Monsters Inc Revised

We've analyzed loads of films of late, delving into the deeper meanings, because our professors mean that this is the essence, the important thing if you're making film. Especially if you want to make something you can take a step back from and look at proudly. Not everything needs to mean the same thing to everyone, but you've got to give it some consideration before you start screaming action. 

My whole first year is focused on process and how important it is to sit down with a pen and paper and consider every action you'll take before you do it. We can't all just turn on a camera and become the next Kubrick. The biggest names in the industry - that always end up being repeated by some bloke wearing square glasses, usually had thought and passion put into their projects.

They loved what they were about to make, even if they probably were tearing out their hair repeatedly throughout, but they keep reminding themselves of their goal, of what they set out to do.

That's why I've realized planning is everything.

This doesn't necessarily only represent filmmaking, but many varying aspects of life. Even life itself needs intricate planning, and constant adjustments if any alterations that throw a hurdle into your plans take place.

The more thought you put into something, the more likely you'll feel prepared whenever something really bad happens. Then you just need to steel yourself and think on your feet to pick up the papers for plan b that you had securely kept in your back pocket.

Oddly enough this entry is about addressing the observations I made while watching Monsters Inc like a film maker and not a regular consumer. You're only able to do the former apparently on second or third viewings. Thankfully I've seen this film probably more than twenty times because I'm always a child at heart, but I did still need that extra viewing to look at it more differently.

It seems like an essential kid film churned out by Pixar; colourful monsters that manage their electricity by use of children's screams. What kind of deeper meaning could this film have? Well there's the blatantly obvious 'kids don't get scared these days', watching more and more violence on telly making them desensitized to what used to horrify people back in the day. They grow up too soon, really, and aren't allowed to be kids anymore. It's one of the most obvious themes really. Here we've got Boo who's still a kid, still scared by monsters, but only the monster she can't see.

We've got many different types in the film, but Randall Boggs gets her the most. That's a very adult fear really, the fear of the unknown, which is a running theme throughout. These monsters are afraid of these kids and treat them like they would the plague, wearing protective suits and burning up things due to a tiny sock. The news broadcast just remind me of how we often blow things out of proportion; it's a funny comment on society and our hysteria.

There are many interesting themes in this film; friendship being one of them portrayed excellently by these the two leads. Pixar and Disney do manage male/male friendships wonderfully and I hope to see more varying types of friendships from them in the future. This film, despite the leaps animation has taken since then, is still an enduring classic and it's blatantly obvious to see why. It's still leaps of fun for children and adults alike, and will probably continue being so. Hopefully we won't get to that stage where Pixar will begin making remakes of their own work, instead of imagining something new, though the sequels are too close for comfort already. Let us all pray that day never comes.