Film Review: Monsters Incorporated

Not one of the better computer animated films it would appear...

Pixar, the people who brought us Toy Story and a Bugs Life are back with a new fable: Monster Incorporated. Many children fear the dark and monsters in the wardrobe, here the monsters are the loveable pair, the bearish ?Sully? and the one eyed Mike Mazowski (voiced by Billy Crystal and John Goodman).

The animation is breathtaking, with wonderful monsters abounding in a quirky monster world. Our heroes get into a major caper involving the pursuit of a human child that invades the monster world and a confrontation with the slimy Randall Boggs (Steve Buscemi).

This film is mainly for the kiddies, while other similar films throw in plenty of adult gags to keep the grown ups happy, here the wafer-thin plot and lack of characterisation will disappoint adults. Goodman and Crystal's talents are underused. As usual the outtakes at the end are funny, but haven't we seen this before? When computer animation appeared in Toy Story, many feared for the future of actors, on the basis of Monsters Inc. they needn't have worried. Strictly for kids.

Kevin Smith