Pixar Ranking Finale
We finally conclude my overly long Pixar ranking with the best of the best. These movies I am more willing to repeat, or just had strong scoring in the four categories that anything lower than ten would be a disservice to them. Let's see what is considered, the best Pixar films.
10. Soul |
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The first Pixar movie to be released directly to Disney+, Soul was a good return to form. Soul I think really works in the beginning and the end, but what I take issue with is the ‘soul world’, which is what the movie is supposed to be about.
The world building I think is a hit and a miss. While I do like the prospect of the soul world, and how certain concepts are done. But many seemed like a copycat of what Inside Out did, but this was worse. Many places in the soul world are just fluffy cloud like buildings that are told will provide a soul with that kind of trait. However, what interested me more was the real world, and what I think a lot of other Pixar worlds set in the real-world lack, community. We get a real sense of culture as we see Joe’s block and how he interacts with the people who live there. And while we don’t get much changes in scenery, the world feels alive by showing train stations, shops, and people constantly populating the streets.
The characters are mainly Joe and Twenty-two. Joe is a pretty relatable protagonist. He feels stuck in a job he’s been doing for years and craves to play true jazz in a band. Honestly, his motivation isn’t far off from Miguel from Coco (which is higher on this list), except his mother encourages his music, but she wants him to have a stable job, and not just constantly wandering from place to place. Joe is very motivated, and similar to Mike from Monsters University, doesn’t let anyone stop him from accomplishing his dream. Twenty-two is a character that has highs and lows. When I first watched this movie, I couldn’t stand this character. On second viewing after I knew how the movie would end, I came to accept Twenty-two as being an obstacle in Joe’s way since the destination he was trying to rush back to wasn’t what he needed. Twenty-two comes off as a bit cynical in the beginning as she has been a soul for hundred of years and has never gone to Earth simply because of her lack of interest. When Twenty-two does go to Earth and starts to become invested in earthly mundane things, it helps Joe make his decision in the end.
The story is pretty straight-forward. After years of being a part-time music teacher, Joe finally gets the opportunity to play in a Jazz band, his life long dream. He then dies. Not wanting to accept his fate, he tries to find a way to return to his body so he can live out his dream. He meets Twenty-two, who offers to help him if he helps her stay in the soul world forever, and avoid going to Earth. Over the film these two get closer, and while I’m not a fan of the typical body swap, I can see why it was done narratively.
The message is surprisingly strong and is what helped propel this to the top ten. Sometimes what we love to do is not our purpose. Your dream might just be that. You can have hobbies, but never think those are your sole purpose in life. I really like this, since it plays so true to real life. There was no fairy-tale sugar coating here, and I think more animated movies need this.
This is definitely a film I recommend watching. While I still think it’s slow in some parts in the middle, some pretty forgettable characters outside of the main two, and some missed opportunities involving more of Joe’s community, the ending message of this film is that good. There’s also a couple of scenes in the middle (the barber shop and the suit scene) are stand outs for me that feel like actual human interactions and not just scripted movie scenes. This film has some great scenes, but as a whole I just didn’t see it competing against the next nine movies. It does have soul, but a little hollow elsewhere.
The world building I think is a hit and a miss. While I do like the prospect of the soul world, and how certain concepts are done. But many seemed like a copycat of what Inside Out did, but this was worse. Many places in the soul world are just fluffy cloud like buildings that are told will provide a soul with that kind of trait. However, what interested me more was the real world, and what I think a lot of other Pixar worlds set in the real-world lack, community. We get a real sense of culture as we see Joe’s block and how he interacts with the people who live there. And while we don’t get much changes in scenery, the world feels alive by showing train stations, shops, and people constantly populating the streets.
The characters are mainly Joe and Twenty-two. Joe is a pretty relatable protagonist. He feels stuck in a job he’s been doing for years and craves to play true jazz in a band. Honestly, his motivation isn’t far off from Miguel from Coco (which is higher on this list), except his mother encourages his music, but she wants him to have a stable job, and not just constantly wandering from place to place. Joe is very motivated, and similar to Mike from Monsters University, doesn’t let anyone stop him from accomplishing his dream. Twenty-two is a character that has highs and lows. When I first watched this movie, I couldn’t stand this character. On second viewing after I knew how the movie would end, I came to accept Twenty-two as being an obstacle in Joe’s way since the destination he was trying to rush back to wasn’t what he needed. Twenty-two comes off as a bit cynical in the beginning as she has been a soul for hundred of years and has never gone to Earth simply because of her lack of interest. When Twenty-two does go to Earth and starts to become invested in earthly mundane things, it helps Joe make his decision in the end.
The story is pretty straight-forward. After years of being a part-time music teacher, Joe finally gets the opportunity to play in a Jazz band, his life long dream. He then dies. Not wanting to accept his fate, he tries to find a way to return to his body so he can live out his dream. He meets Twenty-two, who offers to help him if he helps her stay in the soul world forever, and avoid going to Earth. Over the film these two get closer, and while I’m not a fan of the typical body swap, I can see why it was done narratively.
The message is surprisingly strong and is what helped propel this to the top ten. Sometimes what we love to do is not our purpose. Your dream might just be that. You can have hobbies, but never think those are your sole purpose in life. I really like this, since it plays so true to real life. There was no fairy-tale sugar coating here, and I think more animated movies need this.
This is definitely a film I recommend watching. While I still think it’s slow in some parts in the middle, some pretty forgettable characters outside of the main two, and some missed opportunities involving more of Joe’s community, the ending message of this film is that good. There’s also a couple of scenes in the middle (the barber shop and the suit scene) are stand outs for me that feel like actual human interactions and not just scripted movie scenes. This film has some great scenes, but as a whole I just didn’t see it competing against the next nine movies. It does have soul, but a little hollow elsewhere.
9. Monsters Inc. |
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I always thought Monsters Inc. was a unique concept when I first saw it. It was this film that convinced me Pixar could literally do a movie on any kind of subject and make it interesting to watch. While the prequel had a stronger, and more impactful message, the world building and characters were established in this one.
