So, a certain Digital Spy article was recently brought to my attention where they basically ranked every single Pixar film. Now I’m a firm believer that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and that no opinion can ever be wrong. But let me tell you, what a pile of trash this list was.
So I thought it only made sense to create the definitive ranking of Pixar films. If you don’t agree then… you’re wrong.
15. A Bug’s Life
To be completely honest with you this is only bottom because I’ve only seen it once and can’t remember it that well. Some people might say I should’ve watched it before I made this list, but I don’t have the DVD and I don’t watch movies illegally… LOL.
14. Cars 2
Don’t think its a surprise that this film is so low down. But let me just start by saying that I don’t actually think Cars 2 is a bad film. I actually thought it was a fun movie but just didn’t live up to the standards previously set by Pixar. I think it was a mistake to focus more on Mater as even though I like him as a character he does grate on you after a while. Not that Cars was that amazing and it kind of makes you think why they made a sequel… oh yeah $$$.
13. Brave
This film was a pleasant surprise. Normally I don’t receive “girl power” films too well but Brave wasn’t too overt about it. I wasn’t expecting much when I saw it which is probably why I liked it. How can you not love a Disney princess who is a badass with a bow. And there’s a bit of “proudness” due to the fact that it’s set in the UK. I would love to talk about it more but to be honest I’ve forgotten a lot of it. I really should’ve watched all these movies before making this list.
12. Ratatouille
So it took me a while to watch this film because I just wasn’t interested. I thought the premise was dumb and I despise mice so there was nothing appealing to me. But because I’m such a Pixar fan I can’t not watch a Pixar film. So yeah I actually enjoyed it. Turns out that the premise makes for some genuinely funny moments and the animated Paris just looks amazing. It’s one of those movies that’s not about humans but the message is very human and that stuff just kicks ass man.
11. Cars
I honestly don’t know why this film gets so much hate. When I first watched it, I loved it. Then I read reviews and spoke to people and there was a lot of hate which made me feel bad for enjoying it. But overall it’s an enjoyable movie. I think when we were younger we all imagined a world when cars were alive. I think the voice acting is pretty phenomenal and McQueen’s whole character arc is one that is executed in one of the best and believable way out of any Pixar film.
10. Monsters University
I think we all knew Monsters University wasn’t going to be as good as Monsters Inc. When I heard it was going to be a prequel instead of a sequel, although it made perfect sense, it was a little disappointing. the whole reason why I loved Monsters Inc was because of Sully and Boo’s relationship which we would have been deprived of in a prequel. However the visuals in this movie are pretty great. When Mike first walks into the University grounds the amount of colours and detail is just eye-porn. (pardon the pun). It was a bit episodic, going from one game to the next but witnessing the flourishing relationship between Mike and Sully now seems like the perfect choice to drive the plot of the movie. Also might I add that the ending wasn’t actually predictable.
9. Wall-e
I AM NOT A BIG WALL-E FAN. The only reason why this film is above the ones below it is because of the bold move Pixar took with the opening 45 minutes. To not have any dialogue in a children’s movie is pretty risky. But film is a visual medium as people say so it’s not an entirely stupid decision. Another reason for why I think this movie is great is because of the message it gets across, about humans and the way we treat the Earth. Pretty deep…
8. Inside Out
When I first heard about Inside Out I thought it was the most innovative and bold premise I had ever heard. And who better to pull it off than Pixar. And boy did they. I’ll start off by saying I was expecting something else, but I’m not sure what. So I’ll let that slide and take the film for what it is. It’s engaging, informative and actually quite emotional. The film is actually an analysis of mental health in youths and that’s a great thing to portray to children. Chances are they’ve never seen anything like it before. The film has numerous laughs thanks to the ensemble cast. The dynamic between the emotions was great, so I was a bit disappointed when they split up. I’m a bit surprised it’s not higher on the list but that just goes to show how great Pixar movies are.
7. Up
This was a film I rewatched recently and I actually enjoyed it more than when I first watched it. I think the montage alone at the beginning makes this film pretty amazing. A miscarriage and a death in like the first 20 mins of an animated movie. Superb! From then you’re emotionally invested. I also love how bonkers the whole thing is. I mean, flying your house with balloons… come on! It makes for some amazing visuals. Seeing all those balloons pop up from Carl’s house is spectacular. I also love how they had an Asian-American as one of the main characters. What was even more amazing was the fact that this was never alluded to in the film it just happened to be the case. Up has it all, laughs, action and emotion.
