Ranking the Pixar Films

I saw Toy Story 3—finally, jeez what a bad film critic—last night. My review will be up later tonight, but, before it's posted, I wanted to put the film into context. So, I made a list of the eleven existing Pixar films. I'm sure there will be some disagreements, so feel free to share—the margin separating these films is miniscule. They are all great films, so keep that in mind as I explain my reasonings. Here goes...

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11. Cars (2006) - The plot has been criticized as being a rip off of Doc Hollywood (1991), but this film is still solid. This was the last movie Pixar released before the studio was bought by Disney. Maybe that explains the slightly rushed feel of Cars. Rushed or not, bottom-of-the-barrel Pixar is still better than most other animated films nowadays.

***1/2

10. Toy Story 3 (2010) - Pixar's latest is essentially a prison break story with a touching, content ending. It doesn't manage to capture quite the same amount of magic as Toy Story 2 or the original, but I'm constantly questioning: is it because I outgrew Andy by a few years? There are still barrels of laughs to be had, especially the interactions between Barbie and Ken.

9. Finding Nemo (2003) - The studio's second-biggest box-office sensation and a film with many devoted followers, Finding Nemo is the first Pixar film to really amaze me visually—the scene when they get to Sydney and all of the underwater details. It's placed at number 9 mainly because of its somewhat rehashed plot: the rescue-mission-search-and-find storyline.

8. A Bug’s Life (1998) - Probably the most overlooked Pixar film, A Bug's Life is perhaps the most important Pixar release because it established the studio as more than a one-hit wonder. Time seems to have taken its toll on A Bug's Life—the film is usually the last Pixar film to be mentioned in pop-culture discussions, suggesting it's hardly memorable. It really is a great film, though. Flick is a force.

7. The Incredibles (2004) - The Incredibles is the most violent Pixar film. It's definitely targeted toward an older audience and is the first Pixar production to be rated "PG". It's witty, fast-paced, and wonderfully animated. The superhero story is starting to get cliché, and we've seen some of the plot points before, but The Incredibles has more than enough originality to merit a viewing—and a second, and a third.

****

6. Monsters Inc. (2001) - Points for original and imaginative thinking here. The fur on Sulley is still an impressive achievement today, and Billy Crystal and John Goodman have the chemistry to match any voice-acting team in the history of the medium. This, along with A Bug's Life, is underrated and deserves more recognition. There's also been rumblings about a sequel, which I'd prefer over Cars 2.

5. Toy Story 2 (1999) - The first sequel from Pixar. It's hard to live up to its predecessor, but Toy Story 2 doesn't skip a beat. There's a story to tell and a lesson to be learned here, and Jesse and Pete the Ol' Prospector are just as vivid as the original collection of characters. This collector's-item story is fresh and nostalgic, with "Woody's Roundup" adding another iconographic song to the franchise. Given its incredible task, Toy Story 2 is about as successful as one could hope.

4. Wall-E (2008) - The next three films are really interchangeable on the list for me, all amazing, and all capable of standing on their own as works of art. Wall-E is successful at drawing us in using minimal dialogue and inviting us to relate to one of the cutest characters in cinema history. The visuals are stunning here as well, especially when Wall-E is soaring through the cosmos.

3. Up (2009) - As good as Wall-E was, Pixar outdid itself with last year's release of Up. This is hands down the most melancholic picture that Pixar has made, a film dripping with nostalgia and a spirit of goodwill. Up also features the best score of any Pixar film. There's action, drama, and laugh-out-loud comedy—all perfectly placed. My review of Up can be found here.

2. Ratatouille (2007) - This is a personal favorite of mine, probably because it feels like it could have been made in the 1950's. It captures the romance and simple pleasures of life and is one of the funniest Pixar films. The characters are imaginative and the gags aren't all dialogue driven; it's mostly slapstick in style—music to my ears.

1. Toy Story (1995) - It's hard to imagine another film taking top honors. This started it all. Despite being fifteen years old, the film still looks marvelous today, and no other Pixar movie has equalled Toy Story's diverse, distinct environment and characters—not to mention that Buzz and Woody are such recognizable figures in our pop-culture. The film itself already safely planted in "classic" territory.

Well, this concludes my list, and I'm sure there are disagreements galore. Leave a comment and let me know your top 11 list—if you haven't seen Toy Story 3, at least your top 10 list! And check back soon for my review of Pixar's Toy Story 3!