Be not afraid, be not very afraid.

Rating: Null/10 (15 November 2001)

In Monsters, Incorporated, monsters make their living scaring kids through their bedroom closets. The reason? To power the City of the Monsters with their screams. (Point to ponder: why don't the monsters do their own screams? If they can roar, they can definitely scream.) One day, a human kid enters their world, turning the lives of every monster upside down. Particularly those of professional scarer James P. 'Sulley' Sullivan, the big blue furball, and his roommating buddy Mike Wazowski, the little green blue-collared eyeball and a devoted friend to Sulley.
Mike and Sulley race against time to return the human kid back to the human world, sandwiching that into the dramas they currently have in their respective lives at that time. Mike is trying to win the affections of snake-haired receptionist Celia while trying to avoid confrontations with mumbling slug monster Roz over a job-related assignment. Sulley is doing his best to keep his Top Scarer throne from being usurped by closest rival Randall, the slithering slimy chameleon type. Monsters, Inc. CEO Henry J. Waternoose the crab-legged rounds up this grotesque cast.
True to tradition, the Disney-Pixar duo never fails to deliver superb animation that stretches beyond our imaginations. They show it in their creativity of various monster species, in every possible shapes, sizes and positions eyes relative to their faces, and not to mention excellent casting of voiceover actors. Crystal accentuates Mike's brashness, with the occasional obnoxiousness that comes with being a loudmouth. Goodman shows an exceptionally kind and gentle side to Sulley, opposite to what the furball is known for at Monsters, Inc.. He is warm and loving, and dotes on the human kid (ugh!!). In one scene, he actually feels sorry for scaring her. Together, Mike and Sulley compliment each other perfectly in a clown-straightmonster antic that is reminiscent of Abbott and Costello. Celia could not be more beguiling as Tilly's voice. Buscemi's Randall is every bit as slimy and cold-blooded as his reptilian counterpart.
But, the film falls flat in its thin storyline and excessive slapsticks. Gone are the deep and serious emotional contents of previous Disney films, instead `Monsters, Inc.' focuses on comical antics almost to the exclusion of all else. While this approach keeps the under-12 fully entertained, it can leave the rest of the older-aged audience peeved at times. Mike and Sulley's attempts to return the human kid to Earth comes across like an extended version of a Mickey-Donald-Goofy situation comedy. Although that is not a bad idea, it does not make the story any more interesting than it already isn't. Mike is occasionally annoying when he breaks into comedy. Yes, he is supposed to be the funny monster opposite Sulley, and therefore gets most of the comedy routines. His problem is that not all of his routines delivered their punches. Case in point: Apartment scene of Mike's Â‘motivational' speech to Sulley when Sulley is doing morning exercises. But he is not alone. The frequent monster-infected-by-objects-belonging-to-human-kids gigs dehydrate with every repetition. John Ratzenberger's brief appearance as the abominable snowman provides a little relief, only a little .
`Monsters, Inc.' is not bad compared to most animated films of this year. It is at least more family friendly than the summer-released `Atlantis: The Lost Empire'. But Disney & Pixar's fourth animated film isn't so good next to its predecessors. It lacks the heartfelt storytelling of `Toy Story 2' and the wit and colorful characterization of `A Bug's Life'. It is enjoyable for a good laugh, but only if you are young enough at heart.
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