monsters, inc.
This was originally written on 16.02.2002
So I basically spent today pissing about. I turned in my computer architecture assignment (at last and I’m glad to be done with processor pipelines for a while) and spent the rest of the day screwing around, reading The Onion, and skating. I had finally settled down to read the paper that introduced BAN logic (a logic used to formalize the analysis of security protocols) and work on my BAN logic practical, when Agatha came down to see if anyone wanted to go see Monsters, Inc. I figured what the hell and went out with the girls to the Odeon to see the flick.
I really liked the movie. It’s probably my favorite Pixar movie, though I have enjoyed all of Pixar’s previous releases as well. Even though all manner of studios seem to have entered into the CG animation game, Pixar still, at least in my opinion, leads the pack, not only for the superior quality of their animation, but also for the attention to detail which adds a level of subtle humor and sophistication that is absent in so many animated films. So Monsters, Inc. had all of the Pixar magic one would expect: stunning animation, clever devices, an entertaining plot, and genuinely funny jokes.
I might be going out on a limb with this one, but for me, the thing I liked best is that the movie seemed, at times, to be a thinly veiled allegory for US energy policy. Hey, it’s not all that far fetched. Pixar is, after all, in the heart of energy crazed California, and I’m guessing those animation nerds are probably at least a little left of center. In the film, the monster city is undergoing an energy crisis. To get energy, the monsters have to scare human children and capture their screams. It seems, however, that this resource is no longer able to satisfy the monster’s energy needs. So, some of the monsters plot to use a horrifying device to torture innocent human kids in order to increase energy output. It is only through the power of love and the ingenuity of the monster protagonists that an alternative, child-friendly, source of energy is found. Ok, so lets get this story straight. There is an energy crisis. Big business plots to exploit an already depleted resource, completely ignoring any negative implications and remaining ignorant to the exploration of alternative energy sources. US petroleum dependence, people! The freaking movie is about US petroleum dependence. Well, maybe not, but it sure would be cool if the similarities to the real world were intentional. Political commentary or not, the film is still worth checking out.