Following in the footsteps of Buzz and Woody, Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan are two excellent characters that belong near the top of everyone's favorite Pixar duo list. From the instant that they first grace the screen with their presence, Mike and Sully are immediate icons. Our introduction to the dynamic duo is one of the film's best scenes and one of my personal favorites as well. The way Mike hilariously wakes Sulley up before leading him in an intensely funny workout regiment is Pixar perfection. Billy Crystal and John Goodman turn in career-best performances here, flawlessly blending comedy with drama. Crystal delivers each line with his trademark wit and energy while Goodman carries the emotional weight of the film on his shoulders while also having plenty of opportunities to shine with the comedy as well. Pixar films rise and fall with their characters, and Mike and Sulley are two of the studio's bests.
The rest of the character ensemble and cast is equally as superb. Mary Gibbs's Boo is perfectly characterized as Boo works her way into our hearts without ever formulating an entire coherent sentence. Steve Buscemi is a casting stroke of genius as he effortlessly brings Randall to life to create a worthwhile antagonist for Mike and Sulley. It is always a pleasure to watch Frank Oz work his magic, and as Fungus in Monsters Inc. with limited screentime, he is predictably incredible. James Coburn is an excellent Waternoose, impeccably balancing innocence and vileness with this complicated character (Side note: I was totally floored by Waternoose's twist during the first few times I watched this film. Given, I was six when it came out, but still.). Finally, one cannot discuss the characters of Monsters Inc. without mentioning Roz, brilliantly voiced by Bob Peterson. She is barely in the film, but you will undoubtedly finish watching it and immediately begin quoting Roz's lines. Pixar clearly had a blast creating these characters, and the results were extraordinary.
As we have come to expect from Pixar, the animation in Monsters Inc. is exquisite. The amount of detail that goes into every shot is remarkable. Creating a whole new world is no easy task, but Pixar accomplishes it swimmingly. Monstropolis is a visual treat as the film completely immerses us into this city that I instantly want to visit. The factory itself is also supremely creative, especially when the the scaring begins and we witness how these monsters travel into the human world. The climatic scene featuring our main characters jumping from door to door inside the factory is absolutely spellbinding. Plus, the character animation is breathtaking as well. Fifteen years later, I still am not sure how they were able to properly animate Sulley with all of his hair!
Pixar's unrivaled ability to create genuine, raw emotion in its films is on full display in Monsters Inc. I'll discuss this scene in more detail below, but the scene in which Sulley and Boo part ways gets me every time, and if you don't feel some sort of emotion after that scene, I question whether or not you have a heart or a soul. That emotional payoff works, though, because of the build-up to that moment with the characters and situations. Lead director Pete Docter crafted a tremendously entertaining film with Monsters Inc., further establishing Pixar as the superior animation studio in the business.
Rating: 10/10
Historical Significance: According to original storyboards, the film's characters were initially suppose to look quite different. In one early version, Sulley was not a scarer; in fact, his name wasn't even Sulley. His name was Johnson, a monster with brown fur who was a lowly worker in the factory. Additionally, Mike was Randall's assistant in this same version with the name of Ned. In yet another version, Sulley was named Barrymore and acted as Ned and Randall's assistant (an assistant to an assistant? I guess that's why they changed it.). In most early drafts of the story, George Sanderson, the monster constantly being bombarded by the CDA in the final version, was to be the main character. He was a monster that could not scare a child until one day when a young girl would teach him how to be scary. The George Sanderson seen in Monsters Inc. possesses the same fur and body type as was originally designed in these early drafts.
Behind the Scenes: Boo was originally intended to be an older girl, but Pixar decided to make her younger in order for her dependence on Sulley to make sense. They hired Mary Gibbs to voice Boo, and when they would bring her into the recording studio, she had a difficult time standing behind the microphone and delivering her lines due to her rather short attention span. To remedy this predicament, the filmmakers would allow Gibbs to roam the studio as she played with all of the toys and thoroughly enjoyed herself. As she did this, the filmmakers would follow her with a microphone to record whatever she said, and with that, they pieced together Boo's dialogue for the film. Furthermore, John Goodman and Billy Crystal often recorded their lines together instead of in separate rooms, which was a rare occurence for animation at this time. Steve Buscemi and Frank Oz would follow suit as well.
Favorite Character: It is truly a tough decision for which character to go with here between Mike and Sulley, but I am choosing Sulley because of his character arc. Mike is hilarious and a character for the ages (and he'll be my selection in a couple of weeks when I watch Monsters University), but Sulley is the heart and soul behind Monsters Inc. I have already mentioned how perfect this vocal cast is, and John Goodman is the unquestioned highlight from the ensemble. The animators obviously deserve a ton of credit for the way they brought Sulley to life in every scene, but without Goodman's performance, all of that artistry is rendered useless. Sulley is able to deliver great comedy while also providing the film's most emotional moment as well (more on that just below). The film starts with Sulley solely determined to break the scare record, and by the time the credits roll, his life has forever changed and he has saved the company. Sulley belongs firmly in the conversation for Pixar's best character.
Favorite Scene: Beginning with Toy Story 2, you will begin to see a theme developing with my favorite scene selections from Pixar films. More often than not, my favorite scenes will be the film's emotional moment, and Montsers Inc. is no exception. When Sulley is finally able to return Boo home, one of Pixar's most devastatingly beautiful scenes in its history. Once again, Goodman steals the show, especially when he simply states, "Kitty has to go." That line is enough to reduce me to ugly crying. Then, though, on top of that, Boo's subsequent moment when she leaves her bed, opens her closet in hopes of seeing her friend one last time and simply exclaims, "Kitty," causes me to lose it every time. Scenes like this are why Pixar is the best. Only they can make me genuinely care for a monster's relationship with a small child so much.Updated Ranking: Henceforth, it is going to impossible to rank these Pixar films. It is essentially the toughest task a fan of the studio will ever undertake because I love every single one of these films (except Cars 2, but we'll get to that one later).
- Toy Story
- Monsters Inc.
- Toy Story 2
- A Bug's Life
Tomorrow, we are introduced to another kind of monster: Experiment 626. Lilo & Stitch awaits!
-Cody Fleenor
No comments:
Post a Comment