his dream for almost his entire life.

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The thing he has dedicated the most time to.

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The thing that had become so important to him

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that he had even shut out other people and other prospects just to focus more on being the best scarer possible.

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At this point, Mike feels as though his life has been virtually meaningless.

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Everything he ever did was for nothing.

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An unachievable dream.

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The most tragic part of all this is that it's Mike's own fault.

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had a dream, or that he did all this hard work, but that he tunnel -visioned himself so hard into believing that this is what he should be and what he should do,

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that he cut out all other options.

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Throughout his life, he shut down any argument against his ideas or plans.

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Living in a world where the only things he accepted were things that confirmed his own biases and opinions.

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But of course, the problem with this lies in the classic phrase "putting all your eggs in one basket." But now,

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Mike has dropped the proverbial basket all his eggs in the one basket.

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Mike figures there's no point in going back because his life is worthless.

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Nothing he ever did had any point to it.

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But thankfully, Sully realizes that the reason Mike doesn't want to go back is

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because he now sees himself as a complete failure.

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Sully knows, however, that Mike isn't the only failure in the world, as deep down, he has been hiding from him and everyone else the fact that he sees himself as a failure.

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He's lazy, selfish, and a letdown to his family's name.

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For all his life, he believed that he was special for being a Sullivan, the son of a famous scarer, and that that made him special.

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However, he slowly started to realize that being special isn't all it's cut out to be, as now all the sudden,

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he has the greatest weight on his shoulder to live up to what everyone expects from him, and that pressure is too much that he ends up doing pretty much the exact opposite.

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Instead of doing everything to live up to the name of the Sullivans, he ends up doing nothing because the pressure is too much.

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But sometimes, all it takes to keep moving on in the world is knowing that you're not a alone.

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And Mike now realizes that he isn't the only failure in the world, and that if Sully won't give up despite all his failings, then neither should he.

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And this is of course

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when we get quite possibly the single greatest scene in the entirety of the Monsters, Inc franchise: Mike and Sully's big scare.

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Despite the fact that Mike was unable to be a true scarer, that doesn't mean his entire life was meaningless up until this point.

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Because even if he himself can't use that knowledge of scaring that he learned and worked so hard to master, Someone who lacks all that knowledge.

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still can.

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And so, by using each other's strengths to patch each other's weaknesses, Mike and Sully are able to create the biggest scare in the entire Monsters universe,

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of which they have to to get back to the Monsters world because the door was shut off from the other side.

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And this, of course, brings us to the final scenes of the movie, in which Mike and Sully are both expelled for their technically criminal offenses,

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but Dean Hardscrabble reappears to have one final word with the two before they leave.

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And it's here that she reveals that Mike actually succeeded in what he set out to do.

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He surprised her, but not in the way that he had first set out to do.

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You see, Mike succeeded in surprising Dean Hardscrabble, not by being a great scarer as he claimed he would be,

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but by managing to beat her scaring record.

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Despite that, by working together.

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Something that most monsters hadn't realized up until that point.

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And just as Mike is about to leave and go his separate ways from Monsters Sully, and everyone else.

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Sully stops him, knowing that if they part and go their separate ways, that neither of them will ever achieve the true potential that they can reach.

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Sully has what it takes to be a scarer, but he doesn't have the knowledge required to become a successful scarer.

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Mike has all that knowledge, and without him, they wouldn't have escaped the human world.

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In fact, Sully likely believes that Mike has a better chance at success than he does.

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He tells Mike that he's the true talented one, and that he's just riding off his greatness.

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And Mike realizes that with Sully's help, that he might actually be able to achieve a position close to what he wanted in the first place, even if it's not exactly the role he set out to play.

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And through hard work and determination, and many, many jobs, the two of them eventually climb the ranks to where we find them at the beginning of Monsters, Inc.

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underrated masterpiece, but don't go just yet as I still have one more thing to explain, that being the main message of the movie,

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as I just wanted to clarify as clearly as possible why it's so great.

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And, very important, in fact, dare I say this is one of the most important movies to show anyone, and I just mean anyone in general, because it pretty much applies to everyone.

