*** Official MONSTERS INC. Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Phil Florian]

...and another thing! I would like to see more discussion on what makes a children's movie "edgy" and why it needs to be there for some people to enjoy a family movie. What is "edgy" and where has it appeared for you? Is "The Iron Giant" edgy? "Toy Story" 1 and 2? What constitutes adult content in a family movie? Shrek by comparison is very much an adult movie, if I remember correctly. It was much more self-referential and ironic that Monsters, Inc. and in some ways, less appropriate for younger viewers. I would need to see it again to see why, though. Both are funny movies, though, but their tone and "edge" were different.
Phil
------------------
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes.

 

[Graeme Clark]

One thing I forgot to mention is that this movie is just begging to be made into a theme ride at Disney's Parks. With what they can do these days, I bet it would be amazing.
------------------

 

[Seth Paxton]

Theme ride/video game. I thought the exact same thing. I mean in one sense it almost looks like "let's make the scene that can become a park ride".
But with Pixar's skill I found it to be very appropriate anyway and have strong doubts that it was created for such a reason. But I'm sure some ride and game designers will now want to make such a moment come to life. And who could blame them, it was really cool.

 

[Elbert Lee]

Cute movie. If you're not that into "cute" and like more adult themes, Monsters Inc. will probably disappoint you. My threshold is lower. Nickolodean movies are PURE KIDS. That Johnny Neutron trailer turns my stomach. RUGRATS cartoons completely bother me. Good Burger and Snow Day - bah!!! Monsters Inc., is "Saving Private Ryan" compared to these Nick/Paramount kiddie flicks. Although there aren't as many adult jokes and themes, there are nuances in the animation and performances that only adults will appreciate. Even the slapstick was widely appealing, especially with that poor monster that keeps getting detoxified. Yes - it's been done, but nevertheless, Pixar finds a way to make it enjoyable and funny as ever.
As for the Episode 2 trailer - Couldn'g give a *!*#@ which studio is beeing "screwed" or insulted, or whatever. Studio politics doesn't concern the customer. If it's a good movie, people will watch it. If its Star Wars, good film or bad, people will watch it. If the Episode 2 trailer can boost ticket sales for a non-anticipated movie, Lucas can do whatever he damn well pleases. As long as its out there, who cares? When the trailer available on the website on Monday, it's not like people can't watch it. I only care about getting quality PRODUCT in a timely fashion. As long as Lucas doesn't delay the Episode 2 dvd, I couldn't care less about what happens with the teaser.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

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.
------------------
Scott Weinberg
------------------
http://members.home.net/scott2915/_vti_txt/ofcs

 

[Robert A]

Just saw the movie and I thought it was great. I was pleased with the ep2 trailer as well. I'm just a huge starwars fan and I'm really excited to see ep2. Monters was a very well done film imo. I really enjoyed the story and found myself laughing in several places throughout. I read Ron's review before seeing it and I guess I was prepared to see some cheesy jokes and an un-entertaining movie. It was, however, much better than I expected, possibly thanks to Ron.

 

[Shawn Shultzaberger]

The family and I went to see it today and we had a great time. To start it off I was in a bad mood but by the end of the Birds short I was laughing pretty hard.
1. EP2 - woohoo! can't wait to see it
2. Birds short - funny and cute
3. Monsters Inc. - a very funny movie. More on the cutsie side but it doesn't take away from anything. I actually felt sad near the end. Guess I really got into the Sully character. It was a good time and I definitely recommend it to anyone.
Pixar really knows how to work a movie!
------------------
"My eyes...the goggles do nothing!"

 

[Troy LaMont]

Well,
I just got back from my initial viewing of MI....very, very, very nice! Very on par with what everyone else is saying here.
Funny, very much so...
Entertaining, very much so....
TS2 quality, very much so...IMO!
The audience buy-in at the viewing I saw was incredible. The audience was laughing and awwing, and even sad. My six year old daughter shed a couple of tears. The audience was very varied, old, young, singles, couples and plenty of kids.
The Birds short got much applause and laughter and :drumroll:, so did the movie! I haven't heard applause after a movie in quite a long while.
MI definitely lived up to my expections and much more. An 'A' effort from Pixar and Disney.
FWIW, the EPII trailer was 'all-that' and a Sith Lord to boot! Very exciting, got me panting until 11/9.
Of course, the animation was absolutely amazing.
I'd recommend everyone who is a Pixar/Disney fan to go see this movie, especially those with kids.
My $.02
Troy
------------------
:My teacher tells me beauty is on the inside.
:That's just something ugly people say.

 

[Rick Taylor]

I took my wife, my 7 year old son and my son's 8 year old friend to see Monsters Inc. on opening night. The theater was packed and full of energy. We all laughed constantly during the movie. The short before the movie was a constant laugh! The comments made by Ron are way way off. This guy must not have kids and or walked in expecting some adult flick. I am 37 and felt like a kid during the movie,
exactly what I expected. As for the comments regarding no adult jokes in this movie, IT IS A KIDS MOVIE RATED "G"!!!
I applaud Pixar in making a great movie. Well there is my 2 cents worth.

 

[Elbert Lee]

I do disagree with Ron on this one. I think that there are consistend adult themes throughout the movie that perhaps only adults would fully appreciate. (Office bureaucracy, power shortages, "hook ups" at exclusive restaurants, and the scare simulations). There weren't many adult one-liners similar to Shrek's "Think he's trying to compensate for something?"- Shrek referring to the size of Duloc castle. But, again, the nuances in the Monsters Inc's employees' behavior can only be fully appreciated by adults. I do agree that the film veers toward cute humor instead of truly adult dialogue that the Toy Story characters used.