The world building I always thought was interesting. It like the real world with a twist. While I think they pushed the envelope more in the prequel thanks to better technology, I get a better sense of scope in this one. We are shown all different sizes of monsters and how they interact with their environment. Each time I watch, I find something else in the background I missed before. Most of the movie takes place at, shockingly, Monsters Inc., and the warehouses and offices are all populated with no random empty space. Environments are done best when they feel lived in, and not just sets. The doors being gateways into other worlds also open up so many possibilities, and towards the third act, we get to see some other human locations through the doors, which makes this world so much larger.
The characters all stand out here. Mike and Sully, Sylvia, Randall, Mr. Waternoose. The fact I can remember their names mean something. While Boo feels like more of a plot device, she still helps Sully change his world view of what’s truly important, while also causing a split in his and Mike’s relationship as what they had been working for this whole time. Randall is a weaselly villain, fooling most of the audience into believing he is the one pulling the strings. I also found much of the comedy from these characters to be greater here than other Pixar movies.
The story can easily boil down to human child enters the monster world, which throws everything into chaos. Sully vows to get the kid back to her room, before anyone happens to notice she was there. What I think is also a strong plot that’s usually overlooked is the fact scream power, the energy used to power the city, is fading. With kids not getting scared of monsters like they used to, this has caused an energy shortage, and the possible shutdown of Monster’s Inc. if nothing is done. When I was a kid, I missed the whole energy scarce due to the fact it’s all revealed in dialogue. As an adult, I actually listen to what characters say and was blown away how much of a larger plot this is. I wished this was expressed more visually than just verbally. If there’s an energy crisis, many we would see a lot of lights not on, or the city is majorly dark at night because of this. While I think the Boo plot works for kids, as an adult, I was more interested in this plot.
The message of learning to adapt and not letting first impressions be your sole impression is an alright message. While Monsters University and Soul have much stronger messages, having better defined characters and balancing two stories at the same time caused this one to edge them out.
Despite Monsters Inc. being one of the earlier Pixar films, it was one that never overly exhausted me to watch compared to some other films. If it’s been a while since you’ve seen this movie, go back and watch again with the energy scarcity in mind, and the movie becomes more valuable.
The world building I always thought was interesting. It like the real world with a twist. While I think they pushed the envelope more in the prequel thanks to better technology, I get a better sense of scope in this one. We are shown all different sizes of monsters and how they interact with their environment. Each time I watch, I find something else in the background I missed before. Most of the movie takes place at, shockingly, Monsters Inc., and the warehouses and offices are all populated with no random empty space. Environments are done best when they feel lived in, and not just sets. The doors being gateways into other worlds also open up so many possibilities, and towards the third act, we get to see some other human locations through the doors, which makes this world so much larger.
The characters all stand out here. Mike and Sully, Sylvia, Randall, Mr. Waternoose. The fact I can remember their names mean something. While Boo feels like more of a plot device, she still helps Sully change his world view of what’s truly important, while also causing a split in his and Mike’s relationship as what they had been working for this whole time. Randall is a weaselly villain, fooling most of the audience into believing he is the one pulling the strings. I also found much of the comedy from these characters to be greater here than other Pixar movies.
The story can easily boil down to human child enters the monster world, which throws everything into chaos. Sully vows to get the kid back to her room, before anyone happens to notice she was there. What I think is also a strong plot that’s usually overlooked is the fact scream power, the energy used to power the city, is fading. With kids not getting scared of monsters like they used to, this has caused an energy shortage, and the possible shutdown of Monster’s Inc. if nothing is done. When I was a kid, I missed the whole energy scarce due to the fact it’s all revealed in dialogue. As an adult, I actually listen to what characters say and was blown away how much of a larger plot this is. I wished this was expressed more visually than just verbally. If there’s an energy crisis, many we would see a lot of lights not on, or the city is majorly dark at night because of this. While I think the Boo plot works for kids, as an adult, I was more interested in this plot.
The message of learning to adapt and not letting first impressions be your sole impression is an alright message. While Monsters University and Soul have much stronger messages, having better defined characters and balancing two stories at the same time caused this one to edge them out.
Despite Monsters Inc. being one of the earlier Pixar films, it was one that never overly exhausted me to watch compared to some other films. If it’s been a while since you’ve seen this movie, go back and watch again with the energy scarcity in mind, and the movie becomes more valuable.
8. Finding Nemo |
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It was hard to not put this film lower on the list due to personal bias. Between this and The Incredibles, it had become so overplayed in my household, any time it came on, I had to leave the room. I was sick of the characters, the plot, the ocean. At one time I could quote every line from the movie. But this list isn’t based on personal preference of which one I like watching. Despite how tired I am of this film, there’s no denying the value this film has.
The world building is how Luca should have inspired to be. We get to see the ocean, and how the creatures interact with it. I can understand why some science teachers use this film to teach kids about certain creatures. Pixar did their homework to make each coral, anemone, fish, and mammal as accurate as possible. We also get a view of Australia, but from specifically the coast. For once, I like the narrow view. Australia is large, and it would be easy to include other animals from the country but keeping this focused on the main fish was a wise choice.
The characters are better defined here than Finding Dory did. Marlin is a paranoid clownfish that becomes overprotective of Nemo after his wife and remaining children are eaten by a barracuda. We see why Marlin is like this, but we also see he has taken it too far. Nemo is a typical child being smothered by their parent. He wants to be his own fish, but he can’t when his dad is there constantly protecting him from anything happening to him. Dory is balanced here as her memory loss isn’t used so frivolously. The only thing she does surprisingly remember is the address they need, and while you could say that is also advancing the plot, I find it was done excessively more in the sequel than here. Dory helps Marlin relax, and learn that he can’t protect his son from everything or nothing will ever happen to him.
The story and characters blend very well. Nemo gets kidnapped by human divers when he tries to defy his father from being overprotective. When I was younger, I thought Nemo was a brat, because if he would’ve listened, he never would’ve been kidnapped. But as I grew older, and was able to understand what was being said, it was clear this needed to happen. Marlin needed to realize he would not always be there for Nemo, and Nemo would not always have his father protecting him. Nemo had to learn to do things on his own, and thus became more confident. Marlin had to learn to let go and trust his son will make his own decisions.
The message of the toxicity of overprotectiveness in substitution of love has been done before, but I rarely see it throughout the movie. Usually this message is played at the beginning to give the main character reason to leave their situation, and then it’s not brought up again until the end. In Finding Nemo, Marlin thinks his overprotectiveness is justified, even tame by his standards. And as the film continues his view of this starts to loosen as he experiences how others with children act, and Dory helping him see how his actions is what caused Nemo to be kidnapped in the first place.
