Thank you guys, that’s what I was trying to get at. It’s frustrating that the film’s underlying emotional core don’t get acknowledged as it should be, but at the end of the day, I really couldn’t care less about what ‘professional’ movie critics think or write. I feel resonated with the internal struggles that the characters were dealing with, and at the same time I really enjoy the comedy side of the film, which has been a long while in a Pixar feature or otherwise. The majority of movie-goers like/love it as well. I guess that’s what matters.
Netbug009
I understood Sullivan and Wazowski’s stories, but I mostly related to Randall’s. Wanting to be accepted, admired, remembered, isn’t a bad thing at all. Sometimes we make mistakes…unfortunately we pay for them. We can be good people…but bad things still happen.
ellie-jessie-eve
Sullivan’s “clean up” scene at the lake was his emotional change, along with Wazowski’s. The film, at least the later half, leads us UP to that. When Sullivan realizes that him being a jerk (including his cheating) came from his fear of living up to everybody’s standards, and that he’s able to pour this out to Wazowski because of their similarities.
Although I don’t think Wazowski admits he’s not scarer material…he does drive to prove others that he is more than what they see. That he’s not a loser or a failure, but somebody who has the determination to be what he wants and will do anything to prove it. It took somebody to show him that he was able to inspire others.
Randall’s is an…unfortunate issue that many good people experience. Just looking at his face when Johnny’s not looking at him, you can see that he has a well of emotions pouring in him. He’s upset when he’s unable to help Mike by joining OK, he’s hesitant speaking up when Johnny’s pouring into Mike, and his expression when he lost everything at the finales was just…overbearing.
Netbug009
Without humor, without the ability to enjoy, most of us would be dead. The world’s not a forgiving place, just ask Randall that heh. Heck, ask Wazowski when he realizes everybody was right that his dream wasn’t achievable.
I feel like a lot of critics decided they weren’t going to like Monsters University before they ever saw it, as declaring that the mighty Pixar has fallen is kind of a popular opinion these days. A lot of the more negative reviews read like they didn’t want to like the movie either way. Personally, I thought it was extremely good. Not the best of the best, but I think it finds a nice comfortable place to settle in the middle, and a fine counterpart to the original Monsters Inc. And I loved the messages of the film. Very down-to-earth and realistic, which you just don’t see in many animated films these days. Based on a lot of the recent discussion on here, I’m clearly not alone in that opinion!
You know, I just thought of something else.
Some movies are just there to “WOW” you.
Wow, the animation is cool!
Look at those fight scenes!
This fast-paced action is through the roof!
Others make you stop and think at times to make you reflect and consider, and even relate. MU is most likely this here.
I completely agree with this. MU is a very relatable movie, even if you’re not a college student. Because we all have to face crossroads at life, and confront our failures and shortcomings.
Face it, Mike and Sulley ruined scaring for everybody…
In all honesty, I’m under the assumption that the monster world is as big as the human world is, in which case there are probably more scaring institutions out there than just Monsters, Inc. Those places probably still use scaring and look for aspiring college graduates. Who knows what tactics other companies use to find energy, it’s likely that other companies have caught on to laughter as well.
I definitely agree with these posts about the movie containing a very solid emotional foundation, even if it’s not necessarily a tearjerker like Toy Story 3 or Up.
[spoil]In particular, I’ll echo what Nexas was saying and say I admire how this is a movie where the protagonist doesn’t necessarily get just what they were wanting. Although Mike did get to become a Scarer, he wasn’t as great as he though he would be, and it had nothing to do with his lack of education on the subject or training—it was inherent. He couldn’t change who he was, but he learned to just accept it and be satisfied. Not to mention the scene by the lake where Sulley confesses how he’s terrified most of the time. It’s the kind of scene that seems to cheesy and forced in a lot of family movies, but the moments of vulnerability and weakness he’d begun to start showing at this point made it feel natural. Just so many props to that scene in general.[/spoil]
Chuckles
You are some-what correct Chuckles. Scareing is part of the monster world’s foundation. So much revolves around it. It’s a part of their society. It’s not going to be something to disappear, it’s practically hardwired.
Laughter, apparently, is stronger than screams. That’s good in a power sense…but there are other considerations. Scareing is a foundation, it needs to be around. Humans aren’t to be entertained, they are to be scared. Many monsters will either fear that their desire to be what they wanted to be as kids, scarers, is now threatened.
