Pixar's Expanding Vision

Rating: 10/10 (1 February 2002)

Every bit the equal of the `Toy Story' films but with larger vision, Pixar continues to explore the universal endearments of childhood; rather than have toys come to life, this time it's about the monsters that come out of the closet at night. Pixar's focus is not about scaring children but about the act of scaring children: it's a job to the main characters, portrayed as working-class stiffs trying to meet their quotas at an energy supply corporation that uses the kids' screams to produce power. It's a brilliant concept, naturally, but Pixar takes it further by creating a fully realized metropolis that exists as a sort of cross between the New York of the forties and the big city in any Marvel Comic, inhabited with pleasingly shaped creatures that complement the ambience and sleek lines of the settings. As in the `Toy Story' series there's as much for grownups as for children and repeated viewings seem almost mandatory (an inviting prospect); but this time around, there's a healthy skepticism towards corporations that's clearly adult. Another winner from Pixar/Disney.