Ranking every Pixar film

[JasonEvans]

Seeing as Coco is about to come out (I loved loved it!!) I thought I would highlight this article on Io9 (https://io9.gizmodo.com/all-19-pixar-movies-ranked-1820549981)from Germain Lussier, their film critic who I really like. He ranks all 19 Pixar films in order.


19. Good Dino
18. Bug's Life
17. Cars 2
16. Brave
15. Cars 3
14. Cars
13. Monsters U
12. Finding Dory
11. Coco
10. Inside Out
9. Toy Story 2
8. Up
7. Ratatouille
6. Monsters Inc
5. Toy Story
4. Toy Story 3
3. Finding Nemo
2. Incredibles
1. Wall*E

This would be the moment where I make fun of the list for some reason or poke holes in the ranking. Except I can't. I can quibble here and there... Coco and perhaps Inside Out flip with Up and Toy Story 2 in my estimation; Bug's Life is certainly better than any of the Cars movies and Brave; I would move Finding Nemo down a few notches; but that is about it. The problem is that pure ranking does not really show the couple places where there is a gulf of space between one number and the next. So, let me try tiers as a way of ranking them. See what you all think of my tiers.

Amazing, fabulous, monumental films: Wall*E, Incredibles, Toy Story, Toy Story 3
Great films: Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, Ratatouille
Very good films: Coco, Inside Out, Toy Story 2, Up
Good films: Finding Dory, Bug's Life, maybe Monsters U
Ok films: Cars, Brave
Bad films: Cars 2, Cars 3, Good Dinosaur

--Jason "Anyway, I was surprised to come across a list like this that so closely mirrored my own views. I am sure many of you will beg to differ" Evans

[DUKIECB]

I like ranking them by tiers as you did. Here's mine (have not seen CoCo yet)

Amazing, fabulous, monumental films: Incredibles, Toy Story, Toy Story 3
Great films: Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, Toy Story 2
Very good films: Inside Out, Wall*E, Up
Good films: Finding Dory, Bug's Life, Monsters U, Cars
Ok films: Brave, Cars 3
Bad films: Cars 2, Good Dinosaur

[CameronBornAndBred]

I had a feeling I'd seen this thread before in another lifetime. I haven't combed through it, but it will be interesting if any opinions have changed in 8 years, and what has gotten bumped up or down with newer movies since then.

http://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?16229-Ranking-of-Pixar-Movies&highlight=pixar+ranking

For a quick look at JE's (since his list is up top), here's his from 2009.


This is almost impossible to do. A week ago, I did the following

1. Wall*E
2. Toy Story
3. Incredibles
4. Monsters, Inc.
5. Ratatouille
6. Finding Nemo
7. Toy Story 2
8. A Bug's Life
9. Cars
10. Up



The top 4 could go in any order for me. The next 3 could go in any order. The bottom 3 could go in any order. This is insane! My head hurts from even trying to rank them. How could Monsters, Inc be #4!??!?! How can Toy Story 2 be #7?!?!?! Arrrrgggghhhh!!

As an aside, the notion that Meet the Robinson's is even a league with the above films is -- well -- I just cannot speak about it any further.

--Jason "Perhaps a better system would be to allow ties or some other kind of weighting-- please!" Evans

[OldPhiKap]

Serious question — has anyone ever watched Wall-E more than once?

I get the art thing and the message thing — 2001 Soace Oddesy is one of my favorites — but to me the sign of a great movie is wanting to see it again and again. I just didn’t get that from Wall-E, perhaps that just shows a shortcoming on my part though.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Serious question — has anyone ever watched Wall-E more than once?


My nephew has seen it about six thousand times.

[bjornolf]

My kids all watched it several times. I watched it about three times.

[bjornolf]

I had a feeling I'd seen this thread before in another lifetime. I haven't combed through it, but it will be interesting if any opinions have changed in 8 years, and what has gotten bumped up or down with newer movies since then.

http://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?16229-Ranking-of-Pixar-Movies&highlight=pixar+ranking

For a quick look at JE's (since his list is up top), here's his from 2009.

