- Director: Pete Docter
- Year: 2001
Monsters generate power for their city by entering the human world to scare children at night. Sulley and Mike are the top scare team, but they're terrified of children, believing they're toxic. When a toddler named Boo sneaks into the factory, Sulley and Mike have to hide her. They realize she isn't dangerous, and they discover a corporate plot to kidnap children for energy extraction. They work to return Boo to her room while exposing the CEO's corrupt plans. They discover that children's laughter produces far more energy than screams at the factory.
Takeaways
Monstropolis is running out of power because kids just aren't getting scared as easily anymore. The monsters' deep fear of children keeps them from realizing that kids aren't actually toxic at all. Instead of resorting to kidnapping and force like the corrupt CEO, Sulley finds a better way by making Boo laugh. It turns out that laughter is way more powerful than screams, showing that joy is a much better fuel for their world than fear.