VHS Videos: Monsters, Inc. Video

Average Rating:

Rating: - Great animated fun by the makers of Toy Story
A couple of days ago I was reading in a local paper a comentary about this movie, saying that it was good, just as good as Shrek (this year's animated hit) but not as good as Toy Story, the previous movie that Pixar (the same makers of Monsters, Inc.) put together. I disagree with this comment.

This movie is brilliant! The script is very funny, clever and innovative, turning around the ageless fear of monsters in kids into a fear of kids by monsters, who need kids' screams in order to power their society. Top ranking scarer, Sulley (voiced by John Goodman, a perfect voice for the big blue monster character, it has to be said) and one-eyed Mike Wazowski (played by Billy Crystal, much in the same style as Eddie Murphy turned around the donkey in Shrek to make it a very funny character) see their "monstrous" lives a little more than touched when Sulley makes a mistake and brings a little girl by accident into their monster world.

Complementing the script and the voices, the animation is AWESOME!!! The faces of the characters, the blinking of the eyes (even the red in the eyes, when Mike sprays antibacterial stuff on his face..,) the fur of Sulley (every hair moving just as if he were real). Plus the persecution scene, where they're escaping from evil Randall (a lizard-like evil monster that can become invisible, much like "Hollow Man") left me speechless: there's SO MUCH happening in it, and it's seamless -they enter one door and leave the craze of the persecution to find themselves in Paris or in a quiet beach; they leave out another one to fall back in the persecution through the maze of moving hanging doors...

In one word: excellent! Five stars to this incredible production by Disney. You will enjoy it, and it will certainly help them out of the little dissapointing financial hole in which they fell with Atlantis this summer.

Briefly, "Monsters" depicts a society of monsters that inhabits a world parallel to ours. Its theme is thus not unlike that of "Men in Black" or "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," which also imagine fantastic alternate realities that exist beyond the perception of most people. The monsters of "Monsters" routinely cross into "our" world in order to harvest the energy gained by the terrified screams of children. But the lives of our monstrous heroes are complicated when a human child crosses over into the monster realm.

The filmmakers do an excellent job of creating a complete monster society from this premise. The monster world is populated with some of the most visually imaginative characters in recent film history. My favorite (as well as my nephew's) is Waternoose, a multi-eyed crustaceanlike creature with an elegantly rolling gait. The voices to the monsters are perfectly cast: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, James Coburn, Steve Buscemi, and Jennifer Tilly have major roles.

There is a great action scene in the film that is as thrilling as anything in an "Indiana Jones" film, and some great satiric material which will particularly please adult audiences. The film as a whole has a bright, colorful, energetic look, and the filmmakers add in just the right amount of sentimental appeal. Although "Monsters" is partly about fear, the film ultimately celebrates the power of laughter, friendship, and courage. And don't worry, parents: our monster heroes are essentially friendly creatures who want to do the right thing for the little lost child, who becomes quite fond of them. This is a wonderfully entertaining film for viewers of all ages.

Disc 1 - A smile immediately came to my face when the widesceen version played as a default (you can select the fullscreen version from the menu). But the widescreen issue isn't as big a deal with PIXAR films since they restructure each frame of the film for a fullscreen presentation. I haven't read any cooberating info but this seems to be the case with Monsters, Inc. too. The only other options on this disc are a directors commentary (quite good, with minimal pauses) and an option to watch the film with an isolated sound effects track (very cool).

Disc 2 - After you've watched the movie it's time to delve into the worlds of PIXAR and Monsters, Inc. The disc is separated into the Monster World which is aimed at kids and the young at heart and the Human World which offers much more depth and insight into the creation of the film. The games offered in Monster World are fun and easy to learn. Slowly but surely, games offered on DVD are getting better every day. And lest I forget the Monster Handbook is a laugh riot! There is a terrific tour of the new PIXAR studios as well as fly-throughs of some key sets created for the film in The Human World section. This is also where you will see production art, deleted scenes, the original story treatment as well as a guide to the "in" jokes, original trailers, and much much more. It will take a truly dedicated fan (and most of your day) to sit through it all in one sitting.

All of PIXAR'S DVD releases have been stellar and Monster, Inc. pushes the bar even higher. By keeping the fun level high (keep an eye out for a wacky monkey) as well as separating the features into a fun and games section and a making-of section they have created a flawless DVD presentation and proved the old addage, "monsters lead such interesting lives."