The only one that moved much for Jason was Up. It went from last to middle of the pack.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Serious question — has anyone ever watched Wall-E more than once?

I get the art thing and the message thing — 2001 Soace Oddesy is one of my favorites — but to me the sign of a great movie is wanting to see it again and again. I just didn’t get that from Wall-E, perhaps that just shows a shortcoming on my part though.

Wall*E is a movie I can and do watch every time it's on, even the pokey opening half hour. I do that with most Pixar movies, though, even Cars.

[chris13]

And now this. John Lasseter taking leave of absence for inappropriate behavior in the workplace.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/amp/news/john-lasseters-pattern-alleged-misconduct-detailed-by-disney-pixar-insiders-1059594

[OldPhiKap]

My nephew has seen it about six thousand times.


My kids all watched it several times. I watched it about three times.


The only one that moved much for Jason was Up. It went from last to middle of the pack.


Wall*E is a movie I can and do watch every time it's on, even the pokey opening half hour. I do that with most Pixar movies, though, even Cars.

Must just be me then.

[cato]

The only one that moved much for Jason was Up. It went from last to middle of the pack.

What should have moved was Brave. Having watch both of these movies more times than Jason, Brave is in the tier just below the first tier.

Up is not.

[fuse]

I watch Wall*E every time I come across it on TV, and I will stand for Up.

Up to me is easily a top 5 Pixar movie, and the first part of rhe movie even after many viewings is heart wrenching and difficult to get through (meant as a high compliment- it generates lots of feels).

[CameronBornAndBred]

I think that for all the hype Inside Out got, it is one that I could switch channels on. Maybe not on the first or second time, but by the third, I'd be flipping over to Mythbusters. I've only seen it once, and it isn't strong in my memory, and I'm pretty sure I watched it sober. If I watch a movie and don't remember it much a few months down the road, that means I was pretty much "meh" on it. So I'd watch it again as a refresher. The third time I'd check out the Mythbusters episode that I've seen 23 times.

[JasonEvans]

The only one that moved much for Jason was Up. It went from last to middle of the pack.

I was really down on Up when I first saw it. But, upon rewatching I have grown to appreciate it more and more. I blamed it for some ham-fisted storytelling involving the dogs and the bird that were too silly given the tone of the rest of the film. I will also admit that some "wisdom of the crowd" stuff has influenced me here as others consider it to be a near classic. I'm somewhat ashamed for not sticking to my convictions, though (as noted) I enjoyed it and appreciated it more upon repeat viewings.

I will admit that I am probably higher on Coco than I should be, just like I am lower on Up than I should be. Oh, well. Nobody's perfect.

And as for Wall*E, I've probably seen it start-to-finish a half dozen times, at least. Very rewatchable, especially if you have a good big screen TV and own it on Blu Ray (as I do).

The one I have trouble getting through a second time is Inside Out. I thought the film was brilliant when I saw it, but it has been in cable recently and, though I have tried, I just cannot brings myself to watch it again. Sadness and Joy seemingly spend a freaking month wandering around in the wilderness with nothing meaningful happening. Yawn! Oh, and Bing Bong must die!! Trim 20 minutes from that film and Inside Out would be knocking on the door of the top tier.

-Jason "I'm pleasantly surprised that my rankings have stayed so consistent... I fully expected to be ashamed when someone found that old list" Evans

[davekay1971]

Having not yet seen Coco, but loving Pixar movies, here's my list

1) Incredibles
2) Finding Nemo
3) Wall*E
4) Toy Story
4b) Toy Story 3
6) Up
7) Ratatouille
8) Monsters Inc
9) Inside Out
10) Finding Dory
11) Monsters U
12) Brave
13) Toy Story 2
14) A Bugs Life
15) Cars
16) Good Dinosaur

I openly confess to ranking Finding Nemo higher as it was the first movie I took my now-college-freshman-son to in the theater. What a special memory. I also like Brave more than most because I felt the focus on the mother-daughter relationship was a worthy effort. The fact that Brave is still 12th on my list speaks to the quality of Pixar's overall product. I mean, it's not like Cars, 15th on my list, is a bad movie. It's entertaining and doesn't bother me when the kids have it on in the background, but it's just derivative. I'd group 1-8 on my list as great animated movies and 9-12 as really good, and 13-15 as good. On the list of 16 the only movie I felt was a complete miss was Good Dinosaur.

