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A lot of viewers will (and should) walk into “Monsters University” with skepticism. Not only does Pixar’s 14th feature exhibit the cash-conscious franchise-itis to which the studio was once immune (it’s a prequel to “Monsters, Inc.” and joins such follow-ups as “Cars 2” and the just-announced “Finding Dory”), but it also comes in the lackluster wake of Pixar’s artistic peak, feeling, like “Brave,” as if a lesser company could have made it. The plotting is rather standard-issue, and whereas films like “Up” and “Toy Story 3” struck uncannily human chords, “Monsters University” settles for familiar and only semi-poignant beats.
Still, this remains one of the better big-name pictures of the summer, succeeding in recapturing the spirit of its 12-year-old predecessor, and never failing to entertain for even a moment. Exploring the origins of cycloptic Mike Wazowski (voiced by Billy Crystal) and freckled furball Sulley Sullivan (voiced by John Goodman), the movie is a kind of family-friendly “Animal House” packed with creepy critters, each of them vying to become the best “scarers” at the prestigious, titular institution. That’s an especially tough hurdle for Mike, who has the book smarts down, but, as is coldly observed by the odious, centipede- and dragon-like Dean Hardscrabble (voiced by Helen Mirren), isn’t inherently scary.
Bitter frenemies at first, Mike and Sulley bond when they join an unpopular fraternity and compete in the scare games, a campus-wide monster competition that, after some mishaps that get under Hardscrabble’s scales, proves the unlikely duo’s only hope to remain enrolled in the school.
“Monsters University” isn’t as thematically resonant as its predecessor, which, in artfully demystifying notions of monsters in the closet, served as a kids’ entertainment that also quelled their bedroom fears. But the prequel is considerably funny (frat geek “Squishy” Squibbles is a hoot), it’s as visually detailed as Pixar devotees have come to expect, and it manages to make the underdog tale seem somewhat fresh, which, these days, is about as common as finding a slimy creature under your bed.
Monsters University
G
Two-and-a-half reels out of four
Now playing in area theaters
Recommended Rental
Venus and Serena
PG-13
Available Tuesday
Ever wanted to know the true story behind the greatest double act to ever grace the world of tennis? You can find it in directors Maiken Baird and Michelle Major’s “Venus and Serena,” an intimate documentary that goes inside the lives of the all-powerful Williams sisters, who’ve dominated their sport for more than a decade. The film looks into Venus and Serena’s myriad struggles, including matters of gender, health, race, family and, of course, brutal competition.
Contact the South Philly Review at editor@southphillyreview.com.
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