Monsters at Work

“Monsters at Work” isn’t on the same level as the two feature films, but it’s miles ahead of the likes of “The Return of Jafar” or “Kronk’s New Groove.”

What the show conspicuously lacks, versus the original, is a clear villain and the dollop of heart provide by the relationship between Sully and the human kid Boo. Instead, after setting up the premise the second episode mostly careens amiably from one perfunctory crisis to the next. Still, "Monsters at Work" takes a well-established title and parlays that into a good deal of fun.

If you love original movies and were expecting a third, “Monsters at Work” might be a bit disappointing. But if you can still appreciate the world-building (and Crystal’s unflagging energy), then the Disney+ series might still hit its laugh quotas.

It’s cute. But “Monsters at Work” might need a little more retooling on the scripts. They’re a laugh-a-10 minutes.

With their 25-minute running time, the “Monsters at Work” episodes can feel a little rushed and busy for adult attention spans, as if they’re in a hurry to squeeze as much mayhem and hilarity into each chapter as possible. But the show doesn’t stoop to cynicism, and the action, even when it’s slathered on thick, has the wit and bounce of silent comedy for tots.

“Monsters at Work” has moments—usually thanks to great actors truly elevating mediocre material with their voice work—but kids will want to be going to back to the original films before ever watching these again.

It needs another pass through the laugh factory. A thorough sanding down and a tightening of the plot screws by Mift and a few more squirts of lubricant from old hands such as Goodman and Crystal – whose scenes merely remind us of past glories – could create a vehicle truly fit for comic purpose. Monsters: get to work.