Mousey Movie Review - Monsters University

I'm Between Disney and I'm Monsters University!

We now know where all the top scarers got their education!  In this Pixar prequel, we follow Mike and Sulley as they start they scarer education at MU, Monster's University.  Mike is a bright overachiever who knows everything about scaring.  Sulley is the entitled scaring legacy, trading on his dad's name to get respect in the classroom.  The two are thrown together, along with the boys of Oozma Kappa, in an attempt to win the Scare Game to keep their good academic status in the scarer program.

What I wish I could tell you is that I loved Monsters University.  I cannot say I loved it.  And I cannot say I hate it!  Honestly, I just do not have strong feelings for Monsters University one way or another.  I thought it was good, but not great.  I will likely purchase it for home when it comes out, partially because the Between Tween really like it.  The Between Kid though was ready to go when it was over and said it lasted a long time.  I would probably rank it in the middle of the Pixar productions, and I really wanted to love it (I say sitting here in my Monsters University t-shirt).  Here are my thoughts about this Mousey Movie:

• Captain Tightpants: Nathan Fillion plays Johnny Worthington the president of fraternity Roar Omega Roar.   I really did think he came across well as the charming and shallow villain.  I could feel him channeling Captain Hammer through the character.  I disliked him, and found myself charmed by him. 

• Danny McGrath: Steve Buscemi returns as Randall, I mean Randy, Boggs.  Randy seems like a nice kid when we first meet him.  He reminds me of Benji from Pitch Perfect (though it is Terry/Terri voiced by Dave Foley and Sean Hayes who is an expert in close up magic).  He wants to be liked by the cool kids, but some of his efforts like Benji's fail.  You could see him becoming like Buscemi's Danny McGrath in Billy Madison, alone and slightly socially off if he had not made any friends.  So when we see the angry Randall in Monsters, Inc, you really wonder what happened to this nice kid.  Well, the good news is you do see way Randy got so angry.

•  Animal House: The guys of Oozma Kappa are really likable.  You will want to see they do well, and become popular.  And in those scenes where they take a step back on the college hierarchy does make you feel for them.  The OK gang along with Terry/Terri are Don Carlton, Art, and Scott "Squishy" Squibbles.  I could really see doing a short series with the men of OK.  That way they would not have to share the screen with Mike and Sulley.  My one complaint is I really wanted a what happened to them montage, like in Animal House, telling me what happened to all of the boys.  There is a slight hint to this at the end, but they do not fully commit.  

• Old School:  The settings are going to feel familiar to adults, who might be brought back to their college days.  And the material of Monsters University is tough character driven stuff.  Themes in the movie including transitioning into a new environment, fitting in, and choosing one's destiny in life.  And honestly, for not all the characters in the movie do their dreams come about the way they envisioned.  That is a tough reality for even adults to take.  So I would say there was more to think about than to watch.  There was honestly not continuous fast paced action.  And I think this explains why the youngest member of the Between Family was not always engaged.  

• The Avengers: As we were getting up the Between Wife asked me if there was anything after the credits.  I said, "It's not The Avengers, I think we are safe to go."  Well I was wrong.  A theater staff member flagged us as we were heading out and let us know there was something after the credits.  And honestly, it was worth going back into the theater to see.  

• Crystal Palace:  I do have to say that Billy Crystal and John Goodman really do seem to know Mike and Sulley well.  It was liked they slipped on the old glove and it fit perfectly.  It is almost like the characters are based on Billy and John! 

I was tickled that I found the John Ratzenberger cameo, which was classic as always.  But I never did find the Pizza Planet truck.  Though I think the inclusion of A113 is perfect based on its college origins.  And there are some other homages to the other Monsters movie that will probably give you a light chuckle. 

I think Disney fans are likely to enjoy this film, along with the general public.  And based on other movies I have seen this summer it deserved its smash opening weekend.  Everyone who reads this blog, is probably going to see it in the next few months.  Monsters University is a good movie, but not an instant classic. 

I just wish they would let me signup as a student!  

Goofy Gadgets - Monsters, Inc. Run

Despite my current trend of disappointment with blockbusters this summer so far, I am really excited about Monsters University. I have faith that Mike and Sulley will turn it around! Unfortunately, the IPhone/iPad app Monsters, Inc. Run has done little to put me into a Monsters State of Mind.

The concept for the game is pretty simple. You start as Mike running from left to right on the screen filled with obstacles and bonuses. The character can move vertically in one direction and horizontally up and down. As you run you can pick up coins and may even hit power-ups that temporarily gives Mike special abilities or turn him into the taller and stronger Sulley. Also, those coins can be used to buy abilities outside of the game play for future use. Additionally, there are three bonus items hidden throughout each level. To complete each level, your monster has to reach the end without falling to its doom.

Monsters, Inc. Run has never really worked for me, on an emotional level. I was drawn to it because I thought it would be another Disney branded version of Temple Run Brave. It is not. To me, the closet game I can compare it to is Super Mario Brothers for old school NES. In Mario a character could retry jumps simply by backing up within the visible game area. I find myself frustrated by my inability to back up three to four steps in Run to make a better jump or hit an angle that I missed. Additionally, you cannot stop Mike and Sulley from moving ahead during the game. I honestly would probably really enjoy a Mario game with its original aspects branded to Monsters over this similar, but frustratingly different game.

