25. Turning Red
Additionally, it has enough ‘adult’ content to make the story both funny and worthwhile for those parents who sit down to enjoy the story with their kids. We also appreciate the unique presentation of this story, as the PIXAR universe continues to become more and more diverse.
Image Source: IMDb
24. Cars 3
However, there’s not much else the story could’ve really done to get us excited. We’re surprised that a third installment came after a somewhat underwhelming sequel hit the silver screen. In retrospect, the Cars franchise might’ve been better as a one-off.
Image Source: IMDb
23. Finding Dory
Finding Dory failed to hit the mark — but not for the reason you may think. This is the film which had the unenviable task in following Finding Nemo. Finding Nemo was, is, and will continue to be a culture phenomenon. On a budget of only $94 million, the film grossed nearly $900 million. When Finding Dory came out, many were expecting the same sort of magic. Unfortunately, the film just couldn’t live up to what we had already seen.
Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) certainly had her moments, which included the trek in finding her parents. The story has heart, love, and the embodiment of hope. Ironically enough, it may have been a better film had it been a standalone rather than one based upon one of PIXAR’s most popular achievements.
Image Source: IMDb
22. Cars 2
We’re always skeptical of sequels. Unfortunately, Cars 2 fell into a similar trap compared to Finding Dory. All of your favorite characters returned — yet it still felt a bit flat when analyzing this one with the original. Larry the Cable Guy seems like a solid gentleman, but there’s way too much of Larry the Cable Guy in this movie.
The script was just okay, and it felt as if there was too much repetition/cross-over from the original film. If you’re viewing this through the prism of Cars 2 being essentially a cash grab, you’d probably be right.
Image Source: IMDb
21. Monsters University
Noticing a trend here? Trying to recapture the magic of an original PIXAR film has proven to be exceptionally difficult to do. We will say that Monsters University was a step-up from some of the other sequels rolled out by the production company.
This film is a precursor to the original — where we see the origin story behind Mike and Sulley’s friendship. Fans of the franchise will enjoy the film for what it is. It won’t reinvent the wheel, though it’s still a fun flick all the same. However, we aren’t sure if it was actually needed. Monsters University doesn’t really add all that much to Monsters, Inc.
Image Source: IMDb
20. The Good Dinosaur
This movie gets a bit of a bad wrap. From Land Before Time to We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story, dinosaur-centric cartoons seem to be hit or miss. Live-action dinosaur films (such as the Jurassic Park franchise) do exceedingly well. Maybe it’s a sign of the times, or maybe the film just came out at the wrong moment in time. Regardless, this movie did worse commercially than any other PIXAR film to date. We aren’t sure why, to be honest.
The Good Dinosaur is an interesting look at a land which features both dinosaurs and humans. As par for the course with these movies, kids can learn about the ability to persevere anything that may get in their way. The aesthetics for this film are also much better than given credit for.
Image Source: IMDb
19. Onward
Onward is one of the more unique PIXAR movies you will see. The cast is terrific — as characters are voiced by the likes of Ali Wong, Octavia Spencer, Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, and the terrific Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Essentially, this redemptive arc features two brothers who embark on a journey to try and bring their deceased father back to life for one day (with the help of magic).
This is an interesting film from the sense it sort of has an RPG (role-playing game) feel to it. The quest to find something the two brothers can bond over is yet again another sentimental example of why PIXAR movies do so well.
Image Source: IMDb
18. Cars
If you were to rank all of the PIXAR movies by Rotten Tomatoes scores/percentages, Cars has the third-worst score (74-percent) — ahead of only Cars 3 (69-percent) and Cars 2 (40-percent). The scoring system is a bit unfair to the original, because it certainly has a faithful following among both young children and automobile enthusiasts. Each car had its own unique personality (along with the voice of an A-list celebrity).
The story isn’t overly original — nor is it something that will knock your socks off. Still, it’s both comfortable and familiar. The nostalgia factor for Cars alone figures to be very strong over the next few decades.
