Starring: Billy Crystal, John Goodman.
Rating/Volume: 7.7 (31,000)
My rating: WATCH
Source: Cineworld Cinemas (in 3D)
Welcome to my first review for this week! I'm sorry this is the first one, but even I'm allowed a holiday now and again. I wanted to make this review a special one so as soon as I found out Monsters University's first release in the UK was Friday I thought I'd better run out and watch it so I could give you this review.
First off, a bit of background. Monsters University is a prequel to the Oscar winning Disney-Pixar animated film Monsters, Inc. (#212). The film primarily follows a young Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal), who has wanted nothing more than to be a scarer his whole life, as he finally enrolls in Monsters University. Being the best institute for learning about the art of scaring, he soon realises he's a small fish in a large (and extremely varied) pond. The film shows him as he meets Sully (John Goodman) for the first time and how their journey to be top scarers at Monsters, Inc.
There were a few reasons that I really liked this film. For a start, who doesn't like Monsters, Inc. (#212)? The characters are bright and colourful, boo is the just the cutest and the storyline is really great, incorporating some of the best visual scenes I have ever seen in an animated film. To see these characters again after a 12 year screen absence really brings back those childhood memories. Disney clearly thought that there was so much untapped potential with these characters that they thought a prequel was warranted; and I completely agree! I think that they have huge untapped potential in these characters. I often think it would be the same brainwave that Illumination Entertainment had briefly after Despicable Me became a success and then realised they could make a whole lot of money out of their Minions. Pixar's 'monsters' come in different sizes, shapes and colours. Lots of merchandising possibilities, highly profitable. But it's not all about the money, especially where film fandom is concerned. There is also so much they could do in terms of personality expansion, they could really make the characters so much more in depth. I think that was the genius of making it a prequel as opposed to a sequel. If they went the sequel route they couldn't have explored the story of their friendship and how they came to be where they are. Which they did such a great job of. It reflected so many morals. Working hard in order to get where you want is the most important thing being the most prominent. Alongside the meaning of teamwork and even that cheating never prospers. it was beautiful! but I think the real stroke of genius was having the film set in a university. There were always characters back at school and apart from a place of work (i.e. Monsters, Inc.) where are you always around that many people (i.e. Monsters University)? A school! And it worked brilliantly. All the characters, as well as being clique oriented, had great personalities. The goths looked like goths, the nerds looked like nerds and the jocks looked like jocks. Whilst still keeping the variation. It served them nothing but well and kept the film fresh the whole way through while still focusing greatly on the story of our two main protagonists. The main storyline through the film is that Mike enters into the scare games to prove himself as the top scarer and this makes for some great monsterific scenes. It's essentially 5 tasks where they have to use their monster abilities to pass the challenges and avoid getting knocked out. It reminded me a tiny bit of Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire but with cute, furry monsters! Another thing that amused me were all the subtle, and not so subtle, references to the first one. Seeing a lot of the set up to the supporting characters we met in the first one is a great way to complement the original and gave it some great humour! Overall, I think anybody would have been hard pushed not to like this film. It still isn't as well made as the original, neither is it much compared to some of Pixar's best films to date. However, it is the best family film so far this year in my opinion and it is a must see for any fans of the original.
I went into this film rolling my eyes. Anybody who read my review on Ratatouille (#230) last week will know that I have been a little sceptical about Pixar's latest original film slate (or rather, lack of it) and I've been worried whether they have caught sequel-itis judging by their current line-up consisting mainly of Planes and Finding Dory. It is worrying for me that after finding great success with original films like Wall E (#59), Ratatouille (#230) and Up (#115) that Brave was a total disappointment. What's more worrying is now they are going to be doing a sequel every other year now for the foreseeable future. For me Cars 2 was the first of what may be many questionable sequels for Pixar. My other suspicion that with some of these films over a decade has passed since the original will todays children not understand the sequels. If they keep doing prequels that won't be an issue as if they have seen the original already that the story will be in the right order if they want to go and buy the DVD and if they have seen the original then they will find revisiting the characters fun and enjoyable. However, many good Pixar properties just aren't meant to be sequels. In Wall E (#59) we got the jist of what happened first in the opening sequence and we got the prologue in the credits. So no scope there. Finding Nemo (#162) started when Nemo was born and finished when he, well, got found! No joy there either. The list could go on and on but the sequels we actually want never seem to be getting made. The Incredibles! I would love an Incredibles 2. I loved the first so much and would love to see all the wise cracking family members take on the underminer. But sadly, it hasn't even been announced yet and as time ticks on is Pixar leaving it's core audience from a decade ago behind by leaving it too long? Not long ago, we were going to give a few Disney videos to my cousins. They are about 5/6 years old. But, sadly, not only did they not have a VHS player But they didn't even know what a video was! That's how long ago we're talking here.
Maybe I am being a bit too pessimistic. After all, the adults having kids right now grew up with the likes of Toy Story (#113) and A Bugs Life. Maybe they're passing the love onto their children by buying them the Disney Blu Rays. If so then maybe Disney are barking up the right tree when it comes to sequels. After all it's a chance to make up some guaranteed box office takings. Also, as long as the films are good, what does it matter? Granted I won't forgive them for Cars 2, but let's look back at the times when everybody was screaming against Toy Story 3 (#63). That turned out to be a fantastic movie, a classic that was good and, if not, better than the first two films. So Pixar, my advice. If a film is going to work go full steam ahead. But please don't waste our time on underwhelming original films and cruddy sequels, not when you yourselves have set the bar so high. Move on from the Cars world and give us that Incredibles 2. You are leading us to believe that you are in some kind of creative rut. Surely not?
In conclusion, I think that as well as being the film to (hopefully) get Pixar back on track, Monsters University is a great film that will entertain people of all ages and it is just a good complement the original film. I can only recommend that you go and give this film a watch.
Now, I'm going to ask you to go and watch it yourself. It's currently in cinemas everywhere in 2D and 3D. Feel free to send me a message at reviewthe250@gmail.com with any comments and your own views and opinions and don't forget to leave a comment down below.
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Thanks for reading!
William
Next: Commencing our four day The World's End special event, Shaun of the Dead
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