Susan Granger’s review of “MONSTERS, INC” (Disney/Pixar)
Why do monsters hide in children’s closets at night? If you buy into the Pixar magic, it’s because they need to capture tiny tots’ screams as energy to fuel Monstropolis, a mysterious world that exists just on the other side of the closet door. Problem is: today’s kids don’t scare as easily and that’s caused a power shortage. Monsters, Inc. is the an immense fright factory – “We Scare Because We Care” – run by crab-like Henry J. Waternoose (James Coburn). Top Scarer is huge, purple-spotted, bright-blue James “Sulley” Sullivan (John Goodman). Sulley’s best-friend is Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal), his lime-green, one-eyed assistant who’s crazy about the enchanting serpent-haired receptionist Celia (Jennifer Tilly). But they don’t realize that Randall Boggs (Steve Buscemi), a jealous chameleon, is diabolically determined to capture more screams than Sully – even if it means endangering Boo (Mary Gibbs), a toddler who innocently wanders through the closet portal into Monstropolis. Since monsters believe human children are toxic, a hazmat team from the Child Detection Agency (CDA) is quickly summoned to decontaminate, putting little Boo at terrible risk – a plot twist that was more amusing before the real anthrax scare. It culminates in a chase along a mile-long conveyor belt holding thousands of closet doors, as Sulley and Mike – with Randall in pursuit – desperately try to return Boo, unharmed, to her nursery. The Pixar computer animation is amazing, more than twice as complex as in “Toy Story 2,” and the vocals are superb: John Goodman radiates kindness while Steve Buscemi oozes evil and Billy Crystal tickles the funnybone. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Monsters, Inc.” is a clever, cuddly 9 – and adults will appreciate the pop references and imaginative in-jokes.
