A Monster in Paris

Paris in 1910 hums with gaslight, music, and moving pictures as Emile, a shy film projectionist, teams with Raoul, a flamboyant inventor, to chase a creature that has the city on edge. They recruit Lucille, the warm hearted star of the Bird of Paradise cabaret, a quirky scientist, and his cantankerous monkey to help investigate rumors, track clues, and keep order. The unlikely crew tunnels through bustling markets, smoky theaters, and riverfront streets, using jokes, gadgets, and teamwork to outsmart suspicious officials and the public panic that grips the metropolis. Their mission becomes less about catching a monster and more about understanding fear, friendship, and what it means to protect the vulnerable when power is misused. Their teamwork earns trust from unlikely allies and reshapes attitudes toward outsiders.

Directed by Bibo Bergeron from a story by Stéphane Kazandjian, A Monster in Paris is an original animated adventure released in 2011. It features Vanessa Paradis, Matthieu Chedid, Gad Elmaleh, François Cluzet and Ludivine Sagnier voicing bold Parisian characters across a bustling cityscape.

Worldwide, A Monster in Paris earned roughly 26.6 million dollars against a 25 million budget, signaling a modest but solid performance that attracted family audiences across multiple international markets and demonstrated demand for European animated features.

Set in a stylized Paris, the film stands out for its retro vibe and musical mood that harken to early cinema and cabaret culture. The ensemble cast and bright color palette gave audiences a distinctly European flavor, helping widen the reach of 2D animated storytelling in the 2010s.

Critics welcomed its warmth, humor, and visual inventiveness, while noting the plot occasionally lingers. The story foregrounds friendship among unlikely allies, courage in the face of fear, and the idea that power should protect citizens rather than manipulate them. It respects family audiences without talking down to them for families seeking upbeat adventures.