MOVIE OF THE WEEK #4 (6/21/13): MONSTERS UNIVERSITY
KEY VOICE CAST MEMBERS: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Helen Mirren, Steve Buscemi, Peter Sohn, Joel Murray, Sean Hayes, Dave Foley, Charlie Day, Alfred Molina, Tyler Labine, Nathan Fillion and Aubrey Plaza
WRITER(S): Robert L. Baird, Daniel Gerson and Dan Scanlon
DIRECTOR: Dan Scanlon
WEB SITE: http://monstersuniversity.com/edu/
60 SECOND PLOT SYNOPSIS: Remember 2001's Monsters, Inc., which introduced us to good buddies Mike Wazowski (voiced by Billy Crystal) and James P. "Sulley" Sullivan (voiced by John Goodman)? Well, the duo that works at the factory that powers the monsters world weren't always the best of friends. In fact, they couldn't stand each other when they were rivals at "Monsters University," where all the best monsters go to learn how to scare human children.
So why are we mentioning that now? Because this is a prequel, silly – and to understand how they got to where they are now, Disney•Pixar is going to tell you where it all began ...
So why are we mentioning that now? Because this is a prequel, silly – and to understand how they got to where they are now, Disney•Pixar is going to tell you where it all began ...
WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST: Longstanding Disney/Pixar fans, people who enjoy humor about college (but not college humor), fans of Monsters, Inc.
WHO WON'T LIKE THIS FILM: People who hate prequels, people who want a non-stop joke fest, people who didn't enjoy Monsters, Inc.
WHO WON'T LIKE THIS FILM: People who hate prequels, people who want a non-stop joke fest, people who didn't enjoy Monsters, Inc.
BOTTOM LINE – IS IT GOOD, GREAT, BAD OR DOWNRIGHT AWFUL? Good if not a little familiar in more ways than one.
WHAT'S GOOD (OR BAD) ABOUT IT?: Upon the release of the original film in 2001, Monsters, Inc. was another Pixar (this is before they officially merged with Disney) triumph. A tale of two monsters – told from the monsters perspective – was a heartwarming story that led to big box office numbers thanks in part to its originality, sweetness of the characters and sly humor packed throughout the story.
Monsters University attempts to rekindle that same feel and more or less does albeit a little less effectively than its predecessor. Crystal and Goodman still have their chemistry as the seemingly mismatched Mike and Sulley, showing no signs of rust despite more than a decade since they first played the characters. Mike is still confident and a team player while Sulley is a bit more arrogant than one might remember, but the battle of rivals works well enough to give this prequel – a rarity in animated films – a life of its own. Sure, the film lacks some of the innocence and childlike wonder in this go round, but it's still enjoyable entertainment.
That enjoyability is largely, however, due in part to the introduction of he new characters introduced – Don (voiced by Joel Murray), Squishy (voiced by longtime Pixar-contributor Peter Sohn), Art (voiced by Charlie Day) and the two-headed duo of Terri (voiced by Sean Hayes) and Terry (voiced by Dave Foley). Starring as a miscast group of oddballs that get to know Mike and Sulley quite well, the characters add a very Revenge of the Nerds quality to the film (adding to a plot that is very much like a combination of Revenge of the Nerds I & II) and a much needed sense of playful fun. Being a Disney•Pixar film, there is stil a good lesson to be learned, however (listing them would spoil it) and if I did, it would cheapen the work Helen Mirren puts in as the dragon/insect like university head Dean Hardscrabble ...
Semi-long story short, Monsters University isn't as great as Monsters, Inc. but it's certainly not without its charms. And while many animated films are in need of going back to school, Monsters University has enough mettle to rise near the top of its class this summer.
WHAT'S GOOD (OR BAD) ABOUT IT?: Upon the release of the original film in 2001, Monsters, Inc. was another Pixar (this is before they officially merged with Disney) triumph. A tale of two monsters – told from the monsters perspective – was a heartwarming story that led to big box office numbers thanks in part to its originality, sweetness of the characters and sly humor packed throughout the story.
Monsters University attempts to rekindle that same feel and more or less does albeit a little less effectively than its predecessor. Crystal and Goodman still have their chemistry as the seemingly mismatched Mike and Sulley, showing no signs of rust despite more than a decade since they first played the characters. Mike is still confident and a team player while Sulley is a bit more arrogant than one might remember, but the battle of rivals works well enough to give this prequel – a rarity in animated films – a life of its own. Sure, the film lacks some of the innocence and childlike wonder in this go round, but it's still enjoyable entertainment.
That enjoyability is largely, however, due in part to the introduction of he new characters introduced – Don (voiced by Joel Murray), Squishy (voiced by longtime Pixar-contributor Peter Sohn), Art (voiced by Charlie Day) and the two-headed duo of Terri (voiced by Sean Hayes) and Terry (voiced by Dave Foley). Starring as a miscast group of oddballs that get to know Mike and Sulley quite well, the characters add a very Revenge of the Nerds quality to the film (adding to a plot that is very much like a combination of Revenge of the Nerds I & II) and a much needed sense of playful fun. Being a Disney•Pixar film, there is stil a good lesson to be learned, however (listing them would spoil it) and if I did, it would cheapen the work Helen Mirren puts in as the dragon/insect like university head Dean Hardscrabble ...
Semi-long story short, Monsters University isn't as great as Monsters, Inc. but it's certainly not without its charms. And while many animated films are in need of going back to school, Monsters University has enough mettle to rise near the top of its class this summer.
RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
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