The Pixar Canon: 4 Misses And 8 Hits
This June 22, Pixar will release Brave, the studio’s 13th animated feature. Brave tells the story of Merida, a Scottish princess who rebels against her royal parents with dire consequences. Even though it may be a bit darker than a typical Pixar production, Brave looks to have the stunning visuals and memorable characterizations that make Pixar films so great.
Over the last 26 years Pixar has transformed animation. Partnering with Disney the studio innovated the medium in a way unseen since the days of Walt Disney himself. Many people still thought of computer animation as some sort of sci-fi pipe dream in 1986, but thanks to Pixar, the medium has become the industry standard — and the company’s films now dominate both the box office and critics’ yearly top 10 lists.
Pixar’s dozen productions have met with varying degrees of critical and box office success. I’d say there’s no such thing as a bad Pixar film, but some movies have raised the bar exponentially while others have fallen a bit short of the high standards the studio has set. I’ve compiled a list of the twelve movies ranked from the least to the greatest. Here we go…
12. Cars 2 (2011)
Cars 2 takes its characters out of charming Radiator Springs for an international adventure.
The resulting film winds up becoming a bright, loud mess trying too hard. Though Pixar chief John Lasseter denied that Disney forced him to make the movie, Cars 2 seems to have more in common with Michael Eisner’s “cheapquels” (the sequels rushed out to make quick money and sell merchandise) — though this film didn’t come cheap.
There’s so much wrong with Cars 2. Shifting the bulk of the action from Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) to Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy) doesn’t work. Let’s face it: a little Mater goes a long way. The environmental message winds up being more annoying than insidious. And for all the candy-colored ADD action, the movie generates little genuine excitement.
Cars 2 became Pixar’s lowest-grossing film in North America since 1998, and critics had largely less-than-kind words. The fact that it was the first Pixar feature to fail to generate Oscar nods says a lot too.
11. Ratatouille (2007)
Ratatouille begins with two strikes for me. First, the setting in the world of French cuisine — not exactly the most obvious setting for a family movie night. And second, scurrying around an environment you’d want spotless? The main character is a rat.
Yes, that’s right: I have a problem with a rodent as the protagonist in a Disney film. Look, I’ll admit that Mickey and Minnie are cute, classic Disney characters — and it would be sacrilege to suggest anything otherwise. But I still don’t want to see them running around in a commercial kitchen.
I suppose Ratatouille isn’t a terrible film, but at the same time, it doesn’t exactly stay with me, either. Perhaps if it had been more memorable, it would rank higher on this list. On second thought: maybe not. Not with that disgusting rodent in the kitchen.
10. A Bug’s Life (1998)
Pixar’s second film came three years after the giddy success of Toy Story (the studio hadn’t yet gotten to the point where they could churn out a film a year or so). A Bug’s Life tells the story of, well, just what its title suggests.
A Bug’s Life finds its basis as a riff on Aesop’s fable of “The Ant & The Grasshopper,” with a unique twist — the grasshopper is a villain who demands food rather than begs. The movie boasted top-shelf voice talent such as Kevin Spacey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Denis Leary, and, like Toy Story before it, the songwriting expertise of Randy Newman. Critics adored A Bug’s Life, and it managed to gross just a little more than Toy Story, though it had twice the budget.
Here’s the problem I have with A Bug’s Life: it just wasn’t that memorable. I can’t recall any key scenes or characterizations, which is especially odd since the film inspired an attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Usually Pixar productions have more staying power.
9. Cars (2006)
By 2006, Pixar’s technology had advanced to the point where the computers the studio used possessed a thousand times more speed than the machines the animators used on Toy Story. Pixar put this technology to use to create Cars, a high-octane tale of anthropomorphic vehicles.
Cars tells the story of Lightning McQueen, a hotshot rookie stock car who finds himself stranded in the small town of Radiator Springs. McQueen learns humility and respect for small town life during his stay there. It looks like Doc Hollywood, only with talking cars in place of people.
The movie winds up being colorful, cute, and often clever. Though Cars fell a little short of expectations for both critics and audiences, it turned into a financial success, especially in the realm of merchandising, shattering records with over $5 billion in revenues, the most for any Pixar production.
8. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
Pixar’s films turn out to be most charming when they explore the “what ifs” and “what abouts” of modern life. For its fourth outing, Pixar decided to explore the idea of the imagined monsters that scare children in Monsters, Inc.
