Those monsters that lurked under our beds or in the cupboard at night when we were children weren`t figments of our imagination - they were real. They come from Monstropolis, and their task in life is to extract fuel from the screams they provoke from human children. Sully is the top scream producer in Monstropolis, to the chagrin of his closest rival, Randall Boggs. But when a human child accidentally finds her way into Monstropolis there`s an all-out emergency - the threat has to be dealt with. Monsters Inc. is the latest Pixar animated feature, and it`s very much in the tradition of such modern classics of animation as the Toy Story films and A Bug`s Life. The basic idea of a parallel universe in which monsters lead lives not unlike those of humans is a neat one, and there`s some typically inventive character delineation in the depiction of Sully, who has the voice of John Goodman and who`s really too nice to be the scary bear he`s supposed to be, his friend Mike Wazowski, Billy Crystal, or Mike`s girlfriend, Celia, Jennifer Tilly, whose snaky hair hisses and rattles when she`s upset. Best of all is the horrible Randall, who sounds a lot like Steve Buscemi. Monsters Inc. suffers a little in comparison with the delightful Shrek, everyone`s favourite animation film of this year, it isn`t quite as funny as that one, but it`s sure to delight children, and give them a mild scare or two, and adults should have a good time too. Oh, and don`t miss the short film that precedes it - the hilarious For The Birds, which is sheer delight.
Share
