Which Are the Best Pixar Movies?
In a few weeks, Pixar Animation Studios will release its 24th feature film, Luca.
To date, Pixar has proven itself such a worthy contender to Disney’s longstanding animation crown that the latter company bought it!
After more than 25 years, Pixar is no longer the young upstart seeking respect. It’s a revered brand whose influence permeates across the globe.
We all know and love Pixar, and everyone’s got an opinion about the most crucial question.
Which are the best Pixar movies? Here’s one person’s opinion…
10) Coco
My only rule here is that I only select one title per franchise so that my top ten isn’t mainly consisting of two series.
However, my tenth choice shows that I like standalone Pixar titles, too.
Coco tells the story of a child musician desperately seeking information about his father and their shared musical background.
The boy proves so motivated that he enters the Land of the Dead, triggering a remarkable adventure with many surprises along the way.
When I first purchased a 4K UHD TV, I used Coco as the title to show off the splendor of the colors.
I did so because it’s legitimately one of the prettiest movies ever made. And the soundtrack is spectacular!
9) Finding Dory
Finding Nemo never quite moved me the way that its sequel did. Sure, I enjoy the film, but it’s not top-tier Pixar to me.
I feel quite differently about Finding Dory, highlighted by two aspects of the story that speak to me.
Part of the film takes place at the Marine Life Institute, which is a case of life imitating art.
Disney park fans know that The Seas with Nemo & Friends was once The Living Seas. It’s an entire pavilion dedicated to aquatic study, just like in the movie.
What I really love is the demonstration of excellent parenting, though.
In the first film, Marlin’s going through some stuff and loses sight of his rambunctious son.
This story wasn’t a demonstration of great parenting, although Marlin more than made up for his mistakes.
In Finding Dory, we learn that Dory’s parents never gave up hope that they will locate their daughter.
They’ve devoted their lives to building a path that might lead her home one day. It’s one of the best examples of parenting in the history of cinema.
8) Soul
I’m still noodling on Soul. There’s a chance I move it higher on the list after several re-watches, just as has happened for me with Up.
After a couple of viewings, I’m in awe of the depth of the story. It, too, explores the afterlife, albeit from a different approach.
A musician and teacher named Joe earns the career opportunity of a lifetime, a recurring gig with a famous musician.
Then, Joe walks into an open drain and finds himself in the great beyond, walking toward the light. He does the understandable thing and tries to flee.
This unusual action leads Joe into a new realm of souls, one of whom has tortured tutors for millennia. Somehow, Joe develops a kinship.
Soul is unquestionably the most existential of all Pixar films to date, and its Academy Award-winning score wows me whenever I hear those memorable chords.
7) Cars
I know that not everyone loves this project as much as I do, but its merchandising sales reflect people’s connection with cars.
I’m less about the gear and more about the story, though. Cars laments a lost way of life and the way that some small towns get left behind.
Despite the melancholy subject matter, the boisterous nature of Lightning McQueen and his new buddy, Mater, turns this story into a triumph of maturation.
The self-centered star learns the importance of community. It’s not a new idea, but the confident storytelling hides the message in plain sight.
Cars is one of Pixar’s best…and also the most gorgeous movie until an outer space title debuted.
6) Toy Story 2
Everyone has a favorite Toy Story film, with all four projects worthy of adoration and respect.
Pixar took a simple idea, “what if toys were real?” and turned it into a generation-spanning franchise.
I suspect that most people would select Toy Story 3 or Toy Story 4 as the best, but I favor the one about Woody’s backstory.
The exploration of toys as collectibles rather than entertainment fascinates me. And I say that as someone with shelves full of Funkos!
5) WALL-E
For a while, I believed that no Pixar movie would ever match the beauty of WALL-E. This philosophy lasted, oh, 11 months.
Pixar’s so good that it’s only really in competition with itself.
With WALL-E, the studio examined a world without humans and what that would mean to nature. How much damage have we done as a people?
