This previously published story has been updated to include Luca.
Trying to rank all 24 Pixar films [most of which are available to stream on Disney+] in order of quality is like trying to rank your children by how much you love them. None of these movies is bad, but when youve made 24 films, one of them has to be No. 24 and one of them has to be No. 1. We tried to keep context in mind Toy Story had an ability to blow your mind in 1995 the way nothing could today and also ambition: In the world of childrens entertainment, nothing has set Pixar apart more than its burning desire not to coast or mail it in. Some of these movies work better than others, but all of them were trying to do something special so here they all are, from worst to best.
24. Cars 3 [2017]
Early reviews of Cars 3 have praised the latest installment in the Lightning McQueen saga for, essentially, not being Cars 2, the only Pixar film to receive a rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Not exactly a high bar and were not even convinced the new film gets over it. Yes, the dopey Tow Mater is, blessedly, back on the periphery where he belongs while Lightning [Owen Wilson] squares off with two new foes: a sleek race car named Jackson Storm [Armie Hammer] and, more imposingly, the growing realization that hes not the king of the track anymore. But where at least Cars 2 consciously tried to go in a radically different direction, Cars 3 feels like a tame holding pattern, providing the race sequences and heartwarming homilies that were rampant in the first film except without the same level of inspiration. There isnt one interesting new character, despite the effort from Hammer, Kerry Washington, Nathan Fillion, and Chris Cooper as Lightnings cranky new trainer. And from Randy Newmans by-the-numbers score to every single one of Maters tired quips, Cars 3 plays out like a rival studios lukewarm attempt to mimic Pixars magic. Its not so much bad as it is deeply dispiriting.
23. Cars 2 [2011]
Larry the Cable Guy was Cars secret weapon, lending his blue-collar earthiness to a character whose regular-folks demeanor had real pathos and sweetness. But that didnt mean we wanted to see Tow Mater in a James Bond spoof. Give Cars 2 points for audacity: The follow-up shifts away from the originals small-town, homespun charm to become a sleek, globetrotting action-thriller focusing on Lightning McQueens country-bumpkin sidekick. And then take away those points because Cars 2 proves that even the mighty Pixar cant transcend the central problem with sequels: You can make everything bigger, but you can rarely replicate what was novel and charming about the original.
22. Brave [2012]
Pixar finally set out to fix its lack-of-female-protagonists problem but unfortunately, it did it with an undercooked story that feels more like a response to criticism than a well-thought-out Pixar adventure. This is a textbook Idiot Plot movie, in which the whole dreadful second half could have been eliminated if [spoilers here] Merida who is beloved in the kingdom and would have little reason to be doubted just said, Hey, my mom was just transformed into this bear, everybody chill. [Heck, her mom could have even written her name in the ground with her claw to prove it, were anyone to ask.] This is also the first Pixar movie whose comedic tone is entirely out of whack; its dumb slapstick that reminds you of some subpar early Dreamworks movies. [We wouldnt have thought Pixar was capable of making irritating, un-cute children, but here they are.] They would finally come up with a terrific female lead three years later, but Brave was the first time you thought, Wait, have they really lost something?
21. Monsters University [2013]
How many of us had been clamoring to see how Mike [Billy Crystal] and Sulley [John Goodman] became friends in college? Anyone? One of the sizable faults with Monsters University is that its a prequel that doesnt have much need to exist just do a short before one of the studios features and be done with it but theres enough heart and humor to make this cash-grab amusing enough. Still, Monsters University uncomfortably sums up Pixars post-Toy Story 3 era: Its pleasantly entertaining just so long as you will yourself to forget the inspired storytelling and freewheeling imagination that used to be the studios trademarks.
20. The Good Dinosaur [2015]
Pixars lowest-grossing film,The Good Dinosaur was beset with story problems, production delays, and reports of directors being replaced midstream. It was hardly the companys first movie to have a difficult birth [No. 4 on this list is Pixars most famous example of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat], but it is the one film that felt most hamstrung in the publics mind, never escaping the cloud of bad buzz and relative disinterest that greeted it over Thanksgiving 2015. All that said, this tale of an Earth on which dinosaurs werent wiped out by a meteor is visually stunning, imagining an unspoiled American Northwest in which the mighty reptiles rule. The Good Dinosaur is oddly conventional for Pixar from a narrative perspective a young apatosaurus [voiced by Raymond Ochoa] gets lost and has to find his way home but as a meditative, heros-journey travelogue, its a thoughtful addition to the companys canon. This may be the one Pixar film most deserving of a reappraisal in ten years.
19. A Bugs Life [1998]
We might be in the minority preferring that years Antz which was famously part of a race between Dreamworks and Pixar to make computer-animated insect movies but this is still a charming, ultimately harmless little tale that basically has the same plot as Antz but is aimed more squarely at children. As the years went by, Pixar became unusually skilled at making movies as appealing to adults as they were to kids, but the scale is still being balanced here: This is not one adults will rewatch, like The Incredibles or Toy Story. It still wins big points for having the queen of an ant colony voiced by Phyllis Diller.
