Monsters Inc. - Unimpressive DVD!

[PoochJD]

Hi,

Yes, I know it's another "Monsters Inc" thread, but I thought you just might like to know what I think.

I saw the movie in the cinema with a friend, and whilst we both thought it was okay, it was nowhere near as good or memorable as either "Toy Story 2" or "A Bugs Life" was.

Having just rented the 2-disc Region 2 DVD set from my local store, I have to say that this film does NOT improve with repeated viewings. The film is well made, with superb computer animation, but the story and characters simply don't work half as well as they should.

I also have to say that the Extras disc is also exceedingly disappointing. Most of the features seem to be aimed at kids, and whilst the inclusion of the Behind The Scenes At Pixar were good, it's only a limited documentary compared to other Disney/Pixar releases from the USA.

The Japanese thing was midly amusing, but that "Mike's New Car" was nowhere near as funny as everyone claimed it was. Having said that, "For The Birds" had me wetting myself with laughter. I actually preferred that, to the damn film!

And the less said about the "Finding Nemo" trailer/preview, the better. Awful, awful preview scene that was chosen. Neither funny nor a good impression of what the film is going to be like.

All-in-all, this is one Pixar DVD I would NOT recommend people spending their hard-earned money on, unless they absolutely have to have every Pixar animated feature in their DVD collection!

Pooch

 

[Ian J]

Originally posted by PoochJD
Yes, I know it's another "Monsters Inc" thread, but I thought you just might like to know what I think.

Nothing wrong with your ego today then.

 

[lmccauley]

Originally posted by Ian J


Nothing wrong with your ego today then.

"Mieow! Saucer of milk for the lady at table two..."

 

[Squirrel God]

Originally posted by PoochJD
I saw the movie in the cinema with a friend, and whilst we both thought it was okay, it was nowhere near as good or memorable as either "Toy Story 2" or "A Bugs Life" was.

I liked Monsters Inc a lot. Was way better than Toy Story 1 & 2, but about on par with A Bug's Life. (I enjoyed Toy Story 2 more than Toy Story 1). Shrek is still my favourite of those CGI movies though - and it's not a Pixar picture either

Originally posted by PoochJD
I also have to say that the Extras disc is also exceedingly disappointing. Most of the features seem to be aimed at kids

Um... Pooch.... it's a kids movie, what do you expect?

There are certainly a lot of extras which makes the DVD great value for money.

 

[Phil Hinton]

So does it have a dts track on the R2??

 

[jonnyv]

Yes it does have DTS, ive just borrowed a mates copy, he bought the single disc. It looks like its in full screen only..so i wont bother watching it !

 

[kevb]

Originally posted by THX 1138
So does it have a dts track on the R2??

It's not too bad either, I had a quick listen and this is from someone who is not normally that impressed by DTS. If you want a nice new EX/ES demo disk this is the one.

 

[michaelm]

Funny that. I was looking at the packaging today in my local video shop and it stated, quite clearly, that the sound format was DD5.1. No mention AT ALL of dts.

Is someone telling porkies?

 

[I J S]

Drifting slightly OT here, i've just split with my "better" half and as part of our separation we had to divvy up the dvd collection.She's taken all the Disneys,other animation and romance crap and unfortunately i never even saw my copy of Monsters Inc out of the cellophane.

 

[michaelm]

OUCH!

Seriously, I hope you find true happiness in the future.

The dvd's in our household are always referred to as mine by Mrs Michaelm, even the kids ones. Infuriating when one of the kiddies decides to use a disc as a frisbee or coaster or whatever and when I complain it's always "well they're your dvd's you should look after them better". I'll look at it a bit differently in future.

 

[kevb]

The DTS logo is on the disk not the packaging. On the set-up menu under spoken languages there is the option for DTS. It’s Disney’s new standard for collector editions even the new 2 disk version of A Bugs Life will have a DTS soundtrack. Look at these pictures if you don't believe me.

 

[Grimley]

Originally posted by kevb
The DTS logo is on the disk not the packaging. On the set-up menu under spoken languages there is the option for DTS. It’s Disney’s new standard for collector editions even the new 2 disk version of A Bugs Life will have a DTS soundtrack.

