Friday, June 21, 2013

Monsters University 3D Review

Rated G

Running Time: 1 Hour & 44 Minutes

Cast (voice)-
Billy Crystal-Michael 'Mike' Wazowski
John Goodman-James P. 'Sulley' Sullivan
Steve Buscemi-Randall 'Randy' Boggs
Helen Mirren-Dean Abigail Hardscrabble
Joel Murray-Don Carlton
Sean Hayes-Terri Perry
Dave Foley-Terry Perry
Peter Sohn-Scott 'Squishy' Squibbles
Charlie Day-Art
Julia Sweeney-Ms. Squibbles
Nathan Fillion-Johnny Worthington III
Bobby Moynihan-Chet Alexander
Aubrey Plaza-Claire Wheeler
Tyler Labine-Brock Pearson
Alfred Molina-Professor Derek Knight
Bonnie Hunt-Karen Graves
John Krasinski-'Frightening' Frank McCay
Beth Behrs-Carrie Williams
John Ratzenberger-The Yeti

Directed by Dan Scanlon

Before they were the best of friends, Mike and Sully were bitter enemies in college.
Note: Screened on Tuesday, June 18, 2013 at AMC Loews Kips Bay 15.

Pixar, you never cease to make me cry. Why, just last week I was watching 2001's "Monsters, Inc." for the first time and I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes when Sulley said his good-byes to Boo. Riding a wave of critical acclaim that peaked with 2010's "Toy Story 3," the stalwart animation studio has unfortunately been faced with a creative slump for the past two years. "Cars 2" was released to negative reviews (38% on Rotten Tomatoes) in 2011 and was only green-lit with the sole intention of selling more merchandise since the original film generated over $10 billion in worldwide retail sales for Disney. Last year's "Brave" was a much needed improvement but it was still not quite up to Pixar's usual standard of excellence. For their fourteenth feature, the studio is once again revisiting one of their older films with "Monsters University," a prequel to Pete Docter's "Monsters, Inc." The idea of making a prequel to such a beloved classic struck me as a creative dead-end to put it bluntly, especially for a studio like Pixar who built its reputation on taking story-telling risks. Not to mention the fact that audiences weren't exactly clamoring for one either. The project just seemed like another disaster waiting to happen. Well, I'm glad to report that I was completely wrong about my suspicions. Charming, delightful, and laugh-out-hilarious, "Monsters University" doesn't stand up to Pixar's finest efforts but it remains an entertaining film in its own right thanks to its cleverly subversive humor and strong voice acting.

"Monsters University" is preceded by an adorable six minute short titled "The Blue Umbrella," which pushes Pixar's CG animation toward photorealism. Ever since he was a child, Michael 'Mike' Wazowski (Billy Crystal) has dreamed of becoming a famous 'scarer' after meeting one of his idols, 'Frightening' Frank McCay (John Krasinski), during a school field trip to Monsters, Inc. Encouraged by McCay's advice, a seventeen-year-old Mike enrolls in the prestigious Monsters University to pursue a degree in scaring. To keep up with the rigorous demands of the school's 'scaring program,' Mike studies day-and-night with his nerdy roommate Randall 'Randy' Boggs (Steve Buscemi) but the faculty, especially Dean Hardscrabble (Helen Mirrin), expresses doubt over the young cyclops' abilities and urge him to quit while he's ahead. Also looking to become a top scarer is James P. 'Sulley' Sullivan (John Goodman), who's hoping to cruise past the program on his family name alone. Quickly becoming bitter rivals, Mike and Sulley's competitiveness soon leads to their expulsion from the scaring program by Hardscrabble during their final exam. Not about to let his dreams die, Mike joins up with outcast fraternity Oozma Kappa in order to compete in the annual Scare Games. Unfortunately, his team, which includes middle-aged student Don Carlton (Joel Murray), two-headed monster Terri and Terry (Sean Hayes and Dave Foley), pushover Squishy (Peter Sohn), and New Age Philosopher Art (Charlie Day), are complete laughingstocks on campus. To whip these ghouls into shape, Mike is forced to put aside his differences and work with Sulley.

