Monsters University

 

Thanks to Hollywood, we've had the origin story of Superman, Batman, Iron Man, the X-Men, and even Darth Vader, just to name a few.  Now, with Monsters University, we get the origin of how the stars of 2001's Monsters Inc., Mike (voice by Billy Crystal) and Sullivan (John Goodman), became best friends and professional "scarers".  I highly doubt that was a burning question on anyone's mind after seeing the original movie, but hey, at least the answer's entertaining and more heartwarming than you would expect.

As you would expect from the title, Monsters University is essentially Pixar's take on the college campus comedy.  It even throws in a couple tributes to some classics of the genre, such as Revenge of the Nerds, or Animal House.  Granted, this movie is much more G-rated than those films were.  It still manages to get in all the usual cliches, however.  There's the stern Dean of the College, this time represented by a creature who looks like a cross between a dragon and a centipede who is voiced with icy perfection by Helen Mirren.  There's the band of misfit students that everybody has counted out.  There's the more popular jocks who make life miserable for the misfits.  And, there's the big campus competition where the misfits will get their chance to work as a team and prove their worth.  While the plot is familiar territory, what carries the film is what carried the last one, and that is the odd couple relationship between Mike and Sullivan.

Through this film, we learn that the two friends were initially academic rivals who could barely tolerate each other.  Sullivan, the blue furry lug of a monster, comes from a famous family as he enters Monsters University, and expects to coast by while mainly focusing on partying with his fellow frat brothers.  Mike, the tiny green cyclops, is a studious fellow who is book smart, but knows nothing about actually scaring people, since he's not that intimidating.  A personal battle between the two about getting ahead in the "Scarer" class ensues, and it escalates to the point where both of them find themselves expelled from the class when one of their rivalries goes too far.  At first, the two feel their respective futures are over (each of them blaming the other for their misfortune), but an opportunity arrives with the annual Scare Games, where they can not only win back respect amongst their peers, but also teach a team of misfits from the only fraternity that will host them how to believe in themselves.

Unlike most Pixar films, Monsters University seems to be aimed mainly at children.  That doesn't mean adults won't find anything to like, it's just there's not as much for them to enjoy as there has been in the past.  The movie is gentle, brightly colored, and G-rated, which is very rare these days. (Most animated films today are PG.) What this basically means is that while the film is inoffensive, it's also very safe and kind of predictable.  Not that kids will mind.  What lifts the film up is the expert voice acting, especially from Crystal and Goodman, who effortlessly slip back into the roles they made famous 12 years ago.  The rivalry for the first half of the film is an interesting approach, and allows the actors to try something different with the characters.  And, when they do start to become friends, we can get behind it, thanks to the great chemistry between the two.  They are the heart of this franchise, and at least the filmmakers know it.

And fortunately, it's not just the performances that make these characters endearing to us.  There's a surprising amount of heart and emotion in this film, especially during the last half, when the newly-minted friendship of Mike and Sullivan is tested.  The climax alone is very effective, and ends with a lesson that we don't usually get in children's films.  I won't spoil it, but I will just say it's a refreshing change of pace.  And even if the movie does seem to skew young, I don't want to give the impression that it's juvenile or overly cute.  I simply don't see this one joining the list of any adult's favorite Pixar movies.  At the very least, this is a successful follow up to the first movie.  If you found something to like last time, you're pretty much guaranteed to enjoy this.

 

In recent years, many have started to wonder if the once seemingly-unstoppable Pixar Animation Studio was starting to weaken in quality, thanks to underwhelming efforts like Cars 2, and the enjoyable yet flawed Brave.  Monsters University isn't a return to greatness, but it's a fun little movie, and is sure to become a favorite of just about every kid this summer.  At least it's kind of heartwarming, which is more than I can say for a lot of blockbusters so far this year.

See the movie times in your area or buy the DVD at Amazon.com!

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