Even my 7-year old fell asleep!

Rating: Null/10 (11 March 2002)

Monsters, Inc is OK for the effects but the story is not at all engaging.
It seems to be a series of interlocking sketches but doesn't really have much to say as a whole. I think Pixar tried to do something different from the usual film plot conventions - a kind of big-city, Woody Allen rhythm to the story - but unfortunately it comes across as no plot at all.
The creators seemed to lose interest in the story they were telling themselves occasionally and start off in different directions, relying on stereotypes (or the reversal of - e.g the short fast-talking one is stupid, the large slow-talking one is quick on the uptake) for jokes.
The "old bag at the front desk" character and the dumb blonde type girl monster is sexist, insulting rubbish - and as for Boo - anyone who has children, or indeed is a child, will know that this is nothing like the reality of being a child.
The whole thing seemed pointless - even my seven year old lost interest and fell asleep.
The atmosphere may possibly have more resonance if you live in New York, but to us it meant nothing. Toy Story 2 was far more universal, and Shrek, with the main character who was perfectly happy living in a swamp on his own, and the rat-eating princess, blows it out of the water in terms of originality.