Whereas Monsters, Inc. (2001) was an original story, its sequel is a rehash of better films decorated in crisp colorful animation. Monsters, Inc. played on the common fear that many children have about monsters in their bedroom when they are alone at night. It confirmed our childhood fears but then turned it on its head by showing how absolutely harmless those monsters really are. It was a brilliant little idea.
Unfortunately, very little originality can be found in this sequel. Like Daniel Ruettiger dreaming and trying to get into Notre Dame to play on their football team in Rudy (1993), Mike Wazowski grows up dreaming of going to Monsters University to join their scare program. They each have a similar line. Rudy, "I've been ready for this my whole life." Mike, “I've been waiting for this my whole life! I'm gonna be a scarer!”
Like Rudy, Mike may have the desire but he does not have any natural aptitude for scaring. He ends up getting kicked out of the program along with fellow freshman James Sullivan. Sully is the opposite of Mike. He comes from a long line of successful scarers and thinks he can get through college riding on their legacy. He has the ability but is too lazy to work at it. His laziness becomes his downfall.
A possible way back into the program appears in the form of the Scare Games. They are a series of contests between fraternities and sororities based on scaring abilities. Winning the Scare Games may get them back into the program. Mike and Sully join the only fraternity available, Ozma Kappa. They are a group of misfits. One member is middle aged just as in Old School (2003). The rest are social rejects of some sort. Suddenly the movie turns into Revenge of the Nerds (1984), with the outcast monster fraternity competing against the jock fraternity.
The movie starts slow and is surprisingly sparse on humor, but it gets a bit better during the competing events. My wife and I commented to each other on just how little we heard the many children in the theater laugh. What humor there is comes mostly from the supporting characters. During scare class the professor states, "Let's see that slobber! Drool is a tool. Use it!" Several scenes are stolen by the mother of an Ozma Kappa fraternity member, whose house their fraternity resides in.
Mike’s and Sully’s friendship is played straight, with each at first not being impressed with the other, but over time they, of course, become friends. Sully helps Mike come to terms with his lack of scaring ability while Mike shows Sully that natural ability is not enough if you truly want to be good at something. They learn to become a great team by relying on each other and their own strengths. It Is a nice enough message but this movie lacks the pacing, fun and originality of the 2001 film.
