For a majority of people, myself included, weโve had the privilege of growing up with one of the most innovative film studios break new ground in how their films were made. Before 1995, animated films were hand drawn and formatted in a 2 dimensional space. Meaning, characters move but the background is stationary. When Toy Story came, the film about toys who animate themselves when humans arenโt around changed the landscape technologically for animated films. Using computer generated imaging to build the film up, Pixar studios and the team behind the 1995 modern classic let the world know the level of excellence they weโre striving for with their storytelling and setting a new standard for filmmaking in general.
Almost 3 decades later and the first Toy Story still holds up with its dazzling animation style, making it and the 27 films that would follow in its path timeless and breathtaking. And with each film that would release after Toy Story, the animation would receive hefty upgrades, the studio seemingly outdoing itself. From the moment Woody voiced by Tom Hanks came alive in Sidโs backyard delivering one of the most quotable lines in the pop culture zeitgeist โwe toys see everythingโ a franchise was born โ delivering 3 sequels, a spinoff and a 5th entry on the way. Just looking at the first 3 Toy Story installments, the trilogy is highly regarded as one of the greatest trilogies ever made, and they deserve the high praise for the joy these films bring to the everlasting appeal to all age groups to the abundance of dynamic and dense themes and the talent in bringing timeless characters to life.
Several of Pixarโs films would go one to receive sequels and or prequels โ Cars, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles and last but not least Inside Out. Within the franchises, Pixar and its creative teams have found harmony in setting up franchises while delivering original ideas that are perfect as its own isolated story. Although I would love a return to the worlds of Wall-E or Ratatouille or Coco, Iโm perfectly content with those films being singular projects never to be revisited again.
Looking at the filmography of 27 films, the studios track record is commendable, rarely misfiring from a story standpoint. What the trilogy of Cars lacks in the gold standard Pixar has set, Cars has made up in merchandising. You canโt go down any toy isle without seeing Lightning McQueen voiced by Owen Wilson, Mater voiced by Daniel Whitney and their cohort of fellow car characters all over the place. If the worst of Pixar is the middle of the road Cars franchise, The Good Dinosaur and Lightyear, than Pixar has nothing to worry about.
When it comes to their more recent films since Onward and the pandemic era, the studio still has some tricks up their sleeve when it comes to telling deeply personal stories with outstanding care to underrepresented groups. And itโs with those themes that translate to whatever world gets created around them. Whether its talking toys, bugs, fish, French street rats, etc. the list of creatures that Pixar makes relatable to humans based on their environments is second to none. Who says a teenage elf should go a lifetime without getting a chance to talk to his father or that a boy should have no music in his life because his great-great-grandmother never got to see her husband again after traveling the country writing songs.
Pixar has a story that can speak to just about everyone. Stories that can be appreciated by all age groups but hold the appeal of being revisited at different stages of life with new meanings being found. Who knows, maybe in a century the Cars franchise will get the flowers its deserves. But for right now the films that Pixar gets associated with the most are the originals that made the studio what it is today like Finding Nemo, Toy Story, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Wall-E and Monsters, Inc.
Enough rambling, without further ado, this is how I rank all 27 current Pixar films.
Donโt worry, no code 2319โs happened during the ranking of these films.
27) The Good Dinosaur
26) Cars 2
25) Lightyear
24) Cars 3
23) Brave
22) Monsters University
21) Cars
20) The Incredibles 2
19) Elemental
18) Turning Red
17) Luca
16) Onward
15) A Bugs Life
14) Toy Story 4
13) Finding Dory
12) Monsters, Inc.
11) Soul
10) Finding Nemo
9) Wall-E
8) Inside Out
7) Up
6) The Incredibles
5) Toy Story
4) Toy Story 3
3) Coco
2) Ratatouille
1) Toy Story 2
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