In the city of Monstropolis, the only source of power is the screams of children. An expert team of scarers including Sully (voiced by John Goodman) and Mike (voiced by Billy Crystal) fill their requisite quotas of scream power. When Sully inadvertently brings a human child back to Monstropolis with him, chaos ensues, until the scarers discover that a child’s laughter is an even more potent power source.
Critics loved the film, which earned over half a billion in box office revenues; it also won Randy Newman a long overdue Oscar for Best Song. A prequel, Monsters University, is on the slate for a 2013 release. Monsters, Inc. entertains, even if it doesn’t break ground.
7. WALL-E (2008)
In 2008, Pixar went in a different direction with an ambitious project that is almost an art film. WALL-E goes deeper than “What do the toys do when they’re not being played with?” or “What if a fish got lost?” Director Andrew Stanton said the movie explores themes of free will versus programmed behavior:
I realized the point I was trying to push with these two programmed robots was the desire for them to try and figure out what the point of living was. … It took these really irrational acts of love to sort of discover them against how they were built. … I realized that that’s a perfect metaphor for real life. We all fall into our habits, our routines and our ruts, consciously or unconsciously to avoid living. To avoid having to do the messy part. To avoid having relationships with other people. of dealing with the person next to us.
WALL-E is a garbage-compacting robot left behind when Earth becomes too toxic for human life. He meets the sleek, horticultural robot EVE and they fall in love. Through their mutual fascination with a plant they end up saving the Earth and humanity.
WALL-E looks at large, existential themes and contains several scenes with no dialogue other than Ben Burtt-designed robot sound effects — not exactly the first things that come to mind when thinking of a fun animated film for the family. But WALL-E succeeded with both filmgoers and critics and even pushed the limits of what animation can do.
6. The Incredibles (2004)
After tackling the worlds of toys, monsters, and sea life, Pixar targeted the superhero genre with The Incredibles. Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter voice Bob and Helen Parr, two “supers” forced to lead normal lives after a ban on costumed vigilantes. The presence of a new villain draws them back into their old lives, but not before Bob visits Edna Mode, fashion designer to the heroes.
Writer/producer/director Brad Bird cleverly portrays the dichotomy between normal life and superhero life. The movie mined new territory for Pixar as the first production to feature a primarily human — make that superhuman — cast of characters.
The Incredibles became another critical and box-office smash for Pixar, and it earned the studio its second Oscar for Best Animated Film.
5. Finding Nemo (2003)
With Finding Nemo, Pixar went undersea. The film shares the tale of overprotective clown fish Marlin (Albert Brooks) as he searches for his lost son Nemo (Alexander Gould). Along the way, an array of ocean creatures help Marlin out, including a loopy regal tang named Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres):
Finding Nemo‘s cleverness and humor lie in the movie’s characterizations of various aquatic life. The “circle of life” backdrop that the sea provides allows the filmmakers to create a wide palette of hilarious characters. You’ll find plenty of warmth and charm in Finding Nemo as well, and both children and adults can enjoy it on different levels.
Audiences and critics alike took to Finding Nemo like fish to water — the film was the highest grossing Pixar production until Toy Story 3. It even generated a spike in tourism to Australia, which that country used to its advantage. Finding Nemo also won Pixar its first Oscar for Best Animated Film.
4. Toy Story (1995)
Here’s the film that started it all for Pixar. A decade into the 21st century, we tend to forget that in 1995, computer animation was a novelty and that many people considered a feature film fully animated on a computer to be a fantasy. After all, Disney initially fired John Lasseter back in the ’80s for suggesting that the studio attempt a computer animated feature.
When Toy Story debuted, it was revolutionary. Critics and audiences responded to the film, with journalists calling it entertaining and innovative. Toy Story wound up earning nearly $362 million at the box office. But more important, Disney realized that computer animation was here to stay. Tom Schumacher, then president of Walt Disney Feature Animation, said:
We couldn’t have made this movie in traditional animation. This is a story that can only really be told with three-dimensional toy characters. … Some of the shots in this film are so beautiful.
For Pixar, Toy Story was just the beginning.
