Monday, November 4, 2013


Monsters University (2013)

Cast: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Helen Mirren

Director: Dan Scanlon

Synopsis: The prequel to Monsters Inc. brings you back to when the dynamic scaring duo, Mike and Sully, first met in college. After a series of events, Mike and Sully are kicked out of the scaring program at their university and are forced to work together if they ever hope to get back into the program. Because of their differences they do not get along at first but when forced to stick together, Mike and Sully realize that they have more in common than they ever thought before.

Reviewer's Rating: 3.5/5 Reels


Review:

A different director than the original film, Dan Scanlon, brings this animated comedy to life. Known as a writer for the Pixar film Cars, Scanlon finally gets his foot in the door in directing when taking on this prequel to one of the most loved animated movies.

This movie immediately starts off with nostalgia with the reintroduction of characters we all know and love including Mike, Sully, and Randall. References to the previous film are also made such as the epic walk-in scene of the “scarers” and Mike’s head being cut off in his ID picture. These scenes flood the viewer with childhood memories of our favorite moments and jokes with characters we already know so well.

Monsters University is the perfect example of the underdog story. Mike, the classic nerd figure, is kicked out of scaring school because despite all of his knowledge about scaring, he is not scary enough. Sully, the classic jock figure, on the other hand is kicked out because his grades are not up to par. The two have to team up with a group of misfits in order to win a bet made with the dean of the university to let them back into the scaring program.

Even twelve years after the original movie, this film stays true to the comedic nature of the original and the personalities of the characters. But the film was able to grow with its audience through the more mature setting of a university that may not be as suitable for children, unlike Monsters Inc. was when the audience was at a younger age. I believe that the director, Scanlon, balanced beautifully nostalgic memories of a film we hold so dearly while revealing new sides of our “fictional friends” Mike and Sully.

Overall, Monsters University reminded us of a story that we all remember fondly and deepened our love for the characters. Though the film does not have the same “classic” feel of the original, I would highly recommend this movie to someone who wants to walk down memory lane without taking the same path twice.





By Amy Lane

{ 2 comments... read them below or Comment }

  1. I too loved this movie. I was laughing out loud for the majority of the film. It is rather smart of the director to research the age of the viewers of the original movie because it was a movie I could relate to. I remember seeing the movie in theaters as a young child so I like being able to watch the Monsters Inc.2 while relating to their college days. I thought the movie was quite corny at parts, but was an overall a good, funny movie.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I really loved this move though I almost didn’t see it myself to avoid the recent prequel movie genres that have been coming out. I actually recently watched the film and am glad to say that I was mistaken. While remaining true to the original film, the movie defiantly brings a new understanding of Mike’s and Sully’s world. As a college student I could defiantly relate to the fear of taking an exam. The movie however, puts this on whole new level where the exams are actually terrifying. The story arc while simple defiantly demonstrates a significant moral that it helps to work together to overcome the odds.

    ReplyDelete

- Copyright © The Reel Deal - Skyblue - Powered by Blogger - Designed by Johanes Djogan -