Monsters, Inc. --Widescreen Two Disc Collector's Edition [DVD] [2002]

The monsters in Monsters, Inc. are just so incredibly cute--and they know it. Whereas Woody, Buzz and pals in the Toy Story saga were filled with self-doubt about just how much the children in their lives would continue to love them, here our heroic monsters and their impossibly lovable human ward Boo have no such worries, at least when it comes to the cinema audience. And that's why Monsters, Inc., for all its wondrous computer-animated artistry, its smart humour and its family-friendly appeal, doesn't quite capture the naïve charm of its predecessors.

Nevertheless, John Goodman and Billy Crystal, as scare-champions Sulley and Mike, are a great double-act whose comedy never goes over kids' heads but still reaches up to make their parents laugh. The film's central conceit--that monsters in the bedroom closet are just doing a night's work in order to generate power from screams for the city of Monstropolis--is funny and cleverly worked out; and kids will of course love the fact that the monsters are mortally afraid of the very children they are trying to frighten.

The animation is extraordinarily detailed (Sulley's fur is a marvel in itself) and the set-piece action sequences top anything that has gone before for sheer audaciousness. But overall Pixar play things very safe, from the hissable villain to the end credit "outtakes". A bolder film might have taken inspiration from The Nightmare Before Christmas; instead, a little of that Disney disease of knowing cuteness seems to have crept into the formula. --Mark Walker

DVD Special Features:

Disc One:
Animated menus
Finding Nemo - an exclusive sneak peek of Disney/Pixar's next feature film release
Filmmaker's audio commentary
Sound effects only mix

Disc 2:
For The Birds - 2001 Academy Award-Winner for Best Animated Short Film
All-new animated short film, Mike's New Car (created exclusively for the video)
Outtakes
7 Easter Eggs
US Premiere
Trailers and TV Spots
Poster Gallery
Multi-language clip reel

MONSTER WORLD MENUS:
Monster TV Treats
Ponkickies 21 - all new animation created for Japanese television
Disney Storytime
"If I Didn't Have You" music video
Company Play Program - cast bios, photos and advertisement
On the Job with Mike and Sulley
Welcome to Monsters Inc. - introduction
Your first day - orientation for new employees at Monsters Inc.
History of the Monster World
Employee Handbook
Monster of the month
Scare Cards

HUMAN WORLD MENUS:
Pixar's fun factory - John Lasseter takes you on a tour of Pixar Animation Studios
Pixar Air Show - Paper airplane contest with Pixar staff (easter egg)
Story is King featurette
Monsters are Real featurette
Original treatment
Deleted scenes
Original opening
Storyboard to film comparison
Cast of Characters
What makes a Great Monster?
Character Design
Monstropolis making of Featurette
Setting the scene
Colour Script
Master lighting
Location flyarounds
Monstropolis art gallery
Guide to "In" jokes
Animation process
Early tests
Opening title animation
Hard parts featurette
Shots department
Production demonstration
Monster Song - behind the scenes look at "If I Didn't Have You"
Sound design featurette
Biaural Recording

Aspect ratio: Widescreen (1.85:1)

From the Academy Award-winning creators of Toy Story comes the world's number one animated film that captured the hearts of fans and critics everywhere. Featuring ground-breaking animation, imaginative storytelling and unforgettable voice talent, Monsters, Inc. opens the door to a world of mischief and mayhem and scares up monster-sized laughs along the way.

Top Scarer Sulley and his enthusiastic Scare Assistant Mike work at Monsters, Inc., the largest scream processing factory in Monstropolis. The main power source of the monster world is the collected screams of human children. However, monsters believe children are dangerous and toxic, and they are scared silly when a little girl wanders into their world. Sulley and Mike do their best to return the girl home, but they face monstrous intrigue and some hilarious misadventures along the way.

Treat yourself to the most entertaining movie of the year with all-new exclusive bonus features and animation for monster laughs and monster fun.