3. Toy Story 2 (1999)
The old adage holds that sequels are never as good at the originals. Of course, a few series disprove the rule: The Godfather, Part 2;Terminator 2 — and, of course, Toy Story 2. This movie — the first sequel in the Pixar canon — brings back the familiar characters from Toy Story, along with some new characters, including Jessie (Joan Cusack) and Barbie (Jodi Benson)/
John Lasseter came up with the idea for a Toy Story sequel just a month after the first film’s release, when he saw a child carrying a Woody doll. He approached Disney Studios head Joe Roth, who initially wanted to issue Toy Story 2 as a direct-to-DVD “cheapquel.” At a story summit with Pixar’s best minds, Lasseter and company developed the movie’s plot and new characters.
Expanding the film’s setting beyond the neighborhood, introducing the new characters, and adding a grown-up villain in Al McWhiggin (voiced by Wayne Knight) all broaden the scope of the series and build on the amazing foundation that Toy Story set. A sequel better than the original? Absolutely.
2. Up (2009)
In a Pixar production, the most resonant storytelling comes when the filmmakers blend genuine poignancy and humor. We see this in Up, the first of Pixar’s two Best Picture nominees. The movie tells the story of Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Ed Asner), a widowed, retired balloon salesman who honors his late wife’s wish to visit Paradise Falls by tying thousands of balloons to their house and piloting it there himself.
Director Pete Docter said that Up conveys the message:
…that the real adventure of life is the relationship we have with other people, and it’s so easy to lose sight of the things we have and the people that are around us until they are gone.
Though laughs and adventure abound in Up, a heartrending thread runs through the film. Touching moments convey the tenderness and beauty in the storyline (and showcase Michael Giacchino’s magnificent Oscar-winning score).
Up struck a chord with critics — a score of 98 from Rotten Tomatoes — as well as moviegoers, with over $731 million in worldwide gross. It’s not difficult to see why.
1. Toy Story 3 (2010)
The first two Toy Story films set the bar so high that it almost seemed like there was nowhere to go but down, but Toy Story 3 managed to deepen both the humor and the sweetness of the series.
Buzz (Tim Allen) and Woody (Tom Hanks) and the gang return for the third film, along with some new characters. With a new villain and the mission of escaping from Sunnyside, Toy Story 3 provides a terrific adventure and plenty of laughs.
The film’s ending, where Andy gives his toys away to a good home before going off to college, becomes a lovely grace note to end the trilogy. (Or is it the end? Hanks has hinted that a fourth installment is in the works, but Disney has yet to confirm.) Still, can anything top the magic of Toy Story 3?
I can’t wait to see what Pixar does next. With Brave set for release next month and a full slate of upcoming films, the sky really is the limit for the studio. I have no doubt that Disney and Pixar will continue to create innovative and entertaining animation for years to come.
Update: See PJ Lifestyle’s editor Dave Swindle disagreements with Chris’s choices and his defense of Ratatouille here.
I agree with most of your rankings except for Ratatouille, which is a vastly underrated film. It’s full of great humor with a message about not letting yourself get pigeonholed or succumbing to preconceptions about other people. I’d move it up a few spots.
I also liked Cars and Wall-E better than Monsters or The Incredibles. In addition, I never cared for Finding Nemo much. That one’s near the bottom of my list.
But all the Pixar films have something to recommend them, except, perhaps, for Cars 2.
The best is a tossup between Toy Story 3 and Up. I’d probably give the nod to Up. The opening sequence chokes me up every time I watch it.
Agreed Ratatouille is ranked FAR too low… as is The Incredibles, actually. And Toy Story 3 should be the 3rd ranked Toy Story, good as it is. Ratatouille is still the best movie I have ever seen about what going on the dole does to your soul.
And Bugs Life is a really good movie. And it’s not a riff on the Ant and the Grasshopper, it’s the 948576th remake of Seven Samurai/The Magnificent Seven.
agreed with author re: ratatouille– i was unable to suspend disbelief enough to disregard a rat in the kitchen
Ratatouille was a well crafted movie with an original idea. And as one who has a VHS tape of the then five or six Pixar short films (Luxo Jr., etc) and remembers when Pixar was selling hardware, it was a wonderful example of the developments that have been made with computer graphics. But every few minutes during the film I kept saying, “Hold it. There’s a rat in the kitchen!”
It really messes up the story.
