I feel like it’s reasonable to assume that you’ve probably seen Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. (2001, directed by Pete Docter) – but when was the last time you watched it? Sully and Mike’s adventure to get the human child Boo out of the monster world and back to her own bedroom is a fun film to watch. Nowadays, when so many films deal with heavy concepts, it’s really important to watch something a little bit mindless. Despite its pretty obvious themes of corporate greed, Monsters Inc.’s heart lies in a fun family film. 

The monster world is simultaneously very different and very similar to our world. Mike and Sully live in an apartment, and walk to work through a city where kids jump rope on the sidewalk and fruit vendors set up their stock. Sure, Sully’s chair has a hole for his tail, the kids are jump roping with one of their tongues, and the fruit vendor has six arms, but those ideas are things that happen in real cities. The biggest difference between our world and the monster world are the doors. It’s kind of a scary idea to think about how monsters have complete access to our world through our closet door, but the film quickly establishes how monsters are just as scared of humans as humans are of monsters. 

The characters, especially Mike Wazowski whom I love so much, absolutely make this film. The dynamic between Mike and Sully, and then the dynamic between them and Randall, is captivating and feels very unique. They have very distinct personalities, which are apparent most when each character is introduced to Boo. Where Sully pities her, Mike is terrified, and Randall so desperately wants to extract her screams for energy. Being from 2001, the animation in this film isn’t quite up to par with the things we see from Pixar today, but looking at this movie through nostalgia goggles makes up for the difference. 

This film might not be everyone’s cup of tea, being a G-rated kids film, but I wouldn’t pass it over just because of that. I give this film a 9/10, mostly for nostalgia, but also for the environment and the characters. I would give this film a rewatch because it’s easy, light, and fun- and with a 92 minute runtime there really isn’t anything to lose.