Cute monsters, cute movie
Pixar could teach Disney a lesson
By Liz Blake
The Flat Hat
Disney could learn a great deal about creating quality children's movies from its partner company, Pixar Studios. Kids have left recent Disney attempts such as "Atlantis," "Hercules" and "Hunchback of Notre Dome" without the familiar "Disney magic" shining in their faces. Adults and 'big kids' have complained that "The Lion King" was the last good Disney movie.
Pixar has just released its fourth hit movie in a row, "Monsters, Inc." Directed by Peter Doctor, David Silverman and Lee Unkrich, this film approaches cinematic perfection. While at first the plot seems trite and potentially uninteresting (a company of monsters are employed to scare children worldwide to produce screams, the source of all energy in the monster world), it turns out to be fresh and original.
It may be common knowledge that small children are terrified of monsters, but it is not often considered that monsters might also be afraid of children. But in Monstropolis, they are. A child can be deadly, they believe, if it comes in contact with a monster. This new spin on the monster-in-the-closet myth is what gives "Monsters, Inc." the basis for its appeal.
The characters are lovable and endearing, which is the norm for Pixar films. Woody the Cowboy and Heimlich the Caterpillar are joined in the hearts of moviegoers by a whole cast of unforgettable creatures in this movie. James P. Sullivan, or Sulley, voiced by John Goodman, is comic, tender and affectionate. Mike Wazowski, voiced by Billy Crystal, brings the wise-guy, edgy, neurotic charm one would expect from him. The villain, Randall Boggs, is the slimy, creepy character normally associated with his voice provider, Steve Buscemi (the creepy guy in "Armageddon," "The Wedding Singer," "Fargo" ‹ you get the idea). Most remarkable in the cast, however, is Boo, a two-year-old girl who Sulley accidentally let into Monstropolis. Boo is voiced by Mary Gibbs, a real-live four-year-old.
Due to the sophistication of Pixar's animation, it is not surprising that Sulley's fur swishes with remarkable realism.
Boo's humanity is definitely noteworthy, however. One of Pixar's weaknesses in the past was creating lifelike humans. Toys and bugs always looked authentic, but "Toy Story's" Andy and his mom were almost as wooden in appearance as Woody himself. In "Monsters, Inc." the animators got it right.
Boo, to whom Sulley eventually gets attached, is vibrant and soft looking. She has the most personality of any character on the screen, and, in a brilliant directorial decision, she is. Her excited outcries, nonsensical songs and garbled narration elicit a universal "awwww" from the audience without making them want to gag.
Where Andy was stiff and had exaggerated facial expressions, the Pixar animators obviously did their homework on this film because Boo's face reflects every quiver, every mood, every unarticulated thought that characterizes the face of any toddler.
As is the case with any good kids' movie, this one appeals to any age group. It never resorts to "potty humor" or innuendo that the creators just assume will go over the kids' heads. Cheap jokes are not necessary in a script so ingenious. Older members of the audience will appreciate the vocal talent as well as the tight cohesiveness of the script and subtle comic touches such as Mike (who is essentially composed of one giant eye with legs and arms) having a single contact the size of a serving platter.
The movie contains some social commentary, but nothing that is so oppressive that it detracts from its light-heartedness. The Child Detection Agency takes over Sulley and Mike's company after Boo's presence is discovered and mirrors every incompetent government agency. There is also more than one reference to the decreasing innocence of modern children.
Monstro-polis, in fact, is in an energy crisis because children are harder to shock than in years before. This soapbox is handled tastefully and unobtrusively and the message is more appreciated than if the film had been blatantly didactic.
This is a movie that sets out to entertain anyone who comes to see it, and it achieves its mission with finesse and complete competence.
No doubt this will become a popular favorite in every VCR from nursery schools to college dorm rooms. Witty, vibrant and endearing, "Monsters, Inc." should be used as an example to any filmmaker who aspires to create animated movies ‹ and that includes Disney.
Monsters, inc. - **** 1/2*
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