(Didn’t have anything like that until the person who kept checking text messages every ten minutes during The Avengers. Grumble, grumble, next time I’m bringing a flashlight and shining it in your face.)
To me the bigger problem with Ratatoille was the hair-puppeteering aspect. I could forgive the intelligent rat and rodents in the kitchen…but controlling a person’s movements by pulling on his hair? WTF?!?! THAT is what spoiled that movie for me.
yes
that was just as awful
If I went by the way my 5 year old son would rank them (his favorites), it would be:
1. Monsters Inc.
2. Toy Story 2
3. Cars
4. Toy Story
5. Finding Nemo and Toy Story 3
My boy seems to like the preview for Ratatoulie, but I can’t get myself to the mental point of buying it for him. Haven’t tried Incredibles on him, but I liked it when I saw it. That might be our next pick. I’m intrigued by Up as well.
Cars 2 did stink. Wall-E seems silly…pass. Bug’s Life, we’ll pass on as well.
He’s not a Dreamworks kid, though we have a number of them. He does like Kung Fu Panda, but the others (the Shrek series), he’ll only watch if I don’t give him the choice.
Your. Son,s rankings are better, especially given that you haven’t seen Ratatouille or The Incredible yet. They belong in the top five but only for older children, say 9+.
I politely disagree, not only the order of these films, but with the statement that “Pixar can’t make a bad movie.” Like every other studio in Hollywood, these guys are not somehow immune to human imperfection. Sure, Pixar makes money every time, but mediocracy occasionally creeps in. On my list:
Cars 2 was a BAD movie.
Some might call me a Pixar hater (though I’m not; I just watched Ratatouille and the Incredibles recently, on my own accord,) but I thought Finding Nemo was a bit story-lite, Wall-E had a great start but fizzled 2/3 the way into the film, and UP was downright “sloppy,” once you get past the heartbreaking first act (Talking dogs? An old man practically lame in act 1, but becomes an action hero by the end? Come on!)
And I actually think Ratatouille was the finest Pixar flick in recent years, BECAUSE of its French-setting sophistication, and juxtaposed/offsetting rat protagonist. It’s also nice to see a CG film that harnesses itself from the standard CG/Pixar/Dreamworks flicks, which is to include constant blow-em-up scenes and characters who crack jokes every three seconds.
According to my kids, “The Incredibles” is easily #1. Cars is probably a distant second. The rest they don’t want to watch again.
Dreamworks has a few good films (Kung Fu Panda) but I’d say Pixar is in a class by itself. Ranking Pixar films is sort of unkind because they are all great.
Dreamworks has even managed to match them on artistry (Kung-fu Panda II)
A Bugs Life felt too much like Must See TV (Dave Foley, Julia Luis Dreyfus, and David Hyde Pierce were key voices) put into a animated film.
The Incredibles is the most-watched Pixar movie in my household. The theme of embracing what makes you special is a powerful one. Too many think that everyone has to be special at everything to boost everyone’s self-esteem. I would move Ratatouille up and move Wall-E down. Wall-E was way too boring. I did somewhat enjoy it on the first watching, but have no desire to ever see it again – neither do the kids.
Old Soldier, I agree with your kids. I think being a comics fan helps one “get” “The Incredibles”
I largely agree with your choices (I thought Ratatouille was weak and dull. I might have put it at #12, save I haven’t seen Cars 2), but you’re way off with The Incredibles. I’ve seen 10 of the 12 Pixar films listed, and this is the best, imho. In fact, it’s a plain old great movie, animated or otherwise. I’m just shocked they haven’t done the sequel, yet.
They will never do a sequel to The Incredibles for the same reason Cameron won’t release True Lies in Blu-ray: the message lacked political correctness, was conservative and got past the internal censors by mistake.
For me, Ratatouille doesn’t work because of the mixed message. Through the first act, the movie constantly reinforces the idea that “anyone can cook!”
By the end of the movie, the cast has been divided up between those who cook and those who can’t — and it’s some sort of born talent. Those who can’t will never be able to cook, according to the movie.
The idea that “everybody can cook” is not reinforced but debunked in the movie, but in a subtle way, because that theme is repeated many times along the movie, yet you discover is more a commercial trick (to sell cuisine books), and although everybody can cook, not everybody is a master chef.
That’s what made the movie great, the conflicting principles “everybody does it” and “something else is required to be a master” portrays very well the choice between mediocrity and excellence.
