Pixar: My Ranking

I dont have one child, let alone 23. Yet i feel like trying to pick my favourite Pixar movie would be the equivalent. Its so hard to choose but be honest theres always one that you like more than the rest.

My opinions on what i consider to be the best Pixar film can change on a daily basis so I’ve spent time to put on paper what i truly believe to be the best. By the way when i say I’ve spent time on this what i mean is that I’ve looked at it everyone in a while, changed it, and left it again. The less i changed it, the closer i got to reaching my definitive list.

This ranked is not based on my favourites. At least thats what I’ve tried not to do but that may be how it comes across. Rather this is what i believe to be the best Pixar films in terms of quality per film. This is still my opinion and there may be a couple of surprises, yet everyone has there own list and i want to see how close i can get to yours.

To begin my list at the end, lets start with the most obvious one.

22. Cars 2

It was always going to be. The film put into development for no reason more than the amount of merchandise the film managed to sell from the first movie.

A shift of protagonist from Lightening to Mater was a fantastically poor choice as the comic relieve put into leading roles very rarely pays off (more on that to come). The amount that he appeared in the first film was the right amount if not slightly to much. Suddenly him having all the screen time made from nothing but irritating.

Along with a plot that completely lacked any kind of direction and relevance to the original film, its just not what Pixar are known for (but disney are)

21. The Good Dinosaur

Probably the only other Pixar film that could be considered ‘bad’. It has its fans and i can understand why, but all the off screen troubles that the film experienced runs right through The Good Dinosaur.

Completely changing aspects of the plot, tone, cast off this film well into development lead to an obviously rushed film that again leads any real direction. I would argue that this is the most charmless Pixar film to date. The magic thats made this studio what it is, is just not there, at all.

Only two parts of of this film kinda save face. At the time is was made, it was the most photorealistic animated date and also the relationship between Arlo and Spot. It was strong but not enough to save this flick

20. Cars 3

The first of two movies battling it out to be the most pointless squeal from Pixar. The first, Cars 3. Cars 2 was a disaster in terms of quality, yet a combination of Disney craving that last piece of cash they could scrape out of the franchise on top of Pixar generally feeling they had unfinished business with it meant we got a film that was… meh.

A complete rehash of the plot of the first movie, only changing lightening from a rookie to a veteran. Its a thin plot that they try to hold together with loosely related set pieces and didnt do anything new to justify its meaning.

Its not a bad film, its just pointless.

19. Finding Dory

Part two of ‘Unnecessary squeal’ and ‘Comic relief is now, but shouldn’t be, the protagonist’ is Finding Dory. Again a character thats used the right amount in the original film is pushed into the lime light because of their popularity. But that means it loses something

Making Dory balance comedy with a serious plot means the tone can shift around and not really settle. Also Marin is now the main support and his actions in Find Dory just shouldn’t suit his characters arch from Finding Nemo. Also Nemo is just there in the story because he kinda has to be. He offers nothing.

Its alway going to be hard to hold a candle to the master piece that is the first film and it doesn’t fail, its just not close enough to the first to make it feel like a true great squeal.

18. Brave

I’m actually not going to completely hate on Brave. So much has been said about it which i believe to be harsh. I’m more of a fan of this than most, but that being said it still doesn’t really succeed.

A change of female director in development is again very telling as it doesn’t flow as well in story compared to Pixar’s normal standards, especially about the story of mother and daughter. Again it slightly lacks the standard Pixar charm expected, but i like the story. As Merida is technically a Disney princess, she is the first one to want to get away from her royal heritage and be her own person yet still learn to be close to her family.

Had things been different, i feel like this could have been another typical Pixar masterclass, but its only about 65% of the way there.

17. Monsters University

I dont like prequels. I feel like they’re telling stories that have already been told. That being said i do find Monsters Uni enjoyable. And i know i said i hate the comic relief becoming the protagonist , but in this it kind of works. And being a prequel actually helps this cause.

It also builds the world that wasn’t really explored much in the first film beyond the Monsters Inc factory. We learn that theres more to their work than just what was presented in the original and what Mikes job actually is and generally the importance of what they do.

However the parts that work are hampered by the limited story telling by the fact its a prequel. Thats something that could change in the new Disney+ series.

16. Onward

It doesn’t really feel like your typical Pixar film for a large portion of the movie. In particular because the beginning is very messy. It takes a long time to properly find its feet in the narrative. Obstacles don’t feel organic and completely relevant to the story, but rather added tension in areas that screenwriters couldn’t decide where to go next.

