‘Monster’s University’ 2013

Director: Dan Scanlon

Stars: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi

‘A Pale-Imitation of A Pixar Classic : A Pastel Plot Without Real Light And Dark’. Last year with the release of the sub-par ‘Brave’ I declared that the golden age of Pixar had ended. ‘Monster’s University’ the prequel to the wildly successful ‘Monster’s Inc’ 2001, solidifies that opinion. This view was most painfully obvious in the unexciting climax. Though the film starts out as a cheerful reminisce in the vibrant Pixar pastel hues, the story-line develops in a flat-line manner without the unexpected, surprising and original plot highs and lows that is the hallmark of every great Pixar film. Uncle Walt famously stated that ‘for every laugh there must be a tear’. The laughs owe much to the former classic and the flat-line plot never reaches giddying highs or lows. Both ‘Brave’ and ‘Monster’s University’ suffer from the same lack of confidence, unwilling to be daring and challenging, instead creating plots that may help children face some life challenges and develop but follow a formulaic safe path. Where in a film about monsters scaring children are the truly scary moments? or the truly sorrowful moments? where is Pixar’s courage? Truly scary is when the Beast first encounters Belle, truly sad is the first 10mins of Up, truly complicated is as the characters of Toy Story hold hands in stoic acceptance of their impending death. All round an enjoyable film but left me yearning for the Pixar golden age.  7/10 B+