All the Right Notes: Monsters University

...or, an alternative title: Monsters University and "safe" storytelling

In the wake of Cars 2 (decidedly disappointing) and Brave (a lot of merit but also carries its own issues), I think a lot of people--animation fans and moviegoers alike--have been waiting for Pixar to "redeem" itself.  "Has Pixar lost its magic?" some ask.

So as Pixar began to pump out awesome advertising and trailers for their prequel to Monsters, Inc., there was a lot of hope that Monsters University would act as the catalyst to renew our trust in the successful animation studio.  Much like Brave, I was just as excited for Monsters U as everyone else.

And then the reviews came out.  All right, they seemed to say.  Better, but still not showing that "edge" of previous films like Up and Wall-E that puts Pixar's movies heads and shoulders above the rest.

"Too safe" seemed to be the words I saw over and over again.

Too safe.

And I wondered, what does that even mean?  What is "too safe" in a Pixar movie?  So, of course, I went to see it myself (with my dad, who loves animated films but can only see them with me because otherwise he feels weird at the theater--I'm certainly all too happy to oblige!).

After seeing Monsters U myself, I was--and still am--boggled by these average reviews which cite this "too safe" angle (if that is even a legitimate argument) as the movie's downfall.  Now, perhaps I'm simply too much of a sissy who enjoys her safety (that was sarcasm), but I believe that people who use this argument fail to see the timely and poignant message that MU offers not only its audiences, but the passionate and well-loved characters of its other movies.

What is that message?  Read on to find out!

First of all, let me say that MU is interesting in that its target audience isn't necessarily Pixar's norm.  Pixar's films are typically targeted toward younger audiences, while still maintaining mature themes and jokes that make them not only timeless, but appealing to older audiences as well.  MU, however, though certainly family-friendly and enjoyable to children and adults, feels like it is targeted towards the teenage and young adult audience.

For example, as a college student myself, I guffawed loudly at MU--gags like the obnoxious perkiness of the orientation board students are familiar and amusing to anyone in my generation who has gone to college.

But there are, of course, more serious aspects of college--of going away from home and finding one's way, following one's passion--that are also addressed in MU, and these topics hit home even more so than the well-written jokes.

Far too often in life, people are put down for showing" too much" passion.  "Geek" and "nerd" are common insults against people who are simply invested in what they love and are not afraid to show that love publicly.  Yet in the books we read and movies we watch, these passionate people are the ones we cheer for, the ones that inspire us.  Pixar's movies are full of characters who pursue their dreams with such ferocity surely they can only succeed at whatever they put their minds to--Merida's spirit, courage, and independence, Marlin's love for his son, Mr. Frederickson's devotion to Ellie, Lightning McQueen's passion for racing, the Incredibles's ability to overcome any force in their way no matter the odds against them, Remy's incredible talent in the one place--the kitchen--that above all others that rats are never welcome.

Monsters University, however, takes the passionate character we've all learned to cheer for and twists it around into another angle that I have rarely seen addressed in narratives.

Mike Wazowski is the epitome of the passionate character.  He falls in love with scaring after visiting Monsters, Inc. in grade school and dedicates all his time to studying everything he can about scaring before landing a spot at the prestigious Monsters University.  He's on his way to becoming a scarer.  As the audience, we've seen the progression of this passion throughout his entire life--the sacrifices and choices he's made to achieve his dream, fueled by the unwavering ferocity seen in so many of Pixar's characters.  The audience knows how hard he has worked and the purity of his passion.

And yet the audience also knows, far before Mike himself does, that Mike Wazowski does not become a scarer.

Pixar takes its inspiring, passionate protagonist and lays him before the mercy of an audience and a story who know that he will not succeed.

The entire movie of Monsters University focuses on Mike's passionate fight to prove himself worthy of being a scarer.  The long nights studying, the desperate days of training, the near-hopeless situations he dives headfirst into for even the chance to become a scarer.  The audience sits through the majority of Monsters University following all of these ups and downs knowing that Mike never becomes a scarer.  

If Mike's fate is a foregone conclusion, if the audience already "knows how it ends," what is the point of the movie?  Why bother watching it?

Consider if Mike Wazowski did not want to become a scarer.  In that case, there would be little point to this movie.  It would have been uncompelling and dull.  But by placing Mike in the position of the inspiring, passionate protagonist whose greatest dream in life is to become a scarer, Pixar creates tension simply because, thanks to Monsters, Inc., the audience knows that Mike's dream will not come true.

As an audience, we see Mike's hopes and dreams shattered throughout the movie until at the very end he must deal with the fact that sometimes passion is not enough.  Sometimes all the studying in the world will not carry you to your dream job.  Sometimes there is "something more" that you do not possess, barring you from achieving the success of your peers.  How do you deal with that reality?  

That is the question--a question which plagues this generation of young adults especially as they seek their fields of study and balance the ever-present weight of following passions and finding jobs--which Monsters University seeks to answer.  That is the question that keeps viewers watching Monsters University even though we certainly must know how it ends.

And that question is anything but "safe."

Not only is that question near and dear to the hearts of many people, but as far as Monsters University is concerned, it endangers characters whom we have come to know and love from Monsters, Inc.  We know that Mike and Sully not only work at Monsters, Inc., but we know--or at least, think we know--that they love their work.  Yet the narrative of Monsters University threatens that happiness by creating uncertainty, by creating a character whose passion must be crushed before it can be rekindled, and whose confidence must be lost before it can be rediscovered.

Mike Wazowski's passion and confidence are broken when he realizes that passion and confidence don't always bring you success.  Once he reaches this realization, however, the entire movie hinges on Mike's response to it.  Not only will Mike's response define how we will interpret Monsters, Inc., but it will address a question which has likely plagued all of us at some point in our lives.

And at the very end, Mike picks up the shattered pieces of his passion and confidence, and as he puts them back together, realizes that his worth does not depend on his success.  And perhaps more importantly, he realizes that there are other dreams to follow and other means to pursue a passion.  Sometimes these paths are not the ones you expect, but as long as you are willing to take a chance and follow them, they may lead you to a more fulfilling place in life than the dream you once clung to.

This truth is what Monsters University seeks to portray to its audience.  It is no easy lesson, but is beautifully, subtly, hilariously, and tenderly addressed throughout the movie.

And for that gentle, heartfelt, and humorous storytelling, I believe Pixar should be highly commended. I see no reason to lose hope in the studio that has also brought us movies like Up and The Incredibles, titles which Monsters University deserves to stand proudly alongside.