Published: November 18, 2009
Up & Monsters, Inc. DVD Review
By Kam Williams 
Disney Releases a Couple of Charming Animated Adventures on DVD
Although they first arrived in movie theaters 8 years apart, Walt Disney has a darn good reason to release Up and Monsters, Inc. on DVD simultaneously. After all, both these heartwarming modern fairy tales are fun for the whole family, and are animated adventures written and directed by Pete Docter.
Up, a big hit earlier this year, chronicles the death-defying, intercontinental trip taken by a 78 year-old widower (Ed Asner) with his 8 year-old neighbor (Jordan Nagai) in need of a father figure. Curmudgeonly Carl is mourning the death of his wife (Ellie Docter) with whom he had never gotten around to enjoying that dream Venezuelan vacation to Paradise Falls.
Now Carl belatedly comes up with an unorthodox way to get there, namely, by attaching thousands of helium-filled balloons to his house until it lifts right off the foundation. What he doesn't know, however, until he's already airborne and drifting away, is that there's a stowaway aboard, Russell, that chubby Cub Scout intent on earning his elderly assistance badge.
Over the course of their ensuing, eventful journey, the two appreciate and rely on each other as they survive a series of harrowing ordeals. More importantly, by the end of this poignant fairy tale, they've not only bonded and become true friends, but have learned a priceless lesson about what really matters most in life.
Monsters, Inc, for those who might need a quick reminder, is a visually-captivating comedy about a two year-old (Mary Gibbs) who turns the tables on a couple of monsters (John Goodman and Billy Crystal) whose job it is to generate energy for the power company by scaring the bejesus out of children.
Priceless cartoon classics coming courtesy of successful collaborations by the good folks at Disney and Pixar.
Up details:
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG for peril and action.
Running time: 96 minutes
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
4-Disc DVD Extras: Blu-ray and digital versions of the film, alternate scenes, 8 documentaries, a multi-layered geography game, "The Making of" featurette and much more.
Monsters, Inc. details:
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated G
Running time: 91 Minutes
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
4-Disc DVD Extras: Blu-ray and digital versions of the film, original DVD bonus features, new bonus features, including: Ride and Go Seek, 100-Door challenge game, and much more.
To order a copy of Up, visit: B001KVZ6G6
To order a copy of Monsters, Inc., visit:
B00168OIOE
Kam Williams is a syndicated film and book critic who writes for 100+ publications. He is a member of the New York Film Critics Online, the African-American Film Critics Association, and the NAACP Image Awards Nominating Committee. Contact him through NewsBlaze.
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