While Monsters Inc might appeal visually to most people with its
dazzling special effects, I found that sadly, the film tries to push some very American
values onto the minds of children and adults all over the world.
While watching the film I failed to understand who exactly the film makers were trying to entertain. Does an eight year old give a hoot about
American corporate values? One would then think that like the Simpsons, the film actually attempted to reach the adult public. However my mind was numbed from the movie's mindless
slapstick comedy and weak, predicatable plot.
A few minutes into the film and the hidden messages become clear: You must live to work, not work to live. Your job is your life, thus if you lose your job you lose your life, thus you must surrender your dignity to the Corporations and the
fat cats who run them. America's capitalist
dog-eat-dog, hire-and-fire competitive lifestyle is the way and everyone must worship the leader, the
quarterback, the employee of the month, the overarchiever. Those who lag behind the "best" (Sully) are pathetic losers, simply digitised lifeless extras, not unlike the common citizen of any American city. A few hispanic and european surnames give the production an air of political correctness. The characters are incredibly self centered (especially Wazowski) and seemingly have no interest in life outside work and the occasional relationship.
Unfortunately most of us have already grown up subjected to this worthless, brainwashing
tripe. Ever heard of the Flintstones, or Antz? I'm sure we could cite several more examples of cartoons/movies that are aimed at young children that carry such a ludicrous message. Most people unfortunately have already been numbed by these values and have already accepted them as
axiomatic. Those who fail to comply with the
stereotypes and attempt to think independently are commited to the great American bin of loserness, where they are forgotten and lost among the millions of Johnsons, Kowalzkys and Sanchezes who populate this planet called America.
I personally wouldn't want my kid to grow up in this
"Hi honey, I'm home" world that doesn't really exist. Teaching children that they should run their lives exactly as their parents and grandparents did in their
heyday is not acceptable as our world today is far different. Would it not be more constructive to let them discover for themselves how to live life instead of pushing this outdated 50's rhetoric into their minds?
However for as long as films like
Monsters, Inc. continue to fascinate us with their flashy special effects nobody will pay attention to what such films are really trying to say.
Oh, who cares, it looks "
awesome", the plot is unsurprisingly
tried-and-tested and yes, the action figures are already for sale at Toys R' Us.