I always knew there were monsters under my bed!

Rating: 9/10 (12 June 2002)

`Monsters, Inc." is the latest full length computer animated feature from Pixar and Disney, the team that practically launched the genre back in 1995 with "Toy Story." That film was inspired by one common childhood fantasy (that your toys come to life when your not looking), and this is inspired by another: that there really is a monster under the bed or in the closet. However the monsters in this movie are in fact just regular working Joes from "Monsters, Inc." the company that supplies power to their home world by capturing childrens screams. As soon as thats done they nip back home via the portal that exists behind every closet door in the world. The companys most successful child scarer is the huge blue and furry James P "Sully" Sullivan (voiced by the suitably robust but tender John Goodman), whose partner is the walking, talking, smart mouthed eyeball Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal). However their lives are thrown into chaos the Sully inadvertadly brings a small girl back with him.
This time round John Lassiter  Pixars head honcho, driving force and director of "Toy Story," "A Bugs Life" and "Toy Story 2"  has taken more of a back seat role, handing the directorial reins over to a duo who have both worked on Pixars other titles. However youd hardly notice; the film has the CGI sheen and spectacular action scenes weve come to expect, along with a plethora of visual gags & in jokes (including tips of the hat to Pixars previous movies), and a razor sharp script that will once again ensure the film appeals to adults as much as kids. DreamWorks may have taken Pixars place as Hollywoods preeminent CGI filmmakers for a while last year, but as good as "Shrek" was, "Monsters, Inc." is better!