A
step down from the delightfulness of Monsters
Inc., but still a delight nonetheless, Monsters University
may lack for the more affecting aspects of its predecessor, but taken as a
fun, cute, comic film for all ages, it will still fit the bill for those who
aren't looking for a home run from Pixar every time out.
Though it
comes out over a decade after Monsters Inc., this is a prequel,
mostly following the exploits of a younger Mike Wazowski (voiced by Billy
Crystal, Cars), the one-eyed, green, horned
orb with arms and legs who most people would find a good deal less frightening
than your typical monster in the bedroom, which isn't much of an asset in this
world that is largely powered on the screams of young children. Mike's
singular wish as a late teenager is to be the 'best scarer there is', which
means he's going to go to Monsters University to learn the ropes of being a
great monster and get his degree as a scare-meister.
It is there that Mike meets James P. "Sulley" Sullivan (Goodman,
Flight), an unmotivated legacy scarer with
a fantastic roar who is the son of one of the greatest scarers ever known.
Graduating M.U. will not be easy, as Dean Hardscrabble (Mirren,
Hitchcock) is quick to point out that
she's ready to kick out anyone who doesn't pass snuff, and Mike and Sulley
don't. However, they get a second chance to get back in the Dean's good
graces when they test their mettle in the annual "Scare Games", whereby
the various monster fraternities and sororities compete in a grueling
competition to earn their keep in the school.
Perhaps some viewers
intimately familiar with Monsters Inc. will find a prequel to be
a bit anticlimactic, as we know where the story will likely end up leading
later down the road for these characters. Most kids, however, aren't
likely to care, as the characters are still cute and loveable, and the
tone quite comical throughout. There are a couple of aspects that makes
Monsters University not only a lesser film in comparison to
Monsters Inc., but also not an instant classic Pixar film. One is the
aforementioned lack of emotional investment in the characters that came
out in the 2001 film. The second aspect is that, while the characters are
comical and the tone always pleasant, there aren't a great deal of
genuinely funny moments in the script by director Dan Scanlon (Tracy),
along with Robert L. Baird and Daniel Gerson.
The film still looks
great from an animation standpoint, as we've come to expect from the
groundbreaking animation studio. The music is quite good as well, so all's
well in terms of production values. The table is set, but the script just
doesn't aim for much more than to entertain and bide time. The plot itself
is a mixed bag. Kids are likely too young to understand the various
references to college life, especially on the fraternity system and their
rivalries. Those old enough to get these things will likely have seen
quite a few films that follow the basic underdog frat formula, such as
Animal House,
Old School, and the one this release
mostly resembles, though far less raunchy,
Revenge of the Nerds.
Although we expect all A's from
Pixar, they've been on shakier ground for the last couple of films, so if
they deliver a B+ grade on a sequel (or, in this case, a prequel), the GPA
takes a hit, but they still are on track to graduate with honors.
Qwipster's rating:
©2013 Vince Leo
