Monsters University

Title: Monsters University

Director: Dan Scalon

Screenwriters: Robert L. Baird, Daniel Gerson, Dan Scalon

Producers: Kori Rae, John Lasseter

Cast: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Helen Mirren, Steve Buscemi, Nathan Fillion

Popcorn Movie Rating: 10

The Pixar we all fell in love with is back!

By: David A. Maldonado

Monsters University is the best Pixar film since Toy Story 3 in 2010, and as good as Monsters Inc.

Mike (Billy Crystal), starts as a little green kid, ignored by everyone, who’s only dream is to become a “scarer” for Monsters Inc. When we grew up, he’s still a little green guy ignored by everyone, but this time he is attending to Monsters University to become a real “scarer”. Once he’s there he meets Sully (John Goodman), a big blue guy that can scare everyone just by being him. And so, the rivalry begins, and is going to end up (as we all know), as one of the biggest friendship ever.

After Toy Story 3, Pixar Animation has been doing films that got short for the standards make by them. Cars 2 in 2011 didn’t make it to the final round on the Academy Awards and Brave in 2012 won that year just because it was Pixar and they didn’t receive the Oscar the year before, but the movie didn’t have anything special. So, after the good streak of Wall-E, Up and Toy Story 3, Pixar fell way too low, buy this summer they have raise up and brought the perfect family movie of 2013 (by far).

Even thou we are seeing some of the old characters like (obviously), Mike, Sully, Randall and even George Sanderson (the monsters that is shaved for the 3312 alert), this movie feels different from its predecessor/sequel. What Monsters Inc. gain in sweetness with the Boo’s character, this one compensates it with laughs. Since Finding Nemo in 2003, Pixar films has lost a little laughs, and introduced sweetness, but in University the smiles are back.

But it’s not only about the laughs. The whole philosophy of the world is different. Inc. was about questioning the world they live in and everything they know about human kids. In University, scaring a kid is a good thing and is what give value a monster. If a monster is not scary then, what kind of monster is it? So, those two simple things gave the movie a whole new and different vibe.

The story is pretty much what we have seen in the trailers, but funnier. However, there are some unexpected twists that make it a even more solid film. So, we are safe to say that you haven’t seen it all, even if you have seen every single trailer and clip in the internet. The ending is great, odd coming from Pixar, it works perfectly to the story when you think about it and don’t make room for any sequel to the prequel, because it closes every gap.

It would be a cliché to say that the animation is amazing. This is Pixar that we’re talking about. All the details on hair, scales, skin and even feathers are stunning. Even better than that is the animation on the characters expression. It is unbelievable. They don’t have to say a word to send a message because with their faces they say it all. Sully could be an Academy Award winner, but what Mike does with one eye and a round body doesn’t have a word to be described.

Some people will say that in Monsters Inc. Mike says to Sully, “You have been jealous of my looks since fourth grade”.  However, the characters first meet in college. Well, director Dan Scalon said that they actually thought about that and get to the conclusion that Mike said that as a common expression referring to a long time period and not literally that they have meet since 4^th grade. The only problem is that to sustain that excuse they should have use it at least one time in this film. However, we never hear such a phrase to be told by Mike or any other character in the film. That will make those people think that Scalon only said that excuse to safe the story.

If you are human enough to ignore that stupid and insignificant expression, then you will enjoy Monsters University. You will laugh, the kids will love it and everyone will remember why they fell in love with Pixar and this particularly characters 12 years ago.