Not many sequels can live up to their predecessors, but Monsters University is one that'll surprise you. From start to finish, you'll leave as satisfied and as eager as you came in, especially if you had been a fan of Monsters Inc. But let's be honest.
It was a huge risk on Pixar's part.
See, the thing about sequels and especially prequels is that they have to give so much more for an audience to enjoy as much as the first. Sure, you don't have to compare both versions but to identify a sequel in any form as nothing but what it is, is denying the history and the hard work that was put into making the first. What prequels usually fail at, is giving us more to want from the worlds we already know. We've already seen the characters' fates and we already know where their roads will lead them. They (Pixar) had to give us more. They had to give us a reason to sit down and re-introduce ourselves to a world we've already become quite fond of.
And they succeeded.
What started out as a narrative of the underdog soon turned into a relatable experience for me and my friends. Sure, they're monsters but they're not so different from humans. They get excited, they study, they take exams just like us. And they deal with a lot of the aspects that we struggle with in our own world.
Mike returns to us in the form of a cute little bright-eyed ball of overenthusiastic joy. He's small, he's adorable, and he's set up to fail right from the beginning. And that's hard. Because we, as the audience, know what Mike will grow up to do. And that's not being a scarer.
But that's such an compelling part of the movie. Because it makes us focus not on what'll happen later, but what will happen in this movie. It's almost relaxing, in a strange and unusual way. We know he's not gonna be a scarer, but we also know he will grow up to do a lot of great things. So we avert our focus instead to what is being shown to us in the now. With that little act of ingenuity, Pixar gives us not just a prequel but a movie that diverges into its own territory. Of course we can never not compare it to its iconic past (or rather future) but we can now not say it will not deliver on what is expected.
And boy does it deliver. I never thought I'd ever say that I could relate to a giant, blue-furred monster, but I can. Because finally someone tackles a movie in a setting so commonly used, in such a creative way. Mike gives me a character that I could see in myself and others: someone who just really wants to succeed and be good at what he wants to do. He's a freshmen, a new kid, an underdog. And maybe it doesn't work out for him, but he's always been one of my favorite character's in terms of his endearingly positive outlook on life. If anything, I'd be happy to be a Mike. A Mike Wazowski.
Then there's Sulley. I can not get over how in love I am with what they did with his character. From lovable oaf with great intentions, this pre-Inc. jock is anything but. He's rude, he's full of himself, and he quite honestly a jerk. But the thing I love about that, is I know who he turns out to be. I see him becoming that guy in this movie but he never quite reaches that point on-screen.
And that's such a powerful message. That people can change. Given the right perspective and the right friends, people can change. They can change for the good, and they can change for the bad (Randall). It all comes down to what and who you allow to get to yourself. Everybody is never the same person they were the day before and this movie hits it on the mark.
Speaking of which, it does a fantastic job of dealing with very real issues: of not fitting in, of finding friends when you feel invisible or ignored, of knowing that while hard work might not get you what you want it'll still get you to the place you want to be. It even, to quite frankly point out the obvious, deals with the issue of being scared and down right terrified in unexpected situations.
Mike and Sulley definitely do not start out as friends. But seeing that change is something that struck a very deep chord with me. All the characters did. From Squishy to Art, I felt like every character had something I could relate to (or something that I at least could sympathize with).
The most powerful moment in the entire film, for me, was Sulley and Mike's heart-to-heart in the human world. Because for the first time ever we hear Sulley admit he's scared. Terrified, even. And never before have I agreed because life is scary. It's a hard thing to face, but we can get through it. If we are like Mike, someone who knows whole-heartedly how mean the world can be but still chooses to look at all the positives, we can do it. He doesn't give up and he doesn't stop trying. He doesn't stop believing that somewhere out there, there is a place for him. And maybe it's not what he expected but that's okay too. As long as you know who you are and you embrace that.
You have to give it up, once again, to everybody who worked behind this momentous project. Right from the hairs of Sulley's arm to the sticky suction cups of Don Carlton, the animation team's work is something not to be overlooked. Even the camera work, the lighting, the sound, every single aspect that brought this film to life is phenomenal. You can actually believe you're attending class, sitting out in the quad, being chased by the librarian, or being intimidated by the ominous echo of Dean Hardscrabble as her many legs scuttle across the stone floor.