This is a good Pixar film. Personally, I would have rated Monsters Inc. over this, but how the characters interact with their environment, and each character brought in serves a purpose to Marlin’s growth scores this one higher. Am I still tired of this movie? Yes, the burnout is real. But I will still sit through this movie twenty more times than watch Finding Dory again.
The world building is how Luca should have inspired to be. We get to see the ocean, and how the creatures interact with it. I can understand why some science teachers use this film to teach kids about certain creatures. Pixar did their homework to make each coral, anemone, fish, and mammal as accurate as possible. We also get a view of Australia, but from specifically the coast. For once, I like the narrow view. Australia is large, and it would be easy to include other animals from the country but keeping this focused on the main fish was a wise choice.
The characters are better defined here than Finding Dory did. Marlin is a paranoid clownfish that becomes overprotective of Nemo after his wife and remaining children are eaten by a barracuda. We see why Marlin is like this, but we also see he has taken it too far. Nemo is a typical child being smothered by their parent. He wants to be his own fish, but he can’t when his dad is there constantly protecting him from anything happening to him. Dory is balanced here as her memory loss isn’t used so frivolously. The only thing she does surprisingly remember is the address they need, and while you could say that is also advancing the plot, I find it was done excessively more in the sequel than here. Dory helps Marlin relax, and learn that he can’t protect his son from everything or nothing will ever happen to him.
The story and characters blend very well. Nemo gets kidnapped by human divers when he tries to defy his father from being overprotective. When I was younger, I thought Nemo was a brat, because if he would’ve listened, he never would’ve been kidnapped. But as I grew older, and was able to understand what was being said, it was clear this needed to happen. Marlin needed to realize he would not always be there for Nemo, and Nemo would not always have his father protecting him. Nemo had to learn to do things on his own, and thus became more confident. Marlin had to learn to let go and trust his son will make his own decisions.
The message of the toxicity of overprotectiveness in substitution of love has been done before, but I rarely see it throughout the movie. Usually this message is played at the beginning to give the main character reason to leave their situation, and then it’s not brought up again until the end. In Finding Nemo, Marlin thinks his overprotectiveness is justified, even tame by his standards. And as the film continues his view of this starts to loosen as he experiences how others with children act, and Dory helping him see how his actions is what caused Nemo to be kidnapped in the first place.
This is a good Pixar film. Personally, I would have rated Monsters Inc. over this, but how the characters interact with their environment, and each character brought in serves a purpose to Marlin’s growth scores this one higher. Am I still tired of this movie? Yes, the burnout is real. But I will still sit through this movie twenty more times than watch Finding Dory again.
7. Inside Out |
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Probably the most extreme hot take to come out of this ranking. When I first saw this movie, I hated it. The plot holes bothered me, characters were inconsistent, and there’s a lot of slow moments in this movie that drag. I never could understand how some people say this is their favorite Pixar movie. I would say, really? But for the sake of this review, I watched it again. And I can say my opinion has changed on it (See? I can grow as a person, and not just swim in the negativity).
The world building is by far one of the most extensive I’ve ever seen. I’ve heard about the comparisons to Osmosis Jones, but other than the control room, I didn’t see many similarities. Mainly because Inside Out deals with construct thought and emotion, not so much how the body works. How they represent memories, the train of thought, the movie studio that make dreams, all of this I thought was clever and really well done. This movie really utilizes everything that’s introduced, and it’s stronger for it.
The characters still bothered me when watching the film. This issue with the characters is the fact they are emotions. Emotions are just that. So, if you have a character called ‘Joy’ and she is the emotion with the same name, she should only be joyful all the time. Obviously, this would be hard to tell a good story if they are unable to show another emotion, but this is where the cracks start to show. We see Joy show signs of annoyance, fear, and even sadness. How is she able to do that? Answer is she shouldn’t. Now I overcame this by viewing this as all Riley. The girl all these emotions are inhabiting. By saying all these emotions were just Riley, I was able to process it a bit better. Riley, who has been happy her whole life, and is told to be happy for others, has to learn she can be sad. Sadness was another character I hated during first watch because of how much she slowed down Joy, but on second watch I saw how much Sadness was needed. And if Joy (or to some extent Riley) just embraced Sadness, she could’ve healed much faster and come to terms with her situation.
The story is filled with plot holes that could have been solved if there was a line of dialogue here or there, but unfortunately, I’m left to wonder why this decision was made. Riley moves to a new town, and Joy tries to keep Riley happy in her new setting. She uses core memories to keep Riley remembering all the happy times she used to have. This all changes when Sadness touches one of the core memories and turns it from its joyful color to a saddened one. Shenanigans ensue to the point the core memories get sucked up by a tube taking Joy and Sadness with it. Joy makes it her mission to get the core memories back to headquarters before Riley falls apart. Their journey feels pointless when I’m thinking the whole time they could send the core memories up the tubes and get them back that way. But they never do that. I just have to assume Joy is such a dictator, she would rather have Riley fall apart, than to let her joyful memories be tainted by another emotion.
The message of not having to pretend to be happy for anyone else’s sake is a message I could’ve used when I was younger. Being told to suck it up, or forced to smile so no one thinks anything is wrong with you is unhealthy. And I think this movie shows you can embrace both emotions equally.
I did change my mind on this film, but man did I have to do a lot of legwork to make this work. If you are a person who is not bothered by plot holes, and not overanalyzing characters, you will probably love this one. And like I said, when I viewed all the emotions as Riley and her trying to find a way to process her grief when she has been told to be happy this whole time really does work for me. But I did have to create story plots for the movie to justify their journey. I also wish the other emotions got a little bit more to do, since they just kind of freak out and screw things up until Joy and Sadness return. I don’t despise this film anymore, but the issues it does display hold it back from being any higher.
The world building is by far one of the most extensive I’ve ever seen. I’ve heard about the comparisons to Osmosis Jones, but other than the control room, I didn’t see many similarities. Mainly because Inside Out deals with construct thought and emotion, not so much how the body works. How they represent memories, the train of thought, the movie studio that make dreams, all of this I thought was clever and really well done. This movie really utilizes everything that’s introduced, and it’s stronger for it.
