Monsters, Inc.

Day 2/192-Monsters Inc.

Starring John Goodman and Billy Crystal

Just sneaking into IMDB.com's top 250 films of all-time (at number 245) Monsters, Inc. is ranked below no less than 8 other Pixar films: Wall-E, Up, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille and Toy Story 1, 2 and now 3 all occupy a higher place in their relatively accurate ranking system-only Cars doesn't get a place. Does this mean that Monsters, Inc. is lacking in something of the magic that makes those films so great? I would say no.

Monsters, Inc. is set in an alternate universe where monsters of all shapes and sizes live and work and generally go about their lives. Some are chefs, some are green-grossers (that's right) and some climb through portals into the closets of children and terrify them in order to harness their screams; which are pure energy in Monstropolis.

That is where we meet Sulley (Goodman) the highest scoring scarer in the history of Monsters, Inc. and his wise-cracking sidekick Mike Wazowski (Crystal) who are going about a normal day at work, when a freak accident results in a child coming back through the portal into Monstropolis, which is a serious risk to the wellbeing of all monsterkind.



I am finding it hard to imagine where I will make the space to fit in everything positive I would like to say about Monsters, Inc. but I will try.

The relationship between Sulley and Boo is uniquely touching and concerning. With the knowledge in the back of your mind throughout the movie that there really is no way for it to end well, it makes you anxious as you realise the film is coming to a conclusion, and that is all thanks to Pixar's excellent character development, not to mention the downright cuteness of Boo.

Mike Wazowski is hilarious and every one of his mannerisms is perfectly animated and ably-performed by the excellent Billy Crystal, and is fantastic as comedy foil to the serious yet lovable Sulley.

There are no end to the "monster gags" in the film which get better and better, and a particular highlight comes early on in the scene where Mike and Sulley decide to walk to work. It is a film that crams so much in it is rewarded with careful and possibly repeat viewing as you will definitely miss things first time around.

Negatives? I would say that it is a film with a very well thought-out plot, based on an excellent concept. It contains a huge array of wonderfully inventive cameo monsters and the main trio are, in my opinion, just as good as, if not better than anything Pixar has done before. I would say however that the film jars slightly in the blizzard section and the villains are slightly one-dimensional.



That aside, it will make you laugh, it will make you smile and it could very well make you cry but it is well worth your trouble and with a rumoured sequel on the way (possibly this year) there is no better time to give it a look!

9/10