Here's my review:
Pixar hits another home run with Monsters Inc., a deliriously clever and fast-paced tale of two monsters and their pet human. Once again, the magic and technology of CGI has allowed filmmakers to present a feature that not only dazzles the eyes, but tickles the funny bone and warms the heart. After seeing computer imaging used for the most shallow and pointless concepts possible in live-action films, a new Pixar feature is nothing less than a reason for movie lovers to rejoice.
I suppose when a movie studio takes over four years to create each of their new features, a certain amount of perfectionism takes over. With so much time to spend on the colorful animation, the clever screenplays and brilliant voice-over work, it's nearly impossible for Pixar to release a bad film. This is a company that simply thrives on excellence, and if we're forced to wait a few years between each project, that's fine. Because the end product is always so damn sweet.
Following squarely in the footsteps of their
Toy Story films and the fantastic
A Bug's Life, Pixar animation studios now unleashes another instant hit, the hysterically funny, wonderfully inventive and irrepressibly sweet
Monsters Inc. Bottom Line: If Pixar continues to pour this much creativity, effort and heart into their films, they'll never release a bad film. You might have to wait a long time before they even release a
mediocre film.
Sully and Mike are the finest "scare team" in all of Monstropolis. While Mike serves as a sidekick/technician, Sully is the reigning scare king. Monstropolis, you see, is powered by the night-time screams of children all over the world, and it's up to the employees of
Monsters, Inc. to keep the town running. Although their "job" is to horrify children by leaping out of closets in the middle of the night, the monsters themselves are actually quite sweet.
But the monsters have a terrifying weakness: They believe that contact with humans (or any human artifacts) will cause instant contamination to the monster world. An unfortunate creature who unwittingly returns to the plant with a sock stuck to him is instantly set upon by hundreds of decontamination suits, and humiliated in rather entertaining fashion. Imagine the chaos that ensues when Sully accidentally allows a human toddler to wander into the power plant.
As the massive yet mellow Sully, John Goodman is absolutely perfect. His voice conveys a wonderful balance of good-natured sweetness and 'regular Joe' sensibilities, despite his massive size and strength. Not as loveable but certainly more humorous is Billy Crystal as Mike Wazowski, the sidekick creature whose body is essentially one giant eyeball. The supporting cast is also strong, most notably Steve Buscemi as the villainous Randall Boggs and James Coburn as the Head Crustacean at Monsters, Inc.
While Goodman and Crystal spark a delicious chemistry together, the voice work is only one of this film's numerous assets. Pixar proves once again that they are the king of CGI features. (Although after the dizzying success of
Shrek, PDI-Dreamworks deserves mention right alongside this fantastic animation outfit.) It's simply staggering to see the amount of colorful and clever ways the Pixar people can spice up their projects. Background gags abound, landscapes and settings are flawless down to the most minute detail, and character animation is simply flawless. If
Monsters Inc. isn't the "instant classic" that the
Toy Story films are, well then it's pretty damn close.
The vibrant colors and silly monsters will keep kids in stitches, but there are more than enough "subtle gags" to keep parents entertained. Whether it's naming a restaurant "Harryhausen's" or the Woody Doll cameo, the animators at Pixar seem intent on filling their movies with jokes for young and old alike. (I was particularly entertained by the gag about The Abominable Snowman, Bigfoot and Loch Nessie being "banished" from Monstropolis.)
Another surprisingly effective creation is the young girl dubbed "Boo" by our heroes. Too young to talk clearly, Boo's dialogue consists of broken English and adorable gibberish that any parent will instantly recognize. The animators avoided making Boo too 'cutesy', and the result is a character that behaves exactly like any 2-year-old you've ever known.
So Pixar is now a healthy 4 for 4 in their feature films. Yes, there are some very talented competitors breathing down their necks these days, but I think that's a fantastic thing indeed. With Pixar and Dreamworks now trying to raise the bar with each successive CGI project, the ones who have the most to gain are the moviegoers. In a year when most of the blockbuster live-action movies have been limp and shallow, it's somewhat ironic that the most heart and soul have come from
Shrek and
Monsters Inc - two movies created entirely through computers.
Young kids will be dazzled. Parents will be entertained. The box office receipts will explode. I don't know about you, but I think the 'Pixar vs. PDI/Dreamworks' battle will be almost too much fun to bear.
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Scott Weinberg
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