I feel like there was lost potential with Randall in MU. He doesn’t have much screen time, and his actions aren’t explained well. WARNING: SPOILERS!! [spoil]Like, when he pulled the rope to cover the Oozma Kappa’s in paint. Why did he do that? Wasn’t he Mike’s friend? He and Mike had no negative interactions inbetween his last appearance and now. And how he developed a life-long grudge towards Sullivan after he lost in the Scare Games.[/spoil] I thought it would have been more dramatic than that…
While there was lost potential…the film was not about Randall. It was Wazowski’s show. As it should be, it was about him and Sullivan, again, after all. Which is alright. Sullivan got MI, Wazowski gets MU, and Randall gets the sequel in the future.
Take a closer look at Randall next time you view the film. Particularly when he’s with the RORs, and you’ll see there’s more to him than just background fluff.
…There are spoiler tags but…ehh…films been out awhile.
[spoiler]To answer your question directly…the Oozma Kappa prank. First off, master manipulator Johnny Worthington staged things. Kind of an homage to Revenge of the Nerds when the girl sorority (the PNKs) “invite” the OKs to the party…I knew from the start that was a prime set up.
Anyway, everyone had their part in Johnny’s plan to humiliate the growing affection others were getting from the OKs, the underdogs, which is something he’s good at. Randall included. As for Randall…what extent he knew of what the joke was FOR and TOO…who can really say. At the least, Johnny shoved a rope in his hands and told him not to let go till he got the cue (stuffed animals). After all, it wasn’t a tug, it was a RELEASE. Even if Randall didn’t want to, somebody else would have had to hold on or the animals would have fell anyway. Also, even if he did that…before cue…it would tick off Johnny that he was the only ROR that did NOT do his part…and Johnny’s got a bad side to him, we see…Randall would not be hearing the end of it.
Now as for friendship…I’ve looked about, considered, researched and…they weren’t friends. Randall and Wazowski. Not proper ones anyway.
Randall DID want to be Wazowski’s friend, prime and proper. Helped him out with studying, hang out at parties, share experiences. Wazowski? All he wanted to do was study and focus on his OWN dreams. I mean I…it was just something Wazowski was unaware of. He was SO obsessed with wanting to be a scarer, and using whatever at his disposal to be one, that he neglected any real friendship.
Take the party. Randall wanted him to come, he didn’t. He just wanted to study. Fine ok, but notice Randall’s disappointment that he didn’t come. He laughed it off thankfully, so alright. But Wazowski does show that he’s not interested in hanging out in a friendly way. Partying when he’s a scarer? Oh in…FOUR YEARS? He asked Randall to basically wait four years to have an actual hang-out or whatever?
And how do you think Randall felt getting back to the dorm? His night didn’t go well. He tried to make some friends with those cupcakes of his, but suddenly some student came rushing by him, slapping him upside the head with the tray, causing his cupcakes to fall on him and make him seem like such a “lame” loser. To somebody as sensitive to “being a joke”, it was like a night ruiner. When he comes back to the dorm, the place is a MESS, thanks to Archie and Sullivan, and probably while cleaning up, Wazowski comes back, all determined to show up Sullivan and the RORs. While Randall tries to tell him about HIS horrible night, Wazowski’s going on about Sullivan and the RORs. Considering how the night went, Randall either just let Wazowski rule the conversation or just cut his loses and went to sleep.
Then take the montage of studying. Him and Randall are at a football game between the colleges. Randall is nervous beyond belief at being in a crowd, and is trying to keep his cool (doesn’t help that the RORs are above him and that Sullivan is spilling popcorn down all over him. Randall’s not confrontational in his youth, as we see. Notice how he looks up at who did it, then quickly to Wazowski, as if wondering if his “friend” noticed and might do something about it. Nope.). Wazowski is just focusing more on his book than anything else, including the state of his “friend”.
Even so…Randall LIKED helping Wazowski out, helping him study to reach his dream. But that’s all it was for Wazowski. Randall was a study partner, not a friend. Somebody that can help HIM. When did Wazowski help RANDALL out? Get rid of the glasses? Uhh…he probably needs those, as we know, Wazowski. good tip…but Randall, you probably didn’t notice, kinda didn’t wear them anymore.
And a cincher. Wazowski would probably still be in the Scare Program if he took RANDALL’S advice. By this point, and it’s months remember, not days, Randall’s realizing that Wazowski may not want to be his friend, real friend, after all. He concentrates on his OWN dream, only hangs out to work, doesn’t take his advice, doesn’t care about his (Randall’s) feelings…
You can imagine how hard it was with Wazowski OUT of the program. He was either angry at Sullivan or severely depressed for a long time. Randall, being courtesy as we had seen, probably TRIED to help him. In the end though, didn’t work out. Wazowski was in his own world of anger/depression, couldn’t give a darn about his roommate (who WAS still in the Scare Program. Imagine THOSE awkward conversations. “Hey Mike! I passed my fi–…ummm…”)
Wazowski was so focused on himself, he wouldn’t have even noticed/cared that Randall was pledging a fraternity, much less the RORs (considering their relation to Sullivan, Wazowski’s nemesis at the time, you think he’d notice THAT beforehand). And when he notices Randall in the crowd (who had no idea Wazowski had joined a fraternity ON THE FLY as well as to compete in the Scare Games, OR the deal with Hardscrabble), he once again wants his roommate to be of use. Not as a study partner, no, promoted to “teammate”.
