How does the animation in the new series Monsters At Work compare to the animation in the original Monsters Inc. (2001)? Disney and Pixar’s latest entry in the Monsters franchise recently dropped on Disney+, giving audiences their first return to the monster world since 2013’s prequel film Monsters University. The series is also the first long-form CGI animated project based on a Pixar property.
Monsters At Work takes place six months after the events of the first Monsters Inc. and tells the story of a young scarer named Tylor Tuskmon who dreams of working alongside his heroes. Unfortunately for Tylor, by the time he graduates from Monsters University and lands a job at Monsters Inc., the company has successfully transitioned from scaring children to making them laugh. With familiar monster characters like Sulley and Mike along for the ride, Tylor must take the situation in stride and work to prove himself in a world where being scary is no longer necessary.
In terms of its visual presentation, Monsters At Work represents an interesting evolution point in the Monsters franchise. In the 20 years since the release of the original Monsters Inc. (and 26 years since Pixar movies started being produced), CG animation has made leaps and bounds when it comes to textures, environments, and character movements. With so much time having passed and the latest technology at the show’s disposal, how comparable is the animation of Monsters At Work to the original film?
Aside from the two-decade time jump, the biggest change for Monster’s At Work‘s animation is the fact that Pixar did not animate the series themselves. The production was instead outsourced to Canadian animation company ICON Creative Studio, which was tasked with creating a series that felt visually at home in the world of Monsters Inc. As essentially a television production, Monsters At Work was given a much smaller budget than would typically be allocated to a feature-length Pixar film, meaning that the animation isn’t quite up to the high standards of feature films like Monsters University.
Even without Pixar’s involvement, however, the animation of Monsters At Work really does put into perspective just how many years have passed since the original Monsters Inc. While the classic first film remains a beautifully animated feast for the eyes, the animation and texturing of the characters definitely give away its age; on modern screens and in the 4k format, it looks dated. But with the lower price tag and faster turnaround on the animation and character work of Monsters At Work, the result is its visuals are actually quite similar to those of Monsters Inc. So, in the end, the aesthetics of the world fit perfectly with the universe that audiences are familiar with. The characters and environments are detailed and well-textured, so whether by design or circumstance, Monsters At Work manages to do justice to the stellar animation of the film that started it all back in 2001.
