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    Monsters University

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

    "Monsters University" doesn't have that new movie smell that the original “Monsters Inc. ” did but it's a real treat to see Mike and Sulley back in a new adventure. I associate prequels with inherent suckage, but this one is an exception. If you're not familiar with the "Monster" universe here's the setup. Unbeknownst to humans, monsters are not only real, they’re civilized creatures who live in a world all to themselves. Their society doesn't use electricity; they use human screams to power everything from light bulbs to cars. Scarers, highly trained monsters who specialize in entering the human world via closets and scaring children gather up the screams. The story follows Mike Wazowski (voiced by Billy Crystal), a 17-year-old one-eye who has just enlisted in Monster University. On his first day, he meets James "Sulley" Sullivan (John Goodman), an arrogant monster who comes from a family of exceptional scarers. While Mike works hard studying and has book smarts, Sulley has all of the natural talents. The two butt heads and their dislike only increases when they accidentally cause each other to get booted out of the scarer program. Their only chance is to impress the strict Dean (Hellen Mirren) by forming a sorority and winning the university’s annual Scare Games.

    This prequel is not on par with the original film but that doesn't mean it's not enjoyable. The Monsters world is so original and has so much potential for storytelling that it felt like a shame to let it go at the end of the original "Monsters Inc." I felt a lot of excitement walking in the theater, ready to see more, to learn more about this world. This prequel also gives the opportunity to the excellent artists at Pixar to create a whole new plethora of crazy characters and settings. Regardless of the quality of the story, it's undeniable that these visuals are fantastic. You’ll see hundreds of unique creatures interacting with each other and with the lush backgrounds I'm certain that I missed dozens of little jokes and clever monster puns while I was distracted by what was going on. The 3D is also pretty good, with ample sequences where confetti or small objects are flying around, giving a lot of depth to the scenes. Visually this picture is just as impressive if not better than any other Pixar film to date.

    Where the movie could use some improvement is in the story department. It's not that the story is bad, it's just that because it's a prequel and because the "Revenge of the Nerds" type of story is one that’s been done time and time again, it’s not as fresh or imaginative. I found a few of the developments to be awfully convenient and predictable. An example would be the first competition in the Scare Games. The sorority Mike and Sulley belong to have no sense of teamwork so you wonder what kind of creative ways the writers will come up to ensure they don’t get booted out of the competition in the first round, but it’s nothing special. Don’t get me wrong; there are plenty of surprises and some genuinely creative stuff but there's just two or three scenes that aren't on the same level as everything else. The final climax of the film is thankfully very well done and overall, the film does add enough to the treasured friendship between Mike and Sulley that you can overlook the flaws in it.

    "Monsters University" is just short of being a great film. Currently, it’s a feast for the eyes with a lot of good laughs and a couple of touching moments. What it lacks in imagination it makes up by giving you more of characters you genuinely fell in love with before. Few prequels are better or even as good as the original work but that doesn't mean the story isn't worth telling or seeing. Stay all the way to the end of the credits too, there's a little something for you there. (3D Theatrical version on the big screen, July 23, 2013)

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    adamwatchesmovies@  29.8.2016 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

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