MONSTERS UNIVERSITY

US, 2013, 90 minutes, Colour.
Voices of: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Helen Mirren, Steve Buscemi, John Kraskinski, Nathan Filion, Bonnie Hunt, Dave Foley, Alfred Molina.
Directed by Dan Scanlon.

A pleasing film that might have you with a smile on your face right throughout the film – and not rushing out during the final credits, waiting to see the final good joke.

Those who delighted a decade ago, venturing into the world of Monsters Inc, will not find this film providing the instant joy of meeting Mike Wazowski and Sully for the first time. Rather, it is meeting up again with old friends. As voiced by Billy Crystal at his humorous best (though with some pathos as his goal in life is to study to be a scarer at Monsters University and he can’t quite make it) and with John Goodman as his perfect foil. And for good measure, there is Helen Mirren voicing the imperious dean of the department, Dean Hardscrabble. It really is a top voice cast.

It should be said that Monsters University is not a sequel to Monsters Inc. It is a prequel. It takes us back to the little Mike (very little because Mike, round with his one eye, is little even as a grown-up). He hero-worships a genial monster who encourages him to study, and gives him an MU cap which becomes Mike’s treasure.

He grows up (still little) and goes off to university.

At this stage, the film is a happy variation on the youngster-goes-off-to-college movie, arriving, full of awe, seeing the students, invitations to join clubs, registering, finding his room, getting a roommate who is skilled in disappearing (and has to get rid of his glasses which don’t disappear). This parallel with the teen and young adult college movie is not a bad thing. We enjoy observing and smiling at the similarities.
There are classes, tuition, tests, a nice lecturer and the winged dean with her sudden and solemn appearances. Can Mike really scare anyone? Then Sullivan, Sully, arrives, the son of a very famous scarer, coasting on the family reputation. He is accepted into the top fraternity and looks down on Mike.

When Mike does not qualify, he remembers the ad for the Scare Games. The film-makers have done some remembering themselves: The Hunger Games. The bulk of the latter part of the films is the competition of the games. In order to qualify, Mike needs Sully on his team. Then he has to have a fraternity and the only one that will accept him is the lowliest, a collection of entertaining characters (and the mother of the softest and nicest one).

It’s exciting, of course, and then there is a blow which leads to the last part of the film, Mike and Sully in a haunted house, not to haunt it, but to escape from the local ghost busters.

Young audiences will enjoy this 2013’s Pixar Animation Studios contribution, top value as usual. Those who enjoyed the monsters in the past (but might think they are a bit old for this) can find a good excuse to go to see it: take their younger brothers and sisters. And the adults will enjoy it, no questions asked.

1. Audiences enjoying the original film? Its popularity, awards?
2. The idea, monsters and their capacity for frighten people, especially children? The demonstrations? The parallels of the monsters’ lives with normal human lives? The comic interpretation?
3. The film as a prequel, Mike and his hero-worship, growing up and going to college and the parallels with the popular American college films, registration and fraternities? The use of The Hunger Games? The haunted house of the end?
4. The quality of the animation, light, dark? The ordinary world of monsters: buses, the campus, crowds of students, the fraternities, the lectures, the tests? The Scary Games?
5. The monsters and their variety, appearance, actions, slapstick, comic? The snail going to classes and appearing after the credits?
6. The quality of the voice cast?
7. Mike’s story, little, seeing the hero monster, so friendly, exhortation to go to university, the MU cap? The older Mike, on the bus, his friendly chatter, on the campus, his list, clubs and their advertising, going to registration, the key, his room, Randy and his being the roommate, the vanishing trick, but not the spectacles? Mike as earnest? Going to lectures and enjoying them?
8. Sully, his arrival, the reputation of his father? The top fraternity and the snobbery, accepting Sully? Sully and the clashes with Mike? Looking down on him? Being tough, the ability to frighten, yet fearful inside? The story of the clashes between them? The fight, the breaking of the urn with the Dean’s scream?
9. The lecturer, pleasant, with the students, with Mike, encouraging him? The arrival of the Dean, flying, stern, a British accent? Her reputation, her screams and the urn? Her demands on the students?
10. The lectures, Mike studying, persuaded to go out to the club, his extensive reading, the tests, the detail, getting the notification about what kind of situation and to judge the scream? The students and their success, Mike and his attempts, and his failure? Disappointment, the taunts of Sully, the fraternity? Dean and her severity? Randy and her going to the other fraternity?
11. The Scary Games, Mike’s hopes, the application, the arguments, having to take Sully as a member of the team, his unwillingness? His having to be in a fraternity?
12. The lowest fraternity, Doc, the other members, Terry and Terri, the fat boy with his exuberant mother, the fluffy creature like a muppet? The jokes, the chat, their stories, audiences identifying with them? The slapstick humor?
13. The training, Mike and his success, the explanation that the whole fraternity had to participate in the games?
14. The games, the commentators and their look, their sound, the humour of their remarks?
15. The games and Sully putting Mike last so that he could make the achievement? Various races, the competitiveness, the screams and the lights signalling success? Mike and his winning? The celebrations, the surprise of the dean? The students applying? The cup? Mike and his discovering that Sully had cheated, the confrontation?
16. Sully, his igniting the truth, confessing?
17. Mike, denouncing Sully, the Dean and her reaction? The house of haunting, Mike going through the door, grieving by the river, Sully going in, telling the truth, the reconciliation? Sully and his fears? Mike not being successful as a scarer but having energy?
18. The panel going out, their making a decision, the ghost-busters and their work, the plan, exercising their skills in frightening people, the ghost-busters and their screens, re –powering the door? The Dean and her surprise?
19. Mike still leaving, Sully and the farewell, the Dean’s arrival, wishing him well, alternate employment?
20. Monsters Inc, Sully and Mike and the exuberance, the photo gallery of their first days, the overview of their work in Monsters Inc?