When the mood is light-hearted, so is the music and the lighting. When we need to feel intense or dis-passioned, it follows that path. It's smooth and flowing, and mixes into just the right combination of subtle influential power.
Even the comedy of the movie is as diverse and open as anyone could imagine. There's a joke for everyone. Kids can laugh, teenagers can laugh, adults can laugh, even the elderly will get a kick out of this film's wacky antics. It's such a refreshing breath of fresh (nostalgic) air, that'll make you want to see it again and maybe even throwback to its original.
Monsters University is nostalgic, heart-warming, heart-breaking, inspiring, and an all-around story of friendship and finding out who you are in a world that's full of so many unexpected opportunities.
And boy does it deliver. I never thought I'd ever say that I could relate to a giant, blue-furred monster, but I can. Because finally someone tackles a movie in a setting so commonly used, in such a creative way. Mike gives me a character that I could see in myself and others: someone who just really wants to succeed and be good at what he wants to do. He's a freshmen, a new kid, an underdog. And maybe it doesn't work out for him, but he's always been one of my favorite character's in terms of his endearingly positive outlook on life. If anything, I'd be happy to be a Mike. A Mike Wazowski.
Then there's Sulley. I can not get over how in love I am with what they did with his character. From lovable oaf with great intentions, this pre-Inc. jock is anything but. He's rude, he's full of himself, and he quite honestly a jerk. But the thing I love about that, is I know who he turns out to be. I see him becoming that guy in this movie but he never quite reaches that point on-screen.
And that's such a powerful message. That people can change. Given the right perspective and the right friends, people can change. They can change for the good, and they can change for the bad (Randall). It all comes down to what and who you allow to get to yourself. Everybody is never the same person they were the day before and this movie hits it on the mark.
Speaking of which, it does a fantastic job of dealing with very real issues: of not fitting in, of finding friends when you feel invisible or ignored, of knowing that while hard work might not get you what you want it'll still get you to the place you want to be. It even, to quite frankly point out the obvious, deals with the issue of being scared and down right terrified in unexpected situations.
Mike and Sulley definitely do not start out as friends. But seeing that change is something that struck a very deep chord with me. All the characters did. From Squishy to Art, I felt like every character had something I could relate to (or something that I at least could sympathize with).
The most powerful moment in the entire film, for me, was Sulley and Mike's heart-to-heart in the human world. Because for the first time ever we hear Sulley admit he's scared. Terrified, even. And never before have I agreed because life is scary. It's a hard thing to face, but we can get through it. If we are like Mike, someone who knows whole-heartedly how mean the world can be but still chooses to look at all the positives, we can do it. He doesn't give up and he doesn't stop trying. He doesn't stop believing that somewhere out there, there is a place for him. And maybe it's not what he expected but that's okay too. As long as you know who you are and you embrace that.
You have to give it up, once again, to everybody who worked behind this momentous project. Right from the hairs of Sulley's arm to the sticky suction cups of Don Carlton, the animation team's work is something not to be overlooked. Even the camera work, the lighting, the sound, every single aspect that brought this film to life is phenomenal. You can actually believe you're attending class, sitting out in the quad, being chased by the librarian, or being intimidated by the ominous echo of Dean Hardscrabble as her many legs scuttle across the stone floor.
When the mood is light-hearted, so is the music and the lighting. When we need to feel intense or dis-passioned, it follows that path. It's smooth and flowing, and mixes into just the right combination of subtle influential power.
Even the comedy of the movie is as diverse and open as anyone could imagine. There's a joke for everyone. Kids can laugh, teenagers can laugh, adults can laugh, even the elderly will get a kick out of this film's wacky antics. It's such a refreshing breath of fresh (nostalgic) air, that'll make you want to see it again and maybe even throwback to its original.
Monsters University is nostalgic, heart-warming, heart-breaking, inspiring, and an all-around story of friendship and finding out who you are in a world that's full of so many unexpected opportunities.
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