"Monsters University" - directed by Dan Scanlon
There is a huge line up of animated movies for the second half of 2013.
Upcoming titles include "Epic", the terrible looking "Dino Time 3D", the wonderful "Despicable Me 2", "Turbo" and Pixar's "Planes".
This means that we will have three Pixar movies this calendar year.
"Monsters Inc. 3D" was released in January and now we have the prequel "Monsters University".
I have mixed feelings about Pixar and find their output ranges from brilliant works like "The Incredibles", "Toy Story 2" and "Ratatouille" to middling fare such as "Wall E" and "Finding Nemo" to the uninspired mediocrity of "Brave", "A Bug's Life" and "Cars".
(I can't add "Cars 2" to the list because I skipped it after pretty much hating the first one)
I initially thought that "Monsters University" looked to be a desperate cash in on one of their most beloved properties.
The first trailers did look pretty good though.
The final movie arrives in the manner that animated fare tends to these days in the form of preview screenings.
This one has already opened to great business in the US and looks like holding on to the number one spot for a second week.
To date it has made $200,000,000 and looks set to triple or quadruple that total before it leaves cinemas.
I may have mixed feelings about Pixar's product line but apparently I am in a tiny minority.
The plot here covers the period of time in which Mike and Sullivan meet while attending Monsters University where they are both majoring in Scaring.
And they do not like each other at all with Sullivan being the born to scare type and Mike emerging as an un-scary bookworm.
Immediately there is an obstacle to overcome here.
We know that they will ultimately become a top scare team and best friends by virtue of the first movie.
How do you make the plot interesting when the ending is already clear?
Fortunately this film belongs at the quality end of the Pixar scale for me and that means that character and story are forefront.
Every Pixar movie that works is strong in these areas.
The first time that we see mono-eyed, green ball Mike in the prequel it is as a very young child.
We see the events that made him want to go to scare school in the first place.
It's a surprising and effective start.
The prologue and everything that follows will be single-mindedly focused on the events and characters that will shape Mike and Sullivan into the monsters that we know so well.
So the journey becomes even more important than the conclusion.
Which is not to say that there aren't surprises along the way - there certainly are.
Even the ending manages to provide a fresh and interesting lead in to the events of the first film.
I noticed lots of nods to "Monsters Inc" and I am sure that I missed a lot more than I saw.
Familiar characters appear like Randall Boggs - named merely Randy here- but it is the new faces that give us the biggest 'ah, I see..." moments as they trigger the events that will shape the futures of the lead characters.
Of all the things that this movie does well the finest trick up its sleeve is the way that it makes the first movie even better.
Prequels and sequels quite often detract from the films previously released by feeling separated - just not quite gelling.
We put so much of ourselves into the characters that we love that any deviation from our perceptions feels strange.
Refer to the Indiana Jones movies.
After the perfection of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" we went back in time with "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" then forward for "The Last Crusade" (which also included an opening scene that went even further back).
We learned things about Indy that added to the myth and the character.
By the time the absurdly belated "The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" arrived nineteen years later it just didn't feel like the same Indy any more.
The tone was just off.
The Star Wars prequels suffer similarly in many ways.
With "Monsters University" the fun is in seeing the characters grow into the characters that we love and it feels absolutely bang on.
Casting is vital and it goes without saying that the returning Billy Crystal, John Goodman and Steve Buscemi are utterly perfect.
But the supporting casting is every bit as good.
The standout, unsurprisingly, is the great Helen Mirren as the no-nonsense Dean Hardscrabble.
Mirren never resorts to raised volume or hissing delivery but she is masterfully dominating and intimidating with each glorious sentence.
Alfred Molina has a smaller role as Mike and Sullivan's main teacher and he is brilliant too.
With additional characters voiced by the likes of Bill Hader, Bonnie Hunt, Nathan Fillion, Sean Hayes, Dave Foley, Joel Murray and Aubrey Plaza this is one of the strongest lineups of voice talent that I have ever seen (heard?).
There may be a mass of comedic talent in that cast list but "Monsters University" isn't as funny as "Despicable Me 2" by a long shot and personally I would revisit Gru and the girls a third and fourth time before I would Mike and Sully a second but that should in no way detract from what is a very strong, highly entertaining movie for child and adult alike.
