Somewhere in the back of every child’s closet, beyond the broken G.I. Joes or the Easy Bake Oven lies a door to another world. The door opens when parents everywhere are asleep, and out steps a monster- a big blue furry thing with claws and sharp teeth and a ferocious name like James P. Sullivan. James P. Sullivan? That’s right- James P. Sullivan, just one of the many hard-working monsters in Disney and Pixar’s new film Monsters Inc.
The newest creation from the masterminds behind Toy Story and A Bug’s Life introduces us to James P. Sullivan (voice by John Goodman) and his best friend, a one-eyed green monster Mike Wazowski (voice by Billy Crystal). Sulley and Mike both live together in Monstropolis and work together at Monsters Inc.
Monsters Inc. is the largest factory in Monstropolis and employs hundreds of scary creatures. The company is responsible for supplying the city with power, which comes from screams collected from little children. Hence the slogan, “We scare because we care.” Sulley, assisted by Mike is the No. 1 scream collector at the company, much to the disgust of a jealous co-worker Randall Boggs (voice by Steve Buscemi).
The most important rule at Monsters Inc. is to never let a child follow you back through the closet door. Children are deadly, and one touch from them can kill any monster. Everything is going good for the company, until one night when Sulley investigates a door and allows a little girl named Boo to follow him back through to the other side. Before he can put her back in her room, Randall appears and sends the door away.
Now Sulley is stuck with Boo, and it is up to him and Mike to find a way to send her back before she turns their lives and the city upside down. The only problem is that a 3-year-old girl might just be too much for a couple of monsters to handle. In the adventure that follows, Sulley and Mike learn a lot more about children than just what makes them screams.
The world of Monstropolis contains every minute detail that helps to make one believe in its actual existence.
The casting of Goodman and Crystal as the two main monsters may be the best duo that the two film companies have come up with lately. The roles the monsters play fit the personalities of the two actors and adds to the success of the film. Buscemi adds the perfect touch as the sly Randall and makes one wonder why he hasn’t voiced a character before.
For those of us who refuse to grow up or for those that still enjoy a laugh, Monsters Inc. proves that you are never too old to enjoy an animation film. The team that made their previous works a booming success go a step further with their newest film. The splendid animation done by Pixar, combined with the heart that goes into every Disney film, makes Monsters Inc. the best yet.
Monsters Inc. is an enjoyable film that stretches reality in a fun and comical way.
The film comes at the perfect time, when what the world needs most is a good laugh. The only downfall to the film is the short running time, making the trip to the loveable Monstropolis just too short for some of us who refuse to grow up.