That being said, the finale it another it everything that you want and need. It comes together so well right at the end. Not only is it epic, but it’s emotional that will hit some, if not most, people in the sweet spot that will open the flood gates.

15.Bugs life

Heres where it gets tricky. Bugs life is the first of the Pixar movies that i would class as being great. It was only the second film that they have ever made, yet the Pixar formula was coming together nicely and proving that Toy Story was not a fluke.

Hooper is still one of the best villains Pixar have had, and Disney in general (less said about the actor the better). The story of an outcast retuning the save the day despite being pushed out and learn to still put trust in himself.

All that holds it back is that its an early film that Pixar learnt from the create much better films. Still 10x better than Antz

14.Incredibles 2

A lot of people came out to say that Incredibles 2 better better than the first. Its not. Incredibles was always going to be better. But after 14 years to make a sequel that challenges that is still an achievement.

It does everything a sequel should do. It builds on the story and character arch of the first while building the world up and overall closely ties into what made the first thing a classic.

The one area is does lack. Villain. I’ll get to Syndrome later, but all that needs to be said now is Screensaver does not step up to the plate. Its still a work of art that Brad Bird should be proud of.

13.Cars

Again, a film that i believe gets a really bad wrap but i feel is underserved. And that was before Cars 2 and 3 came out. Not a masterclass by any means but you would think this was unwatchable from people reviews of it.

I never was much of a Mater fan and because of that the humour does lack, but the story is up there with one of the best in my opinion and executed really well. A race car learning to slow down, enjoy lifand relaise theres more to lofe than winning just works for me.

Theres still a lot not to like about Cars, but theres enough charm to push it up the list in my opinion

12.Toy Story 4

One thing that i am certain of with this franchise its that its the worst of the 4. That sounds harsh and it is. The original trilogy is almost flawless and being that was going to be incredibly difficult.

Its probably the funniest of the four in terms of the amount of jokes the film has compared to the others. The new characters are all really great and Bo-Peep returning as a bad ass is exactly what fits in this day and age.

Ultimately, this is Woodys story which is fine but it does mean all the other toys take a back seat, which takes away from the story as a whole. It doesn’t hit me emotionally like the second and third did. All i ask now is let the toys rest (looking at you again Disney.)

11.Ratatouille

It just misses out on the top 10 and i feel bad for putting it so low in the list. I’m sure it will frustrate a lot of people off as I’ve seen Ratatouille top a lot of peoples ranked lists.

For me personally, its just never been near my favourite movie and i cant really say why. Maybe its because I’m not a great cook (ironically not everyone can cook). I think its the lack of tension that the film holds.

This does have more of something than any other Pixar film does. Charm. This film absolutely oozes charm. The love this film has in the city of love is unrivalled.

10.Coco

Now its getting tricky! Had it been a few years older it would be considered a classic. More time will serve it well.

To tackle such a big holiday from a culture that has not been fully explored in film could mean that it closes its self off from the larger population. However, the story of family is something that resinates with everyone and the story is truly exceptional. Combine that with a beautiful musical score from Michael Giacchino and you have the makings of a typical Pixar flick.

In terms of emotion, i could talk about ‘That’ scene for days.

9.Toy Story

This might be the first really controversial placement on the list. A film that tops a lot of critics charts only getting to number 9. Its not easy for me to do. Toy Story was my first favourite film. It set in motion a series of events that changed cinema dramatically

However being the first ever computer generated film, despite being an achievement in itself, means that those wrinkles had not been ironed out that future fully computer animated films could make.

While its harsh to grade Toy Story lower because of its limitations of the time, it still does mean that overall its just not a good as future Pixar films if you remove the nostalgia. Comparing it to just the other toy story’s alone shows the emotional aspects don’t hit you like the others do.

8.Finding Nemo

Who knew that a film about a single dad struggling to control his kid having a tantrum and getting kidnapped (but in the form of fish) would be so good.

A feel like Nemo was the film that cemented Pixar as a cinematic powerhouse. So much heart and emotion and relationships that every person can related to that spans the entire ocean. Marlin is such a real character and speaks to the adults in the audience while Nemo is the children’s view into there world producing a superb family film.

The animation is stunning, story flawless, structure/ pacing on point and Dory is one of the ‘great’ supporting characters.

