Another Good-Natured Pixar Romp.

Rating: 9/10 (2 December 2001)

Pixar is among one of the best things to happen to the Disney Studios in years. From "A Bug's Life" to both "Toy Story" movies (and even their shorts, if you've had the chance to see them), their outings have been a lot of fun. "Monsters Inc." was no different.
The movie felt a bit "Nightmare Before Christmas" to me in that the ghoul's and monster's fright-making was simply just their "job" for them. When not scaring and causing frights, they led "regular" everyday lives outside of the haunts. Kind of a "behind the scenes" look at the monsters under the bed (or in the closet, in this case). It's a fun concept, and John Goodman and Billy Crystal pulled off the characters of Sulley and Mike very well.
While I still believe that the best CG animation I've seen this year was "Final Fantasy", the range of emotions for Mike, Sulley, Boo and the others display went much, much farther. Boo was a cute character. Funny, easily distracted, vulnerable... she represented the average child (about 2-3 I'm guessing) for her age. And again, while "Final Fantasy" was just jaw-dropping in terms of animation, "Monsters" had its own wonderful set of effects, lighting tricks and surprises to be found.
The humor in it was very funny. Everything from physical gags to self-reference and in-jokes, the film has something to offer on every level (the Yeti being my personal favorite "Don't worry, it's lemon!") It also had its fair share of action scenes that offered a fair share of "wows" and fast pacing. Unfortunately, the soundtrack didn't really stick in my mind, as I can't remember, much less whistle any of it after the film being over. But that is a rather moot point in a movie that was supposed to be mainly slapstick with a message about how children see their fears, and laughing produces more results than scaring. A nice little message for times like these.
But the one moment that got me the most about the entire film took place in the last two minutes: Sweet natured and simple, but not sappy with a huge musical score swelling in the background to force the viewer's emotions. I honestly don't think they could have ended this film any more perfectly.
An enjoyable film. Too bad I didn't see any "outtakes" at the end like Pixar's other efforts. Maybe there will be something for the DVD. A good watch for 2001.