Movie Info
Movie Name: Monsters, Inc.
Studio: Pixar Animation/Walt Disney Pictures
Genre(s): Animated/Comedy/Family
Release Date(s): November 2, 2001
MPAA Rating: G
Randall…you suck.
James P. “Sulley” Sullivan is almost the highest grossing “scare generator” in Monster, Inc. history. With his scare assistant Mike Wazowski, he’s poised to take the record with Randall Boggs hot at his heals. At Monsters, Inc. the goal is to scare children whose screams power the monster world. Every monster knows that children are toxic and when Sully accidentally ends up finding one of Randall’s scare generators, he and Mike must hide the dangerous child. As Sulley try to get the child nicknamed Boo back to Earth in her door, Randall might have other plans…and he might not be working alone.
Meet the scarers!
Directed by Pete Docter, Monsters, Inc. is a Disney-Pixar film and was a follow-up to Toy Story 2 in 1999. The movie garnered rave reviews and a big box office draw. The movie won Academy Award for Best Original Song (“If I Didn’t Have You”) and was one of the first films nominated for the new award Best Animated Feature (losing to Shrek), Best Original Score, and Best Sound Editing.
I am not a huge fan of computer animated films. They often seem too clean and don’t have enough texture. The movies also seemed aimed more at the adults then at the children with jokes that are far too much for kids to take in or banking on nostalgia that kids just don’t have yet. Of the Pixar films, Monsters, Inc. is one of my favorites.
Boo…who wants a teddy bear!
I think Monsters, Inc. finds that balance between a kids picture for adults and a kids’ picture that adults will enjoy. The story isn’t loaded with tons of jokes for adults like something like Finding Nemo and is challenging enough that it isn’t a simple kids movie. A movie about monster is a great way to immunize kids to monsters at an early age. Also, opposed to a nice clean ending, the movie goes for sad, sweet, and a bit more interpretational (something that isn’t as kid friendly…but much better than the nightmarishly depressing ending to Toy Story 3).
He’s wasting sno-cones!!!
Like most Pixar films, the studio went all out for the vocal cast that not only is strong, but fits the characters which seem perfect for the characters they are voicing. John Goodman is perfect as the massive Sulley and Billy Crystal (though not the biggest fan) good as his tiny assistant friend. Steve Buscemi as the slimy Randall is a good match, and James Coburn’s rich voice is goods as the Monsters, Inc. manager Henry J. Waternoose III. Other stand-outs include Jennifer Tilly as Celia Mae, Frank Oz as Fungus, and Pixar regular John Ratzenberger as the exiled Abominable Snowman.
Get ready for a ride!
The movie also looks fantastic. While Toy Story is forced to operate in a “real world” environment, Monsters, Inc. is pretty much unlimited in its creativity. The monsters have some great designs and though their “world” isn’t really explained, the creators did a great job making it. The primarly human character is Boo who is pretty animated looking but still has real heart and feeling.
Monsters, Inc. maintains its hold as one of my favorite Pixar films and the relationship between Boo and Sulley is still one of the most touching pairings. Pixar followed-up Monsters, Inc. with Finding Nemo in 2003. With the success of Monsters, Inc. and the follow-ups to Toy Story a sequel to Monsters, Inc. was a no-brainer. Instead of a sequel however, a more adult-oriented prequel Monsters University was released in 2013.
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