 

[John Torrez]

Guys, here's the box office estimates for this weekend:
1 MONSTERS, INC. 63.48 63.5
2 THE ONE 20.00 20.0
3 DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE 14.50 14.5
4 K-PAX 10.66 32.1
5 13 GHOSTS 7.96 27.8
6 RIDING IN CARS WITH BOYS 4.50 25.0
7 FROM HELL 3.71 26.5
8 TRAINING DAY 3.15 69.7
9 BANDITS 3.00 36.4
10 SERENDIPITY 2.50 43.6

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

Monster's numbers beat my estimate of $50M - $55M. It even topped Toy Story 2's $57M opening. Very impressive. We're off to see this one this afternoon.
~Edwin
[Edited last by Edwin Pereyra on November 04, 2001 at 12:03 PM]

 

[Akira Zimmerman]

What were Shrek's opening numbers? I remembered that Shrek didn't have a huge opening but steadily gained because of good word of mouth. Am I remembering it correctly?
I will be seeing Monsters, Inc. in about an hour.

 

[Phil Florian]

Concerning adult themes, I think there was some other obvious ones beyond the blackouts, corporate evils, etc. The biggest to me was a look at how adults sometimes fear children, especially little ones. The Monsters at the company treated and thought of children much the same way some of my non-married/non-parent adult friends do. They are smelly, dangerous, and extremely fragile things...and they think of the children in the same way!

The scenes where Sully and Mike are trying to figure out what to do with Boo (not a spoiler...won't give details) was very reminescent of many people's first experiences babysitting or spending time with a toddler or baby. Their strategies they employed in dealing with Boo seemed pretty familiar to ones I have heard other people trying out. The very "laughter is the best medicine" theme that ran though the movie, while important for children, is even more important for parents. The scene where:
Spoiler: Boo sees how scary Sully can be was a powerful one to me. As a social worker, I see abused children and can only imagine what it is like to see a caregiver look like that.
If adults, even for a little while, can put themselves in Boo's tiny shoes...that is a very adult thing to do.
Damn glad it is raking it in, too. Maybe we can get more of these types of movies vs. the "Freddy Got Fingered" style genre.
Phil
------------------
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes.

 

[Alex Spindler]

Now that is a fascinating take Phil. I can see your point as well. I've been in many situations where you feel like you're holding a porcelain nuclear device, one that you could break or could land you in an enormouse amount of trouble. And knowing that what you do can change the growth and development of this child forever is a scary thought.
Thanks for the insight, and one that I hadn't considered. I'll have to runimate on that one.

 

[Peter Kim]

Box office opening receipts:
Monsters, Inc.: $63.5 million
Shrek: $42.2, ends up with ~$267 million.
------------------
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

 

[Gary Harris]

Just got back from seeing Monsters Inc. Beautiful animation, a good story and characters I REALLY cared about. Close to Toy Story & ahead of Toy Story 2 & Bug's life in my opinion. Highly recommended.

 

[Chad Gregory]

I figured that I would chime in with my opinion here.
Went to see MI at the 10:30 showing on Friday night with my wife. The crowd was very full, mostly late teens, twenties in the theater.
Episode II trailer - In a word fantastic, a perfect teaser. Can't wait to see the film, and the next trailer before Harry Potter.
For The Birds - Hilarious. Wonderful short, hope that it is included in the MI DVD.
Monsters, Inc. - Outstanding, I would rate it third in in Pixar library, behind Toy Story and A Bug's Life but ahead of Toy Story 2. (I do have a soft spot for ABL) Heart warming, charming, and visually stunning. I would have to say that I wouldn't recommend it for very small children. At the ending there are some very intense scene that could scare children under five. Highly Recommended
I wonder if anyone else experienced this, No outtakes
Most of the crowd, while pleased with the ending of the film, stayed though the credts and were very disappointed by the lack of outtakes from Pixar.
-Chad

 

[gregstaten]

I enjoyed Monsters, Inc., but I didn't feel it resonated as well as either Toy Story. What was totally unexpected was how much I paid to see it: $2.50.
Apparently Showcase Cinemas in Massachusetts is running some sort of promotion for the next two weeks. Matinee tickets for all films are $2.50 and evening tickets are $4.00. Not sure if this is at all theaters, or just the one I went to in Lawrence. (And this theater is less than two years old - monster screens.)
-greg

 

[Akira Zimmerman]

Just got back from watching this movie. I thought this movie is brilliant. One of the best movies of the year so far. One thing that peeved me about the theater room was that the projector was set up incorrectly so that some things were cut off in the top and in the bottom. I noticed it after I saw letters on the bottom during a trailer were cut off. I should've gotten a refund, but it didn't bother too much so that I didn't enjoy the movie. Anyway, back to the movie. I thought the chase scene was wonderful. Highlights from the movie for me are the chase scene and the Abominable Snowman. After watching Shrek for the first time last Friday, I'd say Monsters, Inc. is the better movie(and I thought Shrek was damn good). I hope Monsters, Inc. gets the first Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
I'd rank the Pixar films in this order:
1. Monsters, Inc. and A Bug's Life(I also have a soft spot for ABL)
2. Toy Story
3. Toy Story 2
Oh! I forgot to mention that I loved the "For the Birds" short! That got an applause from me as well as the people int he theater. I think it's worth paying money just to see that alone.
I can't wait for "Finding Nemo", Pixar's next film.