Emotive, Innovative, Captivating Pixar Magic

Rating: 10/10 (14 March 2017)

Tables turn as a charming young girl bursts through her own closet door and sends shivers through the monsters on the other side. Everything about this is wonderful, from the essentially Pixar concept to the warm, sentimental relationships at its core. Even the animation has held up quite well, which isn't always the case with these early CG efforts: humans still look a bit wonky, but most of the cast seems drawn straight from the pages of a Caldecott winner and that kind of bright, absurd character works beautifully. John Goodman and Billy Crystal carry most of the heavy-lifting as Mike and Sulley, blue collar creatures with an easy, free-flowing rapport, but three-year-old Mary Gibbs threatens to steal the scene every time she gets the chance with her adorable almost-words and penetrating good cheer. Exceedingly well-balanced, with the kind of imagination that keeps mouths gaping and so much heart, even the boogeyman might have to fight back a tear or two. One of my favorites of the entire Pixar catalog, it swings hard and connects on every level. Sweet, sad, silly and stupendous, a timeless classic that I was glad to share with my kids.