Pixar's Funniest Film To Date.

Rating: Null/10 (7 October 2013)

A powerhouse of imagination, creativity, heart, humour & passion, Pixar Animation Studios' funniest film to date is such a fascinating blend of excellent direction, smart screenplay, heartfelt narration, perfectly-timed humour, colourful characters, gorgeous photography, dazzling animation, terrific voice-work & mesmerizing score that it not only ranks amongst the studio's best films but is one of the greatest works of its medium as well.
The story of Monsters Inc. is set in the parallel city of Monstropolis which is inhabited by monsters who travel into the human world to scare the children for their scream is what powers the whole city but they are also equally terrified of being contaminated by them for children are considered toxic. When a human child accidentally enters into their world, the titular company's top scarer & his best friend try to return her back to where she came from.
Directed by Pete Docter, Monsters Inc. is narrated with such fine elegance that within few minutes into the picture, we get a clear idea of why this world exists & how it works without it being spoonfed to us. Add to that, it's full of gags & hilarious moments that keeps it a rib- tickling experience from start to finish. And then, there is Pixar's very own trademark fusion of heartfelt storytelling with stunning animation that radiates an immense sense of warmth & admiration for what it's about.
As the film is an outlook on life from a monster's perspective, the story provides a massive canvas for the animators to create, design & render these characters in various shapes & sizes, and it is pretty evident on the screen what a remarkable job they've done. But where these talented minds at Pixar truly triumph is in assigning personalities to each one of them. Every monster here gets its own personality, their world is fully realized & despite the visual difference, it's effortlessly relatable.
Taking a leaflet out of almost every kid's nightmare & coming up with the idea of monsters' absolute necessity to scare children, it's amazing how Pixar keeps coming up with original concepts that feel incredibly familiar yet has an originality of its own. And the process of refining that concept into a heartwarming story that viewers of all ages can relate to & then pushing the boundaries of animation with relentless innovation is exactly what makes them the best animation studio on the planet.
The voice-cast is another gem for it comprises of John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Mary Gibbs, Steve Buscemi & others, and they all are perfect choices for their characters. The chemistry between Goodman & Crystal is no doubt impeccable but the real charm is provided by the character of Boo; a 2-year old human girl in the monsters' world. The story is light-hearted for the most part, filled with hilarious situations n set-ups but when it goes for the dramatic effect, it nails it so well that many are sure to leave misty eyed by it.
The 3D animation in itself was groundbreaking at its time of release but even after all these years, it looks damn impressive. Whether it's the realistic rendering of animated fur or the skillful use of lighting or that jaw-dropping "door vault" sequence, Monsters Inc raises the bar that was set by previous Pixar features and is visually enticing all the way through. Also worthy of mention are its ingenious use of camera angles, tight editing that provides a breezy flow to its narrative & Randy Newman's emotionally resonant score.
On an overall scale, Monsters Inc. is one of Pixar's most enjoyable, entertaining & satisfying works that takes its creativity in the storytelling department & innovation in its 3D animation to an all new realm. A masterpiece in every sense of the word, Pixar's fourth feature film & their first to be not directed by John Lasseter has been adored & cherished by viewers of all ages ever since it made its debut on the silver screen, and for the timeless classic this film is, it's gonna continue to do so for decades to come. Delightfully recommended.