Image Source: IMDb
17. Brave
Brave holds some real sentimental value. It wasn’t the best film made, and there are certainly some construction flaws with the storyline as a whole. Still, it broke ground as one of the few PIXAR films featuring a female lead (voiced by the effervescent Kelly Macdonald). We do love the themes of intertwining medieval Scotland with witches, spells, and the genre of fantasy itself.
Along the way, the core message of the film (equality and empowerment) gets somewhat obstructed by the needless amount of sophomoric humor and physical comedy. It takes away from the protagonist’s personal journey to help her family members who’ve been transformed (via a magical spell) into animals.
Image Source: IMDb
16. Soul
We give credit to Soul for being perhaps the most ‘highbrow’ PIXAR film to be created. At the same time, any child under the age of perhaps 12 would struggle to understand the true meaning behind this film. The visuals are quite lovely, and the message conveyed through a somewhat convoluted storyline is quite wholesome and good.
However, Soul is limited by its atypical approach to the norm in what we usually see from these sorts of movies. On one hand, we appreciate the creativity in answering the “What is our purpose in life?” question that virtually everyone has dwelled on at one time or another. On the other hand, it may have gone a step too far from an ambiguity standpoint. Plus, we were expecting to see a bit more jazz music incorporated into the film/score. That was a disappointment.
Image Source: IMDb
15. Incredibles 2
Would you believe that Incredibles 2 has grossed more money worldwide ($1,242,805,359) than any other PIXAR film? The initial film brought a lot of juice to the proverbial table. Disney knew it had a big-time money maker with The Incredibles — and as such marketed the heck out of it with merchandise and other forms of visibility.
Staying in line with the first, Incredibles 2 is yet another example of a film smartly balancing the line between child and adult humor (all the while retaining the wholesomeness it brought in the first place). Despite it coming out 14 years after the original, we still are treated to the same primary voices (Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter) along with a very familiar foe (Samuel L. Jackson).
Image Source: IMDb
14. A Bug’s Life
Three years after Toy Story came out, PIXAR decided to follow it up with a second film — this time focusing on an ecosystem featuring tiny bugs. For all young children, playing with rollie pollies is a right of passage. Here, we see a number of different bugs displaying human emotion and expression. This includes the treacherous antagonists that are the grasshoppers.
The technical application used here to create this intimate world was simply sublime. The characters were endearing, and it totally hit home with the audience. Weirdly, A Bug’s Life came out at the same time as Antz (from a rival company). Despite the feud which ensued between people from Pixar and DreamWorks, A Bug’s Life was undisputedly the film which drew more fame and adoration.
Image Source: IMDb
13. Monsters, Inc.
Monsters, Inc. is a layered story predominantly revolving around the friendship between two monsters named Mike Wazowski (voiced by Billy Crystal) and Sulley (John Goodman). Playing on the old tales of monster’s jumping out and scaring children at night, this is a lighter take on that premise — utilizing warmth, friendship, and even a lesson in not judging a book by its cover.
The film came out in 2001 — and was a commercial success. It even won an Oscar for Best Original Song. After coming out with a prequel more than a decade later, the Monsters franchise is far from finished. In July of 2021, a series on Disney+ entitled Monsters at Work will be debuting (with all of the original cast).
Image Source: IMDb
12. Toy Story 3
Toy Story 3 checked every major box when it was released. Remember, a generation of people who grew up watching this film as children became adults. There’s a nostalgia factor still in place when they introduce this franchise to their own children. For that reason, the third installment not only jived with the older crowds, but also the younger ones captivated by the animation, tomfoolery, and strong storyline.
In Toy Story 3, there’s a real transition which mirrors that of the people who watched the original film. Andy heads off to college, and the toys from that point on have to figure out what their futures hold. Vindictive villain Lotso (voiced by Ned Beatty) was a nice wrinkle to the story.
