Behind the Closet

Rating: 9/10 (12 November 2001)

Pixar and Disney's "Monsters, Inc." is great fun for all. It was a suprisingly good movie, with a interesting and often touching story by Jill Culton, director Peter Docter, and others. To their credit along with Peter Docter's direction, the story telling is coherent and entertaining throughout. John Goodman, Billy Crystal, and Steve Buscemi are just terrific in their voice roles. The cutting edge computer animation is awesome.
The idea that monsters scare children at night, to collect power for Monsters, Inc. to power the Monster city is novel. But kids are getting harder to scare, jaded. So times are tough for Monsters, Inc. Sometime is spent setting up and introducing Monster, Sulley (Goodman), and his bud, Mike (Crystal). Sulley is a star scarer and his rival is the nasty Randall (Buscemi). The movie really moves once Boo (a cute Mary Gibbs) enters Monsters, Inc. through her bedroom closet. Sulley and Mike must get Boo back home. The relationship between Sulley and Boo works. MI is sentimental, and has a cute message about courage and fear. It does all this in 90 minutes. Monsters, Inc. is an enjoyable package.