The people at Pixar (Toy Story) outdo even themselves with this high-energy action comedy; it's no real surprise that the animation breaks new ground continually, and the story is clever and inventive as well.

It's set in Monstropolis, where the monsters live and draw their energy from the screams of the children they scare at night. The top scarer is Sulley (voiced by Goodman), a woolly giant who with his one-eyed partner Mike (Crystal) sneaks through closet doors at night. His main competition for the top spot is the slithery Randall (Buscemi), who's obviously up to no good. Then a little girl (Gibbs) gets into Monstopolis and all manner of chaos ensues. It turns out the monsters are mortally terrified of children.

The barrage of sharp wit and hilarious gags is so dense that we barely get our breath between laughing fits - every frame is jammed with tiny details that are both eye-poppingly clever and gut-wrenchingly funny (I especially loved the relentless efforts of the "Child Detection Agency" to rid Monstropolis from even the tiniest whiff of a human). The story is fiendishly intelligent and involving, made even more fun by characters that are both animated and voiced with talent and heart.

We very quickly grow to love these creatures, and as a result we thoroughly enjoy every second of their adventures, from the wacky comedy to the subtle references to children's classics (including Sendak and Rankin/Bass) to the adrenaline-pumping action sequences. OK, so the ending is a bit sweet and sticky. But this is magical filmmaking that viewers of any age can't help but love.

some suspense

13.Nov.01, revisited 14.Jan.13