So while they may not have actually ruined it for everyone, they shook the foundation. Many aspiring scarers are now scared themselves that all their hard work, their dreams may be destroyed.
This is what I’ve been saying about the sequel for years now, THAT is what Sullivan will face. His discovery has it’s positives, but it has it’s negatives too.
Leirin
That’s why I want that type of scene for Randall. Dan handled him extremely well in this prequel, and I want to SEE him find some sort of peace in a conversation like this.
I mean if you take a real look at Sullivan’s face, you can see he IS afraid. Fear from monsters, fear from scarers, is a rather profound emotional discovery.
Wazowski’s afraid of admitting that everyone was right, and that he was wrong.
Sullivan’s afraid of living up to other’s expectations, other than his own.
Randall’s afraid of being a joke and losing everything.
These guys, like others, have their own hopes, dreams, AND fears.
Some of those giant promotional stands advertise “Study Abroad” at Monsters University, suggestion that the monster world is large enough to sustain several countries.
I really liked the movie.
[spoil]I liked the logical aspect of scaring they presented, like each kid having certain fears and using a different approach for each one. I also liked how they handled it with Randall, but I wish they would have had a little more interaction that showed the transition of the relationship with Mike more. I also loved the scare games and the interesting events they made up for it, which helped the monsters demonstrate the different aspects of scaring. I really liked the Oozma kappa group because they remind me of my class because we are diverse in age and background, unlike a lot of traditional college students. I loved the police scaring scene, and also the twist at the end where they don’t actually graduate from MU. I thought it was neat how they really showed how Mike and Sulley make a good scaring team. Sulley is better at actual scaring, and Mike is better at the logical part of it and the strategy.[/spoil]
Yep, the classic brain-brawn combo. [spoil]I like how at the end, Sulley called Mike “coach”. It shows how much he respects Mike and how Mike is not merely an assistant nor even colleague, but a teacher/mentor. This is in very stark contrast between Randall and Fungus in Monsters, Inc. where Fungus is an assistant in every sense of the word, or even less.[/spoil]
^The [spoil]Randall/Fungus comparison[/spoil] is really good! I agree.
Thank you a ton for the Fungus/Randall comparison. I recently rewatched Monsters Inc, and I forgot how intereting, amusing, and sad Fungus and Randall’s relationship is. I think we usually focus on Randall being a villain to Mike and Sulley, but he beingso completely abusive to Fungus is often overlooked.
Of course, taking in some of Fungus’ personality traits…he wasn’t really a good partner for Randall.
Comparing them to Wazowski and Sullivan just shows how some pairs work out, others don’t. Then again, Wazowski and Sullivan aren’t “the perfect team”…they work well together.
Fungus and Randall? Not so much, and it’s not solely Randall’s fault on that.
A horrible match. Because Fungus had to let Randall walk all over him in the first place. He’s pretty cowardly.
Randall and Fungus’ relationship is…regrettable. Randall was already under enough stress as it was…Fungus’s gabbering (at least to him, and in some portions, it was) wasn’t doing too well on his nerves.
A good example is when Fungus casually walks into the men’s restroom (it’s been discussed he may have actually been smiling as he was walking in. Whether this could have been because he gets a rise out of making Randall’s temper flare or not…), and he practically yells about a situation Randall probably TOLD him to keep quiet about.
They weren’t friends…colleagues that got thrown together for a majority of reasons, having to work together on that Extractor. Whether Fungus was brought in by Waternoose, or he stumbled in (as per being Randall’s assistant) is unknown (sure it was discussed somewhere).
Fungus actually seems pretty calm when he’s talking to Wazowski one time, considering the tense at the time…
He’s a difficult person to read. There have been discussions about Fungus, but I can’t remember all of them.
But whatever the odds and ends, I know for certain Fungus wasn’t good for Randall. They had to work together, and he at least (Randall) had the knowledge that BOTH their boss, Waternoose, was over their heads…they mess up and they BOTH would have found themselves thrown in Waternoose’s banishment door.
Actually, when Boo’s door was called by Waternoose…it’s been discussed that it could have been either way for his intention. We saw when Sullivan and Wazowski came, but it’s easy to say that Randall, having went to return Boo himself, could have been on/in the door. Caught red handed (all four of’em) he would have been arrested…and Waternoose would point Fungus out as an accomplice, obviously, leaving them BOTH to take the fall.
