REVIEW: Monsters University

Monsters University

Director: Dan Scanlon

Written By: Daniel Gerson, Robert L. Baird & Dan Scanlon

Cast: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Helen Mirren, Aubrey Plaza, Nathan Fillion

Running Time: 104 Minutes

BBFC Rating: U

When Pixar first announced that they were to make a prequel to Monsters, Inc., I was a lot less joyous than I might have hoped. Monsters, Inc. was an iconic film of my childhood (I was 5 when it first came out), and remains my favourite film to this very day. Surely I should be giddy with excitement at the idea of another film spent in one of Pixar's most richly crafted universes? But my problems with it were never that it might be a bad film, but more that it just felt completely unnecessary. Was I right to hold these beliefs? Well, yes and no. While Monsters University never even comes close to holding the same magic that it's predecessor, or any of Pixar's best films do for that matter, I feel a lot more comfortable with it existing now than I did in the run-up to its release.

As far as prequels go, Monsters University has a better and more logical setup than most. We follow Mike in his younger years as he starts at the titular mentioned Monsters University, with the dreams of one day becoming a top scarer. It's here where he first encounters Sulley and immediately dislikes him, giving the film the central story of just how these two enemies become the best friends we know they're destined to be. Pixar made an interesting choice in resting most of the film on Mike's shoulders, compared to how the original was very much Sulley's film and that works out nicely. It helps give the two balance, and also fleshes out Mike as a character in his origins. It doesn't add enough to dramatically change the formula within Monsters, Inc., but there's enough well crafted character beats to compliment it on a rewatch.

My main issue with the university setting is that it feels like so much more could have been done with it. There are a lot of easy, cookie cutter style plot strands and comic setups that come with it, and when Pixar have displayed so much individuality in the past I felt a little disappointed to see them employ pretty much every one of them. It's fair to say that they do at least deliver on each of them with more spark and creativity than most studios would bother, but it still leaves a slight sense that they really sold themselves short. This is the same studio that only a few years ago made a film with almost no dialogue for the entire first act, for kids. Right?

But there's still a lot to love here. John Goodman and Billy Crystal both sound every bit as joyful and passionate to be voicing Mike and Sulley as they did 11 years ago, and the fact that the two share such great chemistry without having any of their own physical presence is nothing short of astounding. Daniel Gerson, Robert L. Baird and Dan Scanlon also deserve a great deal of respect for delivering one of the sharpest scripts of the year so far. The jokes here fly faster and funnier than in most modern comedies, with there being several points throughout that reduced me to genuine tears of laughter. Both Despicable Me 2, and now this, have proven once again that it's often the animations having the last laugh on the big screen.

So, in general, how does Monsters University tally up then? It's a difficult film to fully decide on, in that I'd probably be singing it's praises a lot louder if it wasn't tied to a film so important to me. As a prequel, this should be held up as the golden standard as to what that often mediocre genre can achieve. It perfectly balances the difficult act of working as a standalone story, while fitting in enough little references and cameos to please existing fans. But as a Pixar film, it falls just a little bit shorter of the mark. It's a definite improvement over there last two releases, but still lacks that Pixar magic that makes the Toy Story films, Wall-E and it's predecessor such instant classics.

The Final Verdict:

Monsters University was always at a disadvantage because of the high standards Monsters, Inc. set, but it's given it its best shot anyway and turned out to be a far greater success than expected. Walk in with the right expecations and you'll find it to be enjoyable, hugely funny and well worth just under two hours of your time.

(Also, Pixar once again have a short film before the main feature. It's called The Blue Umbrella and is absolutely beautiful, I'm tempted to even say it's worth the price of admission on its own.)