Not one of Pixar's best, but as usual, it can entertain both kids and adults

Rating: 8/10 (16 June 2008)

I got to see a bit of this movie a few years ago in high school towards the ends of the last day before Christmas holidays. I remember that I did not enjoy it, but also clearly remember that I was in a tired state, which the seemed to happen to me after the school's Christmas assembly for some strange reason. Therefore, that says nothing about the quality of "Monsters, Inc." I've seen it thrice since then, and while it has never been one of my favourites from Pixar, and may have more appeal to kids than adults, I certainly can't go as far as saying it's STRICTLY for kids.
Monstropolis is a city where only monsters live. This city relies on a company called Monsters, Inc. for its power. This company's employees enter human children's rooms through the closets and scare them to make them scream, as their screams are what generate the power for Monstropolis! Two monsters who work for Monsters, Inc. are James P. "Sulley" Sullivan (a big, furry, blue creature), and Mike Wazowski (a green Cyclops monster with no torso), who are best friends. Currently, Sulley is in the #1 position for causing the most screams, but Randall, his chameleon-like rival, is determined to top him! One night, Sulley sees that a toddler girl has come in through one of the doors! Residents of Monstropolis are convinced that human children are poisonous, so Sulley and Mike are scared when they first see her, but she seems harmless, and Sulley grows to like her, giving her the name, "Boo." Still, they must try to get her back home before any other monster finds her!
There definitely is humour in this movie, but a lot of it is perhaps more amusing for the kids. I personally found a lot of it at least mildly amusing, but overall, I didn't find the movie as funny as I had hoped. We have plenty of the standard slapstick here, but it sometimes seems too simple and childish, and not as funny as I usually find that type of humour. Mike Wazowski is a comic character, with his bitterness and sarcasm, which helps. Claiming he and Sulley are rehearsing a scene for an upcoming company play when their co-workers catch them talking about Boo is a highlight. Overall, I think "Mike's New Car", an animated short featuring Mike and Sulley, is slightly funnier than their full-length movie, but for the most part, I guess the humour in "Monsters, Inc." is good enough. Maybe funnier for kids, but adults could definitely get their share of laughs as well.
Other than humour, this Pixar effort tells a very imaginative story. It may not be the most well written one to ever come from the computer animation company, but still one that obviously took talent and imagination to write. The adventure that the two main characters find themselves on eventually gets quite exciting. As usual with Pixar, the animation is no disappointment, you can basically expect the same kind of great animation and colours here. So, this is not one of Pixar's best, but it is still another job well done from the company. I'm sure "Monsters, Inc." has a lot for kids, which is good, since these animated family films are supposed to entertain them, but also has entertainment value for adults as well, even if it's not equal entertainment value for both audiences like it sometimes is.