Monsters, Inc. (Pete Docter, David Silverman and Lee Unkrich, 2001) Review

Pacific Rim....Monsters University....Pacific Rim....Monsters University *sigh* Why can't Disney be fair with their film release dates especially after what happened with Wreck-it Ralph. Ultimately I have picked Monsters University to watch because I have more chance of liking it than Pacific Rim (I will try to watch both but to guarantees) so with that in mind, let's take a look at what I think about the film that start it all...and by all I mean two films.

In a world filled with monsters, the main power for the city comes from Monsters Inc., a company run by Henry J. Waternoose (James Coburn), where monsters go into the human world in order to scare kids to use their screams as their power source. James P. "Sully" Sullivan (John Goodman) and Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) are a duo who currently hold the record for best scarers much to the dismay of rival Randall Boggs (Steve Buscemi). Kids have bcome harder to scare and as a result, there is an energy shortage but things get even worse when a child, who Sully names Boo (Mary Gibbs), enters the monster world and Sully and Mike are left to hide her and get her home.

I'll be blunt, this is my favourite Pixar film however this doesn't mean that it's the best one. For the good, this film is very creative. I love the design of the main characters like Waternoose and Randall and, while I have seen the whole 'monsters in an office environment' in things like Beetlejuice, it's still done in a way that feels fresh. I also feel that there is true chemistry between Sully and Boo that feels genuine and therefore is engaging as well as the relationship between Sully and Mike which may be due to Mike being my favourite Pixar character...yes a lot of my favourite Pixar stuff emerges from this film.

As much as I love it, there is one thing that prevents the film from reaching a 9. Even I'm not blind to how bland the villains are. Unless Monsters University brings a new light to this, the villains aren't very well developed with a surprise second villain who was really uncalled for BUT this is all made up for by a very energetic and creative third act that will stick with you for a while. The actors, primarily John Goodman and Billy Crystal, do pretty well too and I'm glad Goodman and Crystal did their voices together in the same booth as it adds to the chemsitry in the same way The Road to El Dorado did, making for one the films highlights.

Monsters Inc. is still my favourite Pixar film due to the creative designs of characters, the third act is a ton of fun, the main characters are very likable, the ending is one of Pixar's strongest however the villains are pretty bland. So only one things prevents this from being a 9 but the rest is great and I will gladly rewatch this many times again. I also cannot wait to see Monsters University in order to see more of my favourite Pixar characters.

Verdict:
8.5/10
A fun and creative film that JUST falls short of a 9 due to the bland villains but that's my only complaint!