I rank Toy Story 2 low because somehow the movie just never really connected for me. I have no idea why. It's a well regarded movie by most everyone else.

I haven't seen Cars 2 or Cars 3 and don't plan to.

[Reilly]

Ross Douthat on Twitter:

"I guess now's the best possible time to confess my genuinely unpopular opinion that even at its creative peak Pixar is a little overrated."

"'Ratatouille' is a really good movie for children if your children are all 47-year-old movie critics who identify with Anton Ego."

[bjornolf]

The one I have trouble getting through a second time is Inside Out. I thought the film was brilliant when I saw it, but it has been in cable recently and, though I have tried, I just cannot brings myself to watch it again. Sadness and Joy seemingly spend a freaking month wandering around in the wilderness with nothing meaningful happening. Yawn! Oh, and Bing Bong must die!! Trim 20 minutes from that film and Inside Out would be knocking on the door of the top tier.

-Jason "I'm pleasantly surprised that my rankings have stayed so consistent... I fully expected to be ashamed when someone found that old list" Evans

It's funny you say that. Both my wife and I were very "meh" about Inside Out. At the time, we thought it was one of Pixar's weaker efforts. Usually, I agree with your reviews, Jason, and I remember saying to my wife, "I just don't get it. Jason and I agree 90% of the time and we NEVER disagree THAT much." Guess you finally came around. 😜

We also liked Up a lot more than you did. Funny that you've come closer to our way of thinking on both.

[nmduke2001]

Up is in my top 3 and I could make an argument that it is number 1. The first half is amazing and the second half is pretty darn good. In 10 minutes, Up tells a love story better than most films are able to do over 2 hours.

[cato]

You all have Brave criminally underrated. In our house, it is in the band of movies just below Wall*E, the Incredibles and Inside Out.

This probably has a lot to do with our eldest being a girl. The mother daughter relationship in Brave is a lot more interesting than most parent child relationships in kids’ movies.

[fuse]

Up is in my top 3 and I could make an argument that it is number 1. The first half is amazing and the second half is pretty darn good. In 10 minutes, Up tells a love story better than most films are able to do over 2 hours.

This. Soooo much this.
Thanks for being able to articulate what I was thinking much better than I did.

[davekay1971]

Ross Douthat on Twitter:

"I guess now's the best possible time to confess my genuinely unpopular opinion that even at its creative peak Pixar is a little overrated."

"'Ratatouille' is a really good movie for children if your children are all 47-year-old movie critics who identify with Anton Ego."

Whoever Ross Douthat is, he's wrong. :cool:

HOWEVER...if my 5 year old and 9 year old kids were ranking the Pixar movies they would definitely put Ratatouille in the bottom portion and move stuff like Finding Dory and Monsters U higher. Ratatouille is, to their minds, slow, and has nothing like the hysterically funny slapstick humor of Hank the Octopus. Heck, my younger two would rank Trolls above Ratatouille, and that movie is complete garbage, IM(h)O. But it is entertaining, for young kids.

I think, when Pixar movies are at their best, they manage to entertain children while still moving parents. I rank Up highly, for example, for the first 10 minutes, which, as nmduke2001 said, is an incredibly moving love story, with no words, that makes you want to grab your spouse and just go right off and do the top 5 items on your bucket list, like, now. Is it a great 10 minutes for kids? Not at all. They like the talking dogs. Similarly, the themes in Pixar's best movies (the middle-aged man's struggle with mid-life crisis in Incredibles, the examination of teen depression in Inside Out, the need for humans to take chances at the possible cost of losing security and comfort in Wall*E, the anxiety of the parent introducing a child (particularly one with a disability) to the dangerous world in Finding Nemo, etc) may be somewhat lost on the youngsters but resonate deeply with their parents.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Whoever Ross Douthat is, he's wrong. :cool:

HOWEVER...if my 5 year old and 9 year old kids were ranking the Pixar movies they would definitely put Ratatouille in the bottom portion and move stuff like Finding Dory and Monsters U higher. Ratatouille is, to their minds, slow, and has nothing like the hysterically funny slapstick humor of Hank the Octopus. Heck, my younger two would rank Trolls above Ratatouille, and that movie is complete garbage, IM(h)O. But it is entertaining, for young kids.

