Monsters, Inc.
Directed by Peter Docter and David Silverman
By Noel Dix

It seems that Disney is stuck in a rut with their traditional form of animation. Churning out the same tiresome script and unimaginative cartoons for the past several years, they have one aspect to their company that is above and beyond anyone’s seen in the animation world: Pixar. The makers of the phenomenal Toy Story and A Bug’s Life have taken it up a notch and released the most stunning eye-candy you’ll ever see in Monsters, Inc. One would think that Pixar would be hard-pressed to top such amazing past works, but they’ve done just that with mind-boggling results. And not only has the company exceeded visually but they’ve thankfully not forgotten what makes their creations so beautiful, with a touching, exciting, and hilarious script.

Mike and Sully (the voices of Billy Crystal and John Goodman respectively) are two monsters employed by Monsters Inc. — a business that invades the children’s bedrooms and collects their screams to power their monster world with electricity. Life is perfect for the two friends until one day Sully allows a small child to return into his world, sending the city into a frenzy in fear that human children are "killing machines." With help from Mike, Sully tries to protect the monster world from the adorable little Boo, and he soon becomes a father figure to the tiny girl, leaving Sully to question his high-ranking position at the company and rethink the way monsters view humans. Monsters, Inc. works on every level and the story draws you in so effectively that you take the stunning animation for granted. The fact that you feel affection for the characters of Sully and Mike, even though they aren’t as pleasing to the eye as past Pixar characters, is an accomplishment in itself. And even a sure-fire sign of fondness in the character of Boo could have gone completely wrong. The fact that she doesn’t come across as a brat or annoyance to the film is a huge factor to the success of Monsters Inc. In fact, she is the complete opposite, mumbling and bumbling her way through scenes as you share Mike and Sully’s desire for her safety. Just try and attempt not to get a choked-up in some of the final scenes. Pixar already has a remarkable track record when it comes to creating films that both kids and adults love, and they’ve definitely nailed it with some of the most creative story-telling in animation today, saving Disney’s credibility in the process. Monster’s Inc. is not only the best-animated film of the year, but a front-runner for best film of 2001.

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