DVD Shop: Buy Monsters, Inc. Online

Average Rating:

"Monsters, Inc." is a look at the other side of the closet door, in Pixar's finest animation. What you'll find through that door is a whole civilization of monsters, who scare children for a living; and one particular monster, James P. Sullivan, brilliantly voiced by John Goodman, who has a run-in with a little girl. Billy Crystal plays Mike Wazowski, the comic sidekick -- the guy who looks like a one-eyed green soccer ball with arms and legs on the DVD cover; Sullivan is the purplish hairy thing behind him. They work in a scream factory -- hey, what do you think monsters do all day? The girl is a toddler, barely verbal, and cute as a bug, and she's the center of some of the funniest action scenes in the movie.

There's not a lot to say about the plot, except that it supports some great action and some pretty good comedy work. Crystal does a fine job, but Goodman's deadpan delivery is even better -- his "slumber party" line was my favourite of the movie. The slapstick is up to the standard you'd expect, and there are even a couple of lines aimed at the adults that the kids may not quite catch.

In many ways the movie is designed to appeal to a Daddy/daughter combination more than anything else; there's a definite tinge of "what will I do when my little girl grows up and leaves me?" to the movie. I don't want to give anything away, but Dads should watch this with their six year old girls snuggled up next to them.

The only reason I haven't given it five stars is that although it's fun, beautifully-animated, and very well voiced, I don't think it quite has that spark that makes an animated feature a long-term classic, the way some of the best Disney movies are. It's not a musical, by the way -- there's not a song in it. But if it isn't the best Disney have ever produced, it does have panache, style, and a sense of humour. You'll enjoy it, and so will your kid.

John Goodman and Billy Crystal provide their trademark voices for Sully, the big blue furry monster, and Mike, the cycloptic short green monster as they scare up kids' screams which are converted to energy to power the televisions and alarm clocks of the monster metropolis. (Seems very allegorical of the California power outages this past summer, no?) Conflict brews when Randall, the gecko-like monster, gets greedy and wants to become the top "scarer" by exploiting the screams of the innocent human child, yet show-stealing cute, Boo. While kids might get lost in the action of the movie, the CGI effects and clever Laurel and Hardy-esque slapstick of Sully and Mike (or Lenny and George, which ever way you want to look at it) will have the kiddies captivated from beginning to end.

While Dreamwork's box office baby "Shrek" may have just as good edgy, clever humor and depth, Pixar is far from being out of the running. Keep in mind, Pixar is already a veteran with "Toy Story 1 & 2" (with a third on the way), and "A Bug's Life". There's no doubt in my mind that Pixar and Dreamwork's will be at the helm of the fully computer animated feature for years to come. May the best company win!

For the time being, strap yourself in for the first in some great holiday flicks coming to the silver screen near you! "Monsters, Inc." is already off and running to box office gold, and is a wholly satisfying and entertaining movie for kids, parents, and "Average Joe" movie critics alike.

Briefly, "Monsters" depicts a society of monsters that inhabits a world parallel to ours. Its theme is thus not unlike that of "Men in Black" or "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," which also imagine fantastic alternate realities that exist beyond the perception of most people. The monsters of "Monsters" routinely cross into "our" world in order to harvest the energy gained by the terrified screams of children. But the lives of our monstrous heroes are complicated when a human child crosses over into the monster realm.

The filmmakers do an excellent job of creating a complete monster society from this premise. The monster world is populated with some of the most visually imaginative characters in recent film history. My favorite (as well as my nephew's) is Waternoose, a multi-eyed crustaceanlike creature with an elegantly rolling gait. The voices to the monsters are perfectly cast: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, James Coburn, Steve Buscemi, and Jennifer Tilly have major roles.

There is a great action scene in the film that is as thrilling as anything in an "Indiana Jones" film, and some great satiric material which will particularly please adult audiences. The film as a whole has a bright, colorful, energetic look, and the filmmakers add in just the right amount of sentimental appeal. Although "Monsters" is partly about fear, the film ultimately celebrates the power of laughter, friendship, and courage. And don't worry, parents: our monster heroes are essentially friendly creatures who want to do the right thing for the little lost child, who becomes quite fond of them. This is a wonderfully entertaining film for viewers of all ages.