18. Onward [2019]
An uneasy feeling sets in forOnwards first half, as we slowly realize the movies flimsy high concept [what if old fantastical creatures all became boring and suburban?] is being asked to carry some uninspired, familiar characterizations and yet another Lets Go On A Quest! plot. [And that the movies idea of a sight gag is having a stop sign that reads HALT.] But just when youre about to give up on it,Onwardtakes its first interesting turn, slyly flipping the concept of the destination being the journey all along, and the movie begins to feel like Pixar again, somehow finding a way to squeeze a little [if just a little] out of your tear ducts. The movie still feels a little half-baked, but it gets considerable mileage out of the simple visual of a pair of bodiless khakis, along with the most likable Chris Pratt sinceParks and Recreation.They can do a lot better than this. But even at Replacement Level Pixar, they still find a way to crawl across the finish line.
17. Cars [2006]
By 2006, Pixar had been making features for more than a decade, and so a backlash was inevitable; perhaps overdue. Into that awaiting storm walked Cars, a sweet, modest family comedy. Essentially Doc Hollywood starring a cocky stock car, the film imagined a world ruled by living automobiles, wringing laughs from a hot-rod-out-of-water scenario in which ultracompetitive racer Lightning McQueen [Owen Wilson] gets stuck in a Podunk filled with ordinary folks like good-ol-boy tow-truck Mater [Larry the Cable Guy]. Cars is Pixars most nostalgic work, lamenting the sleepy communities and small-town values lost to the endless march of progress, which may explain why the movie feels so recycled, drawing from different genres without the studios usual freshness. Still, its consistently amusing and for a whole generation of car-loving boys who grew up on it, Cars is as important as Star Wars or Batman.
16. Soul [2020]
After the frustrating, half-baked Onward,Pixarcourse-corrected a little bit with Soul, a goofy, weird, kind of all-over-the-place charmer about a jazz musician [voiced, well, by Jamie Foxx] who dies and is sent to the Great Beyond, where he tries to get back to his life and fix all that he regretted during his life. That sounds a little like a reverse Up, but the movie isnt mournful: Its mostly silly, with some fun gags mixed in with yet another dull lets-go-on-an-adventure! plot [with partner Tina Fey, who doesnt rise to the occasion]. The movie has a strong ending, and its heart is in the right place, but its also all over the place and has a very dumb subplot involving a cat. It works, its fine, but that this is probably the best we can hope for from a non-Toy Story sequel fromPixarright now feels like a very bad sign.
15. Coco [2017]
Family is often a theme in Pixar films, but its rarely been explored so deeply as it is in Coco, which tells the story of Miguel [voiced by Anthony Gonzalez], a 12-year-old living in Saint Cecilia who wants nothing more than to be a singer and guitarist. Unfortunately for the boy, his family has forbidden music ever since his great-great-grandfather abandoned his wife and child to pursue his art years earlier. Told with magical realism and an array of terrific traditional folk songs, Coco sends Miguel on a journey into the Land of the Dead, which allows Pixars genius animators to produce one of their most dreamlike and colorful visual environments. The studio spent significant time researching Mexican culture and history, which adds authenticity and vibrancy to a quest-like tale about redemption, understanding, and forgiveness that will be familiar to Pixar fans. Still, its heartening that the Pixar braintrust, amidst pumping out Cars and Incredibles sequels, still tries to give itself fresh challenges.
14. Incredibles 2 [2018]
This sequel may take place immediately after the events of The Incredibles, but for audiences, the movie world has changed immensely since the first film blasted into theaters 14 years ago. For one thing, a superhero film is no longer a novelty its now a Hollywood staple but in a more general sense, Brad Birds original vision of a rollicking, action-packed animated family film has been duplicated by Pixars competitors. [The Despicable Me franchise in particular owes The Incredibles a huge debt.] So naturally, Incredibles 2 cant match what was startlingly innovative about the 2004 film even the movies glorious retro-cool production design and groovy score lack surprise but its still a pretty nifty piece of high-quality entertainment. This time around, Mr. Incredible [Craig T. Nelson] has to play Mr. Mom while his wife Elastigirl [Holly Hunter] goes out in search of a masked villain named Screenslaver, leading to a winning mixture of domestic misadventures and comic-book heroics. Like a lot of recent Pixar films, Incredibles 2 mostly reminds you of the companys once-formidable talents, but its a nostalgic, very fun ride.
