Pixar Retrospective: "Monsters, Inc."
"Monsters, Inc." (2001)
Starring: John Goodman, Billy Crystal
Directed by: Pete Doctor
"Monsters, Inc." is arguably pixar's most creative movie to date. Whereas their prior features focused on looking at the world through a different perspective via existing things (ex: toys, bugs), and their later work did much of the same (ex: cars, robots, humans, a rat), this is the standalone film that totally imagines a world of things that don't exist. The simple idea of the monster in your closet is turned into a world where screams are needed for energy, and the monsters fear us just as much as we fear them.
Sully (Goodman) is the top scarer at Monsters, Inc., and is assisted by his longtime pal, Mike (Crystal). Fellow scarer Randall is trying to usurp the top rank from Sully, or so we think; he's actually building a machine to extract scares from kidnapped children, with the CEO of Monsters, Inc. completely aware. Sully accidentally falls into one of the kidnapping ventures, and befriends a little girl he names Boo. The movie follows Sully and Mike as they try to save Boo and thereby expose the nefarious plan underway at Monsters, Inc.
The amount of creativity displayed here is wonderful. The only criticism I have is that the world itself isn't completely fleshed out. I think that's because a lot of it is really based on our world. Whereas "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life," and "Cars" had to humanize the world around them, in terms of making mundane things have a function (cracker box-turned-caravan in "A Bug's Life"), here the world itself was almost a mirror of our world, but inhabited by monsters. They drive cars, go on dates, watch TV, and go to work, just like we do. I would have liked to see a bit more of the world itself, and any differences there may have been. Perhaps "Monsters University" will take us there in 2013.
Outside of that, the actual relationship of our world to theirs is wonderful. The fact that screams are used here to power their world was a smart idea, but the way it's turned around for the ending is even better. This is almost like the light version of what Moffat does in "Doctor Who." Taking commonplace sayings or things, and imaging them as something not only real, but fully fleshed out (ex: Moffat's weeping angel aliens in "Blink"). Many of us may have feared the monster under the bed, but as adults, we're pretty sure that's all false. "Monsters, Inc." presents a world where that could actually exist.
Pixar created an endearing character in Sully. You can feel the earnestness in him, and his quest to save Boo at all costs was the emotional core of the film. I loved the way the film ended, with Sully finally seeing Boo again, and the audience left remembering the joy on his face. Boo was also a wonderful character, if only because she was so darned cute. Mike was funny at times, but also a bit on the annoying side. Paired with Sully, he's tolerable, but if we had to watch him on his own, it'd probably be a bit tiresome.
I can't wait to see what pixar does when they revisit this world. I also hope future pixar films will have this almost entire outside-the-box story. I love the pixar films based on the real world, but for different reasons. Just remember, if you see a monster coming out of your closet.... laugh.
Starring: John Goodman, Billy Crystal
Directed by: Pete Doctor
"Monsters, Inc." is arguably pixar's most creative movie to date. Whereas their prior features focused on looking at the world through a different perspective via existing things (ex: toys, bugs), and their later work did much of the same (ex: cars, robots, humans, a rat), this is the standalone film that totally imagines a world of things that don't exist. The simple idea of the monster in your closet is turned into a world where screams are needed for energy, and the monsters fear us just as much as we fear them.
Sully (Goodman) is the top scarer at Monsters, Inc., and is assisted by his longtime pal, Mike (Crystal). Fellow scarer Randall is trying to usurp the top rank from Sully, or so we think; he's actually building a machine to extract scares from kidnapped children, with the CEO of Monsters, Inc. completely aware. Sully accidentally falls into one of the kidnapping ventures, and befriends a little girl he names Boo. The movie follows Sully and Mike as they try to save Boo and thereby expose the nefarious plan underway at Monsters, Inc.
The amount of creativity displayed here is wonderful. The only criticism I have is that the world itself isn't completely fleshed out. I think that's because a lot of it is really based on our world. Whereas "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life," and "Cars" had to humanize the world around them, in terms of making mundane things have a function (cracker box-turned-caravan in "A Bug's Life"), here the world itself was almost a mirror of our world, but inhabited by monsters. They drive cars, go on dates, watch TV, and go to work, just like we do. I would have liked to see a bit more of the world itself, and any differences there may have been. Perhaps "Monsters University" will take us there in 2013.
Outside of that, the actual relationship of our world to theirs is wonderful. The fact that screams are used here to power their world was a smart idea, but the way it's turned around for the ending is even better. This is almost like the light version of what Moffat does in "Doctor Who." Taking commonplace sayings or things, and imaging them as something not only real, but fully fleshed out (ex: Moffat's weeping angel aliens in "Blink"). Many of us may have feared the monster under the bed, but as adults, we're pretty sure that's all false. "Monsters, Inc." presents a world where that could actually exist.
Pixar created an endearing character in Sully. You can feel the earnestness in him, and his quest to save Boo at all costs was the emotional core of the film. I loved the way the film ended, with Sully finally seeing Boo again, and the audience left remembering the joy on his face. Boo was also a wonderful character, if only because she was so darned cute. Mike was funny at times, but also a bit on the annoying side. Paired with Sully, he's tolerable, but if we had to watch him on his own, it'd probably be a bit tiresome.
I can't wait to see what pixar does when they revisit this world. I also hope future pixar films will have this almost entire outside-the-box story. I love the pixar films based on the real world, but for different reasons. Just remember, if you see a monster coming out of your closet.... laugh.
posted by DarthDooku at
11:39 PM
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