Just like "Cars 2" is Pixar's take on the spy thrillers of yesteryear, "Monsters University" functions as a good-natured callback to the college flicks of the 1980's. The major difference is that Dan Scanlon's film is actually good. One of the things I love about Pixar is the way they consistently raise the bar for CG animation and this film is no different. Take for example Mike's first day as a college freshman. Stumbling around the campus green, he encounters all manner of outlandish monsters going about their business, from Godzilla-sized behemoths playing Frisbee on the quad to the various clubs trying to draw in new members in their own eccentric ways (for the art club, a fuzzy monster dumps paint all over its body and then slaps itself on a white canvas). The studio's continued technological prowess is on full display here, with every colorful frame packed to the brim with all manner of cuddly, multi-eyed and multi-limbed creatures, lending the world of Monstropolis a rich and bizarre texture. The 3D is also utilized very well, creating a nice sense of depth that gives the university and the various characters that inhabit it a tangible quality. It's definitely not a revelation but the added effect is handled with care and precision, which is more than I can say for other 3D features (I'm looking at you, "World War Z.")

Written by Scanlon, Robert L. Baird, and Daniel Gerson, the story in "Monsters University" adheres very closely to Jeff Kanew's seminal 1984 comedy "Revenge of the Nerds." The rather formulaic script is by far the film's biggest flaw but the hilarious comedy fortunately makes up for any shortcomings. In fact, this is the funniest Pixar feature yet, with its humor subtly subverting our expectations. When Mike is about to enter his dorm room, he announces that 'behind this door will be my lifelong friend and companion' and opens it to find Randall Boggs, a shy, spectacles-wearing nerd who sometimes has trouble controlling his chameleon-like abilities. Given what we know will happen, these little in-jokes (including an appearance from a particular slug) certainly lends a fun irony to the proceedings. The various challenges of the Scare Games are entertaining to watch and one of the highlights is seeing how Mike's motley crew overcomes each obstacle. Of course, this is the story of how Mike and Sulley became the best friends that we saw in "Monsters, Inc." and once again, Scanlon plays with our expectations. What appears to be a simple tale of two people realizing that they have much more common turns out to be something more complex. Pixar has always excelled in packing their films with thematic content that appeals to both kids and adults, and what "Monsters University" is really about is that sometimes, it's okay to fail. Children are often told that they can accomplish anything if they'd just 'follow their dreams' but the reality is that not every dream can come true. This in no way means you're a failure; it just means that your path lies elsewhere and I found this very refreshing in an animated film. Mike and Sulley's heart-to-heart at the end not only deepen their friendship and bond, it damn-near made me cry.

The voice acting is top notch across the board. Unlike other animation studios who try to draw in solely big celebrity names, Pixar focuses on choosing the right actor or actress whose voice best embodies the character that they're portraying. It's what puts their films a cut above the rest. Returning to their roles twelve years later, Billy Crystal and John Goodman have not lost a step and hearing these two verbally spar is just delightful. Their passion for Mike and Sulley shines through in their energetic voice work and the easy chemistry they share is palpable in every scene. Making a memorable impression is Helen Mirren as the half-dragon/half-centipede Dean Hardscrabble. Her smooth voice chills you to the bone and the creature design for her character is beyond words. It inspires both awe and fear. The various actors that bring the Oozma Kappa fraternity to life are also great, with Charlie Day being a standout as laid-back weird guy Art. Aubrey Plaza and Nathan Fillion round out the talented cast, with Plaza voicing Goth girl Claire Wheeler and Fillion as Roar Omega Roar's overconfident leader Johnny Worthington.

Released on June 21, 2013, "Monsters University" has received largely positive reviews with 77% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that 'it doesn't scale the heights of Pixar's finest efforts, but [the film] is still funny and thoughtful family entertainment for viewers of any age.' Given the pedigree of the Pixar brand, the film should easily top the weekend box office, even with competition from Brad Pitt's "World War Z" and last week's reigning champion "Man of Steel." The highly enthusiastic response at Tuesday's advance screening is a clear indication that many are still fans of the studio's work despite their less-than stellar outings from the last two years. No, it's not the instant classic that many were hoping for but "Monsters University" manages to justify its existence by exploring Mike and Sulley's friendship in new and unexpected ways while providing plenty of hearty laughs. It's a second-tier film that still blows all other rival animated features out of the water.

Final Rating: 4 out of 5

"If you’re not scary, what kind of a monster are you?"