13. Luca [2021]
One of Pixars great challenges is managing expectations. When youre known for groundbreaking animation and whip-smart storytellingwhen youre praised constantly for being at the vanguard of your fieldhow do you downshift and do something thats a little more modest in scale? That dilemma is what makesLucasuch an interesting outlier in the studios catalog: It follows two teenage sea monsters who become friends in the human world, where they can blend in just so long as they dont get wet, which isnt advisable since people think those underwater beasts are horrifying creatures worth destroying. Where other Pixar entries want to knock your socks off,Lucadrifts along on its gentle wavelength, examining male friendship and the pain of being an outsider with compassion and light chuckles. This isnt the film youd show first to someone whod never seen any Pixar movies, but as the company reaches middle age, its an encouraging sign that its filmmakers are still willing to try new tones and moods.
12. Monsters, Inc. [2001]
The placement of Monsters, Inc. on any Pixar list depends on one question: How much of Billy Crystals shtick can you stand? If Aladdin is Robin Williams Unbound, this buddy comedy gave the Oscar host his chance to go full Catskills, voicing Mike Wazowski, the insecure, long-suffering, wisecracking partner to the lovable James P. Sulley Sullivan [John Goodman], who travels to the human world to give sleeping kids nightmares. The first of Pete Docters directorial efforts hed go on to make Up and Inside OutMonsters, Inc. argues that you can never go wrong pairing exasperated adult characters with an impossibly cute kid [Boo, voiced by Mary Gibbs, who was only 5 when the movie came out]. Mikes kvetching gets tiresome, but the movie zooms along with whiplash speed. [The third-act chase set in the Monsters, Inc. conveyor belt of doors thrills.] And cmon, Sulleys final reaction shot is just beautiful.
11. Finding Dory [2016]
Thirteen years after the marvelous Finding Nemo hit theaters, its debatable whether audiences were clamoring for a sequel. Yet, Finding Dory is a pretty stellar follow-up, with director Andrew Stanton returning to the originals themes of family, loss, and reconciliation to deliver another action-packed, emotion-soaked comedy. The titles double meaning its Dory [again voiced by Ellen DeGeneres] whos doing the searching, both for her long-lost parents and for her own sense of self-sufficiency speaks to the depth of the movie, which serves as an example of how Pixar should be making sequels: by investing in intelligent, heartfelt stories that expand the first films scope without radically altering the characters personalities to serve hackneyed narrative conventions. Of the new additions, a gruff octopus voiced by Ed ONeill is Dorys highlight, but the movies heart and soul remains Stanton, who rebounds terrifically from the embarrassment of John Carter for this second delightful dip into the ocean. Also: You may never hear Sigourney Weavers voice again without chuckling.
10. Up [2009]
All right, all right: We know this is lower than you think it should be. But take a step back and try to remember what comes to your mind when you first think of this movie. Yes, the wondrous image of the balloon raising the house into the air, and yes, maybe the cute dog that keeps being distracted by squirrels. But plot-wise, this whole film is completely overshadowed by the heartbreaking preamble, in which we learn the crushing story of Carl and Ellies life together. Yes, this will make you cry just watching it again choked us up but in retrospect, the rest of the movie is your fairly standard cute-kid, cute-dog, central-casting villain story. Were not sure the whole movie should have been as powerful as those opening minutes we might still be weeping but take that away and this movie is a lot thinner than you remember. Sorry.
9. Ratatouille [2007]
As close as Pixar will get to an art movie, this story of a rat who is secretly the greatest chef in all of Paris is a delight, owing largely to a generous heart, a witty, Richard Dreyfussesque vocal performance from Patton Oswalt, and some legitimately democratizingnotions about art and the act of creation. Its not quite as viscerally thrilling as some other Pixar films the main setpiece is about impressing a food critic but it is funny and almost compulsively likable. After this film which, we repeat, is a comedy about art and food and rats in Paris became a huge hit and won an Oscar, it seemed as though Pixar could do no wrong.
8. Toy Story 4 [2019]
You can understand why so many were fretting about Toy Story 4. Pixar sequels have led to diminishing returns in recent years, and Toy Story 3 ended so perfectly. Why even risk the most beloved animated franchise of the last two decades? Turns out: We shouldnt have worried. Toy Story 4 may not reach the emotional heights of the third installment, and it might not have the simple perfection of the first one, but itll still knock you over. The story focuses more intently on Woody this time, but the overarching theme of what it means to love and be loved is as foregrounded as it has ever been; these remain the most generous and good-hearted of all the Pixar films. And this honestly might be the funniest film of the entire franchise, from Key and Peeles Plush Rush to Keanu Reevess Duke Caboom, and, of course, Tony Hales Forky, a surrealistic, existential touch that happens to make you keel over with laughter every time you see him. Did they need to make a fourth one? Probably not. But youll be delighted they did and more trustful of Pixar, if they ever decide to make a fifth.
