If you're old and single, and you have to borrow a kid, GO AND SEE IT

Rating: Null/10 (6 February 2002)

Pixar has come up with another winner, as with most animation it relies on all the pieces coming together to make it work, if the animation is great but the story is lousy, it's just a well animated lousy film, but this is one where everything works perfectly. The animation is what you'd expect from Pixar ie damned good the story is fabulous the characters are lovable and watchable and the voices give the characters personality
On a par with Toy Story, Monsters Inc is a company that generates power by making kids scream ('we scare because we care'). The scarers are just run of the mill Joes who clock on and off during their shift, and aim for the exalted title of scarer of the month. Sully is the king of the screams, a big bluey green bear like monster who wins scarer of the month time after time. His friend and sidekick is Mikey, an eye on legs basically, who is the comic sidekick to the rather more serious Sully. Mike and Sully work on the factory floor as a team, Mike controls a conveyor which brings the doors which allow Sully access to the kids via their closets. When Sully goes in, does his act to make the children scream, Mike collects the energy, which is used to power the City the Monsters live in. The monsters work under the myth that if a child touches them they die, which gives some comic touches. One monster who comes out of a bedroom with a sock attached to his back is 'decontaminated' by the Monster Inc equivalent of SWAT. Things get more complicated when a door is left on the factory floor one evening and when Sully goes through it to check who's scaring in it, he accidentally brings back a human infant with him into the monster world. This causes all sorts of mayhem as the monsters search
for the little girl, and Sully tries to keep her from harm as he gets to like her more the longer she's around. You really have to see it to understand the story but it well worth it. As with the latest trend, especially from Pixar there are a few in jokes, the main one being Mike taking his girlfriend to the poshest restaurant in town which is called Harryhausen's, with his girlfriend bearing more than a close resemblance to one of Harryhausen's best known figures Medusa, from Jason and the Argonauts. Again a trait of Pixar's is the out takes at the end so make sure you don't leave before the credits finish. A great family film from Pixar, who seem to be the next generation Disney and as long as they keep this standard up, they'll certainly be up there with them.