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davidahallnum5
Nov 17, 202310 min read

Monsters Inc. 3D Blu-ray Review

MOVIE REVIEW

Monsters Inc. is a 2001 animated comedy by none other than the (at the time) leading animation studio: Pixar. This film centers around a world parallel to ours that's populated entirely by monsters. In this world, electricity isn't powered by electrical power plants, but instead through scream energy from children in the human world. That's where Monsters Inc. comes in. This company takes the biggest, baddest scarers around and sends them through doors that resemble closet doors in kids' bedrooms where they will go in, scare the child, collect the scream energy, and get out of there before the kids can rat them out. And the biggest, scariest monster around is a blue bear-like creature named James P. Sullivan, who's accompanied by his wisecracking assistant Mike Wazowski. Things seem to be going smoothly for them at first, despite the company holding onto business by a thread as children are becoming harder to scare. But that all changes when one night, James goes to investigate a suspicious door on the empty scare floor and accidentally lets loose a human child into the monster world. Soon, the city erupts in chaos and Mike and Sully do everything they can to lay low while taking the child back where she belongs. But add in a conspiracy, a few heavily suspecting individuals, and the fact the child (whom James calls Boo) tends to sneak out of James and Mike's grasp quite often, it soon becomes clear setting things back to normal is easier said then done.

I told myself I wouldn't make my next 3D review one of an animated film, but here we are. And fortunately, it's not only a great animated film, but also one of my personal favorites. I honestly have no idea how Pixar managed things back in its early days, but it somehow brought us some absolute gems in the realm of children's films, state-of-the-art animation, and ingenious storytelling. The first three Toy Story movies were brilliant, Finding Nemo is a classic, and even A Bug's Life still holds up pretty darn well. And Monsters Inc. falls swimmingly into that catalogue. This is a clever take on the monsters-coming-out-of-your-closet fear that kids know all too well and build on it in a creative and immersive way. They not only ask why monsters scare little children, but also if there's something deeper going on that we don't realize. And it also asks if by chance, children in some way scare monsters. These are all some great ideas and they're all fleshed out extensively and expertly. But what makes the idea extra unique is how they aim to make the monster world ever so closely resemble our own, with just a few elements that seem a little out of whack. This marrying of (at the time of this movie's release) modern-day society and industries we're all too familiar with with the concept of monsters using those industries to scare children gives the movie ample to work with. It allows the writers to create some real wacky ideas but simultaneously keep them grounded enough so we can relate and at times, even feel part of this monstrous society, and it also allows the film to take a few jabs at businesses from the human world. The world-building is impeccable with so much detail it requires you to take at least several viewings. Every time I see it, I find something that I either hadn't noticed before or slipped right from my mind the first few times I saw it. And it's all aided by animation that, while might seem a little dated today, was groundbreaking back in the day and to a degree still holds up. The designs, however, are timeless and will always get across the proper amount of emotion and expression no matter what time period they're used in.

But it's not just the ideas that carry this film forward. The plot is clever and executed with perfect pacing. And it's supported with some very likable, if not iconic, characters. James and Mike make an excellent comedic duo where they both get along fine and offer the audience plenty of their own charm. But their differences in personalities and motivations lead to some conflicts that sometimes make for some good comedy and other times lead to some genuinely poignant moments. And the supporting cast is all great too. Nowadays, when I see a film with James Buscemi, I think of him as Randall Boggs, not James Buscemi. I can still see a movie with Billy Crystal and think of him as Billy Crystal. But a lot like Tom Hanks in Toy Story, when he's in the film, he's not Billy Crystal anymore. He's Mike Wazowski. Everyone is likable with some great voice talents and fully developed personalities. This is type of movie where you leave feeling you know the characters so well, you can envision how they react in situations from the real world. That, my friend, is the mark of a film with fantastic rewatch value.