7. Inside Out [2015]
Those going through Parks & Rec withdrawal, rejoice: Amy Poehlers adorable Inside Out character Joy isnt that far removed from her hyperpositive, smilingly pushy Leslie Knope, running the emotional headquarters inside the brain of a happy tween like its her own little sunny fiefdom. Inside Out can get bogged down a bit in plot busyness Joy and Sadness [a terrifically gloomy turn from The Offices Phyllis Smith] have to find a way back to HQ after being sucked into the girls mind but this is the cleverest, most emotionally pure Pixar film in years, offering plenty of teachable moments for both parents and kids about the need to embrace all of lifes emotions. And Bing Bong is going to break your heart.
6. Toy Story 3 [2010]
Ranking the three Toy Story films, all of which are wonderful, is nearly impossible, and there was much disagreement even among the two of us. [One of us had this as his best movie of 2010, after all.] You really cant go wrong with any of them, but weve got this one third if only because the Great Escapetype plot feels more familiar than were used to from these movies, and because the ending resembles some sort of cruel Disney-funded Pepsi Challenge to see if grown adults can keep from sobbing in the company of their children. Also: Its not fair, but the fact that theyre making a Toy Story 4 does, in fact, hurt a bit of the finality of this one that made it so powerful.
5. The Incredibles [2004]
It was obvious, in retrospect, that director Brad Bird would move on to making live-action blockbusters: This is as exciting and riveting an action film as weve seen in American animation. If all blockbusters were like this one, wed never object to a fifth Transformers movie. The key to The Incredibles success is its economy of action: We are introduced to an entirely new universe, meet and empathize with a likable and close-knit family, discover the parents quiet dissatisfaction with what their lives have become, and then watch as everyone unites to overcome an evil force that wants to destroy the planet. It does all this in under two hours and never seems to be rushing or cramming anything in. Take note, Marvel: You can create a world, balance a huge cast of characters, and still wow your audience without making them look up everything on Wikipedia afterward.
4. Toy Story 2 [1999]
Toy Story 2 should have been a disaster. Designed to be a straight-to-DVD feature but then slotted for a theatrical release by Pixars Disney bosses, who were much happier with the in-progress film than the Pixar brain trust were, the sequel had to be reconceived on the fly and rushed to completion, grabbing story beats that had been rejected from the original film. Miraculously, Toy Story 2 shows no signs of the panic that went into making it. Expanding Woody and Buzzs universe without losing focus on the characters, laughs, or sentiment, this follow-up deepens the themes of the original while keeping a wistful eye on childhoods end. Joan Cusack is the MVP as the rootin-tootin cowgirl Jessie, and her When She Loved Me flashback sequence remains one of the great cries in Pixars rich history of tearjerking moments.
3. Finding Nemo [2003]
Director Andrew Stanton wanted to make a movie set in the ocean, but he also wanted to address his own guilty memories of being an overprotective father to his young son. So he made this emotional, exciting, visually gorgeous story about a nervous clownfish [voiced by Albert Brooks] on a desperate search to find his lost son Nemo [Alexander Gould] with the help of a lovably loopy blue tang [Ellen DeGeneres]. Finding Nemos lessons about the importance of letting our children live their own lives are only strengthened by how scary this movie can be. Stanton and his animators load the film with plenty of terrors the opening remains a nerve-shredder and yet still insist that we have to learn that rather than smothering those we love, we need to release them into the scary world if theyre going to survive on their own.
2. Toy Story [1995]
Twenty years after Toy Storys release, some of Randy Newmans songs come across as creaky, and the once-cutting-edge animation looks rudimentary. Otherwise, though, the best comedy of the 1990s remains perfect. Pixars first feature is still the template for every great movie the studio has made since: earned emotions; ripping action sequences; dead-on insights into human nature; and lots of giddy, witty, silly laughs.Toy Story is so funny because deep down, its actually a very melancholy film. Woody and Buzzs battle for Andys love speaks to everyones fear of being replaced, as well as our shared recognition that the innocence of childhood cannot last. As for the voice cast, theyre impeccable: Tim Allen was never better, and even though Tom Hanks has won two Oscars, it is very likely [and completely appropriate] that Woody will be the role that immortalizes him.
1. WALL-E [2008]
We went back-and-forth on the top two here, but we ultimately had to go with this one, the most original and ambitious of all the Pixar movies. The first half-hour, which basically tells the story of the destruction of the planet and the devolution of the human race without a single line of dialogue, is total perfection: Its almost Kubrickian in its attention to detail and perspective, though it never feels cold or ungenerous. Then we get to know WALL-E himself and realize that he sees humanity for so much more than it has become, and what it can become again. WALL-E is an unprecedented achievement, the absolute pinnacle of what Pixar can do. And not for nothing, WALL-E also happens to feature Pixars greatest love story. Theyve never been better. This is our pick.
Grierson & Leitch write about the movies regularly andhost a podcast on film.Follow them onTwitteror visittheir site.
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