From the world of Monstropolis... (From Western Telegraph)

From the world of Monstropolis...

Monsters Inc. Directed by Peter Docter, David Silverman, Lee Unkrich Starring the vocal talents of Billy Crystal, John Goodman Steve Buscemi, James Coburn, Mary Gibbs. (Cert. U, Dur. 92 mins)

Well it's a fine state of affairs when someone mentions a movie and you can't remember whether you saw it or not but you can remember the merchandise. As the merchandise fact has grown and grown (Groan!) it seems that the merchandisers aren't even waiting for the release date to start selling things associated with the product (or the talent end of the business).So here is a much hyped, merchandised and previewed film for all the family.

'Monsters, inc.' is another computer-animated feature. It'll be hard to ignore, such is the media attention so you may as well go and see it. That being the case it's just as well that it's really very good.

I won't go on about the merits and flaws of modern computer animation over the days of the artist with brush in hand. This computer animation is at the cutting edge, and the results are amazing.

In 'Monsters, inc.' we have two central characters. Rather than in Pixar's other C.G. animation classic, Toy Story, which set the bench mark for C.G. animated features for all time, the two leading characters here are a chummy double act. Sulley, voiced by John Goodman, and Mike, voiced by Billy Crystal, are a loveable, slapstick, wisecracking pair.

They are, in case you haven't got wind of any advertising in the last week or so, monsters. They come from Monstropolis to scare small children, preying on their worst fears. They then collect the scream/scare energy and return to their own dimension through portals located just where you'd expect monsters to emerge from, under the bed and inside the cupboard. They then use the energy to power Monstropolis.

Sulley and Mike are very good at this but then an implausibly cute toddler gets caught on the wrong side of the cupboard door and drastic action is called for. The whole premise is clever but it is a lot younger than Toy Story and Dreamworks' Shrek, perhaps because the ideas of children's fears is a younger theme. But that's just finding fault needlessly with something that is just a whole monster load of fun.

It will be only fair, I think, if the first ever Oscar for 'Best Animated Feature' goes to Pixar-Disney's 'Monsters, inc.' Though 'Monsters, inc.' reached the top of the box office charts (just on it's preview screenings) thanks to its marketing appeal, rather than it's worth, I think it is slightly better than Shrek, it's nearest rival. It seems right that the home of cutting edge animation, since Mickey Mouse was tugboat captain, and John Lasseter's innovative Pixar company, which pioneered the new age, can share the glory of so much endeavour.