Monsters University Review

Director: Dan Scanlon

Writers: Robert L. Baird, Daniel Gerson, and Dan Scalon

Starring: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Charlie Day

Much has been made of Pixar's supposed decline in quality. One of the reason cited as evidence of the decline is their choice to develop sequels instead of original stories. Their most recent effort revisits the world they introduced in "Monsters, Inc." all the way back in 2001. 12 years later "Monsters University" brings us back to the world where monsters use the screams of to power their world. This time we go back to Mike and Sulley's time as students at Monsters U. They don't exactly get along at first. After endangering their spot in Monsters University's prestigious School of Scaring, they must put everything on the line and participate in the Annual Scare Games to prove they are the best of the best.

I had a ball with "Monsters University". I really found it to be tremendously entertaining. In a summer full of movies that have been almost perpetually grim and dark, sometimes literally not bright enough, "Monsters University" delivers an explosion of color, humor, and fun. Before I dive into why enjoyed the film so much I have to talk about how beautiful this film is. Opinions may differ on Pixar's most recent films but no one can deny the superior level of craftsmanship they bring to their films. Each film has been a technical improvement on the previous one and this one is no different. Merida's hair in Brave was a sight to behold and here they've managed to bring the same level of detail to the entire world of this film. From the textures of the skin and fur on the monsters to the finish of the buildings on MU's campus, the animation is impeccable. Pixar was at the forefront of computer animation technology when they gave us Toy Story and they continue to lead the pack. I also want to give a quick shout out to the short that played before the film. The Blue Umbrella was a cute little story but the real star there is really the level of detail of the animation which at times had me fooled into thinking it was a mix of animation and live-action. With that, let's go back to school.

I could just sit here and say "Meh it's just Revenge of the Nerds with Mike and Sulley from Monsters, Inc." but I would be doing the film a great disservice. While I definitely see how the plot can feel by the numbers at times, particularly in the second act, I think the execution is top notch. Mike and Sulley a lot of fun to be around and it's just so enjoyable to be back in their world. There's a great sense of joy and hope that permeates throughout the movie and makes it really easy to give yourself over to it.  Mike and Sulley are joined by a great cast of characters. Their Oozma Kappa brothers are all unique and bring something different to the table. The monsters we see around campus and in the other fraternities all have imaginative and well thought out designs and the same can be said of the MU campus and it's various schools and classes. The interactions between all the characters are entertaining and often quite hilarious. The voice cast here is super solid and Charlie Day's Art steals any scene he's in. The movie is full of great jokes and gags and as we move from one sequence to the next, the laughs just never stop. The Scare Games make up most of the second act of the movie and each competition is funny and entertaining even though I a hard time believing that Mike, Sulley, and their new friends, would ever fail. Knowing that these characters end up achieving their dreams makes it hard to feel like the stakes are ever very high. Without spoiling anything I think Pixar understands this and uses it to their advantage by playing with our expectations in the third act. I felt like this movie was telegraphing every move it was going to make and then it totally pulled a fast one on me. The third act takes a wonderful turn that is fun, tense, and genuinely surprising.

Beyond how entertaining the film is I think both Mike and Sulley's stories are very relate-able. Mike has an intense desire to be a scarer and find people constantly telling him that he doesn't belong and that he'll never make it. Sulley believes that he can coast through life on his natural talents and be successful without putting in the work. The film isn't really exploring new territory here but "Monsters University" has the same message as many other Pixar films: with the support of your friends and the people who care about you and lot of determination, there's nothing you can't do. That's certainly something I can get behind.