Image Source: IMDb
11. The Incredibles 
To this day, The Incredibles remains as one of the more popular PIXAR projects. After Finding Nemo exploded as a massive hit, The Incredibles followed as the next released film. There was some trepidation as to how this film would land. The whole ‘superhero’ thing wasn’t yet a massive part of the pop culture fabric within the United State.
Plus, there were ‘spy’ elements of the film which catered to an older generation. Still, this film did wonderfully — raking in over $630 million worldwide despite only having a budget of $92 million. Even more impressive, The Incredibles won two Academy Awards — one for Best Sound Editing and the other for Best Animated Feature.
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10. Toy Story 4
When a film grosses more than a billion dollars, you know they’re doing something right. Toy Story 4 put the proverbial bow on what’s been an absolutely tremendous run. Bar none, it’s the most prolific set of animated movies ever created. The fourth installment was a tear jerker to be sure, as we saw the conclusion of this wonderful narrative involving Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the crew.
Newer characters including Forky (Tony Hale) and Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves) helped to revitalize the series while still retaining the sweetness and honor from the original.
Image Source: IMDb
9. Luca
PIXAR took a trip to a fictional town in Italy for one of its most recent projects. Luca had been garnering plenty of buzz over the last year. It certainly lived up to the hype in more ways than one. Child actor Jacob Tremblay voices the titular character — who is a curious sea monster living beneath the surface, wanting to see the world on land. Eventually, he comes to the realization that he is transformed into a human upon becoming dry.
Unfortunately for Luca, he steps foot into a town which has a penchant for trying to hunt the elusive sea monsters who’ve thus far evaded them. Along the way, we’re smacked heavily in the face with elements of friendship, self-actualization, and the thirst to explore. It’s a bit of a predictable story — though the tremendous aesthetics in this film really prop it up heavily. As such, it makes for a very rewatchable film.
Image Source: IMDb
8. Toy Story 2
PIXAR had the immensely difficult task in coming up with a second installment to what was a gigantic hit of a first one. Toy Story 2 needed to encompass the same sort of heartfelt goodness from the first one — along with a new storyline, fresh characters, and the humor to make adults laugh. Reportedly, the production of the film was not smooth. The timeline for creating/putting out the movie was far more condensed compared to other ones from PIXAR. As such, it took a herculean effort for Toy Story 2 to be released (as it originally was geared towards being a straight-to-video project).
Of course, we aren’t surprised by the success it had. All of our favorite characters returned, and we were introduced to the likes of Jessie (Joan Cusack) and the villainous Stinky Pete the Prospector (Kelsey Grammer). From a children’s perspective, we also learn about moving on from past relationships, and into new situations (which results in personal growth).
Image Source: IMDb
7. Up
You don’t often hear PIXAR films being referred to as gut-wrenching. In the case of Up, the audience is left with a wide range of emotions — which is exactly why this film hit home with millions across the globe. The first ten minutes of the film are highly emotional to the point where it had fully grown men routinely sobbing like a baby.
As the story progresses, we see real themes of kindred spirits connecting despite being completely different people. When you further factor in the adventure and whimsy of a new land — coupled with a menacing zeppelin and evil dogs flying fighter jets — you’re left with something truly special and unique.
Image Source: IMDb
6. Ratatouille
Ratatouille is such a feel-good film. In the age where food is being blasted visually on social media apps and travel shows, Ratatouille was a bit ahead of its time. We’re joined here by a Parisian rat named Remy. His sole purpose in life is to become a famous chef. While the story is improbable from a logistics standpoint, PIXAR hit it out of the proverbial park when it comes to the scenery it brought to the table. You actually feel as if you’re transported to France in this lovely story.
For those who are foodies, this likely is your absolute favorite PIXAR triumph. The casting for this film was also top-notch. Patton Oswalt, the voice of the protagonist, brings an absolute perfect voice for animation. The film’s message in following your heart to accomplish one’s dreams is also excellent.
