When news first hit that Monsters, Inc. was due for a sequel, the consensus was that it didn’t need one, that the original ended on so perfect a note (like Toy Story 3) that a sequel would be borderline unthinkable. Yet here we are, on the day of Monsters University’s release, and the consensus now seems to be that Pixar succeeded, in large part thanks to going the route of a prequel as opposed to a sequel. I too was worried that this would end up as a mistake, that this would be the first of their movies to really and truly let me down, but now I’m more optimistic. I won’t be able to get around to seeing it until next Tuesday or Thursday, at the earliest, on account of my work schedule, yet worry has been replaced with anticipation.
I should have known better than to ever count Pixar out, be it for one movie, as was the case here, or altogether, as many have begun doing. Just because Pixar is no longer perfection personified, that doesn’t mean they no longer have it in them to create another classic to rival their others.
[zergpaid]It’s when you least expect it that Pixar surprises you. Look at some of those so-called classics and ask yourself how unsure of them you were going in. A rat who wants to become a cook. A curmudgeonly, widowed old man goes on an adventure. A robot, unable to speak, tries to save Earth. Who would’ve thought these would go on to become three of Pixar’s most beloved films?
Better yet, who would’ve thought Toy Story 3, released over a decade after Toy Story 2, would actually improve upon its two predecessors in the eyes of many? Put simply, Pixar might not always make water into wine, but they do it often enough that I’ll never lose faith. As the cliché goes, if anyone can make it work, they can.
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