Pixar major in MonstrositySkepticism was rife upon the news that Pixar were doing a prequel to Monsters Inc. Did we really need to know how Mike and Sully became friends? No, but did we need to know how Buzz and Woody's story continued after the first Toy Story film? Not really, but we still got two wonderful adventures involving them and their band of friends.
The story focuses on Mike this time around, as he follows his dream of becoming a scarer. If you've seen the original Monsters Inc, then you will already know that this isn't the path he ends up upon. Doing this allows for the film to deliver an important lesson, that life doesn't always end up on the direction you want it to go towards, which is pretty heavy stuff for a family film to tackle, and Pixar really should be applauded for this as opposed to the traditional 'You can do anything if you try' message which has made its way into most childrens films.
Mike is made into more of a sympathetic character than his Monsters Inc counterpart, while Sully is more of an unlikable jock archetype, but rectifies this through some solid character development, allowing for another important lesson to be shown, in that people can change.
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| "...And that's how you were conceived, Squishy" |
The new characters aren't as memorable as other side characters, but they are likable enough that you hope this isn't their only appearance. While the film boasts a good amount of heart in Mikes story and Sullys development, its nowhere near a patch on the heart Boo gave in the original Monsters, Inc.
Regardless of the fact we didn't really need to know how Mike and Sully became friends, the result was a really charming tale with likable enough characters, a great story that fleshes out the main characters friendship even more and something which Pixar has been missing in the last few films: laughs. While it may not be a classic like Wall-E, Toy Story or Monsters Inc, Monsters University is proof that Pixar haven't lost their touch.
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