Image Source: IMDb
5. Coco
Talk about some stunning visuals. Coco didn’t necessarily have the hype compared to some of the other PIXAR films before coming out. Regardless, it’s easily one of the best projects PIXAR has completed to date. The aesthetics in this film are perhaps better than any other PIXAR-based movie. This fantasy-based environment deftly taps into the Day of the Dead tradition in Mexican culture. We’re smacked in the face with a number of very prevalent themes — most important of which is the significance of family (as well as the ties that bind us).
The authenticity in accurately depicting Mexican culture was universally lauded. This film — which won two Oscar’s (Best Original Song, Best Animated Feature) — also included a whale of a cast (Edward James Olmos, Gael Garcia Bernal, Ana Ofelia Murguia, Benjamin Bratt, Jaime Camil, Renee Victor, Gabriel ‘Fluffy’ Iglesias, Cheech Marin).
Image Source: IMDb
4. Inside Out
Inside Out is a fascinating film. It featured somewhat of an atypical cast when it comes to PIXAR films. Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling, Diane Lane, and Kyle MacLaughlan (among others) all lent their vocal talents for this picture. Essentially, we see the inner workings of a young girl’s brain — where each emotion is depicted as its own specific character. It’s quite fascinating for PIXAR to take this sort of approach.
The awareness of mental health continues to be an ever-present facet of life. For this to be depicted via a children’s story is quite cutting-edge. It shows how a traumatic event can impact anyone (even a young person). While not necessarily the first movie one thinks of when discussing PIXAR, it’s easily one of the most nuanced. Inside Out won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and ultimately grossed more than $850 million globally.
Image Source: IMDb
3. Finding Nemo
Finding Nemo was a massive hit from the moment it hit the silver screen. It’s hard to envision this sort of movie not working. The visuals of this ocean world were simply sublime. Children right away were captivated by this story which featured Nemo (Alexander Gould) and his buddy Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) out in the wild.
Along the way, a number of crazy mishaps and shenanigans ensue. The desire to find Nemo’s father Marlin (Albert Brooks) is a prominent theme. However, in addition to the tropes of adventure and perseverance, we also learn about unabated friendship. Finding Nemo broke barriers as being the first PIXAR movie to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. It also smashed a number of monetary records during its run.
Image Source: IMDb
2. WALL-E
WALL-E is truly a PIXAR film which deserves to be in its own category. We often praise films for illustrating serious topics in a way which younger people can understand. Often times, threatening and even dangerous subject matter can be stripped down and processed in a way which is digestible to people of different age ranges/maturity levels. WALL-E did just that — along with promoting the significance in caring for our planet.
There are so many layers and elements to this film. It’s difficult in pin-pointing a single facet which fully describes this movie. Yes, it’s a science-fiction children’s movie speaking about the environment and how we as the human race need to constantly keep it clean. However, this story is also about both love and redemption. The relationship between WALL-E and EVE is utterly beautiful despite the fact they’re both robots. Watch this film if you’ve never seen it before…you won’t be disappointed.
Image Source: IMDb
1. Toy Story
When you think of PIXAR, Toy Story is most certainly atop the list. Let’s first put aside the sheer brilliance of the film’s contents itself. This was a revolutionary movie as it pertains to the world of children’s animation. PIXAR animation has become synonymous with practically every major animated film since Toy Story debuted in 1995. It set the stage for two decade’s worth of truly captivating and uplifting films.
In terms of this one in general, Toy Story delicately (and quite marvelously) toed the line between demonstrating a project for children which was spliced together with enough adult humor to keep parents both laughing and interested in the story. From there, the cast was put together exquisitely. Though the two weren’t necessarily even in the same room when recording their lines, pairing Tim Allen with Tom Hanks was a stroke of pure genius.
Image Source: IMDb