So this film was considered good enough to earn a sequel,
but does it really hold up after all these years?
The idea of scaring children being a job isn’t new, I remember
an old episode of Tiny Toon Adventures that did it, but because this is a feature
length movie that really allows the creators time to explore the world and the concept. They do that too by building an entire
business around the idea. I love all the
innovation that went into this. The way
the doors work to get into the child’s bedroom.
That the screams are used as a source of energy it’s really quite
inventive. The fact that they think
children are actually toxic is also a fun idea because it adds another layer to
the story rather than it just being about kids that grow too old to believe in
monsters. It has that otherwise our villains
Randell and Waternoose would have nothing to do, but the inclusion of that
gives this its own spin. Not only in things
like the 2319 running gag, but I think it can serve as nice message to children
about the idea that something you are scared of might be just as scared of you
as you are of it. It also makes for some great gags as Mike tries to handle her with oven mits and sprays himself in the eye with peroxide.
I love all the monster designs and I love the shout to the
man who inspired it Ray HarryHausen the man who designed the old stop motion animated
monsters and other creatures for film classics like Jason and the Argonauts. The
restaurant the Mike and Celia go to is named for him.
Boo is adorable and acts like a kid instead of having some
cuties lisp or not speaking at all. It’s a bit of both and it’s nice. The relationship between her and Sully works
and Mike’s resentment of Boo works as well.
Sully spent more time with Boo so of course he started to understand her
and grow more attached. For Mike Boo is
just the kid who has been ruining their lives starting with his date with Celia. It’s easy to understand why he is upset when
they are banished and Sully is still only worried about Boo. In that moment Mikes knows that their lives
that they had been spending all that time trying to put right is wasted and
doesn’t get why Sully even still cares about Boo at that point. Getting Boo back home won’t help anyone
except her, and that’s all Sully cares about.
The relationship between Mike and Sully before that scene is
really good with them being great friends and co-workers. What’s really fun about Mike is that he is a
second banana that is not the least bit jealous of Sully or resentful of his
place in their partnership. Instead he
is totally content with it. He knows his
job and he does it well, and his reactions to the TV commercial and the
magazine cover are hilarious. Sully is
also great, because him being this big sacary guy is just a job to him. He really is a softie at heart not even just
that he comes to caring for Boo, but also the way he covers for Mike so he can
go on his anniversary date with Celia.
He clearly cares about others and when he scares Boo performing his roar
for Waternoose and the trainees he realizes that to the kids this is terrifying
to them in a harmful way, because to them tis not pretend as it is to him. Sully is acting when he scares, but the kids
of course don’t know that.
The side characters are great here too. I love Ross and her reveal as Number One. Celia is spunky and fun and I love the part
where once she learns about what Mike and Sully are doing she immediately is on
board with it and helps them get away from Randell with her announcement.
The animation of course is top notch. I love the way Sullly's fur moves, I love the detail of Randall's scales, the lighting, I love the opening credits!
The only thing that really bugs me in the film is that I
don’t get why Randell is worried about his numbers on the scare floor when he
was already planning take Boo that same night for his scream extraction machine
that is already built. His numbers
shouldn’t mean anything. Of course if we
don’t have that then Randell isn’t established as a villain and rival and then
the red herring of him cheating doesn’t work.
So I get why it’s there and I’ll just assume that Randell is keeping up
his act so as not to arouse suspicion.
So to answer
the question posed at the beginning of the review, does it still hold up? Yeah I think it does. While the premise isn’t new the time they
take to develop the world and the characters is. I love the character designs and that they are
developed. Mike doesn’t get angry about
being a second banana like we might expect, but instead about change that he
can’t control really. Sully really is a
giant kitty the way he cares about others and their feelings and because he
does he realizes his job hurts others. The
world is unique with things like the fact that children are considered toxic
and the screams the monsters get are used for energy. The animation is great, sets like the storage
warehouse for the doors look amazing, and finally we have a kid character that
isn’t obnoxious. A good story, told in a
fun world, with likeable characters, three things I truly enjoy seeing. Now as for the sequel…well we’ll get to that.
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