Hey folks, Harry here with some poor soul that met Quint... he didn't elaborate about the position of the Sea Man's pants at the time, but that's understandable, we all like to forget Quint's... how shall I put this... His libido hanging out there like a Golden Retreiver's tongue out the back of a pick up. But guess what his unsavory sailor tactics have bagged a SeaWorld viewer from San Diego with an impression or two of the brilliant MONSTERS INC! Supreme! Here ya go...
Mr. Harry,
MrCere here. After talking to Quint at San Diego Comic Con. he recommended that I send you stuff. My computer conection at Comic Con failed me, but now I have some stuff...
Last night I watched "Monsters Inc." in an auditorium full of parents and kids and some friends. At the conclusion of the moive I considered the glorious Fall/Winter movie season kicked off. I will be as spoiler free as possible.
"Monsters" is the story of two cool working class Monster bachelors & friends Scully and Mike. They live in an energy crisis monster world fed on the energy of child screams. Scully is one of the very best there is at generating screams but its obvious to us from the begining that he a nice fella doing his job. He walks to the factory (Monsters Inc) to help the monster community. He is a citizen that cares about others.
The conflict, hence the reason for this movie, comes when a child - called "Boo" by Scullly - escapes the back of her closet and ends up in the monster world via fantastic dimensional doorway that I wouldn't mind owning. I would set mine to some closet in the Playboy mansion, but I digress.
Scully and Mike have the problem of this little child and what to do with her complicated by their arch-scare rival who just might be even worse than we think and the Monstropolis's (why didn't they call this Monstrocity?) energy crisis and even the financial well-being of Monsters Inc (the power company) itself.
So the problems our blue-collar heros face escalate and the real fun begins! And make no mistake about it, this is FUN. This film has all the fantastic/sci-fi fun and adventure that all those horrible, horrible summer movies tried to have, wished they had and ultimate were so void of. I don't want to spoil the sence of surprise, and I will not, but the film goes all the places I didn't think it would. It explores the monter world and the inner workings of Monsters Inc. (the factory) and it is indeed a wild ride. It is also just plain cool. Cool enough, that I will not say any more.
The story itself is compeling and engaging, but the voice work by Billy Crystal (Mike) and especially John Goodman (Scully) are just pure fun without crossing over into the arena of being too silly or too one dimensional. There are belly laughs aplenty but along with them the plot develops and even accelerates. The laughs are sometimes slapstick and sometimes situational but almost always smart.
I didn't catch the writing credit, but to that person I send my most sincere praise. Well done.
All that being said, the real genious for me in this film is that, like the poets have proclaimed life, "God is in the details." The lush visuals on this flick, the corners and background monsters are where the real genious is. Every new monster that crosses our screen, including several that appear in minor roles for the duration, are a great mix of smart/funny/cool. They are gross and laughable, ridiculous and pitiable.
Mike's girlfriend for instance, appears to be a one-note background character, but every time they return to her she showcases a new visual and/or emotional side. The surprises are minor but fun. The sushi bar isn't populated with a bunch of slugs (although there are a few in the film, including one janitor) but each character, no matter how brief has its own little story or characteristic that I, as a viewer, loved. Mike and Scully's walk to work is a great few moments made up of lots of tiny instants that entertain and delight.
For me, that was the best part of the movie and the reason I will return to see it again and drag friends and family along.
If I were handing out Best Picture nominations, SO FAR, for this year, this film would definitely get to sit at the table with the heavyweights. Because Shrek was sooo popular and enjoyable this year the two movies will be compared. I love both, but if I had to pick one...for me its "Monsters Inc." I hate to say that 'cuse I am a Dreamworks man over Disney everytime, but with Pixar, there is real magic afoot here. Oh yea, and joy of joys, NO SONGS!
There is no doubt in my mind that his movie is going to do some giant box office numbers. I know nothing can really hurt the entity of Harry Potter, but this film will not leave a void in theaters. Potter will hafta push and shove teach and every film out of our multi-plexes. Kids, me, adults will flock to this film. Disney vs. WB. Very interesting.
I am 100% confident this film will be remembered fondly long after this movie year is over. I HOPE we can say that same for Potter and I really, really, really hope we can say the same about Lord Of The Rings.
Oh yea...and the Episode II trailer was BITCHIN, but the audience was so busy still applauding it for 20 seconds that I barely had time to hear that Darth Vader breathing noise.
Best,
MrCere