I’ll disagree with your assessment of Bug’s Life as a rehash of Aesop, it’s a rehash of Kurosawa. Count the number of circus bugs, you’ll find seven of them.
I know it’s not Pixar, but the kids and I liked Antz better than a Bug’s Life.
Like all reviews, this boils down to a matter of taste. I have not seen “Cars 2″ but have been reliably told that the movie stank. I’ve seen all the other movies and have them rated in order below.
A Bug’s Life [best]
Toy Story
Monsters, Inc.
Ratatouille
The Incredibles
Toy Story 2
Finding Nemo
Cars
Wall-E
Up
Toy Story 3 [worst but still an excellent movie]
All of these movies are excellent. For me, “A Bug’s Life” was a magical movie. I would say the “The Incredibles” is the most underrated Pixar movie. Too bad Pixar blew their winning streak with “Cars 2″. I’d like my daughter to work for Pixar.
Toy Story 3 is beautiful. The ending moved me to tears. But it was so scary in the dump scene that my oldest solemnly told me afterwards not to get the DVD.
The dump scene was scary (maybe too scary for a kid’s flick) but the toys did well when faced with certain death. My biggest quarrel with “Toy Story 3″ is this business of doing sequels on an excellent movie until it has been “done to death”. Concerning the basic story line, pretty much everything had been said that needed to be said at the conclusion of “Toy Story 2″. Mind you, “Toy Story 3″ is still an excellent movie. We’re arguing about 99% for “A Bug’s Life” versus 93% for “Toy Story 3″(subtle shades of gray in excellence).
We should just be happy that the makers of Toy Story 3 resisted the temptation to have Lotso the Bear “squeal like a pig” after he was found by the dump truck drivers. I just wonder about Andy’s family dynamics, seeing as their is no mention of a father in any of the films, although Woody saw what looked like a young Andy in a black and white episode of the 1950s era Woody’s Round Up in Story 2.
Good article, solid. I’m a little torn when some of the voice actors (Oswalt, Hanks) are dorks in real life, but the movies are just too good to allow that as a barrier.
OP4 @ 13:
“I know it’s not Pixar, but the kids and I liked Antz better than a Bug’s Life.”
“Antz” was an excellent movie. Woody Allen is good at what he does. However “A Bug’s Life” was magical while “Antz” was merely entertaining.
Nemo is like a prep outline for Wall-E – how can you put such a wonderful film below Nemo? And The Incredibles at 6 and Up at 2? The Incredibles and Wall-E are as good as any Pixar Films ever made. They are effortlessly creative and don’t stop for one single second. Wall-E starts out in the first few minutes as a serious dystopian film, continues to silent and slowly morphs into a Warner Bros. cartoon, while dragging the seriousness of those first few minutes right into the film. That takes art, buddy.
In my opinion, “The Incredibles” is the best.
About “Brave,” the trailer looks like “Mulan” meets “Braveheart.” I’ll pass.
I have to agree with MarkTheZealot. The Incredibles was the best (of those that I saw.)
Unlike the reviewer (and most critics) I don’t think that Toy Story II reached the level of the original.
One interesting note about Pixar, is that they seem to have had a way of getting talents I don’t much like in other contexts, enjoyable (for me.)
Holly Hunter is an annoying presence for me, but she was great (or her voice was) in The Incredibles. I’m not Randy Newman fan, but his music was great for Toy Story. (Sarah MacLachlan’s song in TS II was just annoying.)
The one time it didn’t work for me was Finding Nemo; the combination of Albert Brooks and Ellen Degeneres sunk that film for me. Ugh.
I would have put Ratatouille much, much higher. Probably 3 or 4 behind Incredibles, Up, and Toy Story 3. But then, I love rats and think they’re adorable, and know well that the stereotypes about them are largely untrue. Otherwise, excellent list.
I recently saw Cars 2 on Starz and was very disappointed. If they were going to pick a movie from their collection to make a sequel, why didn’t they do Incredibles 2?
You heard me Pixar. Make Incredibles 2!
I agree with your order with one exception;
I would move The Incredibles to number 1 and have all the rest shift appropriately.
Though “The Incredibles” was a very good animated movie, I do think it was more for the adults than the kids.