The characters still bothered me when watching the film. This issue with the characters is the fact they are emotions. Emotions are just that. So, if you have a character called ‘Joy’ and she is the emotion with the same name, she should only be joyful all the time. Obviously, this would be hard to tell a good story if they are unable to show another emotion, but this is where the cracks start to show. We see Joy show signs of annoyance, fear, and even sadness. How is she able to do that? Answer is she shouldn’t. Now I overcame this by viewing this as all Riley. The girl all these emotions are inhabiting. By saying all these emotions were just Riley, I was able to process it a bit better. Riley, who has been happy her whole life, and is told to be happy for others, has to learn she can be sad. Sadness was another character I hated during first watch because of how much she slowed down Joy, but on second watch I saw how much Sadness was needed. And if Joy (or to some extent Riley) just embraced Sadness, she could’ve healed much faster and come to terms with her situation.
The story is filled with plot holes that could have been solved if there was a line of dialogue here or there, but unfortunately, I’m left to wonder why this decision was made. Riley moves to a new town, and Joy tries to keep Riley happy in her new setting. She uses core memories to keep Riley remembering all the happy times she used to have. This all changes when Sadness touches one of the core memories and turns it from its joyful color to a saddened one. Shenanigans ensue to the point the core memories get sucked up by a tube taking Joy and Sadness with it. Joy makes it her mission to get the core memories back to headquarters before Riley falls apart. Their journey feels pointless when I’m thinking the whole time they could send the core memories up the tubes and get them back that way. But they never do that. I just have to assume Joy is such a dictator, she would rather have Riley fall apart, than to let her joyful memories be tainted by another emotion.
The message of not having to pretend to be happy for anyone else’s sake is a message I could’ve used when I was younger. Being told to suck it up, or forced to smile so no one thinks anything is wrong with you is unhealthy. And I think this movie shows you can embrace both emotions equally.
I did change my mind on this film, but man did I have to do a lot of legwork to make this work. If you are a person who is not bothered by plot holes, and not overanalyzing characters, you will probably love this one. And like I said, when I viewed all the emotions as Riley and her trying to find a way to process her grief when she has been told to be happy this whole time really does work for me. But I did have to create story plots for the movie to justify their journey. I also wish the other emotions got a little bit more to do, since they just kind of freak out and screw things up until Joy and Sadness return. I don’t despise this film anymore, but the issues it does display hold it back from being any higher.
6. Toy Story 2 |
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This one breaks my heart. In terms of popularity and re-watch value, Toy Story 2 is my favorite out of the Toy Story series, and yet it’s only number six here. Setting bias aside, this film does have some hiccups here and there, but it’s still a solid entry.
The world building is improved from the first film due to the enhanced technology. The toy store, I argue is the best place since it shows the other toys reacting to their environment. We also get to see how the toys interact with the outside, and how to avoid detection by the humans. The airport was also well done by keeping simplistic while also showing the vast scope of it compared to the toys’ size.
The characters are improved here having learned from the last movie. Woody and Buzz are best friends. Woody will risk his life to rescue a forgotten toy. And when he’s kidnapped, the other toys spring into action to rescue him. Each character still remembers what they did in the previous movie, and they don’t relearn the same lesson for this movie. Buzz takes charge when Woody is kidnapped and leads the rest across unknown territory to save his friend. This movie gave Buzz the most to do than the remaining sequels. Woody has to comes to grips that soon Andy will grow up, and he will be left behind. Further developing his character for the future movies where his decision here affects him in those. We also get new characters as well with the addition of Jessie, Bullseye, and Stinky Pete. The first Disney-Pixar twist villain to later plague us in every movie afterwards. Stinky Pete’s motivation is solid, and not outright dastardly. He has a goal, and he will be nice to anyone who helps him achieve it, meanwhile, if you stand in his way, he won’t hesitate to remove you as an obstacle.
The story, which I’ve already hinted on, cements this as a Woody-centric story. Woody is kidnapped by a collector, and Buzz and the gang have to rescue him. Woody has to come to terms with either going to a museum where he will be preserved and admired forever from afar, or staying with Andy, which is short term. Woody struggles with either keeping his purpose or favoring self-preservation. In the end, he chooses his friends, valuing to stay together with Andy than being admired from afar.
The message of Toy Story 2 is almost the same as Toy Story 4. Nothing lasts forever, and Woody realizes Andy will not stay young, and there is a chance he might be forgotten. But he takes the risk just so he can spend as much time with the kid he watched grow up. I think it was kind of poetic seeing this same message in Toy Story 4, but instead the situation was reversed.
Toy Story 2 is still my favorite Toy Story, and nothing will change that. This has comedy, the Pixar emotional scene ™, and new characters that affect the narrative. However, this was still Woody’s story. And if you’ve been keeping track, there’s one Toy Story that does a better job with saying this is all the toys’ story.
The world building is improved from the first film due to the enhanced technology. The toy store, I argue is the best place since it shows the other toys reacting to their environment. We also get to see how the toys interact with the outside, and how to avoid detection by the humans. The airport was also well done by keeping simplistic while also showing the vast scope of it compared to the toys’ size.
The characters are improved here having learned from the last movie. Woody and Buzz are best friends. Woody will risk his life to rescue a forgotten toy. And when he’s kidnapped, the other toys spring into action to rescue him. Each character still remembers what they did in the previous movie, and they don’t relearn the same lesson for this movie. Buzz takes charge when Woody is kidnapped and leads the rest across unknown territory to save his friend. This movie gave Buzz the most to do than the remaining sequels. Woody has to comes to grips that soon Andy will grow up, and he will be left behind. Further developing his character for the future movies where his decision here affects him in those. We also get new characters as well with the addition of Jessie, Bullseye, and Stinky Pete. The first Disney-Pixar twist villain to later plague us in every movie afterwards. Stinky Pete’s motivation is solid, and not outright dastardly. He has a goal, and he will be nice to anyone who helps him achieve it, meanwhile, if you stand in his way, he won’t hesitate to remove you as an obstacle.
