Whether it”s the original plot, the impressive animation or a combination of both, “Monsters, Inc.” is a fun and enjoyable film for everyone. With all the trash out there, it sure is nice to be temporarily transported to Monster City, where the monsters (far from scaryquite the opposite, in fact) make the rules.
- Paul Wong
- Oh crap, here comes Shrek!<br><br>Courtesy of Pixar
James P. “Sulley” Sullivan (John Goodman) is the top dog in the business. He and his sidekick Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal), the one-eyed little green man, are employees at Monsters, Inc., the city”s source of power and electricity, where the monsters” job is to make itself as scary as possible.
Through portals to bedrooms all over the world, monsters at the plant routinely collect screams from children via each child”s closet door these screams are crucial because they are the city”s sole source of energy. Without screams, Monster City would be dark and barren, and this is why daily quotas must be made and monsters must be fit to “scare.”
Sulley holds the record for collecting the most screams, for the horned and hairy bulk of blue can be extremely fierce. He is admired and even envied by some fellow employees especially Randall Boggs (Steve Buscemi), the slick, purple reptile-like competitor, who happens to have chameleon-like abilities, allowing him to “disappear” whenever he desires.
This advantage is not enough, however, and his jealousy leads him to devise a plan to not only beat Sulley”s record, but to take over the entire plant from owner Henry J. Waternoose (James Coburn), the tentacled, multi-eyed man of pride.
The interactions between Sulley and Mike provide the majority of laughs, and their dialogue is sharp and timely. The friendly duo, typical of several Disney movies, seems to balance each other out. Where Sulley is a bit more cautious and contemplative, Mike is eccentric and impatient.
Mike is also preoccupied with women, and he attempts to woo Celia, the desk clerk with the rattlesnake hair. With lines like “From the first moment I laid “eye” on you,” many lines throughout the film are just plain cute. In addition, the facial expressions of all of the monsters are excellent, and the detailed animation accentuates the smallest of things, from Sulley”s fur texture to Mike”s one huge eyeball.
Sulley and Mike find Randall cheating when they catch him collecting screams during the lunch break. Suspicious of the one door still left open at a workstation, Sulley enters the bedroom once Randall is gone. After a bit of a frenzy tripping over some toys, Sulley gets out and realizes there is no one in there. Then he turns around to see a little girl standing in front of him. This is a severe threat to not only the plant, but also the stability of the entire city, for real children could take over and destroy Monster City as the monsters know it. Now the job is to get this “thing” back to her room, except Sulley soon realizes she is harmless and he becomes quite fond of the girl they name “Boo” (Mary Gibbs).
The plot is not only entertaining for children, but its creativity provides one with something new and refreshing. I cannot think of a single film with anything close to the same storyline. Because of this, one has no idea what can happen next in monster world, and this curiosity keeps one amused throughout the film. Pixar animation (“Toy Story”) is sure doing something right.
Unlike “Toy Story,” however, “Monsters, Inc.” does not provide as many laughs. The script incorporates several funny moments, but in comparison, “Toy Story” is a tad bit funnier. This is a minor concern, however, and in no way does it hinder the enjoyment and amusement of watching Sulley and Mike come to the rescue.