Monsters Inc (2001)3D re-release (2012)
Certified: U
Duration: 92 minutes
Directed: Peter Docter, Lee Unkrich, David Silverman
Voices: John Goodman, Billy Crystal, James Coburn, Steve Buscemi, Bob Peterson, Jennifer Tilly, Mary Gibbs
KRS release
Monsters Inc was a steamroller of a hit in 2001 and solidified Pixar’s increasing control over the animated genre.
The film uses a lot of technical wizardry but it is the characters who steal the show
This film has aged well and is still very entertaining; I say this despite having seen a hundred and one repeated viewings of it on VHS.
The picture sees monsters toiling away at their jobs by scaring children when they come out of their bedroom closets at night. The resulting high-pitched screams provide the main energy source for Monstropolis. There is, however, an energy crisis!
CEO Henry J. Waternoose (James Coburn) knows that children have become more savvy and thus are harder to scare. He therefore asks his top ‘scarer’, James ‘Sulley’ Sullivan (John Goodman), to train the new recruits in the art of scaring.
The bulky and furry Sulley receives much help from his assistant Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal), a monster that looks like an eye with legs. The two are in competition with the eight-legged Randall Boggs (Steve Buscemi) who has invisibility powers.
Monsters have always been taught that children are toxic and thus should steer clear of direct contact. The very hard office manager Roz (Bob Peterson) wants Mike to turn in some reports. However, he goes on a date with Celia (Jennifer Tilly), a snake-haired dame, and Sulley covers for him.
That is when little girl Boo (Mary Gibbs) enters Monstropolis through a closet door that has been left open. She is not scared of Sulley; but he is scared of her!
The two try to get the child back to her world. That is when they discover that Randall is up to no good.
The film uses a lot of technical wizardry but it is the characters who steal the show. The voicing of Goodman as Sully and Crystal as Mike is simply spot on, while Buscemi’s Boggs is still a very scary figure who drips menace from every syllable.
The first reason to see this film on the big screen is that the picture’s strengths come out in this format. Then there is the 3D conversion which is highly effective, inspiring awe in what had already been a visually effective film.
Combining these factors with the perfect mix of the fantastical and comedy is what makes Monsters Inc such a long-term success.
Pixar will be releasing a prequel to this film, titled Monsters University, later this year.