Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Toon-arama: Monsters University (2013)

Do you know what happens if you take a film like Revenge of the Nerds, Van Wilder or any other generic college film and you suck out all the sex and drugs and replace the characters with cute monsters? You get a surprisingly decent film, and that film would be called Monsters University.
Plot
Our story begins with young Michael “Mike” Wazowski (Billy Crystal) doing a factory tour of Monsters Inc., a company which scares human children because their screams can be converted to energy, which powers Monstropolis. Mike is so impressed that he knows what he wants to be when he grows up. He wants to be a scarer. (Mike will, of course, work for this company in Monsters Inc.)
Jump forward many years and Mike is a freshman on his first day at Monsters University. He’s enrolled in the University’s prestigious Scaring School so he can become a scarer. Once there, he meets James “Sulley” Sullivan (John Goodman), a blue-green monster with pink-purple splotches. Sulley comes from a renown family of scarers and has natural talent. He is, however, jaded and lazy because he’s always gotten along on talent alone. Mike, on the other hand, is not naturally scary and needs to work hard.
From there, we are shown the school. Conflict arises between Mike and some frats. And then disaster strikes. Mike and Sulley get kicked out of the Scaring School when they are unfairly failed by Dean Abigail Hardscrabble as retaliation for damage they do to her property. They have one chance to avoid this horrible fate: they need to win the Scare Games, a tournament put on by the schools frats and sororities. But to do that, they need to be in a frat and the only frat that will take them is the nerds of Oozma Kappa. They have no chance... or do they?
Good Fun
Monsters University is no Wreck-It Ralph, which I see as the current gold standard in animation, and it’s not quite as good as the original Monster’s Inc., but it’s an enjoyable film that is well worth seeing.

Two things really stand out about this film. First, Monsters University doesn’t include the sorts of hidden gags meant to appeal to adults. This story picks a rated-G level and stays there. There are no subtle sex jokes, no hidden messages, and no references to pop culture. Instead, the story relies on its characters and plot to entertain, and yet, that proves to be enough. The characters are likeable and you feel for them, and the “cartoon physics” they engage in are hilarious. Also, the story is truly a feel good story with just enough twists and turns to remain unpredictable from minute to minute even as you think you know how it will all turn out (hint: you don’t).
This raises the second issue. I’ve long marveled at how successful the generic college movies have been. Every one of those films just copies the others. They never add anything original. This film doesn’t either. Yet, it works. And not only that, it works despite the total absence of the usual adult content that seems to power the generic college films. What this suggests is that there is more to the generic college film than one would expect. In other words, there is something so universal about the conflicts inherent in these films that they appeal on that basis alone. It’s a bit like the Heroes Journey, which seems to appeal no matter what context it is found in.

So what are some of those conflicts? Well, there’s the issue of finding where you fit in in life. There’s the issue of maintaining your personality in the face of peer pressure. There’s the issue of proving yourself the equal or superior of self-appointed superiors who want to look down at you. There’s the issue of overcoming the rigged game. And finally, there’s the issue of coming together as a team to succeed at your goals.
Each of these is a universal theme that each of us has dealt with throughout our lives, and I think that makes the generic college story a strong story even as it wrongly seems to be about parties, alcohol and panty-raids. And Monsters University proves that point by showing how appealing a college movie can be without the alcohol and panty-raids.

In any event, this is a film you will enjoy. It may not be laugh out loud hilarious from start to finish, but you will like it throughout and you will find some very funny moments. It’s the kind of film that makes you happy that you watched it.

17 comments:

Kit said...

Good review. The movie also contains one of the funniest moments in animated, perhaps even film, history (21sec): LINK

AndrewPrice said...

Thanks Kit! FYI, so everyone knows, that moment actually concludes at the end of the credits.

shawn said...

All in all, I enjoyed the movie. It's a good kid's movie that adults should enjoy as well, with no material that will make you cringe if your children see it. And while it doesn't have quite the heart of the first Monsters movie, it is still worth seeing for the developing relationships.

Anthony said...

Monster University is a solid, clever film which manages to surprise despite being a prequel, but I didn't fall in love with it. Coming away from the movie my big thought was that the CG fur looked a whole lot better this time around.

On the positive side, it is better than Brave and Cars 2, but that isn't saying much.

AndrewPrice said...

Shawn, Agreed. This one won't blow your socks off, but it's enjoyable and worth seeing. And, as you say, it's worth seeing the relationships between the characters grow too.

AndrewPrice said...

Anthony, I thought it was an enjoyable film, but not a great film. It's worth seeing. It is entertaining. It is clever at times. The 3D animation is surprisingly good. It could have taken a few more risks, but it still turned out well.

Tennessee Jed said...

I'd say there might be a lesson there for Van Wilder, but I guess not. There is always a market for frat boy humor, sex, and drugs.

tryanmax said...

That's really something, Andrew. I guess this film didn't resonate with me much b/c I'm not much for college movies. Maybe it's inability to relate, as I lived off campus most of my college years. (Incidentally, the one I do like is Van Wilder. I think it was Ryan Reynolds' best role, though that doesn't say a lot.)

Now that I think about it, someone ought to make an alternative college movie titled Off Campus. I'm gonna have to ponder that.

Tohokari-Steel said...

I found this movie to be a pleasant surprise. It tends to be a trend that prequels (for lack of a better term) suck, but this movie...didn't. I actually found it to be quite enjoyable. My favorite part being during the initiation when Squishy's mother interrupts to do the laundry...or Art screaming "I CAN'T GO BACK TO JAIL!".

AndrewPrice said...

Jed, I'd say the lesson for Van Wilder is to include monsters next time.

AndrewPrice said...

tryanmax, That could affect your mileage... so to speak. In terms of Ryan Reynolds, I can't think of a best honestly.

"Off Campus" could actually be a real hit if you can find the right tone.

AndrewPrice said...

Tohokari, A pleasant surprise is a good way to describe this film. :)

That line made me laugh out loud because it was so completely unexpected.

Kit said...

By the way, Dame Helen Mirren was the Dean and Nathan Fillion was the head of the jerk fraternity.

Rob S. Rice said...

I really enjoyed this film, and have watched the Blu-Ray many times with considerable enjoyment. One of the factors that resonates with me, I suppose, is disappointed ambition. Mikey has it all, brains, the drive, the discipline and... SPLAT. Such is often the case today in the overcrowded world of Academe. And yet the film also captures that JOY of first attending University--new people, new challenges, new things to learn, and new, at times wonderful friendships. The way Mike and Sully cope with some of the things they learn about themselves and each other--to me it was pleasantly profound, and the humor was welcome to leaven the material. I remember my college days as a joyous golden time--this movie had a similar feeling behind it. Dean Hardscrabble belongs with Dean Wormer in the list of surprisingly admirable antagonists.

AndrewPrice said...

Rob, I agree with that. This film very nicely captures the joy of the college experience, even if they are faced with serious challenges.

that girl said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
that girl said...

this is the best i love this movie please show me more

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