It doesn't quite reach the heights of the true Pixar greats but it is ample evidence that "Cars" and "Brave" are mere anomalies of mediocrity from a studio that clearly still has greatness all the way from its DNA to its big old soft heart.
And there is one thing that they are without doubt still head and shoulders above their competition on and that is the visual splendour that they bring to their work.
"Monsters University" is astounding in this department.
This is evident throughout but particularly with the outdoor shots of the campus and its buildings, lawns and trees.
The subtle lighting changes between indoor / outdoor and at different times of the day and/or night are incredible.
Motion of characters is also perhaps the best that I have ever seen.
Sullivan is the best served here.
Somehow this entirely fictitious character is lent a realism of movement that completely sells him as a real, living, breathing entity.
Right down to the fur and the facial expressions this is an extraordinary piece of computer animation.
There are many reasons why this movie is a hit but for me the most compelling one is that it is just a superb story well told.
Thematically friendship and team work are at the forefront but the delivery is sly enough that it doesn't come off as preachy or saccharin.
The subtlety in building character rewards with a nicely balanced pace that allows the characters to grow before our eyes so that by the time the end credits roll we know everything that we need to about Mike and Sullivan and their journey.
There are some excellent comedic moments with the late night excursion possibly my favourite.
Admittedly it's not the funniest animated movie you'll see this year but it probably isn't aiming to be.
It's a definite must see in its own right but with the added bonus of the incredible opening seven minute short "The Blue Umbrella" with its jawdropping visuals and moving, original story the whole package is irresistible.
I expect both to win Oscars in the Animated Feature and Animated Short categories.
Terrific all round.
Upcoming titles include "Epic", the terrible looking "Dino Time 3D", the wonderful "Despicable Me 2", "Turbo" and Pixar's "Planes".
This means that we will have three Pixar movies this calendar year.
"Monsters Inc. 3D" was released in January and now we have the prequel "Monsters University".
I have mixed feelings about Pixar and find their output ranges from brilliant works like "The Incredibles", "Toy Story 2" and "Ratatouille" to middling fare such as "Wall E" and "Finding Nemo" to the uninspired mediocrity of "Brave", "A Bug's Life" and "Cars".
(I can't add "Cars 2" to the list because I skipped it after pretty much hating the first one)
I initially thought that "Monsters University" looked to be a desperate cash in on one of their most beloved properties.
The first trailers did look pretty good though.
The final movie arrives in the manner that animated fare tends to these days in the form of preview screenings.
This one has already opened to great business in the US and looks like holding on to the number one spot for a second week.
To date it has made $200,000,000 and looks set to triple or quadruple that total before it leaves cinemas.
I may have mixed feelings about Pixar's product line but apparently I am in a tiny minority.
 |
| The plot tells Mike's story but due to the strong bond between the two leads by default it is very much Sullivan's story too |
And they do not like each other at all with Sullivan being the born to scare type and Mike emerging as an un-scary bookworm.
Immediately there is an obstacle to overcome here.
We know that they will ultimately become a top scare team and best friends by virtue of the first movie.
How do you make the plot interesting when the ending is already clear?
Fortunately this film belongs at the quality end of the Pixar scale for me and that means that character and story are forefront.
Every Pixar movie that works is strong in these areas.
The first time that we see mono-eyed, green ball Mike in the prequel it is as a very young child.
We see the events that made him want to go to scare school in the first place.
It's a surprising and effective start.
The prologue and everything that follows will be single-mindedly focused on the events and characters that will shape Mike and Sullivan into the monsters that we know so well.
So the journey becomes even more important than the conclusion.
Which is not to say that there aren't surprises along the way - there certainly are.
Even the ending manages to provide a fresh and interesting lead in to the events of the first film.
I noticed lots of nods to "Monsters Inc" and I am sure that I missed a lot more than I saw.
Familiar characters appear like Randall Boggs - named merely Randy here- but it is the new faces that give us the biggest 'ah, I see..." moments as they trigger the events that will shape the futures of the lead characters.
 |
| Sullivan is a different character to the one that we know. |
Prequels and sequels quite often detract from the films previously released by feeling separated - just not quite gelling.
We put so much of ourselves into the characters that we love that any deviation from our perceptions feels strange.
