Complete A-Z list


Monsters Inc 3D

8/10

Stars: Voices: John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Jennifer Tilly, Steve Buscemi, James Coburn, John Ratzenberger, Frank Oz, Bonnie Hunt, Gino Conforti, Wallace Shawn, Mary Gibbs

Director: Pete Docter

A masterstroke from the Disney studio. Of all the Disney/Pixar animations, this is probably the best suited to a 3D revamp, its already-3D-drawn creatures bouncing delightfully out of the screen, with Sulley and Mike ready to claim a whole new army of fans.

They're the leading characters in an array of lovable, gloopy, slightly dopy monsters, alternately scaly and fluffy, with a varied number of arms and legs, who form the heroes of this vivid and funny computer cartoon.

If it hasn't perhaps quite the pizzaz of A Bug's Life or the Toy Story series, and the animation seems sometimes more Muppetry than wizardry, there are still lots of jokes for those sharp enough to catch them, and a literally hissable villain in the lizard-like Randall (voiced by Buscemi). He's the chief rival to big, furry, hornèd Sulley (Goodman) in the business of scaring the screams out of children that provide the power source for Monstropolis.

Sulley and his assistant, one-eyed green globule Mike (Crystal), come a cropper when they accidentally let a human child, Boo (Gibbs), into the monsters' world, creating mass panic (don't ask) and, incidentally, revealing the sneaky Randall's dastardly extra-curricular activities.

Small children, to whom the movie will appeal most, will be relieved to see at the end that 'no monsters were harmed in the making of this picture'. Can Monsters Inc 2 be far behind? In 3D, of course.

David Quinlan

USA 2001. UK Distributor: Walt Disney. Colour by Monaco.
92 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: U.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 0.

Review date: 14 Jan 2013