'Party Central' Will Have You Roaring With Laughter

We may not be getting a Pixar feature this year, but that didn't stop the animation studio from putting out an all-new short film, featuring the stars of their 2013 flick, Monsters University. I was able to catch Party Central (alongside the fantastic new Muppet pic, Muppets Most Wanted) on Thursday night, and I am happy to report that it was a delight to watch on every level.

In the new short, the members of Oozma Kappa start the night off feeling rather bummed out, as no one has bothered showing up to their party. But low and behold, their pals Mike and Sulley burst through the door, carrying with them something that should help get the party going. Mike fires up a door station, and chaos ensues.

Without giving away too much, Party Central has everything you'd expect from a Pixar short; humor, wit, and just the right amount of inventiveness. The original Monsters University cast is all back, making the short all the more enjoyable. Mike, Sulley, and the rest of the characters all make welcome returns, and one could argue that Squishy's mom, Sherri Squibbles, ends up being the star of the show. Of course, the gags are all really funny (no surprise there), making the short a fun 6-minute laughing session. Its fast pace keeps you engaged until the very end, and when it does end, you can't help but wish there was more.

So really, no complaints here. Pixar's latest short is not just a blast, but it is testimony to the studio's impressive range when it comes to short films (and features too, for that matter). They are capable of crafting innovative, artsy shorts like La Luna and The Blue Umbrella, yet they are also able to produce fun, fast-paced romps like Party Central, which also give us a chance to revisit some of their most beloved characters without having to make another feature film with them.

In conclusion, even if you don't like the Muppets (and if that's the case, shame on you!), see Muppets Most Wanted if only to catch Party Central, which makes the price of admission all the more worth it.

And to Pixar; please, make more Monsters shorts.

First Look at 'Party Central'

With just about a month to go until the release of Pixar's latest short film, we've got our first detailed look at the new Monsters University-themed short.

Check out the brief 36-second short clip that was revealed earlier this month (don't worry, it's spoiler-free):

Moviefone got the exclusive first look at the short and premiered some sweet stills alongside an interview with director Kelsey Mann, which I highly recommend you check out here.

This looks all set to be yet another classic from the folks who brought us the likes of Toy Story and Monsters, Inc. - I can only begin to imagine all the criminally clever and inventive gags that they've conjured up for this fast-paced party-centric (pun intended) short film. It's also great to be able to revisit Mike, Sulley, and the rest of the Oozma Kappa fraternity for the first time since we last saw them last summer in MU.

Mark your calendars, Party Central romps into theaters March 21 alongside Muppets Most Wanted!

Pixar Announces Plans for 2014

Apologies for the blog silence this month, January has been incredible busy for me. Now that the month is over, however, let's take a moment to recap on the exciting announcements that were dropped over the past few weeks in the world of Pixar.

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It looks as though us fans will no longer have to wait until 2015 to get a healthy yearly dose of goodness from the studio since Pixar announced this month its two latest (non-feature-length) projects and when we can expect to see them.

Looking back at 2011, you may recall that when the fantastic Muppets "revival" film, The Muppets, opened in theaters in November, it was accompanied by the Pixar Canada-produced Toy Story short Small Fry. Well, Pixar seems to have formed a nice partnership with everyone's favorite felt oddballs, as this year's Muppets Most Wanted will be preceded by another short film from the folks in Emeryville. This time around, we'll get to catch up with Mike, Sulley, and their Oozma Kappa brothers as they come together to throw an unforgettable party in Party Central. The new Monsters University short was announced back in August at D23 Expo and was originally supposed to debut in May with Pixar's The Good Dinosaur, but that film, of course, was pushed back to the fall of 2015, so it's great that the studio found an alternative way to get the short to audiences this year.

The official synopsis for the short reads:

Mike and Sulley are back at Monsters University for a fun-filled weekend with their Oozma Kappa fraternity brothers. The gang is throwing their first party, but no one’s showing up. Luckily for them, Mike and Sulley have come up with a plan to make sure “Party Central” is the most epic party the school has ever seen.

Don't miss Party Central when it romps into theaters on March 21 alongside Muppets Most Wanted (which, by the way, also happens to look absolutely brilliant).

This past October, ABC aired the first ever Pixar television special, Toy Story of Terror, which, unsurprisingly, was met with rave reviews and high ratings. And why wouldn't it? It's a Toy Story television special; audiences love these characters and want to see more of them. So it should come as no surprise that this week the studio announced their next television special - Toy Story That Time Forgot.

While no specific air date has been given, the special will debut around the holiday season this year. Brave co-director Steve Purcell will direct, while Galyn Susman, who produced Toy Story of Terror, will serve as producer. Here's the official synopsis:

During a post-Christmas play date, the “Toy Story” gang find themselves in uncharted territory when the coolest set of action figures ever turn out to be dangerously delusional. It’s all up to Trixie, the triceratops, if the gang hopes to return to Bonnie’s room in this “Toy Story That Time Forgot.”

Similar to how Toy Story of Terror delved deeper into the character of Jessie, it looks like this time it will be the quirky Trixie the triceratops (voiced by the hilarious Kristen Schaal) that gets her turn in the spotlight. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and the rest of the original cast will reprise their roles, and we'll be hearing some new voices also. Kevin McKidd (who voiced Lord MacGuffin and Young MacGuffin in Brave) will be voicing a character named Reptillus Maximus.

It's still a while away, but mark your calendars and don't forget to tune in to ABC this holiday season to catch Toy Story That Time Forgot!

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So how about it, folks? We may not be getting a feature-length Pixar flick this year, but a short and a television special should be enough to fill that void, don't you think? Share your thoughts below!