The story, which I’ve already hinted on, cements this as a Woody-centric story. Woody is kidnapped by a collector, and Buzz and the gang have to rescue him. Woody has to come to terms with either going to a museum where he will be preserved and admired forever from afar, or staying with Andy, which is short term. Woody struggles with either keeping his purpose or favoring self-preservation. In the end, he chooses his friends, valuing to stay together with Andy than being admired from afar.
The message of Toy Story 2 is almost the same as Toy Story 4. Nothing lasts forever, and Woody realizes Andy will not stay young, and there is a chance he might be forgotten. But he takes the risk just so he can spend as much time with the kid he watched grow up. I think it was kind of poetic seeing this same message in Toy Story 4, but instead the situation was reversed.
Toy Story 2 is still my favorite Toy Story, and nothing will change that. This has comedy, the Pixar emotional scene ™, and new characters that affect the narrative. However, this was still Woody’s story. And if you’ve been keeping track, there’s one Toy Story that does a better job with saying this is all the toys’ story.
5. Toy Story 3 |
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When I first saw Toy Story 3, I didn’t essentially like this movie, but thought it was a good ending for the series. You know, before Pixar decided to milk this franchise for more. But aside from the ending, why is this movie better than Toy Story 2? Well, on re-watch, I was surprised how much the story and other characters had my interest.
The world building in this is a little dial in from the second one. We don’t visit many locations in this film like we did in the second one, but each new location introduced has meaningful impact to the story and characters. The daycare is where we spend most of the time, and I like how we have two different views of it. We are also introduced to Bonnie’s room in this movie, which isn’t as iconic as Andy’s room, but I think that’s the point. And then the incinerator is probably one of the most intense scenes in a Pixar movie I’ve seen.
The side characters really get to shine in this one. This movie showed what happens when Woody and Buzz aren’t there to hold their hands, and I like we get to see how they problem solve everything. Woody is still the same character, as he knows Andy is growing up and they are all going to be left behind, but at this state he believes its more important to be there for Andy whenever he needs them, compared to this change of heart in Toy Story 4. Buzz is a bit worse here. He’s taken out of commission pretty early on and acts more of a hindrance through the middle act. I prefer the take charge Buzz from Toy Story 2, but I like the side characters of Rex, Hamm, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, Jessie, Barbie, and Bullseye having more of a focus.
The story was better than I remembered. Andy is going to college, and is considering taking his old toy Woody with him. After a misunderstanding, the other toys think Andy was going to throw them away so they decide to go to a daycare, a place where children stay young, and thus will always allowed them to be played with. This turns into a big mistake, when they find out that Lotso, a teddy bear who has complete control of who goes where in the daycare, sends them to the younger room where they almost get destroyed. Soon, they find this daycare is more of a prison which leads to one of the best animated prison escapes I’ve seen. If the daycare prison escape sequence wasn’t so entertaining, I might’ve lowered this on the list, but I liked how everyone came together to escape. This is something we don’t see in any of the other three movies.
The message of not being afraid of change and allowing yourself to let go I thought served this plot very well. Many believe Toy Story 4 ruined this movie’s message, but honestly I think this message still holds up, if you only apply it to the other toys. Once the toys realized they could find another child, one who would love them like Andy did, they adapted to their new environment. And while they all know the same thing that happened to Andy will happen to Bonnie, they come to accept this future, despite knowing how it will end.
Overall, this was a good ending for the toys. Notice I said toys. Toy Story 4 does a great job wrapping up Woody’s story, and I’m glad they got their happy ending with this movie. While Toy Story 2 is still my favorite Toy Story movie, this one does the better job letting all the toys shine.
The world building in this is a little dial in from the second one. We don’t visit many locations in this film like we did in the second one, but each new location introduced has meaningful impact to the story and characters. The daycare is where we spend most of the time, and I like how we have two different views of it. We are also introduced to Bonnie’s room in this movie, which isn’t as iconic as Andy’s room, but I think that’s the point. And then the incinerator is probably one of the most intense scenes in a Pixar movie I’ve seen.
The side characters really get to shine in this one. This movie showed what happens when Woody and Buzz aren’t there to hold their hands, and I like we get to see how they problem solve everything. Woody is still the same character, as he knows Andy is growing up and they are all going to be left behind, but at this state he believes its more important to be there for Andy whenever he needs them, compared to this change of heart in Toy Story 4. Buzz is a bit worse here. He’s taken out of commission pretty early on and acts more of a hindrance through the middle act. I prefer the take charge Buzz from Toy Story 2, but I like the side characters of Rex, Hamm, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, Jessie, Barbie, and Bullseye having more of a focus.
The story was better than I remembered. Andy is going to college, and is considering taking his old toy Woody with him. After a misunderstanding, the other toys think Andy was going to throw them away so they decide to go to a daycare, a place where children stay young, and thus will always allowed them to be played with. This turns into a big mistake, when they find out that Lotso, a teddy bear who has complete control of who goes where in the daycare, sends them to the younger room where they almost get destroyed. Soon, they find this daycare is more of a prison which leads to one of the best animated prison escapes I’ve seen. If the daycare prison escape sequence wasn’t so entertaining, I might’ve lowered this on the list, but I liked how everyone came together to escape. This is something we don’t see in any of the other three movies.
The message of not being afraid of change and allowing yourself to let go I thought served this plot very well. Many believe Toy Story 4 ruined this movie’s message, but honestly I think this message still holds up, if you only apply it to the other toys. Once the toys realized they could find another child, one who would love them like Andy did, they adapted to their new environment. And while they all know the same thing that happened to Andy will happen to Bonnie, they come to accept this future, despite knowing how it will end.
Overall, this was a good ending for the toys. Notice I said toys. Toy Story 4 does a great job wrapping up Woody’s story, and I’m glad they got their happy ending with this movie. While Toy Story 2 is still my favorite Toy Story movie, this one does the better job letting all the toys shine.
4. The Incredibles |
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We’re getting down to the best of the best. The movies everyone usually universally agrees are Pixar’s best. However, where each movie is placed usually differs. The Incredibles was one of those films that was severely overplayed in my house. My mom loved this film, and I think this shows how powerful Brad Bird is as a writer and director. The man is great at making movies for adults, disguised as a kids’ film. Before Marvel kicked off its cinematic universe, this movie showed what superhero movies could be. This was the real Fantastic Four (something the movie released around the same time just couldn’t get).