Maybe Randall understood the severity of what could go wrong and Fungus didn’t…
Nexas,
You being totally and completely sympathetic to Randall makes me want to write strongly worded essays to attack him, just so there’s a devil’s advocate somewhere in here. But that would make you hate me very quickly, so I resist the urge 
devil advocate’s are the best though! 
Yeah, I defintely think that Fungus/Randall’s relationship is so mismatched. Which is probably why it’s very funny (a lot of the funniest parts of the movie spawn from it) but at the same time it’s pretty sad and frustrating for both parties.
Randall is my favorite Pixar character actually, but I’m the first to admit that he is an absolute pr**k for a multitude of reasons, especially how abusive to Fungus. But that’s why I like him. 
And you got to love Fungus because he’s voiced by Frank Freakin’ Oz. (Who is also responsible for naming Mike Wazowski)
shakes head
We have enough to deal with Prickle. Thanks for resisting the urge. In some ways, I’m involved with several devil’s advocates actually heh.
Yes, I’m sympathetic to Randall. But I’m not blinded. I’ve supported Sullivan, and at times Wazowski, in discussions past. I know he’s made some bad decisions but…
I CAN’T look at him when he’s a kid like that and feel “he SHOULD be punished” (for lack of a swear word to keep things safe). I’ve watched and studied him since the beginning, and know him a lot better than other people, even before Pixar knew what he was like before-hand.
He made some bad decisions, he got hurt, and had to carry that for years. He’s lost a lot and got into a situation that he couldn’t get out of. A nice, considerate, helpful person (we DO see this) who just wanted friends (not just cool ones mind you, to clear misconception) and be accepted gets hit upside the face and has to deal with the reality that life ain’t going to be kind to you.
The theory that Fungus may get a rise out of flareing Randall’s temper aside…
Randall doesn’t need Fungus yapping, and Fungus doesn’t need Randall yelling at him all the time. The only thing they seem to have in common is the aptititude for mechanics. That’s probably the only thing they have, and that’s not really good enough to build some foundation of a good partnership/friendship.
Of course, add in the stress involved with the Extractor, and whatever they could have developed just goes out the window.
I don’t think of Randall as a “absolute pr**k”…and I can give a multitiude of reasons for it myself. He’s got an edge, and he can act like a jerk at times…but that’s not all there is to him, I know.
I don’t think Randall’s…abusive. Seems he only gets angry at Fungus either when he’s not paying attention (when he’s running numbers through his head when Randall was getting Boo) or saying something that, to him, was just annoying (scream intake valve). Harsh, loud, threatening, yes, but don’t think he got overly physical aside from shoving him out of the way on a swivel chair (at least I think that’s what it was)
But yeah, Randall could have handled things better with him. But, we actually DO see this too. When he gives Wazowski a chance to “get out of things”, and Wazowski is, quite hilariously, showing a lack of knowledge about his own job shift…Randall starts to get angry (Everyone goes to lunch!) but then calms himself. Maybe, inwardly, because he once considered Wazowski a friend, he tried (at least ONCE) to lay off on being harsh.
We don’t so much see that with Fungus. So it’s kind of show that, yeah, the two weren’t friends. Randall may not have cared about Fungus, and Fungus didn’t care about him.
That’s a sad thing…give Randall an actual SUPPORTIVE assistant, give Fungus a CALM scarer, and they would have both been better off.
I have a full review later, but I just saw the movie with some friends.
And I felt a joy that I usually felt when watching Pixar films. No tears like in WALL-E, Up, Finding Nemo, but warmth and joy.
Yeah, it has the typical troperiffic underdog/college moments, but in the end, it’s a relatively easy premise that may lack ambition at its concept, but has a sincere take on the premise with the right amount of ambition.
“What do they have in common?”
“Nothing”
“That’s it, they use their differences to their advantage.”
Yes, we heard this message many times, but that’s one of the best ways to word it.
Though I’m very curious. The film implies the Yeti was banished for tampering with the mail. I’m betting there are going to be a lot of fanfiction theories on how and why the Yeti tampered with the mail. Had to be some accident as the Yeti is very aware of the ramifications. The little horrible thought occurred to me that maybe he just negligently doodled on a piece of mail, and then, bam, banished to the Himalayas.
As it seems to be some Pixar tradition for dvd releases, I bet there will be a dvd release of a Monster short. I could guess a premise. Probably featuring Oozma Kappa? Maybe Don & Sherri’s wedding?, or how Mike courted Celia?