MU Passes This Critic's Grade

Rating: Null/10 (1 July 2013)

Like the Energizer Bunny, the people at Pixar Animation Studios keep going and going, delivering one good animated film after another. They have never made a bad film, yet. They previously took the sequel route with "Toy Story" (twice) and "Cars". This time, they decided to take the pre-sequel route with "Monsters University", a backstory to the hit 2001 film, "Monsters Inc." In the end, taking the pre-sequel route really paid off.
Set a few years before "Monsters, Inc.", green-eyed Mike Wazowski (voiced again by Billy Crystal) enrolls in the scare program in Monsters University to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming a scarer for the energy company. But first, he begins to make enemies with his future buddy, Sulley (John Goodman, returning) and has to face the wrath of their Dean Hardscrabble (Helen Mirren). When Mike and Sulley are banned from the program after failing the Scare Exam, they both get a chance to redeem themselves by entering in the Scare Games, a competition between fraternities and sororities. They enter to joining the least competitive of the fraternities, Oozma Kappa. The group includes a two-headed Bert and Ernie like monster, a elder member, and a bat-like creature who goes by the name of "Art".
The film begins with a lot of chuckles in its first half, but when after Mike and Sulley joins the Oozma Kappa, it becomes rip-roaringly funny. It even delivers a rousing third act with a exciting and heartwarming climax that sets the scene for the film it spawned from.
Director Dan Scanlon makes a good effort on his first animated feature. He succeeds in making the spirit of this film faithful to the original Monsters, Inc. The story uses the underdog formula, but it works well. The script by Scanlon, Daniel Gerson and Robert L. Baird doesn't try too hard for laughs and doesn't rely on pop-culture references to get them. The script succeeds in it's goal: to entertain perfectly. Plus, they added the character of Randall from the first film and establishes the reason why he didn't get along with the green and purple duo in the first place. Randy Newman's score is wonderful with a mix of college band music and his usual action film style.
The animation is, as in all of Pixar films, superb, whether you see it in 2D or 3D. (I saw it in 3D, by the way). Also, the animations give some homage to some classic films. The setting for the first event of the Scare Games reminded me of scenes from two films from 1987; the secret meeting hideout for the P.A.G.A.N cult in the movie version of the TV show, "Dragnet", and Arnold Schwarzenegger's first leg of the on-air race in the underrated action thriller, "The Running Man". Plus, a funny bedroom scene with Mike and Sulley reminded me of a similar one with Steve Martin and John Candy in another 1987 film, "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" (Remember, "those aren't pillows"?)
Crystal and Goodman are both sensational again as Mike and Sulley. Their chemistry together make their odd couple characters feel like an animated creature version of Felix and Oscar. Mirren is divine as Hardscrabble and the supporting voice cast, with the likes of Sean Hayes, Dave Foley, Alfred Molina and "SNL" alum Julia Sweeney is solid.
This is a fine antidote to the big loud blockbusters and the raunchy, adult comedies populating our screens now and it's this summer's perfect family film, by far, so far. It's not a great Pixar masterpiece in the way of Toy Story or the original Monsters, Inc., but it works well. Will Pixar break its good film record or continue to score with its next film? Who knows?
Plus, it's best to come early for it or otherwise, you'll gonna miss one of the best and most intelligent animated shorts ever to come from Pixar in a full moon, "The Blue Umbrella". It's about a blue umbrella who chases a red umbrella in the middle of a rainstorm in a New York-like city. This precious short could make you deliver a tear in your eye. I'm hoping this short win the Oscar for Best Animated Short, come next year.
Rating: "Monsters University": ***
"The Blue Umbrella": ****
Parent Advisory: "Monsters University" is rated G. A clean and safe "Animal House"/"Revenge of the Nerds" for kids under 18.