But “Toy Story 3″ as no. 1? Yes, the ending was sweet and a loving way to finally wrap up that line of story. But “Up” and “Ratatouille” were unique and far more moving.
The work alone that went into “Monsters Inc.” deserves it a higher ranking then “Toy Story 2″ and “Toy Story 3″.
“Finding Nemo” works better on the stage than on the screen, and “Bugs Life” was disappointing — until it, too, became a theme park attraction.
It’s interesting to see the differing opinions about these movies. It just goes to show that everyone is different. “Up” was my favorite, hand’s down. It really resonated with me and, I’m embarrassed to say, actually changed my outlook on my own life. That movie came along at just the right time for me to truly appreciate it. If it had come any sooner or later, I might not rate it as highly. My kids love that one the best, too.
In “Up”, I was tremendously impressed with the montages/sequences that covered the Frederickson’s life from their meeting as children and through to Ellie’s death. To so artfully capture and create such poignancy and emotion in such a short amount of video was truly masterful. It belongs up there with the best film sequences of all time IMO.
I would disagree with some of the rankings, with the understanding that I have not seen UP, CARS 2, or the second 2 Toy Story movies. I really think that top billing goes to a combination of the Incredibles and the original Toy Story, to be followed by Nemo, Monsters Inc and Ratatouille. Wall-E was more of an environmental rant to me than a fun kids story, which was off-putting, and while it was cute (and I did appreciate the inclusion of “Put on your Sunday Clothes” from Hello, Dolly), I was somewhat bored watching it.
I rate these movies by how ‘sticky’ they are. By sticky, I mean if I change the channel and they’re on, what is the likelihood I will watch to the end no matter at what point I start watching? By this metric, all the Toy Storys, Monsters Inc., The Incredibles and Ratatouille will have me hooked. The rest not so much, although I’ve seen and enjoyed almost all of them (neither of the Cars movies appealed to me.) I’m looking forward to Brave, since it looks so visually stunning.
With a four year old and a two year old at home, I have probably watched Toy Story 3 forty times. I can honestly say I did not regret one of those times. The film is an absolute gem.
I generally agree with the author’s list too. Might rate Cars 1 a little higher. Cars 2 shouldn’t even be on the list. If I want marxist agitprop I’ll turn on The Today Show.
My $0.02:
Can’t beat TS3 for openly weeping. Wow, what an ending. All the TS movies had such great dialog, stories, story and heart. TS2 added really good characters that you cared about as much as those from TS1.
Most of the others had great bits in them, but had limited memorability in the long run. The Cars franchise are loved by the youngest audience (also more a little boy audience than little girl), which is perhaps why they did not get as high a general rating.
Nemo, Toy Story(s), Wall-E and Up had the most heart-grabbing bits and score real high for me on drama and story.
Wall-E is a wondrous trip to other worlds.
Frankly, I barely remember bugs life and Ratatouille and have not watched them more than once or twice.
The one I have watched the most as an adult? The Incredibles. Not only was it a good Pixar flick, it fired on so many cylinders for me that it is the one movie I can watch over and over again. The whole marriage issue is such a powerful part of the story also – I love the banter when Elastigirl arrives to rescue her hubby, and the dialog later when he says he is “not strong enough”. Wish there was a sequel, but I can’t imagine how they could do it and not have sequel-itis. The story is pretty much brought to a close and stands well as it is.
Well, that was more like $0.04, I guess. Everyone likes something different. One of my co-workers thinks Bug’s Life is the best. That is probably the best testament to the story tellers at Pixar – they can reach so many in different ways, and are not afraid to take chances with different audiences. And they always make quality.
(P.S. Yes, I thought C2 suffered from “too much Mater” syndrome)
My favorite is a result of real life experience. Not bad for an animated film to engender powerful memories eh? Cars is the one and that is because I grew up in Arizona and in my very early youth I saw Radiator Springs. Not all at once but a building at a time here and where, even the tepee motel rooms! The scenery was not far off either.
Nostalgia is a powerful thing, especially as those buildings and towns were fading away even in the early 60s, already relics of a passing age. It is all very evocative for me as it mixes with the memories of a passing youth that that was wonderful in a way that few kids can even dream of these days.
I loved finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, A Bugs Life. Haven’t seen Up, Toy Story 3, or Cars 2 and have no desire to. The rest are all “meh” to me. I am planning to take the girls to see Brave, but it can’t possibly top Tangled to me (not Pixar, I know).