I still stand beside the idea that a great way for Disney to market movies is offering cheap and enjoyable games applications. I really thought that Temple Run Oz was more enjoyable than Oz the Great and Powerful and the game made me want to see the movie. Temple Run Brave continues to occupy free time as I still replay it often. While, the Between Kids think that Monsters, Inc. Run is great, I have never stumbled on them playing it. Sadly, for me, Monsters, Inc. Run fell short in furthering my excitement for all things Monsters.

Good thing I can still count on Mike an Sully!?  I mean this movie cannot let me down right?

Dreaming Disney - Monster's University M.A.T.

As someone who's day job is in higher education, I have been really impressed with Monsters University and all the steps they have taken to make good old MU feel like a real school.  The school website is truly fantastic.

When I began to see social media messages about the M.A.T., well I needed to take the Monster's Aptitude Test, because I need to know if I could make the cut!

The M.A.T. can be found on the Monsters University Facebook page.  It consists of two stages.

First, one watches the newest trailer.  
 
Second, one takes a ten question exam.  The ten questions can truly be described as comprehension.  So before you take the exam watch and listen as carefully as possible.  I honestly did not do the best on the M.A.T., since I tend to miss the little little details.

I was kind of disappointed in the exam.  I was really hoping that this might have been a step towards me getting my ID card.  As I see tweets from my local weather man (what, really) about his Monster's University Alumni Foundation letter, well, I want in.  So I would love to see these go a step further and get me enrolled at MU.

The trailer itself does give us more about the story, and it does have more of an Animal House feel now.  The Between Tween did yell out with shock, "he was a nerd!"

  

So the M.A.T. is a success, because it got me to watch the new trailer which continues to keep me excited.  

  

Mousey Movie Preview - 3 Mousey Movies

Over my holiday break I was refreshed and spent a ton of time with the Between Family. One of our outings was to take in Monsters, Inc. in 3D. Honestly we do not take in every Disney 3D release but we really enjoyed seeing this offering again on the big screen and in the 3D format. We hoped, and were right, that the door room scenes would shine.

Part of the enjoyment was seeing three new to us trailers. Some of them had been released earlier.

The first was more of a university advertisement than a trailer, for Monsters University. Oh yes, who doesn’t love good old MU?

This quick commercial made me more excited for this summer release, but it also really made me hope they open up the Monster’s University website up soon for student registrations. The fact that I was wearing my MU baseball cap I got for Christmas helped reinforce my desire for Monster’s University to become more interactive.



The second was a new trailer for The Lone Ranger.

The reaction was a mixed bag in the Between Family. I am convinced that I have a 50/50 chance of seeing it in the theater, but the Between Wife has no interest in this film. We do not watch a lot of Westerns so the only hooks for us are the Disney label and Johnny Depp.


The third was a new trailer for Oz The Great and Powerful.

Honestly, I have mixed feelings about John Franco and his roles. But I believe this trailer only confirmed that we will see this feature in the theater as a family. It really does look beautiful and the visual design alone grabs the viewer’s attention.

Which of these future Mousey Movies are you excited about?

Dreaming Disney - Monsters University

In my day job, the one that pays for my Disney addiction, I work for a major university.  And I have worked in higher education for well over a decade.   During that time I have visited many college and university websites.  Honestly, some are really useful, both full of information and easy to navigate.  Others well are horrible, where the website actually blocks you from finding the information you need.

So, I was really shocked and amused to be directed to the newest University website on the web,Monsters University.  It has all the sections one would expect to find from a major university in the human world’s website.  Sections for current students, faculty and alumni are really standard.  And of course there plenty of information about athletics.  The history of Monsters University seems very slim, but I have also seen human universities with history sections even more lacking.  And it is a thrill to see the cutting edge research Monsters University is completing, answering the questions which is better one head or two.

For my personal area of responsibilities there is a policy section.  My favorite includes:

BASIC MONSTER RESPECT

Monsters University is proud of its diversity, with monsters from every background and nationality. By valuing the uniqueness of every individual monster, MU hopes to create an atmosphere of open-mindedness and understanding. Through awareness and acceptance, students can learn to build relationships based on mutual respect, clear communication, conflict avoidance, and positive affirmation. All monsters are unique -- by heritage, number of appendages, or simply number of eyes -- and all monsters deserve respect.

The Basic Monster Respect program creates a safe environment for personal growth and cultural education, where students can learn to judge each other by content of character, not color of fur. A place where more arms means more hugs not more fists, where all students put their heads together to solve problems whether they have two heads or just the one.

The site is far from static.  One can access, the university store and buy actual Monsters University gear.  Some of the items that one can pursue are very amusing.  They are also in my opinion really pricey!  And the part I am most hopeful for is the login to the M.U. Net portal, just like a real school.  I cannot wait to get my hands onto an ID number so I can create an account and access student specific information.  Clearly there is more to come.  Maybe the ID number comes when we get to apply to Monsters University next semester!   

Congratulations Disney Marketing you have my attention.  I love this site!  I love this viral campaign and the pains taken to make it look better than many higher education website, complete with the right sort of content.  Alas, I am not willing to forgive for John Carter.  And I wonder why movies that will be clear hits in Monsters University and Wreck-It Ralph are getting the most innovative marketing?  I have not shared trailers of Monsters University at work, but working in higher education I have shared the Monsters University website with colleagues. 

I applaud this effort, but would like to see similar efforts for movies that are likely to have smaller visibility in the marketplace.