I think, when Pixar movies are at their best, they manage to entertain children while still moving parents. I rank Up highly, for example, for the first 10 minutes, which, as nmduke2001 said, is an incredibly moving love story, with no words, that makes you want to grab your spouse and just go right off and do the top 5 items on your bucket list, like, now. Is it a great 10 minutes for kids? Not at all. They like the talking dogs. Similarly, the themes in Pixar's best movies (the middle-aged man's struggle with mid-life crisis in Incredibles, the examination of teen depression in Inside Out, the need for humans to take chances at the possible cost of losing security and comfort in Wall*E, the anxiety of the parent introducing a child (particularly one with a disability) to the dangerous world in Finding Nemo, etc) may be somewhat lost on the youngsters but resonate deeply with their parents.

Someone should do a poll with ONLY people in their 20s ranking Pixar movies. It would be interesting to see how different they would be. I suspect, for the reasons you mentioned above, that people who grew up watching them might have a different outlook than those of us who always have seen them as adults.

[fidel]

This. Soooo much this.
Thanks for being able to articulate what I was thinking much better than I did.

Agree on the first 10 minutes.

For me, in the latter half, Carl realizes the uselessnes of prioritizing putting his house on a cliff while leaving a boy in danger of a madman. Carl immediately abandons his fulfillment of a lifetime promise to his dead wife and empties the house of a lifetime of memories in order to move forward and save the boy. The house rises. He chooses life.

The symbolism here for how to let go of the past and live, and the subtleness in how it is presented, has made me a huge fan of this movie.

[bjornolf]

Whoever Ross Douthat is, he's wrong. :cool:

HOWEVER...if my 5 year old and 9 year old kids were ranking the Pixar movies they would definitely put Ratatouille in the bottom portion and move stuff like Finding Dory and Monsters U higher. Ratatouille is, to their minds, slow, and has nothing like the hysterically funny slapstick humor of Hank the Octopus. Heck, my younger two would rank Trolls above Ratatouille, and that movie is complete garbage, IM(h)O. But it is entertaining, for young kids.

I think, when Pixar movies are at their best, they manage to entertain children while still moving parents. I rank Up highly, for example, for the first 10 minutes, which, as nmduke2001 said, is an incredibly moving love story, with no words, that makes you want to grab your spouse and just go right off and do the top 5 items on your bucket list, like, now. Is it a great 10 minutes for kids? Not at all. They like the talking dogs. Similarly, the themes in Pixar's best movies (the middle-aged man's struggle with mid-life crisis in Incredibles, the examination of teen depression in Inside Out, the need for humans to take chances at the possible cost of losing security and comfort in Wall*E, the anxiety of the parent introducing a child (particularly one with a disability) to the dangerous world in Finding Nemo, etc) may be somewhat lost on the youngsters but resonate deeply with their parents.

Yeah, my kids 9, 12, and 14 put Cars WAY higher and Ratatouille at the bottom. Eight years ago when my sons were 6 and 4 (Katie was too young for me to understand her rankings), their ranking here went:

So, my kids would go:
1. Cars
2. Wall*E
3. Monsters Inc.
4. Incredibles
5. Nemo
6. Toy Story
7. Toy Story 2
8. Bug's Life
9. Ratatouille (They actually liked "Flushed" better)

[Mabdul Doobakus]

Coco was great BTW. Probably just outside my Pixar Top 5. Wall-E will probably always be my favorite. It's one of my favorite movies ever.