Rating- * * * * (4/5)
2001 was a big year for computer animated films, with the Best Animated Picture category at the Oscars being completely dominated by CGI films. Ever since its creation by George Lucas in the ‘70s, Pixar has been the leader in computer animation. They won Oscars for some of their early work on shorts and a Golden Globe for Best Picture for Toy Story 2. Needless to say, the boys at Pixar have established themselves not only as pioneers of computer animation, but as great storytellers and filmmakers. Their latest offering tells the story of two monsters named Sully and Mike, played by John Goodman and Billy Crystal, who work for the power company of the monster world. The monster power company gets its charge from the screams of little children, which are collected by “scarers” who walk through magic doors that lead to the closet of an unknowing child. The catch is that the monsters can never touch the children because they are believed to be toxic. The trouble begins when Sully’s rival, an evil Chameleon named Lenny (Steve Buscemi) tries to cheat by using the magical doors at night, which is strictly forbidden. Lenny accidentally leaves a door unattended and a cute little girl that calls herself Boo sneaks into the monster world. Normally, she would have been killed or imprisoned but Sully just doesn’t have the heart to let it happen to her. So the rest of the movie follows Sully trying to keep Boo safe and all the while discovering a conspiracy to develop a new machine to get scares out of kids that will do far more than frighten them; it could also kill them. Besides the amazing visuals, this movie is a heart-warming story of two buddies trying to stand up for what they know is right, even if it means losing your status or popularity. Although not quite as funny as Shrek, this film, like its Pixar predecessors, has some of the most interesting characters of any movie this year and their interactions lead to some hilarious situations. This is a great one for kids and adults alike and if you liked the Toy Story films or A Bug’s Life, you will love this movie.