In between the comedy and quickly moving plot, Monsters Inc. is clearly a fun romp. But it also has some surprising heart to it too. Mike and Sully's friendship certainly plays a big part in it. But it also manages to make something pretty meaningful out of Sully and Boo, despite the goal of the story being for Sully to put her back in the human world as soon as possible. The relationship between the two of them starts out as Boo being a problem that needs to be dealt with, but it develops into something almost parental as the story progresses. And it builds to an ending that while I won't spoil here still justly remains as a truly resonant and poignant emotional moment.

What more is there is say about Monsters Inc.? It's just a darn good film. It's very imaginative with a full fleshed out world you can get lost in, it has enjoyable characters, it's very funny, it's infinitely quotable, it moves fast, and it's even a tad heartfelt. This is a prime example in how to make the ultimate family movie. Kids will certainly dig the film's colorful style and maybe come out not being so afraid of those things that go bump in the night. But the adults will also appreciate the brilliant writing, creative visuals, and even its subtle commentary and jokes about industries and the modern-day workplace. I enjoyed it as a child and I enjoy it just as much now. Monsters Inc. certainly holds itself as one of Pixar's best films and it's one I know I will be revisiting often.


OVERALL FILM RATING: 4.5/5


3D REVIEW

Back in my review of the 3D conversion of 1994's The Lion King, I talked about how the success of that film in 3D at the box office led to several other conversions of Disney films, with Monsters Inc. 3D being one of my favorites the bunch. I will admit, it had been quite a hot minute since I've seen Monsters Inc. in 3D when I made that statement. But upon rewatch, my statement still stands. Yep, you probably wouldn't think of it from a film that mostly takes place in a factory. But the conversion here ends up offering not only some top-notch in-screen depth, but also some of the most unique uses of 3D I've seen in a long time. In fact, if I came in not knowing any better, I'd probably say the film was created with 3D in mind. The results are that good.

The 3D tone gets set real quick by, from all places, the 2D animated opening credits sequence. Yes, the doors themselves stand out as quite flat. But when they open, they open out into the room. And when there's a whole group of doors, they all stand in their own 3D space, making for a mesmerizing view. We also get some pretty interesting shots of monsters coming out of doors, including a hand holding a piece of chalk, a snake that exits one door and enters another, and a bird-like creature with it's tongue sticking out. One of my favorite shots in this sequence, though, occurs early on when a door first opens, revealing a closet inside in full 3D space. It then closes, but opens again and before you know it, we're staring into a roaring monster's mouth with several circles in it indicating the shape of the monster's throat that go deeper and deeper in the smaller the circles get. It's the small details like that let you know just how different Monsters Inc. is about to hit you in 3D than it does in the 2D version.

When we finally do hit the monster world and everything turns to CGI, the depth on-screen is superb, about on par with Zootopia which I reviewed just a little while ago. While true, many of the scenes do take place in a factory, it's still a pretty big factory. And when we do get an outside view, it's all the more deep. There are some shots that look over the factory or the city of Monstropolis that really give you a sense of scale for how big the world of this movie is. One of my favorite examples of this occurred during a scene where Mike and Sully are running through an alleyway away from a building right before it gets trapped in a green force field (it was originally meant to be an explosion, but that got cut out due a certain event that occurred the same year of this movie's release). There are even a few good window shots that do the same, albeit to a lesser degree. Inside, things are still on the more immersive side of things. The scare floor looks bigger than ever in 3D, with a humungous row of doors that serve as a great treat, there are some nice, occasionally claustrophobic hallways shots, and the film's climax takes us to an enormous storage room where all the doors stay until they're called into the scare floor, complete with rails, rows of doors, and a few top-down views that those with a fear of heights might get a little antsy with. One of the latter shots involves a door falling from a great height before it bursts into pieces. But one of favorite things the 3D brings to the table regarding the factory is with the doors. When they opened while activated, you are looking into a child's bedroom. But the door itself is standing by itself in a spacious room instead of connected to a wall. Once again, this is something that takes on a whole new layer of visual flair when placed in the third dimension.

