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Is it fair to
say that the geniuses behind the world of
Pixar Animation are just that… geniuses?
Have they not given audiences some of the
finest animated films… ever? Is it
truly possible that they can do no wrong?
Are we thrilled that Pixar is now pretty
much in control of Disney? The same word
applies to all of these questions. YES!
Since its inception, Pixar has been consistently
challenging every other animation studio
to try and deliver a superior product into
theaters. To date, none have even come close.
Granted there have some decent and entertaining
animated films hitting movie theaters and
store shelves, but not a one has even come
close to matching the sheer beauty and emotional
depth of “Toy Story.” I’m
sure they’ll keep on trying though,
but I sincerely doubt anyone will ever catch
up.
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In 2001, Pixar answered the question on every
child’s lips, “Are there really monsters
in my closet?” by dreaming up a place where
monsters depend on the screams of children to
create the power to run their world, much like
we use electricity. Of course, anywhere you have
a ‘civilized’ world, even one made
up of monsters, you have to have corporations
in place to deliver the goods. That’s where
the heroes of “Monsters, Inc” come
in to play. Meet John P. Sullivan (John Goodman),
one of Monsters, Inc’s greatest scare masters.
Five days a week, nine to five, Sully goes through
the factory’s selection of doors and enters
the bedroom of an unsuspecting child. He gets
the scream, collects the power, and steps back
into his own world where his wingman Mike Wazowski
(Billy Crystal) meets, greets and readies him
for the next door.
The denizens of this world know little of the
humans they scare, and they all are led to believe
that if a child were ever to come through with
them, the toxicity of said child would be enough
to destroy a city. Of course a little girl named
Boo does make it through and in an effort to save
their jobs, Sully and Mike jump through hoops
to keep her from being discovered. And being that
we have a corporation involved, even in the world
of monsters, its leaders are evil and corrupt.
(Aren’t all corporate leaders evil?)
I’m sure there is little else you need
to know about “Monsters, Inc.” If
you haven’t already seen it by now, shame
on you. And if you already have the DVD in your
collection, give it away as a gift and run right
out to buy the new Bluray edition. I’m not
kidding. The advent of Bluray has been a step
in the right direction for most films, but where
you really, really get your money’s worth
is with a Pixar film. Since their animated features
are created in the computer and every image is
high definition to begin with, you simply cannot
believe your eyes when you put in the disc. I
still remember buying my big screen TV several
years back, right about the time “Finding
Nemo” came out on DVD. I popped in that
disc and thought I was in heaven. There was no
way you could possibly find a better picture.
That was so wrong. Now that I have a Bluray player,
I watched “Monsters, Inc” again and
felt like I was watching it for the first time.
The details in the picture are absolutely unbelievable.
Every little texture was so crystal clear, even
down to the hairs on Sully. The way they flowed
and moved was so real, yet unreal at the same
time. You really have to see it to believe it.
The audio was the same way. Again, you could
hear the separation with a clarity that blows
the mind. Even with just a decent home theater
set up, you have never felt so much of an immersive
experience as you will with any Pixar film on
Bluray.
I mentioned you could give away your old DVD
copy of “Monsters, Inc” and I’m
sure you’ll ask, “But what about the
kid’s room? They don’t have a Bluray
player, how will they watch it in there?”
Well, I’ll tell you. This new release is
a massive 4-disc edition. Along with the Bluray
version of the film, Disney wisely continued a
recent trend by including a DVD copy as well.
So why keep the old version, unless you simply
want to keep it as a collectible.
Also included with these additional discs are
a plethora of special features, a few of which
are taken from the original DVD release. But there
are also some fine new additions to whet any Pixar
freak’s appetite. The newest and best includes
a look at the Monstropolis ride in Tokyo Disneyland
and a lengthy roundtable discussion between director
Peter Docter, co-director Lee Unkrich, producer
Darla K. Anderson and story supervisor Bob Peterson
- who oddly enough was also the voice of Roz.
The group discusses in detail what it took to
bring the film to life, including all of the challenges
down to the fact that it was set to be released
just a few days after the attack on the World
Trade Center. It is a fascinating discussion,
and while it may not appeal to younger kids, interested
adults will love it.
Along with these cool features are “For
the Birds” (the original short that played
with it in theaters) and “Mike’s New
Car” (which was featured on the original
DVD release). Plus you’ll find a game section
for the kids that claim to have 100 games –
one behind each door, a tour of Pixar, several
older behind the scenes features, and some deleted
scenes.
There are those I have spoken to who didn’t
like “Monsters, Inc”, claiming it’s
their least favorite of Pixar’s canon. I
honestly cannot fathom this line of thinking as
I truly believe every Pixar film has knocked it
out of the park with its quality, excellent storytelling,
emotional grabs, laughs, and on and on. Pixar
stands for animation at its finest. “Monsters,
Inc” is a visual delight and every line
of dialogue is expertly delivered by its terrific
cast. My suggestion if you didn’t like it?
Try it again… and open your mind…
Starring (the voices of): Billy Crystal, John
Goodman, Steve Buscemi, James Coburn, Jennifer
Tilly, John Ratzenberger
Extras: Monsters Inc Ride and Go Seek; Filmmakers
Roundtable; Audio Commentary; “For the Birds”
Short; “Mike’s New Car” Short;
Roz’s 100 Door Challenge Game; Pixar Fun
Factory Tour; Banished Concepts; Digital Copy
Specifications: Bluray - 1080p High Definition
(1.85:1), English 5.1 DTS-HD MA; DVD – Widescreen
(1.78:1), Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround EX
Studio: Disney
Release Date: 11/10/2009
MPAA Rating: G
http://www.DisneyBluray.com
We'll give Monsters, Inc (Bluray) an A.
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