I’d rank Ratatouille higher. I put the Toy Story movies in a three-way tie for #1, though. Each one is a classic. I have trouble ranking one above another. Cars/Cars 2/Bug’s Life definitely go at the bottom. The first 20 minutes of Wall-E are simply excellent, although I lose a little interest in the second half. The others (Incredibles, Nemo, Up, Monsters Inc., Ratatouille) keep my interest throughout. To each his own!
I liked Ratatouille and would rate it much higher. What I find interesting is many commentators aversion to rats! Many people have rats as pets. In a domesticated environment, I don’t consider them any less dirty than dogs.
I rank the Incredibles very high on it’s promotion of family values alone.
# 28. SMeloche said it best:
The whole marriage issue is such a powerful part of the story also – I love the banter when Elastigirl arrives to rescue her hubby, and the dialog later when he says he is “not strong enough”.
The Incredibles!
Still waiting for the “Incredibles” sequel, Edna was the bomb.
The malapropisms of Dory in Nemo made me forget the voice acting was being done by a homely lesbian. Cars2 a pile up on the I-5.
I have not seen any of the sequels yet, but do enjoy everyone of the films I have seen. I am one of those that views Ratatouille as one of the better Pixar pieces, I think in part of the scene where Ego flashes back to his youth. The scene where his mom puts down the dish and gently strokes his cheek, and he flashes back stunned was just magical to me. I do not know why, but that scene just hits me.
The Incredibles is the best. Ratatouille ranks higher. Yes, many people here already said that and they are totally correct.
Toy Story 3 was a great ending of the series.
That’s my Top3: The Incredibles, Toy Story 3, Ratatouille.
I tend to agree that there are no bad Pixar films. Just less good. Even Cars 2 is a fun enough romp. I think The Incredibles seems to hit all the right buttons. Great design, a good story that doesn’t shy away from some confronting moments. But in the end good fun. I’d rank it higher.
Ratatouille is an interesting case. It has it’s flaws. I think Linguine is miscast in voice and in his overall characterisation. But the film is defined by Peter O’Toole as the critic. His soliloquy at the end is delivered brilliantly. His voice acting is the prime example for me of someone who should have been at least nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar for an animated film.
I like that Pixar films can wring the emotions without it seeming cheap manipulation. The end of Toy Story 3 is a great film tearjerking moment. And I defy anyone to watch that five minute sequence in Up and not be in tears. Both examples are legitimate and integral to the stories.
It’s interesting which direction Pixar is heading. With the Monsters Inc prequel due out next year, three of their latest four films would have been sequels/prequels.
Ratatouille:
And the award for Epically Missing the Point goes to….
I liked Cars 2. It was a James Bond mixture and if you had liked old spy movies then it was a great flick. It also had guns, torture and death, which is pushing the censors a lot (and why a lot of people didn’t like it.) I’m SO sick of cartoons being made nearly 100% for kids, and this one at least recognized that parents may be interested in it.
Pixar – without Steve Jobs, it never would have happened… read the book.
Not too bad of a list. Move Bugs Life up a few notches, and put Incredibles at #1, and I think you’d have it.
“NO CAPES!”
I’d agree for the most part but personally didn’t/wouldn’t see Cars 2, Nemo, and Bug’s. The others I rate by whether I’d watch them again. Toy 1 & 3, Up, Cars, Monsters, and Incredibles get thumbs up. Rat & WALL-E aren’t worth a 2nd look and Toy 2 was a miss at our house. Another Disney offering which was very enjoyable was Tangled. As soon as we finished watching we wanted to do it again, and my wife never wants to see something twice.
I’ll second all of the folks putting Incredibles and Ratatouille higher. The first 2/3ds of Wall-E was the peak of the artform as a pure storytelling device. It’s glorious.
After watching Up, my exact comment was “Saddest cartoon ever.” It was good, but hit a little too close to home in some ways.
With kids in the right age, I get to watch Cars 1 and 2 and Nemo a lot. And I don’t hate them at all. Even Cars 2 – maybe it’s the 60s Spy Romp style I’m a sucker for. Also, the cameo as Bruce Campbell reprising his TV role as “Sam Axle” being “Chuck Tailfinley.”