Monsters, Inc. Reviews

Pixar fue una empresa como ninguna otra, creada por gente visionaria y con el afán último de innovar y revolucionar la animación. Gente como esta las hay pocas, y por esa misma razón, empresas como Pixar las han habido pocas. En su época dorada, Pixar reflejaba en sus películas esta misma perspectiva visionaria, pero no únicamente en su potencia gráfica o calidad general, si no incluso también en la filosofía que plasmaban. Bichos tenía esta linda canción tema que rezaba en un verso: "el sentido común está bastante sobrevalorado", en referencia a la grandiosa idea de pensar fuera de la caja. En la tesis de aquella película, el protagonista era alguien fuera del molde, que innovaba y lideraba a un grupo para hacer grandes cosas, haciéndolos así, más grandes personas. Monsters Inc por ende, teniendo el concepto que tiene, fue la película perfecta para representar esta misma filosofía empresarial del Pixar de aquél entonces.

Desde su tesis, Monsters Inc es esencialmente, una crítica al corporativismo. En una empresa creativa como Pixar, lo principal era la innovación, el arte, la creatividad. En cierto modo, es una película que deja en claro un sentimiento en la compañía, no dejar consumir sus buenos valores. Quizá en tiempos actuales esto suene un poco triste, porque es irónicamente lo que está sucediendo. Pero no deja esto de ser una fantástica muestra de lo que alguna vez se pensó en aquella empresa y de lo que alguna vez fueron capaces.

La trama es ya conocida, en la compañía de Monsters Inc, los monstruos consiguen energía de asustar niños. Una vez que Mike y Sullivan accidentalmente llevan a una niña al mundo de los monstruos, poco a poco van descubriendo que los niños no son la figura tan ajena que les hacía creer su jefe, únicamente existentes para conseguir energía en su mundo, si no también personas como ellos con los que son capaces de conectar. Es por mayor practicidad, facilidad y eficiencia que el jefe de la compañía se niega a ver este lado de los niños humanos para así convertirles en simples herramientas de su sociedad. Si uno lo piensa un poco, es una trama muy densa. Esencialmente, es una metáfora sobre un jefe de empresa que no ve individualidad en las personas, y decide aprovecharse de la gente como herramientas a favor de un beneficio monetario. Ahí es cuando la tesis de la película resuena bastante, pues Mike y Sullivan consiguen cambiar el paradigma de la empresa a una que, en vez de sostenerse en los gritos de los niños, se sostiene en sus risas. Un camino más complicado y menos eficiente, sí, pero también uno más cercano al amor, y que se permite volver a la empresa una cimentada en el apoyo a las personas. En esto, es también muy ingeniosa la metáfora de una empresa de monstruos interactuando con humanos, pues se trata de una asociación a las diferencias que se perciben entre los trabajadores de una empresa y la gente que está afectando.

Fuera de la metáfora, es una película divertidísima, tanto como las películas de Toy Story. Esto es en parte gracias a sus geniales dinámicas de personajes. Pero estos personajes también, son capaces de volver a la película una muy conmovedora independientemente de si se entiende la metáfora principal o no, y eso es muy importante, pues nuevamente, hay una capa adulta y una capa infantil en la película, pero en ambos casos, la historia es capaz de emocionarte.

La innovación visual que trajo Monsters Inc consigo fue tener que lidiar con la animación de personajes cubiertos de pelaje, contando con un movimiento detallado y una iluminación compleja. Para esto, se hizo como práctica de movimiento, pequeñas plumas en el corto For the Birds; Acerca de unas aves subidas a un cable eléctrico, uno que probablemente muchos de ustedes recordarán.

Otro clásico de Pixar consecutivo y otra de las mejores películas del estudio.
La próxima reseña será Buscando a Nemo.