Is the DTS track on the standard & the collectors edition or just the collectors edition?

 

[kevb]

I have the collectors edition, I don't know about the standard edition but that only has a 4:3 transfer anyway as far as I am aware. So I would imagine no DTS track on that.

 

[Squirrel God]

Does this mean that they managed DTS and the Sound FX track on the same disk??

If so, you gotta presume that either:

1. The R2 picture is compressed more than the R1
2. The Sound FX track was left off the Canadian for some legal or other reason

Makes you think don't it?

 

[kevb]

The transfer is one of the best I have ever seen stunning would be a good word. The disk is single sided where the R1 is double I understand. The volume on both tracks is quite low compared to other disks I have but again IMO it's reference stuff. I don't know how they got it all on but it's all there.

 

[Squirrel God]

No, R1 is single-sided, double-layered.

Weird... must've left the SFX track off for legal reasons then

After all, when you think about it, the R1 layer change occurs right near the end of the movie so you would've thought they had almost the whole of the 2nd layer to play with... and what did they do? They stuck two short films on Disk 1 even though they're also on Disk 2!

 

[PoochJD]

Hi Again,

1) Nope, no problem with ego at all, thanks!

2) And yes, Squirrel, I know that the film is a kids film, but I was under the impression that was part of the reason why Disney released two versions of the movie onto DVD. A bog-standard version, with the movie in 4:3, no DTS soundtrack, and minimal extras, and the second version in Anamorphic 1.85:1, a DTS soundtrack, and a second disc full of extras - for Collectors!

Or maybe, Disney just presumes that only 10 years olds will buy the Collectors Edition, and thus the Extras must be dumbed-down to cater just for them?!

I don't think so, somehow! Surely, the idea of a Collectors Edition is to cater for to those people who want to know more about the "making of" the film, and how it came to be. I don't want cheesy "Tour Guides To Monstropolis", et al. I want interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, outtakes (that are genuinely funny), and all the other kind of stuff that goes into making this kind of animation.

Anyway, I stand by my original post: "Monsters Inc" is not worth the money, even with the DTS soundtrack. The film simply doesn't stand up to repeated viewings, and the extras are almost worthless!

If you wish to disagree, that's fine, but hey - this is only my opinion!

Pooch

P.S. Anyone else interested in seeing a DVD with only the entire set of Pixar's animated shorts, all on one disc?! That would be a nice Collector's Item!

 

[kevb]

The layer change is at around the 30 min mark on the UK R2.

 

[Squirrel God]

Originally posted by PoochJD
2) And yes, Squirrel, I know that the film is a kids film, but I was under the impression that was part of the reason why Disney released two versions of the movie onto DVD. A bog-standard version, with the movie in 4:3, no DTS soundtrack, and minimal extras, and the second version in Anamorphic 1.85:1, a DTS soundtrack, and a second disc full of extras - for Collectors!

Or maybe, Disney just presumes that only 10 years olds will buy the Collectors Edition, and thus the Extras must be dumbed-down to cater just for them?!

I don't think so, somehow! Surely, the idea of a Collectors Edition is to cater for to those people who want to know more about the "making of" the film, and how it came to be. I don't want cheesy "Tour Guides To Monstropolis", et al. I want interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, outtakes (that are genuinely funny), and all the other kind of stuff that goes into making this kind of animation.

Sure Pooch I take your point but I would expect a collector's edition of a kid's film to include more stuff for the kids. That's how the evil marketing people get the kids to persuade the parents to buy the more expensive collector's edition.

Originally posted by PoochJD
P.S. Anyone else interested in seeing a DVD with only the entire set of Pixar's animated shorts, all on one disc?! That would be a nice Collector's Item!

Yes that would be nice for those who don't have them all on Toy Story, Bugs Life, Monsters Inc etc.

Originally posted by kevb
The layer change is at around the 30 min mark on the UK R2.

Well, there we have it then. The R1 is dual-layered merely to accommodate the last 5 minutes or so of the movie. What a waste!!

 

[Ignatious]

I thought the extras were quite funny, for what it's worth. Seems a bit odd complaining they seemed aimed at children when there's lots of subtle stuff on there. I mean, children are hardly likely to understand the humour behind the new starter induction videos, complete with grainy, played many times, VHS style look these things have.

