Monsters, Inc. [Blu-ray]

Just a little more than two months ago I sat down at my keyboard and wrotea review on Disney's Blu-ray release of Finding Nemo. I was filled with excitement,as I raved about the remarkable job the animation team did with the film's 3Dtranslation. When all was said and done, I placed Finding Nemo at the top of thelist as the best animated upconversion that I had seen to date.Now, I sit here again, filled with the same exhilaration, having just watchedthe newly released 3D Blu-ray of Monsters, Inc. which I can completely assureyou benefits greatly by its new dimensionality added in post production.The success of Pixar's 2001 release rests mostly on the charm of its voicetalents. The pairing of Billy Crystal (Wazowski) and John Goodman (Sulley)provide some of the best comedic performances found in any Pixar film todate. For those of you who still may not be familiar with the story, it concerns apair of specially-trained monsters WHO work 9 to 5 at the largest scream-processingfactory in Monstropolis. As they sneak into bedrooms, the screams of frightenedchildren are collected and used to power the Metropolis. Believed by Monstersto be toxic, children are strictly forbidden from entering their world. As you wouldexpect, that is exactly what happens as a little girl named Boo (Mary Gibbs)enters the factory, creating complete chaos. As Sulley and Wazowski try toreturn Boo, they uncover a dangerous plot about to be set off by a multi-leggedchameleon-like lizard named Randall Boggs (Steve Buscemi), that could bedeadly to them all.Monsters Inc. translates flawlessly to 3D Blu-ray, which amazes me becauseoften you'll hear skeptics talk about how wearing format eyewear diminishesoverall picture quality. Through my active shutter glasses, I was astonishedto find no such degradation. In fact, what I saw before me was strikingly perfectimagery with its palette of rich colors and vast amount of textures that are reallypleasing to the eyes. There's just a wonderful array of vivid, neon-rainbow colorsto behold here. Black levels are fantastic. Even more astonishing is the levelof detail that only Blu-ray could provide. You can see every strand of furacross Sully's Monstrous body, and with the added depth that 3D provides, itappears to be more realistically soft and natural. This is another one of thosetransfers that turns your display into a picture window where everything seemsso perfect inside that you could almost reach in and touch it. In a word, it'sbreathtaking.The 3D itself is quite excellent, opening this film up to an entirely new viewingexperience thanks to a noticeable amount of depth that makes each scenelook limitless in size. While there are no blatant gimmicks it's very cool to seejust how many body...err...monster parts protrude outwards. Take notice howRandall Bogg's slinky lizard head pokes itself outside the boundaries of the display.Check out the snakes in Celia's hairdo as they move in and out of the spacebetween film and viewer. I even enjoyed the opening title sequence with its many doorsthat jettison outward when opened. And speaking of which....the most thrilling 3Deffects can be seen during the door vault sequence. If you have a subwoofer andturn the sound up loud, you almost feel as if you are on a roller coaster ride as doorsrace down a conveyor belt. The pure depth that is portrayed as you look to the bottomof the vault is immensely impressive. I also loved the overhead shots of the CDAswat team and all its helicopters converging on the city. This is the kind of perspectiveyou just cannot replicate in 2D.And up to this point you haven't heard me complain about crosstalk. Well, that's becausethere is absolutely no ghosting to be found here. That's a real thumbs up for this transfer.While the 3D is impressive enough, nothing can prepare you for the explosive DolbyTrueHD 7.1 soundtrack (downconverted to 5.1 on my system). I don't think I could writeanything about the acoustic experience and do it justice. Let me just say that I haverarely been so sonically immersed in a film as I was here. There is such an unbelievablelevel of effect placement and panning that are perfectly executed as if without any effortattached. At any moment, you could expect sounds to emanate from different cornersof the room. At times, I heard helicopters encircling my head. Other times it was thescreams of frightened children. Every stomp, thump, drop, crash and pounce in thisfilm is heavily accented by powerful LFE that can be felt as well as heard. I talkedabout how great the door vault sequence looks in 3D. Just wait until you crank yoursystem high and find yourself in the middle of the action as you feel the floor vibratebeneath your seat cushion. Make no mistake about it -- this is reference quality audiothat will be the subject of conversation with your friends long after the credits roll....and when you are done assaulting your senses with Monsters, Inc., don't forgetto take a look at the included short, Partysaurus Rex. It stars the lovable Rexdinosaur of Toy Story fame as he throws a party for discarded bathtub toys. Ifound it a highly entertaining short, mostly thanks to its effective use of 3D, brilliantneon colors and pumping techno track. Very worthwhile addition to this package.The Ultimate Collector's Edition of Monsters, Inc. arrives as a 5-disc set. Thereare single 2D and 3D feature film discs, a bonus Blu-ray disc with a wealth of extrafeatures, and separate DVD and Digital Copy Feature discs. The Blu-ray case issleeved with clever lenticular packaging that gives the effect of Wazowski and Sullyopening a bedroom closet door.I continue to praise Disney for their efforts in bringing new life to their existing librarywith 3D upconversions that are extremely well done. Monsters, Inc. looks more expansiveand feels more impactful and emotional than ever before thanks to the amount of depthand realism this format is able to provide. If one could afford it, I would recommendenthusiasts purchase every single 3D animated feature Disney has released to date.However, if you could only afford to buy two, I would place Finding Nemo and Monsters, Inc.at the top of the list (in that order).

Monsters, Inc. is Pixar's most funny film. The humor in this film is so clever, so refined that is one of the best comedies ever. The humor is not juvenile or full of pop culture references, is a broad humor that will appeal to children and adults alike. But, this movie is not only a comedy. Being a Pixar film, expect excellence in every area of the production. The story is awesome, the characters are endearing, the animation superb and the action sequences jaw-dropping. Is amazing how this was only Pixar's fourth film and they already were showing how good they are. Monsters. Inc. is an instant classic that will entertain you, move you and make you have a wonderful time.Picture & AudioLike with every Pixar film on BD, it's not surprinsing that Monsters, Inc. debuts on HD with a completely mesmerizing transfer. You will see every detail in crisp clarity and awe at the level of animation that this movie has. Some aliasing appears in Sulley's fur but I think is inherent to the source and shouldn't bother you. An amazing transfer through and through.Likewise, the 5.1 DTS-HD MA is demo quality. it will envelop you with Randy Newman's amazing score and you will be literally transported to Monstropolis. An audio presentation that can't ger any better.Bonus Features:This is a 2-disc BD set that its full of chocked full goodies. You have everything from the 2-Disc CE DVD that includes hours upon hours of making of featurettes, trailers, two shorts, an audiocommentary, publicity and much much more. New to this BD is an excellent piece called "Filmmakers Round Table" where Peter Docter and crew sit down and reminiscence about the making of the film. Also you have a view of the new ride of MI in Tokyo and an interactive game.A DVD copy is also offered.Closing Thoughts:Monsters, Inc. is another Pixar film that everyone should own. With impeccably comedic timing, superb animation and an excellent story, this is another proud addition to the Pixar catalogue and should be a proud addition to your library. This BD offers unmatched picture and sound and many hours of bonus material. Hurry and just buy it!!!

Live this gem of a film. Watch again and again.

This movie is so good! This is one of Pixar's best movies in my opinion. It is cute, funny, and my kids love it!

Must watch

great product, fast delivery, exactly as described thanks

As a childhood favourite most of the early Pixar movies are bangers. The really scary thing was hiding Boo away from the monsters inc exterminators! Recommend owning this before they discontuie physical media.

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