6. The Incredibles
I’m a sucker for a superhero movie and the Incredibles is better than most super hero movies I’ve seen. They’re a super-hero family. I mean that’s pretty great. Super-hero movies normally focus on one person which a special set of abilities but this is a whole family. just from that set up you just know its going to be something fresh on an otherwise tired format. The powers themselves are
pretty basic which isn’t a bad thing but it’s the way that the families use their powers which is innovative. I mean at one point Dash runs on water and it turns out that Jack Jack is the real hero. Fun for all the family, coincidentally, and a mad ride from start to finish.
5. Monsters inc
I think this was the first Pixar movie I watched over and over again. Out of all the films on this list I’ve probably seen this one the most. Monsters Inc, I think, is just a master piece. A world of monsters where “scream” is their energy. Whoever came up with that deserves some sort of accolade. It would have been so easy to just have a movie about monsters but incorporating that human element, embodied in the character of Boo is what makes the movie so special. As I previously said Boo and Sully’s relationship is ultimately what makes this movie so great. The fact that Boo is so young, can’t really speak, and ultimately has no idea what’s going on or the danger she’s in just pulls at your heart strings. And I love the fact that the monsters are not evil, even better the fact that they’re scared of humans. It makes for some funny moments and a great dynamic.
4. Toy Story
A true classic. I don’t think I even need to justify why this movie is this high up on the list. I mean the movie plays on every kids fantasy and in the best way possible. I think Woody is one of the best characters to come out of Pixar, his underlying sass is great. Buzz’s whole identity crisis is great to watch and the whole resolution is quite touching. I remember watching the whole scene in Sid’s room and being absolutely creeped out. Also smart move on Disney’s part, the merchandising was so easy, the movie was basically one big advert. But a great advert. I’m pretty sure I owned a Buzz Lightyear.
3. Finding Nemo
Aaaahhhh Finding Nemo. This opened our eyes to a world we’ve never seen before. We would all like to know what the world beneath the sea looks like and Finding Nemo gives us a great insight into it. A lot of research must’ve went into this film which I greatly appreciate. best line “He touched the butt” which I never actually got when I first watched it (yeah i was a slow child). But Marlin and Dory’s scenes were just as great as Nemo’s in the fish tank. A young fish with a deformed fin stepping up and being brave is what we all want to see in a movie right? Oh also the opening scene and the music that comes on when it ends… bliss.
2. Toy Story 2
Was there any doubt that this film would be in the top 2. Surely not. I find it hard to quite put my finger on what makes this film so great, but it just is. Bullseye and Jessie were great additions to the group and Woody questioning his life as Andy’s toy was an engaging dilemma to see unfold. I also like the fact that the supposed “villain” for most of the movie was such a buffoon. And Stinky Pete’s betrayal was actually a surprise. Once again Pixar’s animations are top notch and they hit us again with another heart breaking montage. Not as heart breaking as Up but still pretty darn sad. I will never get tired of watching Andy’s toys adventures but the deep analysis of Woody’s character in Toy Story 2 is just amazing. Oh there we go, that’s why the movie’s so good.
1. Toy Story 3
I DO NOT CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS TOY STORY 3 IS THE BEST TOY STORY. I will happily fight anyone who says otherwise. I hate this whole mentality where people always say the original is the best purely for nostalgia reasons. In my honest opinion I think Toy Story 3 is better than it’s predecessors. I mean the whole film is basically a prison break! That is great. I don’t think it gets any better than that. Not to mention the best villain in all of the Toy Story films. Lotso’s rage is believable and he is possibly going through something a lot of us have gone through. Again, I was genuinely surprised when he turned out to be the bad guy and from then on the film just went from strength to strength. But I remember watching this and there were three key moments that cemented this movie as the best Pixar movie and the best Toy Story movie. the first moment is when the Chatter Telephone tells Woody about how Daycare is run and how the toys can escape. The second one was when the toys all thought they were going to be incinerated and held hands. And finally the part that had us all sobbing, when Andy finally drives away at the end. Actually another moment that I should mention is at the beginning when we learn that a lot of the toys have gone and the first time we see a grown up Andy. No-one really sees Toy story as a trilogy… but it is one of the best. So there we have it, the definitive list. Although I do want to say that ranking these movies is probably one of the hardest things. I honestly think they are all great movies but obviously we like different movies for different reason so it’s hard to compare. A lot of them are probably interchangeable except for top spot. No doubt Toy Story 3 is and always will be the best.
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