We’re currently in the process of choosing the best quotes from each of the Pixar movies in order of release, but we’ve immediately gone and broken the rules because: Monsters, Inc. celebrated its 20th anniversary last week.
Can you believe it? 20 years! So we’ve understandably been in a reminiscing mindset. We’ve come up with a small list of what we think might be Monsters, Inc.‘s absolute best quotes. If you’re up for a debate, please let us know, but we probably won’t back down.
Simoa’s pick
Monsters, Inc. is a very special movie to me. My oldest niece loved it and watched it so much she even sounded like the Boo doll she brought everywhere. Like the movie, she’s also 20 years old. (The relentless passage of time continues to haunt me). It’s one of Pixar’s most beloved films for good reason. Endlessly innovative and with Pete Docter’s distinct signature. He made it when he was a new father and it’s symbolic of the chaos, uncertainty, fear, and boundless love of parenthood. The writers outdid themselves with the amount of witty lines, helped in no small part by Billy Crystal. There’s so many Mike Wazowski quotes to choose from, but my favorite is spoken by Sulley:
“She’s not scared of you anymore.”
It follows Boo’s triumphant moment where she beats Randall up (one of the best scenes in any movie). Sulley watches her with a father’s pride: she defeated their foe and made the lizard jobless. Never underestimate little girls.
Maya’s pick
“Hey, Sulley, I am baring my soul here. The least you can do is pay attention!”
Each of the buddy pairs from Pixar’s films are memorable and lovable in their own way but there’s something particularly special about Mike and Sulley from Monsters, Inc. In a film as well-composed as this one, sometimes it’s easy to overlook the brilliance of the writing for the less showy aspects of the story. Boo and Sulley’s bond is after all a core part of this story, but we’re invested from the start thanks to the hilarious and sweet friendship between Sulley and Mike.
This scene is easily one of the funniest in the film, as Randall nearly does away with Sulley while an oblivious Mike delivers an apology that’s simultaneously sincere and self-centered. It’s refreshing to see that Mike doesn’t radically change as a character. He doesn’t need to. As we see from beginning to end, Mike just by being there for his best friend is what Sulley needs most.
Joanna’s pick
One of my favourite things about Pixar movies is the sense of humour. There’s just something about them. The jokes always land so perfectly. And I think Monsters, Inc. would be the movie I’d go to first if I was wanting to show someone how funny Pixar can be, and how funny they’ve been right from the beginning. So…having been given the opportunity to showcase my favourite Monsters, Inc. quote, I couldn’t just not. Right?
“Put that thing back where it came from, or so help me!”
It’s the line that I immediately think of when I think of Monsters, Inc. It’s ridiculous, and it leads on to being the silliest recurring joke in the movie. And I love it for that.
Tags: Monsters Inc, quotes Last modified: November 11, 2021
