Review: Monsters University

Pixar has had a rough go the last few years.  Brave and Cars 2 were lackluster (sorry Zach, but I think Wreck-it Ralph was robbed by mediocrity at last year's Oscars).  It seems that the Brain Trust has been brain-dead since Toy Story 3, which had me slightly worried about Monsters University.  The first film is a masterpiece in animation and story but it was certainly plausible that they could mess it up.  I needn't have worried: University is easily their best fare since Toy Story 3 and lives up to Pixar's gold standard of storytelling.

SYNOPSIS
A look at the relationship between Mike and Sulley during their days at Monsters University -- when they weren't necessarily the best of friends.

THE GOOD
First of all, as with all Pixar productions, the animation is beyond beautiful.  The colors are vibrant and it looks so real.  It was 'drawn' better than The Croods, which was the best animated feature from Dreamworks EVER.  Also, the short before it, entitled The Blue Umbrella, is the most beautifully animated piece to come out of ANY animation studio.

The voice acting is really good for the most part.  It was fun to hear Alfred Molina (Doc Ock from Spider-man 2) and Nathan Fillion (Castle) as supporting characters.  Billy Crystal really outdid himself in this one.  He provides more depth than his previous performance.

The film is remarkably funny and has an amazing sense of timing.  The jokes hit just right and the originality and creativity were in full swing.  It's a return to the cleverness that audiences have come to expect from the animation and storytelling giant.

What makes University so great is its characters.  Most of the new additions are refreshingly unconventional and original.  I just couldn't get enough of the main support cast.

Another amazing aspect of this movie are its stark moral messages.  They are strong and to the point, which makes me want to recommend it to parents and children alike.  I won't go into what these messages are in order to avoid spoilers, but suffice it to say that this is a refreshingly moral film.  It's easy to compare it to other college-themed films, which deploy cheap sex-themed humor to get its laughs.  It SHOULD be compared to such films to show that humor of such a base nature isn't required to make a great film.  In fact, that base humor can easily detract from the heart of a story.

THE BAD
The only bad things are John Goodman's simplistic performance and the formulaic nature of the first half of the story.  John Goodman plays a 'Rad, dude!' type character that is a little too undeveloped until the end.

The first little bit is REALLY formulaic but, luckily it redeems itself at the end.

CONCLUSION
This movie works so well, to the point that it's my favorite movie of the year so far.  It is so fun and has gobs of heart.  I wouldn't put it above Wreck-it Ralph, but i would say it's a solid entry into the Pixar canon.  I recommend this to everyone except Nate Cooley, who will somehow find a way to not like it.  4.75/5 stars.

PARENTS GUIDE
Although this movie is rated G, it should be PG.  I don't know what the MPAA was thinking.  The scary parts are scary enough that a sensitive 4-year-old (like the one that I have) would not fare well.