Monsters University (2013)

Monsters University

Written by Dan Gerson, Robert L. Baird, & Dan Scanlon

Directed by Dan Scanlon

Accompanying Short: The Blue Umbrella

Written & Directed by Saschka Unseld

I noted in my review for Monsters, Inc. that I’ve never been a huge fan of the film. It’s not a bad movie, I just have always felt a little ambivalent about it. So, I was not all that excited for Monsters University, and my feeling proved to be right. It’s not a bad film, but I just had no desire to revisit the universe within the film, and I found it to be pretty devoid of tension or excitement.

Blue trying to get back to Red

In front of Monsters University was The Blue Umbrella, a fairly cute short that is most interesting because of its hyper-photorealism. Seriously, if I were shown certain shots from this short out of context, I’d have no idea they were computer animated. The story is cute, although it’s basically a direct lift of a segment from Make Mine Music: two umbrellas cross paths, become smitten with each other, and then they’re separated and the titular blue umbrella tries to get back to the red umbrella. It’s not an original story (Paperman also has the same storyline), but it’s cute enough. The ending doesn’t make a ton of sense. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I’ll ask you this: how often have you kept a broken umbrella?

Like a few other films on this list, I struggle to find something to talk about. It’s somewhat entertaining, I guess? I genuinely have no thoughts about this film. I feel completely neutral about it.

Sulley and Mike’s first face-to-face meeting

I think a big part of the problem is that the film is a prequel. I’m not the biggest fan of prequels, unless they go hardcore into the “this is how xyz came to be” (which Monsters University barely does). The problem with a prequel is that there is no tension. Case in point: Mike and Sulley get stuck in the human world. There is no tension on if they’ll be stuck there permanently, because we know from the original film that they won’t be. Even the key drama of the film, the animosity between Mike and Sulley, has no tension because we know they’ll be best friends by the time of the original film. Watching the films in chronological order might be better, but with the prequel being released after the original, it just zaps the film of any real drama.

Mike arriving on the campus of MU

The animation is pretty good, as usual for Pixar. And the creativity of the design of the monsters themselves, just like the original film, is excellent. The humor in the film is above average (although, sitting here two days later, I cannot think of a single joke from the film, so take that with a grain of salt). It’s a nice parody of college life and the Greek system (according to my husband, at least), leaning to the tropes and stereotypes of being an on-campus college student.

I really want this review to be longer, but I don’t want to stretch just for the sake of hitting a word count. This film is fun, but it doesn’t break any new ground. And, to be honest, I think that’s okay. Pixar can put out really great content, so having a film just be okay is…okay. Pixar has, by this point, earned the right to put out an average film, so not everything necessarily needs a big, in-depth dissection (even though that’s kind of the point of this whole thing). Monsters University isn’t bad, but it’s not striving for excellence either.

SHORT GRADE: B

FILM GRADE: C