Monsters, Inc.
Movie, 2001, Monsters, Set in Monstropolis
Monsters, Inc. is #4 of 31 in release order and #22 of 31 in chronological order in the Pixar.
The story
Lovable Sulley and his wisecracking sidekick Mike Wazowski are the top scare team at Monsters, Inc., the scream-processing factory in Monstropolis. When a little girl named Boo wanders into their world, it's the monsters who are scared silly, and it's up to Sulley and Mike to keep her out of sight and get her back home.
Monsters, Inc. recap
Monstropolis is powered by children's screams, collected by monsters who sneak into bedrooms through closet doors, and children are believed to be toxic. James P. Sullivan, known as Sulley, is Monsters, Inc.'s top scarer, and his best friend Mike Wazowski is his assistant. The city faces an energy shortage because children are getting harder to scare. Sulley finds a door left out on the scare floor, and a little girl follows him into the monster world. He names her Boo and, with Mike, tries to hide her and send her home. They discover that their rival, Randall, and the company boss, Henry J. Waternoose, are building a machine to extract screams from kidnapped children. Waternoose banishes Sulley and Mike to the Himalayas, where they meet the Abominable Snowman.
Monsters, Inc. ending explained
Sulley and Mike return, rescue Boo from the machine and chase her door through the vast vault of doors, sending Randall to a human world where he is beaten with a shovel. Mike and Sulley trick Waternoose into confessing on camera, and he is arrested. Sulley returns Boo home, and her door is shredded. Sulley realises laughter makes more energy than screams and turns the company to comedy. Mike rebuilds Boo's door, and Sulley walks through to see her again.
Post-credits scenes
During the credits, fake bloopers play, followed by a company stage musical Mike puts on about the events of the film. Nothing sets up a sequel.
Where to watch Monsters, Inc.
Monsters, Inc. is streaming on Disney+ and fuboTV in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 8.1/10, Rotten Tomatoes 96%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Toy Story 2, before Finding Nemo.
- Chronological order: after Monsters University, before Finding Nemo.
What to watch before Monsters, Inc.
Nothing. Monsters, Inc. (2001) doesn't continue an earlier version, so it stands on its own.
Cast
- John Goodman as Sullivan (voice)
- Billy Crystal as Mike (voice)
- Mary Gibbs as Boo (voice)
- Steve Buscemi as Randall (voice)
- James Coburn as Waternoose (voice)
- Jennifer Tilly as Celia (voice)
- Bob Peterson as Roz (voice)
- John Ratzenberger as Yeti (voice)
- Frank Oz as Jeff Fungus (voice)
- Daniel Gerson as Needleman / Smitty (voice)
- Steve Susskind as Floor Manager (voice)
- Bonnie Hunt as Flint (voice)
Directed by Pete Docter.