The world building is unique in that it’s a real world setting, but everything has this subtle 60s aesthetic. This gives it a ‘James Bond’ feel without outright satirizing or mocking the brand. The colors, the textures, everything comes together to really sell this world being set in a different time that is not our own. We spend a lot of time on Syndrome’s Island, which also pays homage to the typical James Bond villain. Everything is grand spectacle, and every set is laced with some type of technology blended to work with the given time period.
The characters make this movie what it is. Bob, Helen, Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack are what make this so compelling to watch. This movie is a family film first, and a superhero movie second. Bob’s mid-life crisis, Helen juggling three kids, those kids trying to live a normal life with powers no one can know about. A lot of these elements have been used in superhero movies now, but at the time, it did it the best.
The story of supers being forced to go into hiding due to public perception changing was a unique idea. Which is why it makes more fulfilling about halfway through the movie when we get to see these guys actually do what they want to do; use their powers to help people. Syndrome comes into play, but we get to see early on why he becomes the person he does, and how Bob is responsible. The plot, while a bit more generic by today’s standards thanks to superhero fatigue still holds up since we see the process of how the final act will come together, something a lot of movies now like to rush through.
The message of family being the most important thing, can just as easily apply to a Fast and Furious movie, let alone most Disney and Pixar movies. This is one of the things I feel hold this movie back from being in the top three.
This movie is still a top tier superhero movie as well as a high grade Pixar movie. If the message had more going for it, this could easily have moved into the top three, but these next movies not only have the world building, the characters, and the story, but they also have what a lot of the previous films lack, inspiration.
The world building is unique in that it’s a real world setting, but everything has this subtle 60s aesthetic. This gives it a ‘James Bond’ feel without outright satirizing or mocking the brand. The colors, the textures, everything comes together to really sell this world being set in a different time that is not our own. We spend a lot of time on Syndrome’s Island, which also pays homage to the typical James Bond villain. Everything is grand spectacle, and every set is laced with some type of technology blended to work with the given time period.
The characters make this movie what it is. Bob, Helen, Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack are what make this so compelling to watch. This movie is a family film first, and a superhero movie second. Bob’s mid-life crisis, Helen juggling three kids, those kids trying to live a normal life with powers no one can know about. A lot of these elements have been used in superhero movies now, but at the time, it did it the best.
The story of supers being forced to go into hiding due to public perception changing was a unique idea. Which is why it makes more fulfilling about halfway through the movie when we get to see these guys actually do what they want to do; use their powers to help people. Syndrome comes into play, but we get to see early on why he becomes the person he does, and how Bob is responsible. The plot, while a bit more generic by today’s standards thanks to superhero fatigue still holds up since we see the process of how the final act will come together, something a lot of movies now like to rush through.
The message of family being the most important thing, can just as easily apply to a Fast and Furious movie, let alone most Disney and Pixar movies. This is one of the things I feel hold this movie back from being in the top three.
This movie is still a top tier superhero movie as well as a high grade Pixar movie. If the message had more going for it, this could easily have moved into the top three, but these next movies not only have the world building, the characters, and the story, but they also have what a lot of the previous films lack, inspiration.
3. Coco |
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This is the first Pixar movie I watched in theaters three times. It helped I worked at a movie theater at the time, so I got two free tickets, but I have never wanted to see a movie so much. Each time I went with a member of my family to show them this movie, and yes, this was when they had that blood-boiling twenty minute Frozen short at the beginning of the movie. Yes, these were dark times indeed. But once the movie started, I was sucked in.
The world building is amazing. Pixar proves time and time again, when they research something, they will do everything to get it right. The Land of the Dead is inspired by Mexican folklore, and anytime they make these vast sweeps of the city, you see how Mexico as a culture and a people has developed. I love how they start with Aztec inspired architecture near the base of the entrance to more modern designs as the city grows. Little details like this are what fascinates me, and causes me to look for little details every time they are there.
The characters are lovable, and while not super memorable as say The Incredibles, they tell the story well. Miguel is similar to Joe from Soul, in which he has a dream he wants to fulfill. However, Miguel has to hide his gift from his family because he is scared of their judgement. Miguel’s living family could be a little stronger. When I first watched the film, I thought his parents were dead, and he was being raised by his aunt and uncle who were in a family of shoemakers. It wasn’t until the second time, I noticed his parents were alive, they just don’t have much interaction with their son. However, the family he meets in the Land of the Dead, are a bit stronger with more branching personalities. All side characters could have used a little improvement, but I like the main focus being on Miguel, Imelda, Hector, and De la Cruz.
The story sounds generic on paper. Miguel wants to be a musician. His family has banned music, and thus forbid him from playing. Miguel defies their orders and escapes to play in the plaza for everyone to hear him. He steals a guitar belonging to the late musician/actor Ernesto De la Cruz which sends him to the Land of the Dead. He has to get a family members’ blessing to return to the living, but when his family will only send him back if he gives up being a musician, he has to seek out alternative ways to leave. This story has been done before, and I was honestly worried this movie was going to follow the same cliches when the movie started. But luckily as soon as Miguel is sent to the Land of the Dead, it is given a different color paint that distracts you from this age old story.
The message of never giving up on your dream can be applied to a lot of Disney movies. The message of family always being there for you can also be applied to a lot of Disney movies. While the message of this film isn’t ground-breaking how it gets there is exciting, despite to overused elements.
What I think earns this film third place is like I said before, inspiration. This movie inspires you to learn about Mexican culture. This movie encourages you to look deeper at a holiday we only believed was just painting skeletons on your face. And other than the two movies above this one, no other movie has inspired me to learn about the history or culture of a people quite like this film did. I wish Pixar will use the success of this film to explore other cultures that have been drowned out or forgotten. Because these stories need to be told.
The world building is amazing. Pixar proves time and time again, when they research something, they will do everything to get it right. The Land of the Dead is inspired by Mexican folklore, and anytime they make these vast sweeps of the city, you see how Mexico as a culture and a people has developed. I love how they start with Aztec inspired architecture near the base of the entrance to more modern designs as the city grows. Little details like this are what fascinates me, and causes me to look for little details every time they are there.
