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Review of Monsters University (Randy Newman)

FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:

Buy it... if Randy Newman's melodic transparency and Americana techniques never fail to engage you, his application of those styles balanced against a somewhat strange infusion of elements from Michael Giacchino's Ratatouille and John Williams' 1941.

Avoid it... if you expect to encounter significant connections between this score and its predecessor, the lack of any Newman-performed song a particular disappointment.

FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:

Monsters University: (Randy Newman) Haggling between Disney's Michael Eisner and Pixar's Steve Jobs caused 2005 plans for a sequel to the 2001 hit Monsters, Inc. to remain in limbo for years, though with one studio wrestling away the sequel rights (and one of those CEO's dead), nothing was to stop the pair of companies from creating what became a prequel to the original story. Deliberately ignoring some continuity issues with the prior film, 2013's Monsters University depicts the meeting and developing of a friendship between the two main characters from Monsters, Inc., voiced by Billy Crystal and John Goodman. They unite at "Monsters University," where they hope to graduate in the art of scaring humans and someday work at "Monsters, Inc.," a feat they accomplish via a circuitous route. Along the way, they run through the stereotypical pitfalls of college life, screwing up in all the manners you'd expect from young monsters who don't have their act together. The prequel, which was initially free of the lawsuit problems that plagued Monsters, Inc., was met with moderate praise but not the same immediate, overwhelming fiscal response as its predecessor. There's something nostalgic about seeing the crew of the 2001 assemble for another entry in the concept a dozen years later, and that feeling especially applies to composer Randy Newman's continued involvement. Interestingly, however, the music produced by Newman for Monsters University has very little to do with that which he wrote for Monsters, Inc., an intriguing and somewhat disappointing turn of events given that the prior work left some clear room for improvement. While there remains continuity in Newman's basic style and a few token references to the prior score, there is no significant thematic carry-over despite the return of the same characters and a few scenes staged at "Monsters, Inc." Even though those two characters affirm their bond at the end of Monsters University and achieve their goal of gaining employment at "Monsters, Inc.," the melody of Newman's Oscar-winning song, "If I Didn't Have You," is absent from the prequel. In fact, you don't hear Newman sing a song at all in Monsters University, making this seventh Pixar entry for the composer a bit awkwardly positioned. Even a simple reprise would have sufficed. That said, Newman does throw a few references to the prior score in during "Field Trip" as appropriate, and his musical language, despite losing some of grand jazz existing in the 2001 work, is largely familiar enough to function for most listeners.

On the plus side for Monsters University's music is a greater sense of thematic continuity. Newman generates a wealth of themes for this story, starting with a traditional Newmanesque melody for Mike Wazowski on clarinet and allowing it to mature from its exuberant initial performance in "Young Michael." A more laid back idea for Sully is heard in the track of that name, though it utilizes the same basic rhythmic structures as Mike's renderings. An accordion-laced theme for the "Oozma Kappa" fraternity exists in several places, some strangely out of touch culturally. The main new identity in Monsters University is the stately college march for the university itself, heard immediately in "Main Title" and often utilizing a marching band drum section in its most vibrant performances. Between the pseudo-French atmosphere for the fraternity setting and the upbeat marching theme for the overall setting, don't be surprised if parts of this score strike you as a bizarre combination of Michael Giacchino's Ratatouille and John Williams' 1941, especially in "Rise and Shine" for the latter. The 1941 comparisons will continue into "The Library" and elsewhere, yielding almost a parody environment. Newman makes no attempt to hide his intent to overplay nearly everything in the score, the sour version of the college theme in "Dean Hardscrabble" an example of the score's limited darker side. There is a surprising amount of generic action material in Monsters University, the later scenes involving the human world sufficient but somewhat devoid of their own brand of unique character. The innocuous jazz that stylistically defines these scores for Newman yields to the composer's equally refined sense of Americana more often than not, causing short snippets of pretty material that don't amount to enough combined running time to really appreciate. Comedy interludes prance along at regular intervals as well, with occasional bursts into singular sounds like the classical and rock alternations in "Scare Pig." A couple of sung, source-like tracks also divert attention from the score's narrative. Somewhat disappointingly, the highlight of Monsters University is "Field Trip," which is the one cue to truly mix material from the two scores in the franchise. In terms of performance, the 112-piece orchestra for this score is, like that for the predecessor, adequate but occasionally underwhelming in its enthusiasm. Overall, while it would have been nice to hear the Monsters, Inc. score extended and better defined in the prequel, it's clear that a completely new musical direction was intended for Monsters University. Unfortunately, while the overarching thematic continuity is improved, the general personality of the work fails to really grab you, much like the original.  ***

TRACK LISTINGS:

Total Time: 55:15

• 1. Main Title (0:51) • 2. Young Michael (3:58) • 3. First Day at MU (4:32) • 4. Dean Hardscrabble (3:20) • 5. Sulley (0:48) • 6. Scare Pig (2:00) • 7. Wasted Potential (1:16) • 8. Oozma Kappa (3:17) • 9. Stinging Glow Urchin (2:34) • 10. Field Trip (3:57)

• 11. Rise and Shine (3:00) • 12. The Library (3:44) • 13. Roar* (2:56) • 14. The Scare Games (5:58) • 15. Did You Do This? (2:00) • 16. Human World (2:07) • 17. The Big Scare (3:02) • 18. Goodbyes (3:11) • 19. Mike and Sulley (1:13) • 20. Monsters University (1:35)

NOTES & QUOTES:

The insert includes a list of performers but no extra information about the score or film.

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