This was a wonderful movie, with colourful characters, a fun storyline, and a funny and sometimes touching script.(I liked Shrek as well, but I slightly preferred this) I don't think it is quite as good as Toy Story, but I found it an enormously entertaining film, it was much better than I expected. The animation was truly excellent, with colourful and engaging backgrounds, and no stiff movements as far as I could see. I wasn't hugely keen on the song playing over the end credits, but compared to the overall goodness of the film, that is such a minor criticism, and it is fair to say that people have different tastes in music. The script was very, very funny, particularly with the character Roz. The voice talents were fantastic, John Goodman and Billy Crystal were brilliant as Sulley and Mike, Steve Buschemi clearly has a lot of seedy fun as Randall, Jennifer Tilly is wonderfully innocent as Mike's girlfriend, and the late James Coburn is wholly convincing as Waternoose. And I loved the character of Boo, she was so cute, and I loved the ending, people complained it was overly-sentimental but I thought it was so sweet. The story, as is always the case with Pixar films is highly original and charming, and doesn't drag at all. Overall, a wonderful film, truly entertaining and a must-see, and if you are starting to lose faith in Disney and their countless sequels, this is perfect for you. 9.5/10 Bethany Cox.

Like most of the Pixar pictures, I have seen this one in the theater ('Cars' must be the only one that I didn't see when it was released) and it was probably the first Pixar movie I showed to my 9 years old daughter. Even though it might be overlooked and considered a mere kids flick, it is actually enjoyable for anyone. Indeed, even though it is now more than 10 years old, the animation still looks great. Especially the main characters, James Sullivan and Mike Wazowski, those guys just looked really awesome. Back in those days, they were still struggling to provide some human beings that looked fine but those monsters all looked pretty neat. Furthermore, the story was really entertaining filled with hilarious characters. As usual, Pixar tackles a concept which sounded promising but it is above all the sensitive and smart way they chose to handle this concept that makes this feature quite spellbinding to watch. More than a decade later, they would release a prequel which was decent enough but, like most of the recent sequels produced by Pixar, it was nothing really amazing. Anyway, to conclude, this movie is pretty much a classic and it is absolutely and definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

We Scare. Because We Care. We Delight. Not Just At Night. 'Monsters Inc.' is the fourth Pixar movie and better than 'A Bug's Life'. The movie centers around a giant blue monster Sulley (John Goodman) and his best friend Mike (Billy Crystal) who live in Monstropolis and work at Monsters Incorporated. Sulley's job is to scare kids to generate their city's power. Kids are scared of them but monsters are also scared of kids. Sulley ends up facing a toddler who he names Boo (Mary Gibbs) who ends up in Monstropolis.

The movie has funny characters such as Randall (Steve Buscemi) the chameleon who can change colour and Mr Waternoose (James Coburn). The movie also has its clever plot and like any other Pixar movies is a delight for kids and adults. This ain't the top of Pixar but still great.

Kids these days. They just don't get scared like they used to.

Probably the best monster-themed cartoon I have ever seen. Who would have thought that the reason why monsters scared kids from their bedroom closets was because they needed the screams to provide energy into the city? Genius.
In the monster world, the top energy company is Monsters, Inc., whose slogan "We Scare Because We Care" symbolizes their goal: to collect as much screams from children as possible in order to provide ample energy to the city. The top scarer of the company is James P. Sullivan (Goodman), also known as "Sully" to his friends. Sully's top competitor is Randall Boggs (Buscemi), who will stop at nothing to achieve the number one status which, up to now, has been firmly held by Sully. Sully's closest friend and assistant, a round Cyclops-esque monster, Mike Wazowski (Crystal), helps him out with everything, but when a little girl accidentally stumbles into the monster world, Sully and Mike's friendship is tested to its breaking point. Now, the two friends have to deal with a secret conspiracy brewing within the company, all the while trying to bring the little girl back to her home without anyone noticing.
Lovely film. Even if you're beyond the 20-year mark (which I am, haha), you will surely enjoy this immensely. This isn't a cartoon made to add to another one on the market; this film is pure entertainment, comedy, and, at times, emotional. The possibility of having a second Monsters, Inc. is introduced in the final scene, as I think that it was left hanging. Not that I wouldn't mind to see Sully and Mike come back, but... oh for cripes' sake, just bring them back for another one! Lol.

