Monsters, Inc. (2001/Disney/Pixar Blu-ray Set w/DVD & Digital Copy)
Picture:
A-/B- Sound: A/B- Extras: B Film: A-
There are
things that go bump in the night and now their making some big noise on
Blu-ray. Monsters, Inc. has quickly become one of the most beloved animated
films of all time; and I have no problem saying that. The 2001 Disney/Pixar film is amazing from
beginning to end as it bobs and weaves through an astoundingly creative tale
that turns the stuff of nightmares into the things of dreams. The film has comedy; the film has action; and
most importantly the film has heart.
The film
was written by a huge team consisting of Jack W. Bunting, Peter Docter, Ralph
Eggleston, Dan Gerson, Jeff Pidgeon, Rhett Reese, Jonathan Roberts, Jill Culton
and Andrew Stanton. The directors were
David Silverman, Peter Docter and Lee Unkrich.
If the stunning team of writers and directors weren’t enough the
creators ensured that a remarkable voice cast would propel the film to the next
level as the likes of John Goodman (Sulley), Billy Crystal (Mike), Mary Gibbs
(Boo), Steve Buscemi (Randall), James Coburn (Mr. Waternoose), Jennifer Tilly
(Celia) and of course John Ratzenburg (Abominable Snowman). The framework was there from the beginning as
the creative team was put in place to ensure a successful end product.
The film
starts off with a power company known as Monsters Inc. that runs the city of Monstropolis on the power
of children’s screams. Each night a band
of normally friendly monsters (specially trained of course) go through their
individualized doorway portals to scare unsuspecting children in their
beds. Over the years children in the
“real world” have become desensitized to the monsters’ tricks and in turn
making it hard for the company to fulfill its’ power needs. Working the “Scare Floor” late one night, the
Monsters Inc.’s best scarer, Sulley (a large, blue, fluffy monster) finds an
unattended doorway that is powered on and decides to step inside. Once inside the doorway Sully finds an empty
bedroom with no child to be found; but unbeknownst to Sulley a small child
(clinging to his furry blue back) follows him back into the monster world. Fearing the trouble that he could get in
(plus the contamination) for bringing a human child, Sulley and his friend (and
roommate) Mike Wazowski nickname the child “Boo” and dress her as a monster in
order to blend in. The two futilely
attempt to return the girl to her home world and in turn both action packed and
comedic chaos ensue. The boys try to
take the girl to the company’s president, Mr. Waternoose, but unexpected events
occur that make things worse than before.
So buckle down and gear up for one of the best animated films of all
time.
The
technical features on this new Disney/Pixar Blu-ray are astonishing as the
picture and sound are some of the best Blu-ray has to offer; as well as some
great and exclusive extras to top it off.
The picture is presented in a 1080p AVC encoded High definition 1.85 X 1
widescreen that offers vivid colors, a crisp image, solid contrast, dark and
inky blacks, free of digital artifacts and an overall image like no other. The picture is nearly perfect with only very
fine details here and there straying from that perfection; but my small and
picky gripes don’t take away from the fact the picture is amazing and act as a
wonderful demo for any HD presentation.
Whereas I had my small issues with the picture that kept it from a
perfect rating, the audio is awe inspiring in its DTS-HD Master Audio lossless 5.1
Surround Sound. The audio manages to
utilize the entire surround spectrum and speaker range as it boasts an extreme
fullness and depth that not many films can deliver. The entire soundscape is heard with crisp
dialogue, a wide ambient noise range and a note worthy directionality that
flies across the speakers with ease. As
you can see I am very impressed with the sound.
The
extras go beyond those that were found on the DVD release (also included in
this set) by adding a number of Blu-ray exclusives. The standard definition extras include:
- Trailers
- Audio Commentary
- For the Birds Short
- Mike’s New Car Short
- Pixar Fun Factory Tour
- Banished Concepts
- Storyboard to Film Comparison
- Designing Monstropolis
- Set Dressing
- Location Flyarounds
- Monster File
- Animation
- Music and Sound
- Release
- Monsters Only
- Wrap-Up
- Art Gallery
As
previously mentioned all the extras listed above are the same as those found on
the most recent DVD release and if nothing else Disney/Pixar sure knows how to
keep fans overwhelmed with bonus features to sift through. Each extra is valuable in its own may and is
not simply a “throw-away” promo like many less worthy films feature. Most of the extras are short, but give a nice
look at the films production/creative process; as well as the reaction to the
film. The bonus features make it fully
apparent why Monsters Inc has become
a true fan favorite.
The High
Definition extras include:
- Director’s Introduction
- Filmmakers’ Round Table
- Monsters Inc Ride and Go See:
Building Monstropolis in Japan
– an in depth look at the new Monster’s Inc attraction in Japan…trust
me when I say it looks awesome.
- Roz’s 100 Door Change – A silly kids game that may
amuse some
All in
all Monsters Inc is a classic. From the first time I viewed the films in
theater I knew there was something special; it had extreme creativity and a
comedic, heart warming story that I had never seen before. I love the film and highly recommend it;
especially with its newly upgraded and stunning Blu-ray presentation.
- Michael P. Dougherty II
