The collaborations of Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios have captured our hearts since the release of their first film together “Toy Story” back in 1995, but is this really the beginning?
Rumor has it this isn’t true. Back in 1994, during a meeting between the two companies, several film ideas were laid out on the table at the same time, these films being “Monster’s Inc.,” “A Bug’s Life”, and “Wall-E.” From there on, history was made.
So where are the Disney Pixar films today? With the release of the third of the “Toy Story” movies just two years ago and the newest film, “Brave,” with a release date in 2012, a film for the year 2013 was just expected.
“Monster’s University,” Disney Pixar’s newest film, came out June 21, 2013, and has made over $82 billion at the box office.
The film was actually thought up some time ago, a few years after the release of the initial movie, but was postponed due to a change in Disney management and many subsequent rights transfers. However, in 2010, the prequel was confirmed.
The release date changed a few times, mainly to avoid competition with the last of the “Twilight Saga” films, and so the summer of 2013 seemed to be the best time.
“Monster’s University” makes this Disney Pixar’s 14th animated feature, and it was a much-anticipated release, especially for the collegiate students that remembered their first trip to the theater when “Monster’s Inc.” was released. From then until now, we have been the target audience for these two films, and that was displayed throughout the newest installment.
The film takes place at Monster’s University before Sulley (John Goodman) and Mike (Billy Crystal) have even met, and when Randall (Steve Buscemi) and Mike are actually friends. All three of the characters are attending school in order to become scarers, but, of course, complications ensue when two of the three are banned from the scare program and must work together with a team of unruly monsters to avoid expulsion.
Every aspect of the film is well thought out, and that is displayed in even the smallest details, something Disney Pixar is notoriously great at doing.
With the addition of the voices of Helen Mirren, Charlie Day, Sean Hayes, Dave Foley and many others, the all-star cast makes yet another motive to go see the film.
In all, I think the movie was clever, perfectly targeted and laugh-out-loud funny. That being said, I don’t think that it can compete with the prior Disney Pixar films.
My recommendation: don’t go into the film expecting the collaboration’s finest. Instead, keep an open mind, a bucket of popcorn and an appreciation of the time and effort put in by the animation studios to bring the beloved movie’s prequel to the big screen.