Monsters University contains enough Pixar spark to turn the unoriginal story into a fun adventure

Rating: 9/10 (1 July 2013)

Let's be honest, Pixar has been in an obvious slump recently with Cars 2 and Brave. Sure Brave won an Oscar, but did it really win over your heart? Brave doesn't have the traits of being brave at all, with its typical characters, safe story, and weak title. And Cars 2 is, well, a disappointing sequel to a mediocre franchise. (John Lasseter may have made Pixar, but he is definitely not the best director that they have.) Monsters University continues with Pixar's recent safe route of storytelling. However, the film shows a glimmer of hope for the company. This prequel may not be what people expected, but it is thoroughly entertaining, innocently funny, and made for the enjoyment of all ages.
Likable duo, Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) and James P. Sullivan (John Goodman), are back for a lot more laughs than in the original. Monsters University shows the two monsters' background story of how they meet in a college (that looks notably similar to UC Berkeley) and eventually become best of friends. Of course, this doesn't happen without rivalry and conflict. Basically, the whole story in a nutshell is Mike and Sulley uniting together with a group of misfits (from the most unattractive fraternity) in order to win the school's Scare Games and prove their worth to join the exclusive scare program. The story is certainly formulaic – we've seen this same plot hundreds of times before. The protagonist gathers a team of nobodies, trains them despite the opposition, and the team, to everyone's amazement, ends up winning the entire tournament – becoming heroes. Even so, Monsters University contains enough Pixar spark to turn the unoriginal story into a fun adventure. Each scene is littered with careful and specific details that tell so much more about the characters and their emotions. Mike's passion of wanting to win to prove himself could not have been displayed better and Sulley's frustration to keep up his family name is clearly shown.
The supporting characters in Monsters University blows the previous film away, giving a lot more variety and flavor to the monster world. The unpopular fraternity members, Squishy, Don, Terri, Terry, and Art, all bring a lot to the humorous side of the story. Every character has his moments, but I found Squishy's parts uncontrollably funny (especially the dance scene at the frat party). Of course, it's nice to see the return of supporting character Randy (Steve Buscemi) as a nerdy, self conscious kid, trying to fit in with the cool group. Randy really ties the two films together: in Monsters University, it's revealed that Randy has good reason to want revenge on Sulley, while in Monsters, Inc. Randy acts out on that vengeance.
Monsters University is fast paced, fun, and has a bit of heart in the end. Unfortunately, many people can't fully appreciate the film because they view it as an average creation – (by Pixar standards, of course). It only goes to show the high expectations that Pixar has brought upon itself. But people should really view the film not as one of Pixar's moderate works, but as one of the animation genre's best. Stunning visuals, distinguished characters, and a fun plot – what more can people ask for?
It's surprising how entertaining a G rated film can be. Monsters University is certainly capable of winning an Oscar. The Monster franchise has been waiting for one. And this time, it will be well deserved.