kinospot: Monsters, Inc.

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Directed by: Peter Docter.

Starring: John Goodman (as James P. "Sulley" Sullivan), Billy Crystal (as Mike Wazowski), Mary Gibbs (as Boo/Mary), Steve Buscemi (as Randall Boggs), James Coburn (as Henry J. Waternoose III), Jennifer Tilly (as Celia), Bob Peterson (as Roz), John Ratzenberger (as Yeti), Frank Oz (as Fungus), Dan Gerson (as Needleman/Smitty), Steve Susskind (as Floor Manager), Bonnie Hunt (as Flint), Jeff Pidgeon (as Bile), Samuel Lord Black (as George Sanderson).

James P. Sullivan (AKA 'Sulley') and Mike Wazowski pick up their paychecks at Monsters Inc., the utility company that generates energy from the goose bumps of children. Sulley, the No. 1 scream-generator at the plant accidentally lets in a little girl into the monster world. Since monsters are actually terrified of children it's a major cause for alarm and a major headache for Sulley and Mike.

I thought Billy Crystal and John Goodman were great. I like them anyway, but I can't imagine anyone else in their roles. John Goodman comes across as a warm, fuzzy teddy bear type in so many of his roles, and this time he was actually drawn that way. Crystal and Goodman were great together, even when their characters showed signs of not getting along. And Boo sounded so natural, so childlike. There's no way an adult could have done her lines the way they were executed.
And the writing was so intelligent, this movie was not just for kids. There were a lot of clever jokes that kids might not get. Still, the warm and fuzzy qualities of so many of the monsters make this a perfect choice for kids as well as adults, and I really don't get why ABC couldn't give this a TV-G rating. It may have been a little violent or scary at times, but never all that intense. Kids see worse on Saturday morning.