If, like me, you find yourself wondering what makes the big guys in the entertainment industry so big, you’ve come to the right review. We all know Pixar has established itself as the premiere computer generated feature film studio, but as if gems like the Toy Stories aren’t proof enough of their supremacy, enter Monsters Inc. Nine years old already, this one manages to push all of the right buttons of what a CG feature film could and should be while managing to appeal to viewers of all ages.
Reaching the top of a given industry can be serendipitous, sure but this one here represents proof of the gradual climbing process that separates this studio from the others.
Monsters Inc., for the two or three human beings on earth who have yet to see it, follows James P “Sulley” Sullivan (John Goodman), a big blue furry monster and his friend and coworker Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal), a smaller green Cyclops, who happen to work at the power company within the city of Monstropolis: Monsters Inc.
Subscribers to the theory that monsters work at the utility companies in our own world will be glad to know that in Monstropolis, energy is derived not from the burning of coal or turning of turbines but by refining human screams, which are collected in steel canisters.
The monsters travel through doors linked to those in children's' bedrooms in our world and do their best to scare said kids into a nice shriek of terror. Sulley just so happens to be the number one scream-generator at Monsters, Inc. despite intense rivalry from the #2 guy, Randall Boggs (Steve Buscemi). Meanwhile poor Mike, a member of the preparation team, handles Sulley’s paperwork, arranges doors and changes his collecting cylinders. It turns out only the biggest, scariest and most elite employees have what it takes to become scarers.
Sulley and Mike's careers at Monsters, Inc. and the very welfare of Monstropolis are in jeopardy once Sulley accidentally lets a human child into the monster. It turns out that while humans are conditioned to fear monsters, so too are monsters trained to be terrified of human children.
What we have here basically is a layered parody of blue-collar life as the catalyst to deliver an inversed look at the myths all kids can relate with. The plot structure is impeccably tight with enough levels of amusement to appeal (classily) to just about anyone who encounters it.
I’m personally partial to all of the instances where an oblivious Mike Wazowski narrowly avoids fame but is no less enthusiastic about it.
Taking in this film, even a decade after its initial release, it becomes apparent that Pixar’s charm is actually derived from some of the simplest ideas imaginable. In fact most other animated films suddenly look way overcomplicated by comparison. The visuals have since been outdone in terns of complexity, color, and texturing yet few releases since can claim having delivered such a well-rounded package.
Additionally a lively Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround EX mix done up by a team at Skywalker Sound. It's as active, and vibrant as the visuals! As a bonus Randy Newman's charming score comes through with spectacular clarity.
In all, it had been nearly a decade since my last visit to Monsters Inc. and as a result of a recent mission to visit/ review as many computer generated features as possible, purchased the 2-disc DVD set being reviewed here. Conclusion: Pixar’s path to supremacy is lined with some of the finer examples of the genre.
