The one single common thread that ties the first three Pixar films together is its heart and emotional pull. Due to the well constructed screenplays, great musical scores, and its innovative animation, audiences and even a critic or two had developed attachments to an assortment of characters ranging from toys to insects. However this great strength was under siege after the release of Shrek, the most ambitious film from its main competitor DreamWorks. Shrek was not only a blockbuster hit, but its appeal was largely credited to it’s a sarcastic treatment of the fairy tales that Disney made famous. So with a box office gross of $484.4 million, the challenge presented by the green ogre couldn’t be ignored. So for the next film, Pixar decided to make a film that couldn’t have been more different in tone and mood. Initially the premise of monsters scaring kids didn’t sound promising, but the same elements that made the first three films so successful would be used in force for their next release, Monsters Inc.
The story takes place in Monstropolis, a community of monsters who live their daily lives on the reliance of a factory that generates electricity for the town. The power is generated by how frightening the monsters are in scaring children back by entering their rooms through their closets. The most successful scarer is James P. “Sulley” Sullivan, a large furry blue monster aided by a smaller one eyed green monster named Mke Wazowski who loads the doors to enter the closets. Sulley is also widely respected by his company, while despised by his main rival Randall who’ll strive at nothing to displace Sulley for the scare record. In an attempt to catch Sulley, Randall illegally loads a door on the ground floor of the factory. When Sulley goes to investigate the door, he soon encounters a young girl, who isn’t afraid of him and soon escapes to the factory. He is petrified of being touched by her and goes to great lengths to hide her from being discovered. Sulley soon discovers that she is harmless and becomes very protective of her. They develop a close friendship, as he tries to figure out a way to return her to her world without the company finding out.
Monsters Inc like previous Pixar films, does a great job in blending the real world with the fictional world. Monstropolis is highlighted by a variety of different monsters in a setting that could easily be mistaken for our world. The monsters vary from spiders to a crablike monster to even a lady monster with various rattlesnakes as her hair. They also each have great distinctive personalities created by a wide cast of voice actors ranging from Jennifer Tilly to James Coburn. It doesn’t take long for us to become familiar with the Monster world and we become more comfortable of the environment as the story begins.
At this point we are introduced to Sulley and Mike who are very well developed characters who carry the film. Sulley is hard-working, friendly, good natured, and loyal while Mike is funny, insecure, and intense. Their personalities complement each other brilliantly as they encounter numerous challenges and obstacles throughout the film. Sulley is one of the most lovable characters, while Mike is one of the funniest with the use of his one eye as a gauge of his emotions. They are animated perfectly with the great vocal performances from John Goodman and Billy Crystal which go a long way in making them so memorable. Like Toy Story, this is another great buddy picture which their relationship is constantly being tested, yet results in their friendship growing stronger.
However, the key character in this film is the young two year old girl named Boo. Children in films are usually loud, obnoxious, and usually just clutter the flow of the movie, but Boo is different. She is adorable. I love how precocious she is, as she plays with Sulley and mischievously interacts with Mike. The dialogue is very creatively done as she murmurs unrecognizable sentences that rely on her face and tone, with the exception of blaring out Mike’s name and tenderly calling Sulley Kitty. How her character lights up every time she comes in contact with the blue furry monster is very heartwarming and is one of the best child/adult relationships you’ll see in a film. It’s a very beautiful relationship as Sulley becomes her guardian and is responsible for her safety throughout the film. Your heart will melt and a couple of tears will soon appear.
As usual Randy Newman does his magic with a score that gives the film it’s emotional backdrop, the animation is superb, and the story gives enough twists and humor to entertain. Sulley’s attempts to sneak Boo around the factory creates a lot of humorous moments, Billy Crystal’s comic talents are capitalized with Mike’s humor, and even Randall the villain has a few funny moments. Bus as funny as those monsters are, I think Roz is the funniest. Hearing the voice alone from the cantankerous overseer of the factor makes me laugh, as she makes Mike’s life miserable throughout the film. All of that just adds to the charm of this film. Also without revealing the last part of the film, ,Monsters Inc has one of the best endings in any film I’ve ever seen. It’s very creative and it ties everything together.
Monsters Inc went on to out gross Shrek over $90 million, but it was still overshadowed. Shrek got all the awards and acclaim, while Monsters Inc was seen as a very good film that seemed second rate. I think over time the heart and charm of Monsters Inc has now surpassed Shrek while considered revolutionary at the time, is now dated and doesn’t hold up as well. The enduring tenderness of the relationship of Sulley and Boo gets better with each viewing and seeing how it evolves from the precarious first meeting to the strong bond they form is beautiful. Overall, this is one the most heartwarming films you’ll ever see and mix it in with humor and adventure it’s a film that any audience member from any age will treasure. You can read more quality film and music reviews now.