Randall DOES say sorry for this. And you can see ON HIS FACE, the upset look. “Don’t blow this for me” was more of Randall’s way of standing up to Wazowski to actually SUPPORT HIM rather than think about himself.
In short, if Wazowski had not been so obsessed, paid attention, and CARED about what was going on with Randall, they would still be friends.
As for Sullivan…what can ya say…the guy cheated. Inadvertently, but did, and got Randall humiliated by perhaps the entire university, becoming a joke, getting kicked out of ROR and probably labeled with hundreds of scathing nicknames.
Life-long grudge? Not really. Sullivan inadvertently damaged Randall’s social skill and ability to trust other people (though that was more of an after-effect caused by the RORs, who didn’t really care about Randall either). Since he didn’t get “that scene” with Sullivan, Randall sees him as…well all HE’S seen…he’s a overconfident jerk who cheats his way through life. IF they ever see each other again, he WILL prove he’s the better Scarer…that the underdog can beat the cheating jerk.
When they DID meet as Scarer and whatever-job-Sullivan-was-in-at-the-time, Randall still had this image of Sullivan as a jerk and a cheater. (“Pfft, maybe his “daddy” spoke to some exec to get the cheater a job here.”) Of course, events in MI kind of just encouraged that thought actually…[/spoiler]
It’s mainly that loss of social skill and trust that is really what hurt Randall from then on, not Sullivan per-say though he was the physical manifestation of the problem. Humiliation in college doesn’t really last 10 years…but social/trust damage can, especially in someone with Randall’s personality at the time.
That’s the deeper thing to understand. It wasn’t the act of what happened, it’s the aftermath. THAT’S the dramatic your looking for.
Thanks for explaining! I only saw the movie twice soo… Anyway, so what I’m getting is the movie TOLD us why Randall didn’t like Sullivan and Wazowski in MI, it just didn’t EXPLAIN it well.
Your welcome.
Well…what the movie tells…it’s explanation is to be revealed when you pay attention and notice things. First couple times, you just want to go to a movie and enjoy it rather than look for the touches that make it greater than what it is.
As for not liking Sullivan and Wazowski…remember, this takes place 10 years ago. Technically 9 since the first year’s near-end had the Scare Games.
As said, the event crippled Randall’s social skill and ability to trust, which carried on with him. Considering he went out, outside MU, to continue his education while Sullivan and Wazowski worked up the ladder in MI, the three’s interaction probably didn’t mix for at least three more years.
Randall would remember the experience, and what it cost him, but considering the two are essentially out of his life for awhile, he’s not going to focus on that dislike. Sure, occasionally if an incident calls for it, he might bring up the “cheater” he knew. But over all, they weren’t around, and he didn’t focus on it.
Randall eventually mastered his gift of blending, became an amazingly skilled (and Top) Scarer, and was picking up the pieces of his life (since at this point he has admiration and respect from his OWN achievements, not that of a traitorous group like the RORs) that were damaged before.
But, life has it’s irony, and Sullivan and Wazowski somehow step into his life again. Now, Randall knows he’s the better Scarer (in truth, he is), and at this point he’s proven it. The cheater is not a Scarer yet, as it should be, but he’s back in his life.
Yes, Randall would remember what Sullivan did (to Randall, it was intentional. to Sullivan, he was unaware. to outside audiences, it was accidental), and is not interested in being friendly to him for it. Why not? Some people you just don’t like.
Wazowski though…that’s different. We don’t see a dislike for Wazowski in MU. Considering his damaged social life and lack of trust, Wazowski was the closest thing he THOUGHT he had to a friend. So, maybe since he had his Top Scarer title to back him up emotionally, he tried to patch things up. But, for some reason, Sullivan kept getting in the way. Randall couldn’t comprehend how the two are, somehow, friends. How could Wazowski like this jerk that got him expelled from the Scare Program? And humiliated him (Randall) in the Scare Games?
Eventually, Randall lost his title to Sullivan. THAT is what stirs the seemingly-intensive dislike of the two. Sullivan, “the cheater”, somehow managed to beat HIM in the rankings. He was a scarer way before Sullivan was, how did HE catch up? Suspicious. Especially since Sullivan was so chummy with the CEO. It didn’t help that Wazowski, riding Sullivan’s coattails, was always prodding Randall about them being on top.
It’s a combination of his loss of social skill, trust, respect, admiration, and title…all surrounding Sullivan (and Wazowski) that made him dislike the two. Randall’s “on the outside”. He doesn’t know what’s going on any better than those two to him. As far as he’s concerned, Sullivan is a jerk cheater who’s probably getting through life on his family name…and someone who stole, probably manipulated, a former friend. Wazowski, the former “friend”, seems to want to be more chummy with Sullivan than him, and he has no idea why. Eventually the two drifted apart again and resorted to scathing each other.
It’s sad really…if the three ever just sat down and talked it out, they would all probably be better off. They had no idea what they were doing to each other.
I know! When I saw MU, it kind of made me wish Randall never turned evil and was banished…
He…wasn’t evil, nor turned that way…
But yes…it should have that effect. The sequel will hopefully wrap things up between the three. It’s not going to be easy, but they’re all be better for it. Sullivan NEEDS closure…he IS feeling guilty about what he had done…Wazowski NEEDS to have his egotistical bubble burst…and Randall NEEDS to start being open to let somebody help.