Then, WALL-E pulled off a surprise by showing that humanity has survived…but we live in space!
Also, the logical conclusion of technology has led us to massive weight gains and little individual thought. We’re sweeter, though!
WALL-E claims the title of best Pixar message movie, and I always watch it whenever it’s on.
4) Up
The first 15 minutes of Up feels like a sucker punch to those unable to have children. And it presents a doomsday scenario for happy couples.
What would life look like if you had to live alone? For cranky Carl Fredricksen, the frustrations of modern society have worn him down.
So, he does what any sane person would do…and adds balloons to his house so that he can fly away.
No Pixar film has ever presented a more daring premise. Honestly, I’m dubious that any other movie has.
Oddly, this thrilling premise doesn’t play into the story as much as you’d expect.
The essential aspect is the stowaway, Russell, a boy desperately in need of a (grand) parental figure.
The two of them land near Paradise Falls, a place in South America, and encounter “talking” dogs and a…Kevin.
Up never stops surprising from start to finish, and it’s brimming with heart. I didn’t love it at first due to those harsh opening minutes we spent in a theater.
Since then, the endearing elements of the story have won me over completely. Charles F. Muntz is an underrated movie villain, too.
3) Ratatouille
Okay, here’s where I lose a lot of people. I recognize that Ratatouille doesn’t fall into the top tier of Pixar films, at least for most people.
However, I’m a mega-fan of The Simpsons and Iron Giant, both of which are the work of Brad Bird.
Well, The Simpsons involves a lot of people, but Bird’s among the best. A former Disney employee (he worked on The Black Cauldron!), Bird returned in 2003.
By 2007, he was revered at Pixar’s offices, where he earned the freedom to create a quirky film about a rat who can cook haute cuisine.
Yes, Ratatouille is weird and even a non-starter for some. Those of us who give it a chance discover a charming, upbeat tale of inclusivity.
I have probably watched this movie more than 50 times, and that’s not hyperbole. Any time it’s on, I put down the remote.
2) Monsters, Inc.
Here’s the warmest of all Pixar movies to date. All of them have heart, but nothing else approaches Monsters, Inc. in terms of charm.
In this story, monsters live to scare human children. The best duo at this activity is Sully and Mike, but their worlds turn upside down once they meet Boo.
This little girl has entered a doorway that leads to Monstropolis. No monster may legally interact with a human, but Sully and Mike fall in love with Boo.
During a chance encounter, Boo laughs so loudly that she literally brightens the building.
By the end of the film, Pixar establishes that the most potent power source in the universe is the laughter of children.
We can all get behind that message of love, right?
1) The Incredibles
Have I mentioned how much I love Brad Bird?
Seriously, the dude has directed four animated movies, and they’re all masterpieces. Even though it’s not Disney, you should watch Iron Giant, too!
In 2003, Bird’s triumphant return to Disney came with a sublime superhero movie about a family struggling with turmoil.
The dad works too much, the mother feels unseen, and the teen daughter struggles to make school friends. And there’s a bratty boy.
Okay, none of this feels unique, which makes The Incredibles all the more remarkable.
Bird infuses these storytelling tropes with enhancements. All members of the Parr family possess superpowers!
The teen girl can literally vanish from sight. The dad is the world’s strongest man…but has given up his crime fighting to work in insurance. And so forth.
This conceit elevated The Incredibles as the most relatable group of superheroes ever.
Even today, nearly two decades after the first film’s debut, families still dress up as The Incredibles at costume parties.
Part of that stems from the rejuvenation of the franchise with its blockbuster sequel, The Incredibles 2. But that wasn’t needed, just a happy bonus.
The Incredibles has stood the test of time for its charm and subtle, nuanced humor. It’s the rare movie that gets better with repeated viewings.
The Pixar catalog is comically deep and robust. Still, even among the best films in the Pixar library, The Incredibles stands above the rest for me.
What are your favorite Pixar movies? Tell us in the comments!
Feature Image Rights: Pixar