Review: 'Monsters At Work' Checks Back on Film Faves, Introduces a New Generation

What if...

...your entire life your greatest ambition was to be the scariest monster hiding in the closet? Tylor Tuskmon (voiced by Ben Feldman) has worked his monster butt off to make sure he makes the cut, and when the opportunity finally arrives – in the form of a letter to to join the Scare Floor at Monsters, Inc. – Tuskmon's dreams have been realized. Or have they? In the latest addition to the franchise, Disney's "Monsters At Work," premiering July 7, picks up right where the Monsters, Inc. team learns the hard fact that laughter is more powerful that scares!

It prompts a major shift in how the business operates, and Mike (voiced by Billy Crystal) and Sully (John Goodman) are promoted to chief operating officers. The two are determined to re-org the practice of and purpose of monsters, turning them from professional Scarers into newly deputized Jokesters. But they had better prove there's profit in the pudding, if they intend on keeping the power plant running! Although laugher has been tested to be ten times more energy efficient than scares, the children of the world aren't as easily convinced.

Inspired by Disney and Pixar's Academy Award-winner "Monsters, Inc." this new animated original series is chock-full of all the lovable favorites from the hit films, and sets up the new generation, introducing the audience to Tylor Tuskmon and his new friends in the Monsters, Inc. Facilities Team. Graduating at the top of his class at Monsters University, Tuskmon was looking forward to proving he's as scary as the come, but with the business model changing, he's been reassigned to the Facilities Team (MIFTY), a bunch of misfits that tend to the day-to-day mechanics of running Monsters, Inc.

Tuskmon has got to prove his worth and convince Mike and Sully that he's got what it takes, and if that means becoming a Jokester instead of a top-notch Scarer, then he's going to go to every length to make sure he catches Mike's (one) eye! "Monsters at Work" is full of all the funny tropes that made the franchise such a hit with the kids, and it's guaranteed to bring smiles to their faces. The stories are nuggets of morality plays as Tuskmon learns to adjust his thinking. He's only had one ambition his entire life, and now he's got to be flexible if he's going to succeed in this new world.

"Monsters at Work" is as charming as you imagine it to be, and will delight children of all ages. It's especially gratifying to see so many of the characters that are still familiar to the audiences now engaging with a whole new crew. This makes for one of the sweetest half-hour cartoon comedies on the streaming service and is every bit kid-friendly from start to finish. No major scares here!

Check out the trailer to the new series here:

Disney's "Monsters at Work" begins streaming on Disney+ Wednesday, July 7.