As for collector's not likely to be children, I don't think I read anywhere that collector's were not allowed to have children?

 

[KBDVD]

Hi All,

Well this Monsters, Inc. release has certainly been straightforward hasn't it? Now even the thread that started yesterday about the inclusion ( or otherwise ) of a DTS track on the R2 release has disappeared!......where / why did it go?

If, as now seem's to be the case, DTS is included on the UK disc, I for one am both very happy, ( I'll buy it for this track + the F/X track that Im missing from my Canadian R1 release ) and very perplexed!

The people responsible for the marketing and promoting this disc have missed a MAJOR opportunity by not having the DTS logo emblazoned on every facet of the DVD's packaging!

We are always hearing sob stories about the number of lost sales of R2 titles due to level of R1 Personal Imports and what we have here is a PRIME opportunity for a UK release to have completely overshadowed it's R1 cousins!

The stage was set, the UK release is after all, 10 days ahead of the R1 release date. So nobody would have been buying R1 just to get it quicker. Had the R2's DTS track been heavily emphasised in all of the pre-release information eminating from the studio it would have created quite a stir and lots of interest!

This may in fact be part of the problem, as it seem's to me that this situation can only indicate either :

1. A complete lack of understanding of the features that Home Cinema enthusiasts desire on their DVD's ( for surely this is the intended market for the Collector's edition? )........= unlikely?

OR

2. Pressure being exerted from within B.V. to not "advertise" this feature too "aggresively" for fear of making the home territories ( USA / CANADA ) dissatisfied with their own versions of this release.....= very likely?

Well there's "Low key" and there's "role over and play dead" guys! For me to be able to go into a shop, hold the packaging in my hand, examine it, and decide NOT TO BUY IT! ( due to the fact that a DTS track is not mentioned anywhere on the packaging ) is just plain ridiculous! and will no doubt result in countless similar missed sales opportunities!

Unless I'm proved wrong, ( for this is only my opinion after all! ) I for one, shall be far less sympathetic to the whinging and whining that goes on about R1 v R2 in future, and shall feel a lot less guilty for not always supporting our home market with my hard earned cash.... If they want to play GLOBAL politics then so can I!

p.s. An earlier post seemed to indicate that the features on disc 2 were inferior / edited in comparison to the R1 release. I would like to know if this is the case?.....comments?

If my Canadian R1 version is anything to go buy, the texture / quality of the screen printing on the label side of the discs seem different & makes me think that disc 2 is a standard disc for both US & Canada. I would therefore assume that in all likelyhood, the same would apply over here and that ALL of the features on disc 2 (worldwide) are identical?.....comments?

Oh....by the way,...............enjoy the film!

Best Regards,
KBDVD.

 

[Dom H]

Whle I thought the film didn't quite pip toy story 1, the disc is definitely one for reference. The visuals and particularly the audio were fan bloody tastic. Lots of bottom end, great clarity in the dialogue, brilliant.

 

[Ian J]

Originally posted by KBDVD
The people responsible for the marketing and promoting this disc have missed a MAJOR opportunity by not having the DTS logo emblazoned on every facet of the DVD's packaging!

The vast majority of people watch DVDs through their television and DTS is of no interest to them.

Many of the rest of us are aware that DTS is mainly marketing hype which leaves a very small amount of people who are that interested in your MAJOR opportunity.

The views of half a dozen people on this forum are not representative of the DVD buying public.

 

[Confucius]

Originally posted by Ian J
Many of the rest of us are aware that DTS is mainly marketing hype

A sweeping generalisation on behalf of the tone-deaf

 

[Grimley]

Originally posted by Ian J

The views of half a dozen people on this forum are not representative of the DVD buying public.

Yep! I reckon that there's many a person out there who would watch a dvd on their 14" or 21" mono telly,
(in the case of monsters inc it would be 4 to 10 year olds)
put it away for many years unplayed.

When dvd finally dies a death or "dvd rot" sets in the only use people would have for them would be drinks coasters or bird scarers (when I mean birds I mean sparrows, thrushes, blackbirds etc.)