7.Toy Story 2

Many don’t see Toy Story 2 as a film that holds up as well compared to the original. Yet it does everything that the first film achieves but builds and improves on them.

Scenes such as Jessie’s song adds Pixar’s first truly emotional moment thats become part of what they are. Woodys arc plays out so much better compared to the first and the secondary toys are given much more to do. The humour is so pure it’s the Visuals really do step it up.

Plus the ASMR scene withWoody (when hes being fixed) makes be feel tingly.

6.Up

“The first 10 minutes is perfection. The rest is simply Pixar.” That is my favourite review of all time. To use Pixar as a verb to describe brilliance in film is definitely something that i need to add to my vocabulary.

Yes the first act is stupendous and some of the best scenes in film history of many reason which deserve an article in itself. However peoples perceptions on the rest of the film are slightly hamper by this. You could argue that the rest of the movie isn’t quite up to the same level, which is harsh. Once you introduce the fantasy aspect, the film diverts into a different direction so its hard to compare.

It was my favourite Pixar film for a long time, and i still consider it a masterpiece

5.Walle

Between this and Ratatouille, this was Pixar’s risky project. A movie that is heavy on the effects of global warming , little dialogue and having dull, bleak visuals for the first part of the movie is pushing it in a childrens movie. So why does Wall-E work so well?

What it lacks in dialogue it makes up for in visual spectacle. How the film still manages to perfectly communicate through sound and gestures is incredible. They build up fantastic characters including their personalities more than most blockbuster films can do in this age.

You can take the film for the deeper meaning of what we’re doing to the planet, or on face of it a love story. The ideal family film that kids can understand more when they grow up and get to know the effect they are having on the environment.

4.Monsters inc

The first film that Pete Docter’s directed. Some had doubts over his ability to bring this to screen. No one is thinking that now.

The friendship between Mike and Sully grounds a film thats completely based in fantasy with one of the greatest ‘Bromances’ in movie history. The performances of John Goodman and Billy Crystal are certainly the reason behind that but their castings were absolutely perfect.

Add in Boo to the mix and what you have it the unexpected beautiful relationship between her and Sully that brings in that charm that is what Pixar is all about. Not only that but Boo is a little bad ass female character that deserves more credit for what she offers to the film. She was missed in the prequel.

3.Toy Story 3

If you take the risk of releasing a sequel for your most famous property then you better get it right. Not only did they get it right for Toy Story 3, but they somehow managed to surpass the quality of the previous films as well. Thats a rarity in film, especially with 11 years of anticipation and expectation behind it.

Yet the plot Toy Story 3 is pitched to absolute perfection. Ever toy featured gets there chance to shine but it still manages to introduce new toys and characters and not detour from the main narrative. You are very quickly sucked back into the world of Toy Story and makes it feel like you never left.

Its a perfect trilogy and can be argued that its be best trilogy of all time. The ending couldn’t have been any better, and leaves the world of sentient toys beautifully. Theres still an argument it should have been left that way.

2.Inside out

I have the feeling (pun definitely intended) that no one else would rank Inside Out this high. My answer to that would be watch the film again and tell me that this film isn’t a masterpiece.

The plot is split into two parts. If you take away everything that the emotions are part of, what youre left with is a film about a young girl lost and struggling with her mental health at a time when shes most vulnerable. Its a fantastic lesson to young people growing up. Along with the deeper meaning, add in brilliantly characters and voice acting, the best humour of any Pixar movie and a glorious. Also, who didn’t cry at Bing Bongs death.

Its my favourite film of the entire Pixar collection. However, it still didn’t make my number one as the best Pixar have ever made.

1.Incredibles

Brad Bird is nothing short of a genius. Tell me a way to improve the incredibles and i will immediately disagree with you. There is not one thing, not one single part of this piece of art that falls under the category of good. All of it, and the film as a whole, is what they call, perfection.

Balancing the life of superhero work with normal family dynamics works on so many levels. An ageing father thats hitting his mid life crisis, a mother over stretching the keep the family together, a boy with an abundance of energy and an insecure teenage girl. Even down to the unpredictability of a baby. Every character gets there time to shine in a way that is believable and also directly links to there powers.

I would argue that what makes this a masterpiece is the pacing which brilliantly keeps the momentum going even as the film slows down at time. Add to that the superb score by Michael Giaachino, the retro feel which puts you back into the 60s/70s when it was set and of course the shunning villain which can rival again cinematic bad guy.