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The message of this movie is kind of similar to Wreck -It Ralph's, which I covered in a previous video, in that everyone has value in their positions in the world.

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However, that movie covers it from the perspective of someone who's disrespected despite being good at what they do.

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Whereas this movie is about someone who wants to be good at something, but can't because they don't have the talent in order to become good at that.

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You see, every human, or monster in this movie's case, is designed differently.

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We're all made different, with different interests and different talents and different abilities different skill levels at varying different things, and we all have dreams.

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different dreams.

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However, many people are tricked into the illusion that some jobs

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and positions in the world are more important and valuable than others, and that if you have a lesser job, you are a lesser person.

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This is the trap that Mike falls into in the movie, believing that in order to be special you have to be a scarer, and that if you're anything less than a scarer, you're not as good.

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A common equivalent in the real world would be an actor.

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Many people dream of being actors, but not everyone can be an actor.

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Even if you complete all the classes, and do all the hard work and learn everything there is to know about being a great actor,

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you still might not be a good actor simply because you don't have the talent to become an actor.

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And it's not because you are an untalented individual, it is just that you do not have the skill set needed to become an actor.

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In fact, Some jobs that people look down upon could be argued to be more important than these popular jobs like acting.

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Acting is just entertainment.

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Being famous isn't all it's cut out to be.

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Without teachers and historians, people would forget the past.

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And of course, as they say, we'd then be doomed to repeat it.

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Just because we can't all achieve our dreams doesn't mean you are a failure.

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Everyone is talented and skilled at something, so stop dwelling on what you can't do, and instead be thankful for all the skills you do have.

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All the things that you can do that no one else can.

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Well here we are at the end of the video as always, and if you enjoyed it,

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make sure to in the comments down below.

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If you're interested in supporting me, I have a link to my Patreon in the description.

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And, of course, if you're interested in my other content, I have a Toy Story 2 review that you could also check out if you're in a Pixar mood still.

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Or maybe you're more interested in Pirates of the Caribbean.

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I have a video where I talk about why On Stranger Tides is not actually that bad and is pretty good.

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But, most importantly of all, stay iconic.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

The video titled "Why Monsters University is Pixar's Greatest Underrated Masterpiece" offers a rich context for English learners to hone their speaking skills. Engaging with the content allows learners to gain insights into critiques of cinematic storytelling while also improving their language proficiency. As you listen, consider using a shadowing technique to mimic the speaker’s intonation and rhythm. This approach can enhance both fluency and pronunciation. By practicing alongside a compelling narrative, you can make the learning process enjoyable and memorable.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

As you analyze the transcript, focus on these key structures used by the speaker:

Comparative and superlative forms: Expressions like "the most underrated" and "as good as" emphasize evaluations and comparisons, vital for discussing opinions.
Present participle verbs: Phrases such as "watching movies" and "revisiting old favorites" showcase how gerunds are employed to express ongoing actions, important in conversational English.
Conditional sentences: The speaker utilizes phrases like "if there’s multiple of them," demonstrating how to express hypothetical situations, a crucial skill for nuanced conversation.
Descriptive language: Words like "profound," "entertaining," and "underrated masterpiece" not only enrich vocabulary but also teach learners how to convey strong opinions effectively.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While watching the video, pay close attention to these tricky pronunciations:

Words like "masterpiece" and "underrated": These are often mispronounced due to their syllable structure. Practice breaking them down: "mas-ter-piece" and "un-der-ra-ted."
Expressions with multi-syllabic words: Terms such as "unbelievable" or "characteristics" can be challenging. Focus on the rhythm and stress, as improper emphasis can alter comprehension.
Accented phrases: Notice the speaker’s tone and flow; capturing their accent can be beneficial. The subtle fluctuations in voice when discussing characters lead to a more engaging speaking style.

Utilizing a shadowing app can help you practice these pronunciations repeatedly. Incorporate the shadow speech technique into your routine for effective learning.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	I've always found · has been bullied · has worked
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	aren't guaranteed · be told · has been bullied
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	people who bullied · friends who have · someone who is

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

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Why practice speaking with this video?

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Common Pronunciation Traps

Grammar in this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?