The characters are lovable, and while not super memorable as say The Incredibles, they tell the story well. Miguel is similar to Joe from Soul, in which he has a dream he wants to fulfill. However, Miguel has to hide his gift from his family because he is scared of their judgement. Miguel’s living family could be a little stronger. When I first watched the film, I thought his parents were dead, and he was being raised by his aunt and uncle who were in a family of shoemakers. It wasn’t until the second time, I noticed his parents were alive, they just don’t have much interaction with their son. However, the family he meets in the Land of the Dead, are a bit stronger with more branching personalities. All side characters could have used a little improvement, but I like the main focus being on Miguel, Imelda, Hector, and De la Cruz.
The story sounds generic on paper. Miguel wants to be a musician. His family has banned music, and thus forbid him from playing. Miguel defies their orders and escapes to play in the plaza for everyone to hear him. He steals a guitar belonging to the late musician/actor Ernesto De la Cruz which sends him to the Land of the Dead. He has to get a family members’ blessing to return to the living, but when his family will only send him back if he gives up being a musician, he has to seek out alternative ways to leave. This story has been done before, and I was honestly worried this movie was going to follow the same cliches when the movie started. But luckily as soon as Miguel is sent to the Land of the Dead, it is given a different color paint that distracts you from this age old story.
The message of never giving up on your dream can be applied to a lot of Disney movies. The message of family always being there for you can also be applied to a lot of Disney movies. While the message of this film isn’t ground-breaking how it gets there is exciting, despite to overused elements.
What I think earns this film third place is like I said before, inspiration. This movie inspires you to learn about Mexican culture. This movie encourages you to look deeper at a holiday we only believed was just painting skeletons on your face. And other than the two movies above this one, no other movie has inspired me to learn about the history or culture of a people quite like this film did. I wish Pixar will use the success of this film to explore other cultures that have been drowned out or forgotten. Because these stories need to be told.
2. Ratatouille |
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This was tough. Trying to figure out which film deserved first place required looking at which film had more value. Ratatouille might not seem like much. A movie about a rat that can cook shouldn’t be able to rate so high, and yet this movie, with its simplistic goals is truly something special.
The world building for this takes place in Paris, France. While the backdrop is French, its not constantly hitting you over the head. I like this subtly, since it never foreshadows the character, but instead helps elevate it. Similar to Coco we get glimpses at French culture, although not to the same extent. We mostly spend time in the kitchen, and how it functions as a world to Remy. While I do like the world established, it is weaker than the number one spot, which is why this one ended up as number two.
The characters are great. We have Remy who falls in love with cooking after watching a TV program. While his father disapproves of anything outside of protecting the rat colony, he has to keep his cooking a secret from him. He’s able to finally share his hobby with his brother, Emil, who doesn’t quite understand his brother’s enthusiasm, but does support him. Remy is a character similar to Miguel. He has a love for cooking that his family doesn’t quite understand, and he goes to pursue that love. Remy starts out as timid with not much confidence in himself, but as the film progresses, he gains the confidence as his food is gaining positive reviews and recognition. Linguini, the human who befriends Remy is shown as a screw up who doesn’t really have skills to do much. He is open-minded, and easily accepts a rat can cook, and fully trusts him.
The story is also similar to Coco, in that its premise is simple. Remy gets separated from his family and presumes he will never see them again. He now has to rely on himself and finds himself in Paris. He finds his way to Gusteau’s, the restaurant owned by his inspiration. He ends up in the kitchen, and finally gets to show off his talents, something noticed by Linguini. The two then form a unique pair. They can’t talk to each other. So, they have to get creative in a way to communicate. Like I’ve said before, Brad Bird is excellent at telling stories for adults. This movie, similar to The Incredibles, is very adult despite holding the attention of children.
The message is said throughout the movie of how anyone can cook. This could technically apply to anything. And while it is even said not everyone can cook, inspiration can be found from any source. This movie was uplifting. While many can agree this may of more of a fairy tale look on things, instead of the reality hitting message some other movies have (Soul, Monsters University), the message of never ruling anything out based on your looks, background, culture, status, wealth is an uplifting one.
This movie inspired me to cook. Before this film, I didn’t have much confidence in myself. After this movie, I was willing to try. Willing to put myself out there and fail. Learn from my mistakes. While I know this film might have not resonated the same with everyone, I can’t rank it any longer. I believe this film will continue to inspire and have much to offer in the coming years.
The world building for this takes place in Paris, France. While the backdrop is French, its not constantly hitting you over the head. I like this subtly, since it never foreshadows the character, but instead helps elevate it. Similar to Coco we get glimpses at French culture, although not to the same extent. We mostly spend time in the kitchen, and how it functions as a world to Remy. While I do like the world established, it is weaker than the number one spot, which is why this one ended up as number two.
The characters are great. We have Remy who falls in love with cooking after watching a TV program. While his father disapproves of anything outside of protecting the rat colony, he has to keep his cooking a secret from him. He’s able to finally share his hobby with his brother, Emil, who doesn’t quite understand his brother’s enthusiasm, but does support him. Remy is a character similar to Miguel. He has a love for cooking that his family doesn’t quite understand, and he goes to pursue that love. Remy starts out as timid with not much confidence in himself, but as the film progresses, he gains the confidence as his food is gaining positive reviews and recognition. Linguini, the human who befriends Remy is shown as a screw up who doesn’t really have skills to do much. He is open-minded, and easily accepts a rat can cook, and fully trusts him.
The story is also similar to Coco, in that its premise is simple. Remy gets separated from his family and presumes he will never see them again. He now has to rely on himself and finds himself in Paris. He finds his way to Gusteau’s, the restaurant owned by his inspiration. He ends up in the kitchen, and finally gets to show off his talents, something noticed by Linguini. The two then form a unique pair. They can’t talk to each other. So, they have to get creative in a way to communicate. Like I’ve said before, Brad Bird is excellent at telling stories for adults. This movie, similar to The Incredibles, is very adult despite holding the attention of children.
The message is said throughout the movie of how anyone can cook. This could technically apply to anything. And while it is even said not everyone can cook, inspiration can be found from any source. This movie was uplifting. While many can agree this may of more of a fairy tale look on things, instead of the reality hitting message some other movies have (Soul, Monsters University), the message of never ruling anything out based on your looks, background, culture, status, wealth is an uplifting one.
