Monday, June 24, 2013
Pixar has come a long way since Toy Story. They excel in creating lovable characters and heartwarming stories that entertain children and adults of all ages. As their first ever prequel, Monsters University is a great addition to the Pixar résumé, and it reminded me why I love Pixar films. It was great to see Mike and Sully back on the silver screen for another fun-filled adventure.
I was supremely excited when I first heard about MU. After seeing a few trailers and tv spots, I admittedly held a small bit of apprehension, because the jokes didn't seem that great, and it seemed like they were writing for a slightly younger audience. My reservations were soon put at ease upon seeing the first scene before the opening credits. They don’t mess around. They put the heart into it right from the beginning. It’s almost like they introduced the characters from scratch, like the audience has never met these characters before. They gave them new emotions and personal goals, put them in new environments and social situations, and it worked great. The last thing we needed was another Monsters Inc, and this was far from the average sequel.
Of course, it wasn't a sequel but a prequel, and I’d like to take a moment to address that fact and what it entails. Typically, sequels tend to start where the last one left off, not all the time, but usually. Prequels can do the opposite: the end leaves us back where we started, and Monsters Inc started so simply and generically that it left it very open for them.
MU had a perfect mixture of new and old characters, so while we didn't see everyone from Monsters Inc, we saw enough to be satisfied. Then there’s the new characters: most of them are a lot of fun. They branched off quite a bit and made some completely original designs, such as the New Age Philosophy major Art, shown at the right. There’s a bunch of other cool monster designs, but the only other one I care to mention specifically is the Dean of the School of Scaring, Dean Hardscrabble, shown on the left. She’s voiced by Helen Mirren, and she will scare you half to death, which is her job after all.
There’s a good balance between character development and fun action sequences. Mike is really the main character, and Sully gets second billing. They took away most of Mike’s annoying qualities and added some pomposity to Sully, but it all gets worked out in the end. The plot was pretty decent for most of the movie, then the ending just blew me away. There’s a sort of false ending which totally fooled me and left me a little disappointed, but then it kept going, and suddenly my jaw was on the floor.
Now for what really impressed me: camerawork and lighting. Pixar has achieved a subtle new caliber of camera movements and shadows. There were some scenes and shots—just a handful mind you—that were really quite impressive. There were nice shadows cast on characters’ faces, and they seemed very aware of the composition and coloring of environments. Of particular note was the School of Scaring Lecture Hall, the sewer, and a couple places in the climax which I can’t name, so as to remain spoiler-free. Mike Wazowski’s eyeball was so big and shiny, you could see things reflected in it, which was very cool. I didn't really notice when the camera was stationary, but when it was moving, I definitely noticed it. I know, it sounds way too in depth for a kids movie, but Pixar is like that. They don’t just settle for good enough, they spend time on each and every frame, making sure it’s exactly what they want it to be.
There are a few more things I should mention. They do a good job poking fun at the social norms of the American college setting. Randy Newman’s music is enjoyable as ever, and although there are some new themes, there are also some which were brought back from the first movie. He also relied heavily on the musical style of college marching bands, with drum breaks and everything.
If you enjoyed the movie, or plan on seeing it, I recommend visiting Monsters University’s college website. It’s a joke site to promote the movie, but it looks very legitimate, exactly like other college sites, and it's fun to wander around the site and learn about the school’s fictional curriculum. I’m thinking of changing my major to Scream Canister Design.
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I wouldn't say MU is the best Pixar movie ever, but it’s definitely not the worst. It’s a simple story, as touching and heartwarming as we've come to expect from this beloved animation studio. Return to the monster world, journey to a chaotic campus of colorful characters, and learn how Mike and Sully became bosom buddies in Monsters University.
Story: 7/10
Acting: 7/10
Mise-en-scène: 8/10
Cinematography: 8/10
Soundtrack: 6/10
Score: 7.2/10
