Monsters, Inc. 2 (2022)

Monsters Inc. 2 is a 2022 computer-animated film and feature-length romance drama comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios. It was directed by Pete Docter, co-directed by Lee Unkrich and David Silverman, and was written by Jack W. Bunting, Jill Culton, Pete Docter, Ralph Eggleston, Dan Gerson, Jeff Pidgeon, Rhett Reese, Jonathan Roberts, and Andrew Stanton. It was sequel to Monsters Inc. (2001).

Plot Summary
Monsters Inc. 2 takes place several years after the events of the first film, with James P. Sullivan (John Goodman) now serving as CEO of Monsters, Inc. and overseeing the collection of laughter from children instead of screams. Sulley's best friend and sidekick, Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal), is still by his side, using his stand-up comedy to extract laughs from children.

However, Sulley's life takes a turn when he meets Sydney F. Sallow (Reese Witherspoon), a fellow monster who catches his eye and becomes his love interest. Meanwhile, Boo (Mary Gibbs), the human girl that Sulley befriended in the first film, has grown up and become Max's (Cary Christopher) girlfriend/love interest.

As Sulley navigates his new relationship with Sydney, he also faces challenges at work when a new monster named Thaddeus Bile (Jeff Pidgeon) joins the company. Despite his clumsiness, Thaddeus is able to use his unique approach to extracting laughs from children, which causes tension among the other monsters.

Throughout the film, we see various romantic relationships develop between the different characters, including Mike and Celia Mae (Jennifer Tilly), Jerry (Steve Susskind) and Emily (Lucy Liu), and Art (Charlie Day) and Val Little (Mindy Kaling).

In the end, Sulley must navigate both his personal and professional relationships while also dealing with unexpected challenges that arise within the company. But with the help of his friends and loved ones, he is able to overcome these obstacles and continue making children laugh for years to come.

Cast:

 * John Goodman as James P. Sullivan, a large, furry cyan monster with purple spots and the protagonist of the film. He becomes the CEO of the company, overseeing the collection of laughter from children.
 * Reese Witherspoon as Sydney F. Sallow, who is James P. Sullivan's love interest/girlfriend/wife.
 * Billy Crystal as Mike Wazowski, a medium-sized, green monster and Sulley's sidekick, who is mostly an eyeball with hands, feet, and horns. He becomes one of the monsters that helps extract laughs from children, using his stand-up comedy.
 * Mary Gibbs as "Boo", a two-year-old human girl, who is Max's girlfriend/love interest.
 * Cary Christopher as Max, a two-year-old human boy, who is Boo's boyfriend/love interest.
 * Jennifer Tilly as Celia Mae, a Medusa-like monster with snakes instead of hair, Mike's girlfriend, and receptionist for the company. She playfully refers to Mike as "Googly Bear".
 * Bob Peterson as Roz, Roze.
 * John Ratzenberger as Yeti the Abominable Snowman.
 * Frank Oz as Fungus, a three-eyed monster.
 * Bonnie Hunt as Ms. Flint, a snake-like monster that trains new monsters in laughter tactics.
 * Jeff Pidgeon as Thaddeus Bile (his friends call him "Phlegm"), a monster, newly hired to Monsters, Inc., but is able to use his clumsiness to extract laughs from children, who is Taryn Bile's boyfriend/husband.
 * Jessica Chastain as Taryn Bile, a female blue monster, who is Thaddeus Bile's love interest/girlfriend/wife.
 * Stephen Stanton as Needleman and Smitty, two monsters that work as janitors on the Laugh floor.
 * Amy Poehler as Lucy, a green female monster, who is Needleman's girlfriend/love interest.
 * ??? as Lottie, a pink female slug monster, who is Smitty's girlfriend/love interest.
 * Samuel Lord Black as George Sanderson, a orange furry monster, who is Penny's boyfriend/husband.
 * Jennifer Jason Leigh as Penny, a pink furry female monster, who is George's love interest/boyfriend/husband.
 * Jerome Ranft as Pete "Claws" Ward, a blue crocodile-like monster with razor-sharp claws.
 * Linda Hamilton as Pete "Claws" Ward's girlfriend, blue dinosaur-like female monster, who is Pete "Claws" Ward's girlfriend/love interest.
 * Steve Susskind as Jerry, the floor manager, who is Emily's boyfriend/love interest.
 * Lucy Liu as Emily, a pink furry female monster, who is Jerry's girlfriend/love interest.
 * Jennifer Anistonas as Lily, a pink monster, who is Fungus's girlfriend/love interest.
 * Peter Sohn as Scott "Squishy" Squibbles, who is one of Sulley and Mike's old friend.
 * Joel Murray as Don Carlton, who is one of Sulley and Mike's old friend.
 * Sean Hayes as Terri Perry, who is one of Sulley and Mike's old friend.
 * Dave Foley as Terry Perry, who is one of Sulley and Mike's old friend.
 * Charlie Day as Art, who is Sulley and Mike's old friend and Val Little's love interest/boyfriend.
 * Julia Sweeney as Sheri Squibbles, Scott's mother.
 * Ben Feldman as Tylor Tuskmon.
 * Aisha Tyler as Millie Tuskmon.
 * Mindy Kaling as Val Little, who is Art's love interest/girlfriend.
 * Henry Winkler as Fritz.
 * Lucas Neff as Duncan P. Anderson.
 * Alanna Ubach as Cutter, Maria, Carla Benitez.
 * Hadley Gannaway as Thalia Flint, who is Ms. Flint's daughter.
 * Isaac Harger as Tad Bile, who is Thaddeus Bile and Taryn Bile's son and is Tara Bile's brother.
 * Lexi Rabe as Tara Bile, who is Thaddeus Bile and Taryn Bile's daughter and is Tad Bile's sister.
 * Julian Edwards as Thaddeus Bile Jr., who is Thaddeus Bile and Taryn Bile's son and is Tad Bile and Tara Bile's brother.

Trivia
- Monsters Inc. 2 was originally planned for release in 2013, but was delayed multiple times before finally being released in 2022.

- The film features a large ensemble cast of voice actors, including many returning from the first film as well as new additions such as Reese Witherspoon and Jessica Chastain.

- Director Pete Docter has described the film as a "romantic comedy with monsters", blending elements of romance, humor, and adventure.

- The film explores themes of love, friendship, and the importance of laughter in our lives.

- Many of the characters' names are puns or references to their appearance or personality traits, such as Thaddeus Bile's nickname "Phlegm" due to his constant sneezing.

- The film includes several Easter eggs and references to other Pixar films, such as a cameo by the Pizza Planet truck from Toy Story and a reference to the Axiom spaceship from WALL-E.

- Monsters Inc. 2 received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its animation, humor, and heartwarming story.