Unlike Zootopia, another fact that adds to the film's 3D greatness is how the characters themselves are present in three-dimensional space. While I wouldn't say the designs here are quite as 3D worthy as what I saw in Elemental just earlier this year, the monsters all still look very unique and they're designs translate to 3D with some impressive results. Sully is one of the biggest examples of this, with all of his hairs in their own 3D space. Kristy Puchko from Cinemablend stated in the conclusion of her To 3D or Not review of the film: "I was lost in the fields of Sully's fur." Same her Kristy, same here. But it's not just Sully that pops in 3D. Mike with his circular shaped head also looks an extra dimension more round whenever he's on screen. Randall is a menacing long reptile, but his ability to turn invisible makes for some fun scenes whenever a portion of himself remains visible in midair such as his eyeballs, or when he changes his skin color to fit with the environment. It's one thing to simply watch these characters, but it's another thing to feel as if they're right in front of you.

As for pop outs, Monsters Inc. isn't exactly a flashy, in-your-face, type of 3D movie. Of course, it'd be silly to expect such a thing anyway from a film that wasn't filmed with 3D in mind (except Kung Fu Panda, but that's about it). That being said, the stuff that does come out of the screen is quite notable. For the most part, this aspect of the 3D conversion is quite subtle, oftentimes utilizing characters who happen to be in the foreground. In any other movie, this wouldn't be anything worth talking about. But once again, these guys are monsters. So to see them come into our world every once in a while is a bit of a treat. And a couple of these moments do actually utilize the creature's presence for a story-related purpose, such as when Randall sticks his head out on a couple of occasions to intimidate others, and the audience. Besides that, there are also a few slightly gimmicky moments that amuse plentifully. One involves a shot of someone sneezing fire, one shots has a soccer ball heading directly for your face (though it's kind of a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment), and one includes a mask hooked up to a disturbing machine heading directly towards you. Elsewhere, there's also some good shots of snow falling towards the ground in the human world.

Monsters Inc. is one of the best 3D conversions I've ever seen, possibly up in the top 5. Not only does the conversion team spare no expense in how much depth they add to the picture, but this is a film with a surprising amount of 3D-worthy shots that often don't really register that way when watching in 2D. On top of that, the environment this movie lives in practically begs for 3D with all it's surreal creatures and enormous settings. A lot like how the specialized doors allow the monsters to come into our world, the 3D presentation allows us to come into theirs. And man, the monster world something to behold. A bit like Meet the Robinsons, this is a movie where I'd typically give out a "great" rating because the film itself can be just as easily enjoyed in 2D, unlike something like Avatar or Gravity where 3D is practically required. But the 3D adds only so much to the film that it deserves all the recognition it can get. In case I haven't made it clear, go out and purchase Monsters Inc. in 3D. This is a must-buy for 3D enthusiasts, families, and fans of Monsters Inc. alike.


3D RATING: EXCELLENT


OTHER SOURCES THAT REVIEW THIS MOVIE'S 3D:




FINAL THOUGHTS


Pixar movies have always been known for succeeding excellently on many different levels: animation, characters, storytelling, heart, humor, creativity, and most importantly, holding up on more than one viewing. And Monsters Inc. is no different. In fact, it's probably one of the best examples there is of these types of films. While sure, I can see some people not digging it for its style or set-up, there's no denying the film knows what its doing and it's doing it well. The result, a piece of cinema that will delight both young and old audiences alike, and for pretty much the same reasons. True, Pixar has gone on to do better movie such as Wall-E and Up. But on it's own, it's still one a bona-fide classic. And considering the time and circumstances that movie was birthed from, it almost seems miraculous how well it works and holds up. If you haven't seen it yet, it's well worth checking out, especially if you have kids. And while doing it, the 3D Blu-ray is the way to go. Just like the film itself, this conversion does a superb job of immersing you in the world of these fun, imaginative characters, and their larger-than-life factory. It also features so many unique-in-concept and uniquely composed 3D shots that put simply, make this film destined for 3D. If you're a 3D enthusiast, pick this film up as soon as possible. And if you're one who only likes to dish out on 3D movies if you know they're worth your time, then trust me, this is certainly worth your time.


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