Review 28: Monsters Inc.
In world populated by monsters of different sizes and shapes called Monstropolis, monster collect children's screams and use them to power their world. Two monsters named Sully (John Goodman) and Mike (Billy Crystal) work at the factory Monsters Inc, where they use doors and go into the rooms of children and scare them and use the screams. Mike and Sully are also best friends and the best in business. However, when a child (Mary Gibbs), whom Sully later names Boo, escapes into the monster world Mike and Sully get stuck with it, and must get the little girl back to her door at the factory, but that's a problem seeing as the entire monster world is looking for her because they consider children as dangerous. They must also uncover a plot to kidnap children and get their screams.
The plot is wonderfuly creative. One of it's most intelligent aspects is how it taps into a very common childlike fantasy. Much like how Toy Story based it's central premise on the idea of Toys coming to life. Monsters Inc., very appropriatly plays on ideal that monsters come out of childrens closets.
The idea of monsters using children's screams to power their world, is just mind blowing. As a commercial for the titular company eloquently put: We scare, because we care. At the start of the film, Monstropolis is facing a crisis: Kids aren't as easy to scare as they use to be and this causes a shortage of screams to be used as an energy source. This crisis that the monsters of Monstropolis face is used as an allegory for an energy crisis.
The ways through which corporations achive their goals is explored through how
Every child thinks there's a monster in they're closet
and as Boo and Sully go on this and venture they grow attached to each other.
The film also has an underlaying theme of friendship: Sully and Mike are best friends and the way Boo and Sully grow attached to each other and she helps to them to make Monstropolis a better place.
Parenthood also plays a prominant theme in the film: Sully and Boo's evolving relationship is very much the emotional core of the film. Sully and Mike are very much portrayed as confused Uncle types, people who have no idea how to deal with kids in general and just doing their best to take care of her.
Pete Docter's animation direction is unobtrusive, the score by Randy Newman is brilliant, the animation is beautiful, the production design is astonishing, bringing the setting of Monstropolis to life with layers of texture and detail, of particular note is a vast and cavernous door vault that our heroes are chased into during the films climax which lends itself to hugh amounts of creativity and ambition.
There are great moment of excitement and laughter, the character design is outstanding-just like the ants in A Bug's Life and the toys in Toy Story, monsters come in all different sizes, shapes and colours. the sound effects are precise, the scenes with Sully and Boo make you wanna cry, there are some real OMG moments (the scenes with loads of monsters and the scenes were they bring all the doors down is jaw dropping) and the ending is brilliant.
The voice was wonderful, particularly from John Goodman and Billy Crystal who play their roles effortlessly. Sully is the star scarer at Monsters Inc. He's at the top of his game, he's admired by his coworker, his boss, Mr. Waternoose (James Coburn) depends on him because he's he best, he loves his work and he doesn't feel that there's anything missing from his life - at least initially.
Sully is a character with deep convictions, he knows what he's compeled to do and doesn't constantly question wether he's doing the right thing.
When Boo comes into Monstropolis and into his and Mike's lives, their world is turned upside down. His priorities change and he slowly begins to find new life meaning for himself. Aware that Randall, his rival, is after her, he won't let her go unless she's going to get home safely or if he's 100% comfortable.
Mike, on the other hand, is a hilarious comedic foil for Sully. Mike is a very achivement-oriented monster, being the prep guy for the top scare team and achiveing the scare record give him a sense of prestige. He's the monster who goes into the kids bedrooms to deliver the scares, giving him less agency than Sully, he depends on him being best he can possibly be as he's the one who gets constantly overlooked and he has to fight for every scrap of recognition that he gets. He sees Boo as a distraction from everything he and Sully have worked to achieve and doesn't want that taken away from him.
Boo is very much an vital part of the film as Sully and Mike are because she's our human link to the world of Monstropolis.
Jennifer Tilly is luminous and lovely as Celia, Mikes girlfriend, Frank Oz is great as Fungus, Dan Gerson is great comic releaf as Smitty and Needleman, Bob Peterson is hilarious as Roz and Steve Buscemi and James Coburn were a pair of inspired villains.
Pixar has done it again with Monsters Inc and I look forward to the prequel coming out next year, 5/5.
The Anonymous Critic
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