FILM REVIEW
MONSTERS UNIVERSITY, 2013, directed by Dan Scanlon, from Pixar Animation Studios.
★ out of ★★★★
Following the scare duo of Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) and James P. “Sulley” Sullivan (John Goodman) before they met at the titular university, it seems that some of their original chemistry still exists although it is two grades short of heartwarming since the predecessor MONSTERS, INC in 2001 directed by Pete Docter.
It is most unfortunate that since the success of TOY STORY 3 in 2010 directed by Lee Unkrich, and the death of Pixar co-owner Steve Jobs in 2011, the studio famed for such classic hits such as FINDING NEMO (2003, directed by Andrew Stanton) and more have been gradually going downhill. This film is sadly no exception.
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SPOILER ALERT: SIGNIFICANT PLOT POINTS
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Whilst the movie has pockets of funny moments they are not deep what-so-ever but merely reminiscent of every “college motion picture” ever made including THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2011, directed by David Fincher), the REVENGE OF THE NERDS franchise (1984-1994), ANIMAL HOUSE (1978, directed by John Landis) and more. Sadly, this Pixar film has children laughing but adults occasionally checking their watches.
It is regretful that Randy Newman’s score (his seventh collaboration with Pixar) not only borrows heavily from MONSTERS, INC but also features no moments to itself. Dan Scanlon’s feature-film debut [with Pixar] is all-over the place and does not stand with two feet on the ground but five, maybe even more as he displays no clear approach. The cinematography though is one of the movie’s better qualities as it’s David Fincher Social-Network-esque lighting and camera angles (also borrowing from TOY STORY 3) benefits it’s themes of loneliness and superiority complexes. Apart from the two lead roles voiced by BC and JG the rest of the cast are as dull as a copyright infrigned Buzz Lightyear toy, with too many new characters (again like TOY STORY 3) rehearsing a ridiculously terrible screenplay.
The remotely decent scenes in the film however came when Mike and Sulley are caught in the human world and you can play witness to the awe of Pixar’s human animations (as you should have already done so with the attached theatrical short film THE BLUE UMBRELLA directed by Saschka Unseld). But the scene quickly reminds you just how trivial this overall film is as Mike and Sulley are forced to scare the adult police officers in order to power the door that will allow them to escape the human world. This is faulty for two reasons: first, story – whether it is just children’s toys or human objects in general, aren’t all human items meant to be “toxic”? And yet Mike and Sulley are freely touching all sorts of human trinkits. Secondly, the scene feels too much like a bad Pixar version of FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980, directed by Sean S. Cunningham) as the scaring takes place in a wooden cabin next to a lake on a full moon night, and distastefully sees Mike expose his existence to several human children.
By the time the ending has arrived, a quick five-minute montage places Mike and Sulley at the Monsters Inc scare factory where would you believe it, the Abominable Snowman monster is a post delivery employee in what is Pixar “lukcy charm” John Ratzenberger’s worst voice character performance, and appearance.
Overall, it felt as though Pixar were trying to replicate their success with TOY STORY 3 where the toys ended up in a day care centre (more like a prison) as their owner Andy (John Morris) was preparing to leave for college – Pixar were trying to combine their childlike minds in adult bodies with fun situations. But without a Michael Arndt (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, 2006) screenplay or that same childlike wonder, MONSTERS UNIVERSITY is a miss and might as well have been a [Disney] parent-company-made movie like the Pixar rip-off PLANES set for release shortly.
I just hope Pixar can recover again like they did after CARS (2006, directed by John Lasseter) because I miss the originality, the spectacle, and joy I got everytime I saw just the Luxo Jr lamp enter the screen’s frame and introduce their pictures.