"Kids these days. They just don't get scared like they used to."

Remember life as a little kid, when you feared the monsters living in your closet or under your bed? Remember your parents assuring you that monsters don't exist? Monsters, Inc. verifies what every child really knows - the things that go bump in the night are more genuine than adults truly realise. Brought to the big screen by Disney & Pixar, Monsters, Inc. - the fourth offspring of this marriage (following Toy Story, A Bug's Life and Toy Story 2) - is a triumph of animated cinema. Co-directed by Pete Docter, David Silverman and Lee Unkrich (with Pixar guru John Lasseter serving as executive producer), this lively and endearing slice of animation is everything we come to expect from a product of the Disney/Pixar axis - it has an enchanting, imaginative premise as well as sumptuous computer animation, brilliant gags for every age, and a mouth-watering voice cast. Yet, this motion picture is a fresh and unique beast. Instead of taking place in the real world, Monsters, Inc. introduces an entirely new universe in which the marvellously-rendered CGI characters can live and flourish.

Behold Monstropolis - a thriving city populated by monsters of all shapes and sizes. Instead of coal or nuclear power, Monstropolis' power supply is derived from the screams of children. This means the scariest (and bravest) denizens of the city are employed by Monsters, Inc. (the largest scream processing factory in Monstropolis) to venture through closet doorways and elicit screams by scaring children all over the globe (these screams are then converted into electricity). However - as children are becoming more sophisticated and consequently more difficult to frighten - severe power problems are affecting the city, with "rolling blackouts" predicted throughout this serious scream shortage. The responsibility of harnessing sufficient electricity falls on the broad shoulders of the leading scream producer - a big blue monster known as Sulley (Goodman), ably assisted by his wisecracking pal Mike (Crystal). It's business as usual for Sulley & Mike until a young, curious human child (Gibbs) boldly goes where no human has gone before...into a closet, and onward into the monster universe. In this world, however, it's the monsters who are afraid of the children (believing them to be toxic and deadly). Pandemonium ensues as Sulley & Mike work to return the child home, in the process uncovering a sinister plot to rid Monstropolis of its power issues...

"There's nothing more toxic or deadly than a human child. A single touch could kill you. Leave a door open, and one can walk right into this factory; right into the monster world."

Monsters, Inc. is an enchanting animated picture which plays on childhood fears in a totally delightful, nonthreatening fashion. Familiar Pixar themes of childhood worlds of imagination are revisited, and on top of this it's a joyful celebration of the power of make-believe. Monsters, Inc. succeeds on two levels - as fast-moving, energetic fun for children and as slyly written, visually impressive entertainment for adults. The plot, however, is probably a bit too straightforward, and - even at a brisk runtime of 90 minutes - it feels slightly padded out, not to mention sluggish from time to time. The second act also tends to bog, with the single-note joke growing pretty old fairly rapidly. This is a fairly predictable affair as well; its conclusion quite foreseeable from about 20 minutes in. With the exception of a few twists and turns, the film traverses through by-the-numbers territory. These complaints are quite minor, however, as Monsters, Inc. remains an enjoyable, imaginative adventure.

Granted, Monsters, Inc. does lack the complexity evident in Toy Story and A Bug's Life, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. What it lacks in depth it makes up in boundless creativity. Two forms of comedy are on offer - simple laughs for the kiddies, and more imaginative gags aimed at adults. Pixar movies are generally overflowing with such humour, thus parents can watch a Pixar masterwork with their kids, aware that they'll also get a laugh. The cinematic references and in-jokes present in this film are terrific. There's the little girl referred to as "Boo", the Monstropolis/Metropolis angle, and a clever allusion to The Right Stuff. Most audiences will snigger at the "Stalk/Don't Stalk" street sign and a tabloid newspaper called The Glob, but only adults will chuckle at a club named "Harryhausen's" (for those unaware, Ray Harryhausen is a renowned animation pioneer). Some of the humour is hit-and-miss, though, with the occasional gag falling flat. Adults may find the script a few jokes short of true classic status.

