Ranking Pixar's Films

Oh Lordy. I haven’t done one of these ranking thingys in the longest of times. Next up is the ranking of all of Pixar’s films. Pixar has most certainly done some of the most creative, clever, engrossing, and overall rich movies within the past 20 years. As a matter of fact, in my personal ranking of 25 greatest films, I can think of at least 3 Pixar flicks to make the list. Their attention to detail, their willingness to go the extra mile for laughs and tears, and their absurd creativity allows for Pixar to remain permanently 5 steps ahead of the next animation studio, including Disney. Without further interruption, here are all the Pixar flicks, ranking from worst to best.



#9: Cars

Don’t get me wrong it’s a lovely film, but it’s definitely Pixar’s weakest. The characters here aren’t as memorable as the ones in the other movies, and the running time here remains one of the longest of the 9. Then the movie’s slow pace makes it feel longer. But don’t let it discourage you; I’m just stating why it’s sitting in the bottom of the barrel. Cars still gets a nice 8/10 from me.


#8: A Bug’s Life

Easily one of the more underrated films of the past decade, a Bug’s Life is one of Pixar’s worst, yet remains one of the better animated efforts. Hilarious characters, memorable moments, and a nice soundtrack makes A Bug’s Life watchable.



#7: Monster’s Inc.

Believe it or not, but the most creative tale Pixar has woven is this one. An entirely separate world was crafted in front of our eyes, as they take a simple concept and stretch it to unbelievable heights. Voice acting here is phenomenal, and then we have one of the sweetest endings out there to wrap up the production.



#6: Wall-E

Yes, I know. It’s pretty low down the list considering it made a heavy push towards Best Picture last year. Personally, I believe it was everyone getting tired of an amazing movie studio not getting the recognition it deserves, as they delivered their 9th consecutive success story. Wall-E was a grand film full of good music, nice visuals, and a charming love story; but its not Pixar’s best. Nonetheless, it was the best movie of 2008 (Yes, trouncing Dark Knight) and raised the bar 8 times as high for detailed animation. The future looks extremely bleak, and boy did the visuals prove this.



#5: The Incredibles

Watchman was a disappointing outlook about superheroes after their life fighting crime is over. The movie (not the comic book) failed to make the characters sympathetic, likable, and worthy of us watching them for two and a half hours. Everything Watchman wasn’t, this film was. The Incredbiles is a spectacular look at what happens when your glory days are over and you are forced to lower your standards of life and become a product of everyday society. This film asks if superheroes once they pass their peak can adjust, or ultimately go nuts. Blending the wonderful themes is hyper action, superb action pieces, good hintage of humor, and a superb supporting cast of characters (Its hard to top a movie with Edna Mode and Syndrome).



#4: Toy Story

The top 4 Pixar films all gained perfect scores from me, and with good reason. Starting the perfection top 4 is Toy Story, the original that started it all. There isn’t a single wasted scene, a single weak moment in this film, and it was the beginning of a revolution in animation. Toy Story has a great story, great characters, great soundtrack, great music, great ending, and you know what…I don’t have to explain myself anymore. It’s Toy Story, which is usually associated with excellence. Toy Story’s biggest achievement is setting the benchmark in animation and the way it can intertwine with the story and action.

P.S. One of the best moments in film is when Buzz is flying with Woody towards the ending.



#3: Ratatouille

Animated films rarely ever have a flavor of indie filmmaking---they almost all look and feel like big-budget stories with big-budget spending. Ratatouille breaks this trend by providing a simple yet engrossing story about a rat in France that wants to become a chef in a rat-hating world. The premise is simple, the tale is fairy-tale like, and nothing is ever blown out of proportion. Its simplicity is its main strength. Ratatouille’s animation rivals that of even Wall-E’s, as it makes animated food look good—and that alone is worthy of an Academy Award. But of course, Pixar provides us with a seven-course meal in storytelling by giving us plot twists, lovely chase scenes, plenty of subtle humor, and a beautiful theme of following your dreams no matter what. Dreamworks, Sony, Warner Brothers, Disney Animation, watch this and start taking notes.




#2: Toy Story 2

How do you top Toy Story? Easy, by doing more of the same, and expanding upon it exponentially. Everything that made Toy Story a sensation was improved upon in every single conceivable way: The animation, the music, the pacing, the humor, the clever references, the subtle gags, and an even more lovable cast of characters. Underused characters in the original got more screentime and the payoff is fantastic, as Mr. Potato Head, Hamm, Rex, and Slinky provided with some of the better laughs in the movie.

Then there’s “When She Loved Me,” easily the saddest moment in Pixar history to date. The song, the images, and slow dream-like pacing, it hits you hard. Then there’s Emperor Zurg, a second Buzz Lightyear, and the return of those adorable three-eyed aliens. This isn’t just Pixar’s 2nd best effort; it’s also one of the greatest films of all-time. Its Golden Globe for Best Picture was well-deserved, and should have gotten at least a Best Picture nod at the Oscars. For the record, the rather overrated American Beauty won it that year. Toy Story 2 is magical, and started proving Pixar’s lasting power in the industry.










#1: Finding Nemo


Pixar at its peak. Surely the films afterwards were grand, but not this great. Pixar didn’t just craft a spectacular film, but pretty much destroyed anything an animation studio created since 1991’s Beauty and the Beast. Even then, Finding Nemo gives Beauty and the Beast a run for its money. Every frame of Finding Nemo looks like a work of art; the deep and vast ocean, the view of the sunset, Marlin holding his baby egg in the beginning, the tour through the coral reef, the abandoned submarine, and more. The cast of characters and the voice acting here is the best ensemble by an animated film since the Winnie the Pooh short films of the 1960s. It’s almost as if Walt Disney personally went to them and provided his personal touch.


Grossing over 800 million at the box office is no fluke; this was a magical film of grand proportions. It’s a beautiful story full of humor, heartbreak, self-discovery, delightful characters, plot twists and turns, and ultimately an ending that tugs at the heartstrings. Almost every animated film ever since has been loosely influenced by Finding Nemo; the way stories are told and the way voice actors are picked and presented. I can’t praise this movie enough, Finding Nemo is by far the best Pixar film to date, and easily of the greatest American films ever created.



Honorable Mention: I gave Up a 9/10, so that would put it whether on 5th or 6th place, depending on its lasting power. It can whether grow timeless like Finding Nemo, or become a bit less entertaining upon further viewings like Cars.