Refer to the Indiana Jones movies.
After the perfection of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" we went back in time with "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" then forward for "The Last Crusade" (which also included an opening scene that went even further back).
We learned things about Indy that added to the myth and the character.
By the time the absurdly belated "The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" arrived nineteen years later it just didn't feel like the same Indy any more.
The tone was just off.
The Star Wars prequels suffer similarly in many ways.
With "Monsters University" the fun is in seeing the characters grow into the characters that we love and it feels absolutely bang on.
Casting is vital and it goes without saying that the returning Billy Crystal, John Goodman and Steve Buscemi are utterly perfect.
But the supporting casting is every bit as good.
The standout, unsurprisingly, is the great Helen Mirren as the no-nonsense Dean Hardscrabble.
Mirren never resorts to raised volume or hissing delivery but she is masterfully dominating and intimidating with each glorious sentence.
Alfred Molina has a smaller role as Mike and Sullivan's main teacher and he is brilliant too.
With additional characters voiced by the likes of Bill Hader, Bonnie Hunt, Nathan Fillion, Sean Hayes, Dave Foley, Joel Murray and Aubrey Plaza this is one of the strongest lineups of voice talent that I have ever seen (heard?).
There may be a mass of comedic talent in that cast list but "Monsters University" isn't as funny as "Despicable Me 2" by a long shot and personally I would revisit Gru and the girls a third and fourth time before I would Mike and Sully a second but that should in no way detract from what is a very strong, highly entertaining movie for child and adult alike.
It doesn't quite reach the heights of the true Pixar greats but it is ample evidence that "Cars" and "Brave" are mere anomalies of mediocrity from a studio that clearly still has greatness all the way from its DNA to its big old soft heart.
And there is one thing that they are without doubt still head and shoulders above their competition on and that is the visual splendour that they bring to their work.
"Monsters University" is astounding in this department.
 |
| Lighting is astoundingly well executed. This is a technical tour de force. |
The subtle lighting changes between indoor / outdoor and at different times of the day and/or night are incredible.
Motion of characters is also perhaps the best that I have ever seen.
Sullivan is the best served here.
Somehow this entirely fictitious character is lent a realism of movement that completely sells him as a real, living, breathing entity.
Right down to the fur and the facial expressions this is an extraordinary piece of computer animation.
There are many reasons why this movie is a hit but for me the most compelling one is that it is just a superb story well told.
Thematically friendship and team work are at the forefront but the delivery is sly enough that it doesn't come off as preachy or saccharin.
The subtlety in building character rewards with a nicely balanced pace that allows the characters to grow before our eyes so that by the time the end credits roll we know everything that we need to about Mike and Sullivan and their journey.
There are some excellent comedic moments with the late night excursion possibly my favourite.
Admittedly it's not the funniest animated movie you'll see this year but it probably isn't aiming to be.
It's a definite must see in its own right but with the added bonus of the incredible opening seven minute short "The Blue Umbrella" with its jawdropping visuals and moving, original story the whole package is irresistible.
I expect both to win Oscars in the Animated Feature and Animated Short categories.
Terrific all round.
| Rated | G - possibly mildly scary for younger children |
| Running Time: | 110 minutes (1hr, 34mins without end credits) |
| Starring: |
| Billy Crystal | --- Nike (voice) |
| John Goodman | --- Sullivan (voice) |
| Helen Mirren | --- Dean Hardscrabble (voice) |
| Steve Buscemi | --- Randy (voice) |
| Joel Murray | --- Don (voice) |
| Nathan Fillion | --- Johnny Worthington (voice) |
| Sean Hayes | --- Terri (voice) |
| Dave Foley | --- Terry (voice) |
| Peter Sohn | --- Squishy (voice) |
| Alfred Molina | --- Professor Knight (voice) |
| Charlie Day | --- Art (voice) |
| Aubrey Plaza | --- Claire Wheeler (voice) |
| Bonnie Hunt | --- Mrs Graves (voice) |
| John Ratzneberger | --- Yeti (voice) |
| John Krasinski | --- Frank McCay (voice) |
| Bill Hader | --- Referee / Slug (voice) |
| Frank Oz | --- Fungus (voice) |
| Julia Sweeney | --- Ms Squibbles (voice) |
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