Advances in computer graphics since Pixar's first feature-length endeavour (1995's Toy Story, six years earlier) are frankly staggering, and these advancements are on glorious display here. Each new Pixar movie raises the bar a little higher, and in this case the artists have become capable of animating fur. The animators have pulled out all of the stops to make Sulley look realistic...and their objective is completed astonishingly. In terms of richness of design and background detail, the animation present in Monsters, Inc. is truly a triumph. Pixar have keen eyes for detail, ensuring everything on-screen looks completely authentic.

The animation of Mike is particularly interesting due to the fact that the animators had so little to work with. Instead of a full face, Mike is merely an eyeball. Luckily, this eyeball has an eyelid, and thus the artists were able to provide the character with every facial expression a monster would ever need. It's a tour de force!

Probably the most entertaining sequence in the entire movie is a climactic scramble through a labyrinth of closet doors - each one containing another world. It's a breathless action-comedy set-piece which moves along at breakneck speed (although it is drawn out a bit). Another of the film's greatest assets is Randy Newman's superb, zippy score which was nominated for an Oscar. The film's excellent closing song (performed by Goodman and Crystal) earned the film its only Academy Award (an Oscar well earned!).

Pixar creations are always greatly elevated by the remarkable vocal talent they continue to attract. With computer-animated films grossing hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office, big-time actors are far more eager to get involved in such a lucrative industry. In the case of Monsters, Inc., the cast is lead by the duo of the always-reliable John Goodman and the impeccable Billy Crystal. In an unprecedented break from tradition, Goodman and Crystal recorded their dialogue together (rather than separately). As well as voicing their respective characters, their screen personas are also drawn upon.
John Goodman is an ideal choice for Sulley. His deep voice suits the build of the character, and conveys a gentle-giant tone. Under Goodman's watch, Sulley becomes a big lovable teddy bear. Billy Crystal is his usual chaotic self as Sulley's one-eyed assistant Mike. Crystal steals the show and provides a large amount of the comedy.

The villain for the heroes to contend with is a reptilian creature named Randall, voiced by the terrific Steve Buscemi. As the diabolical villain, Buscemi is almost unrecognisable...and it's all the better for it. His usual quirky voice would never suit the character. The far more sinister voice he offers here, however, is a perfect fit. Jennifer Tilly is a great fit as the feisty love interest for Mike. The venerable James Coburn is suitably dignified as Mr. Waternoose; the owner of Monsters, Incorporated. Also in the cast is Mary Gibbs whose baby-talk makes Boo all the more adorable. In addition, Bob Peterson is hilarious as the tough-as-nails Dispatch Manager (Peterson's voice was apparently only temporary, but deemed such a success that it was kept in the final film), Franz Oz is very amusing as Randall's squirrelly accomplice (known as Fungus), and then there's John Ratzenberger (who stars in every Pixar film) who makes a side-splitting cameo as the Abominable Snowman.

The year 2001 saw the release of two greatly successful computer-animated features - Pixar's Monsters, Inc. and Dreamworks' Shrek. While the latter earned the Best Animated Feature Oscar and is by far the hipper of the two flicks, the former is still cheerful, creative, high-energy entertainment with a large supply of gags and a lot of heart. Judging by the box office results of Monsters, Inc. and Shrek, it seems the future of animation lies with computer-generated creations. Traditional animation may fast become extinct. As long as computer-animated films maintain this high level of quality, its ascendance to king of the animation realm can only be perceived as a positive thing. Monsters, Inc. reaffirms the fact that a good animated movie can be every bit as stimulating and satisfying as a live action endeavour. This is an easy recommendation.

"Just think about a few names for a second: Bigfoot. Loch Ness. The Abominable Snowman. They all have one thing in common, pal: Banishment! We could be next!"

7.6/10