Disclaimer: Review based on the first two episodes
I love Pixar and always have. In particular, I love Monsters Inc. In fact, it was the first movie I was obsessed with. The colorful characters and offbeat humor mixed with Pixar’s signature beautiful animation made for a truly unique movie-going experience for a budding young film nerd, and I couldn’t get enough. Over the course of its theatrical run, I must have seen it a dozen times, insisting my father take me back to the theater again and again. Needless to say, Monsters Inc. is a very important property to me, and I’m excited to see it expanded upon.
Although the 2013 prequel Monsters University has plenty of charm, it didn’t really satisfy any wish to see what happened to these characters after the original story concluded. Even setting aside the original’s somewhat ambiguous ending regarding the lost little girl Boo, there were still so many questions about what happens next to the world of Monstropolis. The heroes overthrew their corrupt boss and switched from powering their world on children’s fear to harnessing the power of laughter. Then what happened? Finally stepping up to answer these questions is the long-awaited sequel series Monsters at Work (Now Streaming on Disney+).
Monsters at Work picks up where the original film left off, now seeing best friends Mike and Sulley (the returning Billy Crystal and John Goodman) left in charge to lead the newly reworked Monsters Incorporated factory. Although the pair star as protagonists of the two theatrical films, the series sees them taking more of a backseat leadership position, taking on B-plots and providing moral support. Like Martin Sheen on The West Wing or Samuel L. Jackson in the Marvel movies, the use of restraint works to the series’ benefit. The audience gets to visit their old friends, without overusing their presence.
Instead, the series focuses on Tylor Tuskman (Ben Feldman), a rising star scarer who’s suddenly looking for his place in the monster world after the switch to laugh-power. Tylor is interesting enough as our protagonist, and enough of a blank slate that he makes for a good audience surrogate into this wacky world. Joining Tylor is a whole host of new characters, all of whom seem like fun additions to the franchise. Monsters Inc. director Pete Docter has even stated that he provided unused concept art from the original films to help guide this new show, and it shows. The animation and character design are top-notch, so it really feels like a Pixar prosperity. With this being the studio’s first real step into television (they barely worked on Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, whereas they seem to actually be collaborating on Monsters at Work) I am really appreciative of the care that is going into this new series.
This could have easily been a Saturday morning cartoon-style show. Instead, it’s an enjoyable return to one of Pixar’s most exciting worlds.
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Overall Score
