We Scare, Because We Care

Rating: 9/10 (29 July 2015)

The world of Monster's Inc. is not unlike our own, but it is scattered with little detailed twists that a monster city would - deodorants that come in an assortment of gross flavours, side- walk grills that become a hazard for unsuspecting slimes, the various shaped body suits of the CDF, even adjusted idioms ("first time I laid eye on you") ...It's all very convincing and lends credence to the very original and creative premise of Pixar's fourth. The animation holds up well and also helps with the world building; whether it's the 2.3 million individual hairs of Sulley that bounce and bristle with life, or the very complicated sequence of thousands of moving doors that must have been a nightmare to storyboard and coordinate.
But it's the characters that really bring Monster's Inc. to life. Monster's University, the sequel more than a decade later, wound back time and placed original characters in a rather by- the-numbers college movie, with the usual jocks and geeks that arise in that genre. In MI, they are less one dimensional and more complex; and the voice acting is equally great. John Goodman brings a jovial and good natured Sulley to the screen, so convincing that its surprisingly scary when he finally bares his teeth and roar, the audience reacting as effectively as Boo does ("I'm off duty"). Billy Crsytal voices Mike, the wise cracking joker and best friend, delivering both juvenile and adult humour, while Steve Buscemi is Randall, the slimy rival scarer that has darker intentions. James Coburn is Waternoose, the well rounded boss who thinks first and foremost for his family's company, but also expresses regret at banishing his favourite scarer. The scene stealer is Boo, played by a infant Mary Gibbs, so young that they had to follow her around the studio and record sound bites which make up her gibberish speech. She's animated with such care and precision - there's a wonderful irony in the way she pops up in Monstropolis and says boo adorably, only to have every scary monster in sight run for their lives.
Her and Sulley's relationship make up much of the emotional core of Monster's Inc. and it progresses with remarkable realism and pacing. Goodman exposes the very confines of Sulley's heart, looking beneath the agile and powerful frame that the animation presents. It's a very touching and sometimes funny relationship that develops gradually and begins to even intrude into the long lasting bond that he has with Mike. There's such a poignancy to the way Goodman delivers the line "Did you see the way she looked at me?" that conjures up a wealth of subtext about the overall premise of the film, their careers, the ethics of scaring innocent children the growing fatherly role he has adopted for Boo...it's neatly tied up in the ending when they switch to comedy instead of horror (which gives Mike a new-found responsibility and role) and also is much kinder and fun for the kids. The little bits of laughter from Boo and their effects throughout the film foreshadow this nicely.
Randy Newman's score is also an important element. The jazzy big band influence is apparent from the opening credits sequence, and also excels in the stand out track The Scare Floor, played in the very first reveal of the elite Scarers making their way into the room and preparing for another day of screaming. The percussion beats build steadily and prepares the audience, while the jazz section swings with a wonderful rhythm that goes well with the hard work and chaos of the scare floor. The award winning is If I Didn't Have You is saccharine and pleasant, if not a little similar to Toy Story's You've Got a Friend In Me, but Goodman and Crystal play off each other well.
Monster's Inc. delivers laughs and emotionally rich moments for both children and adults and is another demonstration of Pixar's ability to seamlessly combine the two in a creative and original premise.