This movie inspired me to cook. Before this film, I didn’t have much confidence in myself. After this movie, I was willing to try. Willing to put myself out there and fail. Learn from my mistakes. While I know this film might have not resonated the same with everyone, I can’t rank it any longer. I believe this film will continue to inspire and have much to offer in the coming years.
1. WALL-E |
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And here it is. The best of the best. WALL-E is usually at the top of everyone’s list of best Pixar movies, but many can’t explain why. I’m going to try my best to attempt at why this is Pixar’s best film.
The world building is amazing and grim at the same time. We see our world that has been destroyed by neglect. A world corrupted by consumerism. A place filled with so much garbage, we’ve abandoned the planet to let robots clean up the mess for us. And it has failed. We don’t get to see what the world was like before the apocalypse, we have our own world to look at for that. At first, I thought it was odd they used real footage of the Buy-N-Large CEO, but over time I realized this choice was made deliberately. This is meant to represent our world. This is the first time in a Pixar movie where the real world is established, but the audience is included as well. By incorporating an actual human into this cartoon world, it grounds this story to our reality, and our perpetual fate.
The characters are the best of the best, simply because they tell their story with little to no words. WALL-E has a limited vocabulary, and most of the movie is derived by his actions. Most of the story has to be told visually instead of narratively, which gives it a leg up over the previous Pixar movies in this ranking. His interactions with EVE feels genuine as we see how lonely this robot has been. How his one purpose will most likely outlive his lifespan. He’s grateful to have another robot to interact with, and even when EVE shuts down, he takes care of her, forgoing his purpose of cleaning up trash to protect his new-found love. WALL-E becomes a hero not because he loves humans. He only helps humanity because EVE cares about these things and he’s willing to challenge his directive to help her. I love throughout the film, everyone who meets WALL-E changes as a person, or a bot. Each of the humans he meets changes their world view, and end up coming together in the end to save themselves.
The story of our world falling to ruin because of our innate action to combat our waste and pollution on Earth has been seen before in science fiction. We’ve even seen the story of robots taking a lead role in a movie (like Short Circuit), however, I haven’t quite seen this level of story telling in a film, aside from maybe Fantasia, even though those function more as shorts tied to music than actually telling a full-length story. WALL-E has very little dialogue in the first and second act. Before the humans come in, we only have WALL-E and EVE. While EVE can talk, she is disabled in the first act, leaving WALL-E to figure out what could’ve happened to her. Her objective, taking a plant WALL-E found back to a human spaceship, gets interrupted when WALL-E tags along. They then have to work together to get the plant to the captain, while the other onboard A.I. wants to hinder their plans.
The message of taking responsibilities for our actions, and never running away from our problems was handled better here than in Brave. In here, we have a thematic element that ties this story and message to every single person on this planet. Everyone should be invested in their future. Everyone should be striving to make a difference.
This is why I think WALL-E is the best Pixar film to date. Sure, anyone can strive to do something they want to do like we see in Ratatouille. Yes, we might always fail, and never be capable of doing something about it like in Monster’s University. But this film inspires universally to improve oneself. To make a change. We are all to blame for the current state of the world. No one is singled out. But this film shows us we shouldn’t just move on, or point fingers. We need to take responsibility in our own hands. We are the units to initiate change.
The world building is amazing and grim at the same time. We see our world that has been destroyed by neglect. A world corrupted by consumerism. A place filled with so much garbage, we’ve abandoned the planet to let robots clean up the mess for us. And it has failed. We don’t get to see what the world was like before the apocalypse, we have our own world to look at for that. At first, I thought it was odd they used real footage of the Buy-N-Large CEO, but over time I realized this choice was made deliberately. This is meant to represent our world. This is the first time in a Pixar movie where the real world is established, but the audience is included as well. By incorporating an actual human into this cartoon world, it grounds this story to our reality, and our perpetual fate.
The characters are the best of the best, simply because they tell their story with little to no words. WALL-E has a limited vocabulary, and most of the movie is derived by his actions. Most of the story has to be told visually instead of narratively, which gives it a leg up over the previous Pixar movies in this ranking. His interactions with EVE feels genuine as we see how lonely this robot has been. How his one purpose will most likely outlive his lifespan. He’s grateful to have another robot to interact with, and even when EVE shuts down, he takes care of her, forgoing his purpose of cleaning up trash to protect his new-found love. WALL-E becomes a hero not because he loves humans. He only helps humanity because EVE cares about these things and he’s willing to challenge his directive to help her. I love throughout the film, everyone who meets WALL-E changes as a person, or a bot. Each of the humans he meets changes their world view, and end up coming together in the end to save themselves.
The story of our world falling to ruin because of our innate action to combat our waste and pollution on Earth has been seen before in science fiction. We’ve even seen the story of robots taking a lead role in a movie (like Short Circuit), however, I haven’t quite seen this level of story telling in a film, aside from maybe Fantasia, even though those function more as shorts tied to music than actually telling a full-length story. WALL-E has very little dialogue in the first and second act. Before the humans come in, we only have WALL-E and EVE. While EVE can talk, she is disabled in the first act, leaving WALL-E to figure out what could’ve happened to her. Her objective, taking a plant WALL-E found back to a human spaceship, gets interrupted when WALL-E tags along. They then have to work together to get the plant to the captain, while the other onboard A.I. wants to hinder their plans.
The message of taking responsibilities for our actions, and never running away from our problems was handled better here than in Brave. In here, we have a thematic element that ties this story and message to every single person on this planet. Everyone should be invested in their future. Everyone should be striving to make a difference.
This is why I think WALL-E is the best Pixar film to date. Sure, anyone can strive to do something they want to do like we see in Ratatouille. Yes, we might always fail, and never be capable of doing something about it like in Monster’s University. But this film inspires universally to improve oneself. To make a change. We are all to blame for the current state of the world. No one is singled out. But this film shows us we shouldn’t just move on, or point fingers. We need to take responsibility in our own hands. We are the units to initiate change.
And it's over. With this Entire Pixar Movie review concluded, I will be taking a bit of a break. Maybe next time I'll tackle one movie. Or I like the pain and I'll do Dreamworks next. Who knows? Thanks to everyone who read this far. If you want to comment below what your favorite Pixar movie is, or which one is your least favorite, I'd love to hear it. Until next time!