Pixar Studios has yet to drop a dud on the public, so whenever they unleash a new computer-generated animated feature, it's safe to assume it'll be cool. "Monsters, Inc." is no exception. In fact, Pixar's new vehicle is outstanding.
In an alternate world populated only by monsters, the screams of children provide the power source. Their screams are captured via inter-dimensional doors into human closets at Monsters, Inc. Sully (John Goodman) and Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) are two of the top producers at the company, and they're put in dire danger when a little girl slips through a door and runs amuck in their world.
It's a little known fact that monsters are actually terrified of children. Kids are regarded as highly toxic and potentially lethal, and the CDA (Child Detection Agency) must perform a massive cleanup operation whenever there is even a remote hint of a child nearby.
To compound Sully and Mike's troubles, a young upstart monster, Randall Boggs (Steve Buscemi), conspires to sabotage Sully's life and career by kidnapping children for his own selfish gain.
The film becomes an effectively comical thriller when the conspiracy deepens and the two lovable monsters end up racing to save humanity from cruelty while simultaneously trying to save monsterkind from an energy crisis and corporate tyranny.
As Pixar Studio's follow-up to "Toy Story 2," comparisons to that contemporary classic are inevitable. "Monsters, Inc." isn't quite as good, but it must be taken on its own merits; it's a completely different beast and operates on a different level.
The monster world is littered with enough in-jokes and clever touches to warrant a second viewing just to catch them all. For instance, the most prestigious restaurant in the city is "Harryhausen's" (named after Ray Harryhausen, the greatest stop-motion monster animator ever).
Also, the monster designs are remarkably creative and endearing. One female character, Celia (Jennifer Tilly), is a tentacled Cyclops with, as her hair, snakes that act out her inner emotional state.
The original designs of the monsters' buildings combined with the monsters' wide array of colors make for some very pleasing eye candy.
And there are some simply outstanding lines. The little girl's repetition of Mike's name is priceless, as is her exclamation of "Kitty!" every time the gigantic beast Sully approaches her.
The narrative moves along like a juggernaut. It flows well and keeps the viewer's attention level high. It's not so fast that it will lose the kids, though.
The film's wit is sharp, and each performance is up to snuff. Crystal gets some great wisecracks in and Goodman provides an excellent, compassionate voice to go along with Sully's massive bulk.
Buscemi is appropriately menacing as the villain of the piece, and James Coburn is more than guttural and vocally booming enough to fill the shoes of his massive character. There are also a few bit parts done by familiar voices almost impossible to identify - but when the credits roll, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
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The fact that "Monsters, Inc." is computer-generated becomes almost irrelevant five minutes into the movie. It's so absorbing and entertaining, the media used to convey it really doesn't matter. In fact, the animation is so good, it's easy to forget it's animated. Each and every fuzzy hair on Sully sways as he moves and looks perfect even in close-up. The camera motions are smooth as silk, too; "Monsters, Inc." has cinematography that stands up perfectly well to any animated film ever made.
Being a kid's movie, it does get lethally cute at times. But the movie is still very intelligent, and the occasional sappiness doesn't really drag it down.
It's actually refreshing to see a movie with such a positive and hopeful message these days: if even monsters can become compassionate toward humans, maybe there's hope for us all!
And if all this isn't enough for you, there's even a short Pixar animated film before the movie, "For the Birds." It's about a flock of cocky, stuck-up birds that get their comeuppance in a particularly funny way. This animated short is so cute and funny, it's almost worth the price of admission alone.
"Monsters Inc." isn't the greatest CGI animated movie ever, but it certainly comes close. See it with a young audience member or bite the bullet and see it on your own. You won't regret it.
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