Pixar put a great deal of work into getting fur to work for this film and now we finally get to see the full extent of their effort at home. This Blu-ray captures the tiny hairs on Sulley and the tight fuzz of the Snowman perfectly. But it also captures the thick scaly skins of characters like Mike with a sense of density that wasn't apparent on the DVD. Also the brilliant color palette is eye-catching in 1080p, while the blacks are deep. Equally the Disney's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround soundtrack is remarkable. The closet door warehouse sequence was a standout moment when I first saw the film in theaters, and the soundscape during that sequence on this disc is just as rousing. Being enveloped in that scene makes the moment even more intense.
The special features are mainly bits from the past DVD release. However there are a few new offerings for the Blu-ray. The best new feature is "Filmmakers Round Table." Director Pete Docter, co-director Lee Unkrich, producer Darla K. Anderson, and story supervisor Bob Peterson sit down at the Hidden City Café, which had a cameo in the MONSTERS, INC., to reflect back on the production of the film. One of the most poignant moments comes when the filmmakers discuss 9/11, which happened right before the film was set to hit theaters and how the tragedy affected the production. "Ride and Go Seek: Building Monstropolis in Japan" is a promotional behind-the-scenes look at the MONSTERS, INC. ride at Disneyland Tokyo. "Roz's 100 Door Challenge" is an interactive trivia game where players take an employee placement exam to see what role at Monsters, Inc. they would be best suited for. In an introduction to the Blu-ray, Docter says it features 100 games, am I missing something?
Docter, Unkrich, writer Andrew Stanton, and exec producer John Lasseter provide the commentary track, which is the same one from the DVD. Nonetheless, the track is filled with interesting tidbits about the production, especially regarding putting the story elements together. A must-watch for budding screenwriters. Writers will also want to check out the four story-themed featurettes — "Story is King," "Monsters Are Real," "Original Treatment" (which was very different than the final film) and "Back to Work."
"Pixar Fun Factory Tour" is a now dated tour of the Pixar offices by John Lasseter. "Banished Concepts" collects cut sequences that range from finished animation to storyboards. Unkrich introduces the scenes that were lost to the cutting room floor. "Storyboard to Film Comparison" is a nice feature that allows viewers to watch a split-screen presentation of a finished sequence against its storyboarded version. "Designing Monstropolis" shows again how in love Pixar was with their new home. Co-director David Silverman rides a scooter around discussing the construction of the monsters' world. "Set Dressing" is a virtual part 2 of the previous featurette. "Location Flyaround" is a group of 360-degree pans of the sets. I really wish this one were in HD. But what is in HD is the Art Gallery, which features almost 900 art pieces. Amazing stuff.
Many of the other features are the same as the DVD. They profile the characters, the actors, animation challenges (especially hair), music & sound, TV spots, trailers and footage from the premiere.
And don't miss the two shorts films — Oscar-winner FOR THE BIRDS and Oscar-nominee MIKE'S NEW CAR.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
