9. Mike & Sulley Get Ready For Work - Monsters, Inc.
Part of the magic of movies is their ability to transport us to new worlds that don't exist in our reality. Whether it's a galaxy far, far away, Middle Earth, or people's dreams, there's always places to explore. If a film does take place in a fantasy universe, it's important for the filmmakers to get the audience acclimated to that world early on in the film so we understand the rules the movie will be operating by. Another pertinent function of a first act is to introduce us to the main characters.
Monsters, Inc. does a great job at both of these. While this moment is not as emotional as others on this list, the sequence where we meet Mike and Sulley as they prepare for a day of work is a lot of fun and makes Monstropolis a place you'd want to visit. Right off the bat we get the incredible chemistry between Billy Crystal and John Goodman (their humorous banter while they walk to the factory) and see the film's setting in action. The monster city is not that different from the cities on Earth. Populated with a wide variety of creatures (which helps make it feel more real), Monstropolis feels like a place we would live, only it has monsters. This is part of the genius of
Monsters, Inc. Showing that the monsters that were in our closets are no different from average working Joes, it helped make them relatable and likable. After all, they're just trying to fix their energy crisis.