Viewed in
2013
Formats
Movie theater (3D)
Premise
In this prequel of Monsters, Inc. Mike and Sully meet for the first time in college, forging their careers and friendship.
Liked
Mike and Sully's rivalry, balancing mythos with new elements.
Thoughts
Once again, my unreasonably high standards for Pixar probably got in the way of this solid film.
The film makers did a good job of finding a tale worth telling, giving Mike and Sully plausible origins that created a rivalry that eventually led to respect and brotherly love. Though Sully's transformation felt more compelling than Mike's.
For the most part, the writers did a good job of expanding the monsters' universe while still keeping the first movie's legacy intact. It was kind of amusing to see their naivety about "humans are toxic" and "scream power", but at the same time, it made me miss Boo. Comedy-wise, they got good mileage out of ragtag underdog monsters and the leads' antagonistic relationship, but none of the jokes were as memorable.
Here's an example of how much I've taken Pixar for granted. There was subplots that used familiar tropes from movies about underdogs and campus life, and they were executed in entertaining ways. Yet, I felt underwhelmed because they were still tropes. The one part that really stood out was a great moment of revelation after the underdogs won (was there ever a doubt?) that masterfully melded story and character and creativity. This was Pixar at its best. Unfortunately, my unreasonably demanding self wanted more than just one great moment out of the story.
Lastly, I felt this movie contradicted some parts of the legacy in terms of the "humans are toxic" rules during the climax. But take this critique with a giant slab of salt since it's been a decade since I've seen the 2001 title.
Overall, you can't go wrong with Pixar, even if your cynical antennae are on alert for yet another sequel/prequel. The characters were fleshed out, and the world building was fun. At a certain point, I've got to decide when can I finally enjoy solid titles like Monsters University without holding Pixar's expectation baggage against it.
