Pixar, Ranked
I may sound like a broken record at this point but it doesn't take much to notice how much of a mess the world is right now. 6 months into a global lockdown and a political landscape that is genuinely so vicious and unhealthy I found myself just taking a step back and wanting to find comfort in nostalgia and a small revolutionary animation company. Pixar are so iconic in the modern animation scene, they pioneered computer-generated animation and have been pumping out these brilliant films for 25 years now. I truly think Pixar are not only incredibly accessible but incredibly important, their films are often a labour of love, with some of my favourite character and thematic work for children. They are often a lot more mature than their Dreamworks, Disney or Sony counterparts, tackling some interesting ideas that are valuable to kids underneath immense creativity and expert world-building. Their basic concept of what if [BLANK] had feelings hasn't let them down and I still think that so many of these films are genuinely perfect. I've spent the last few weeks watching every Pixar film (even the bad ones) and it has been a cathartic and rewarding experience, it was ridiculously tough to separate a lot of these films and I tried to combine the film's quality with the bundles of nostalgia I have for them. There is very little separating a lot of these films and I understand that there may be a lot of disagreements with some placings but I'll try my best to explain my thought process. Let us go on a journey, starting with my least favourite and ending with a film that means a lot to me, let us begin to delve into the world of Pixar.
Cars 2
It feels very weird to start a piece like this with such enthusiastic positivity and then having to write about a film like 'Cars 2'. This is still to this day the biggest mistake Pixar ever made and the reason it will forever be last on many people's rankings is due to the soulless nature of the film. It is a shameless cash grab with such a bizarre messy production that practically abandoned everything the first film had going for it. I'll never understand where the idea to make this film a Spy Caper with Mater at the forefront came from, it is such a weird unnecessary direction that has so little going for it. I didn't like Mater in the first film never mind putting him front and centre in this one. Genuinely a terrible film that lacks all the direction, heart and creativity of the original in favour of product placement and gimmicky characters to sell toys of.
The Good Dinosaur
What a weird nothing film this is. I have no idea what went wrong here but this is genuinely, and I don't like using this word, completely boring. It has just about nothing going on in it except for the incredible animation, the plot is ridiculously derivative and I came out of it feeling just empty and cold. The concept of 'What if the dinosaurs lived long enough to interact with humans' seems kind of interesting but then the film just simultaneously rips off Lion King and for some reason Ice Age and goes nowhere. There is no substance here? The message is kind of safe and inconsequential, whilst also being a bit misguided, it has the adventure quality of something like 'Finding Nemo' but without the heart or character. A pretty film with some cool performances but a gigantic step backwards narrative-wise.
A Bugs Life
This is one that I reckon a lot of people have a lot of nostalgia for, but weirdly as a kid, I never watched the film and as a result, it stands out as a weird aimless film without a lot going on in it. Following on from 'Toy Story', this film falls into that weird period before Pixar found its voice, everything is just a bit directionless and messy. The plot is incredibly contrived and predictable with some of the worst core characters in the Pixar canon, it just lacks the brilliant creativity a lot of other Pixar films are brimming with. There is a lot here I don't like due to expectation, which I suppose is an unfair comparison but this came out in between the first two Toy Story films which just goes to show it was a bit of a dud with the potential this studio had.
Cars 3
I mean what do you want me to say about this film? It's one of those weird films that had no rhyme or reason for existing and came out to this overwhelming thud of unenthusiasm. At least it is better than 'Cars 2' but not by that much. It feels very desperate and incredibly contrived, like a last-ditch attempt at solidifying the 'Cars' brand as something important throughout Pixar canon but instead, it falls apart ridiculously. I was just so bored and uninterested throughout, it feels a bit more on track than the disastrous second film but it still doesn't quite know what it wants to be. There's a very ironically inhumane and corporate feeling to the film, it lacks that Pixar touch of humanity that makes their films so iconic, instead it is a bit cold and incredibly basic with anything it tries to say.
Finding Dory
On a rewatch I came out incredibly sour on 'Finding Dory', I hold the first film extremely close to my heart which is probably why I dislike this film a lot more than most people. I understand that it stands above most of the other 'bad Pixar films' purely due to the animation and quite emotional story but I found it to be really manipulative in its making. The problem with Pixar sequels is that they just feel like 'another one' in this series when the originals are so special and refreshing, 'Finding Dory' retraces so much familiar ground and lacks the incredible message of the original. In fact the moral is incredibly misguided and occasionally hypocritical, it flaunts itself as a film discussing disability whilst simultaneously continuously using disability as the punchline to many jokes. The scale of adventure is lost, the setting is boring and the visual design is so underwhelming compared to the original. A real disappointment and an incredibly misguided film.
Brave
I actually watched this for the first time just last week and when I finished it and had to double-check it was definitely a Pixar film. I don't think it is quite as bad as people often label it to be, but I have absolutely no idea what happened here, it just doesn't feel anything like a Pixar film, more like a C-Tier Dreamworks outing. I like the setup and idea, Pixar tackling a princess story is interesting to me and especially when it is one revolving around Scottish culture and with a protagonist designed to be a non-conventional role model. But once I was into the film, enjoying my time with this world and these characters, it pulls a ridiculous twist and as soon as the Bear situation begins, the film falls apart dramatically. The characters are unlikable and messy, the film drops all direction and the message is muddled behind real sloppy writing of Merida's character. It's a shame because I really love the score and the world, but the plot is a real disappointment.
Cars
Yeah, the Cars franchise as a whole is by far the thing Pixar fans wish they could forget, but in all reality, the first film is pretty solid in comparison to the others. I think I just don't really love how this world feels, there's something about it that I can't put my finger on, I think it might be how commercialised and just a real vapidity to the design. There isn't any edge or diversity in the animation, the editing is actually one of the stronger elements but the design of everything is just too off for me and I can't buy into this world at all. The story is pretty good, there isn't a lot to really sink your teeth into but the strong message and quite entertaining characters keep it going. For a film that essentially has two locations and a purposefully unlikable protagonist, I think it accomplishes a lot and works well for kids. And that's the thing, it is definitely catered way more to kids and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, I just didn't get anything out of it.
Onward
I was pleasantly surprised by 'Onward' as like most people I forgot it even came out. This film came out THIS year, 2020 and honestly I don't remember hearing a word about it. The general concept and trailers really put me off, it looked like it was going to be an absolute disaster of unoriginality and confusing storytelling. I remember hearing 'Tom Holland and Chris Pratt star in an adventure film about a world that's like Dungeons and Dragons but in real life!' and just sighing with disappointment. But actually, it turned out 'Onward' is a lot of fun, it's a brilliant adventure film with so much heart and love in it, Pixar are known for tugging at your heartstrings and this has been their best attempt in years. Pratt is by far the worse part of it but the rest of the cast is really strong and the third act is downright incredible. I really enjoyed it, it's not anything that special but well worth watching.
Incredibles 2
When Pixar first started desperately making sequels to their classic films the anticipation for the inevitable 'Incredibles 2' was so high but I remember never really being that excited. Ironically even though the first film has an iconic cliffhanger, I think it is one of those films that really doesn't need a sequel at all. Once again this feels like just 'another' film, there's just an unavoidable factor that the first film is so iconic and as a result, the follow-up can't help but retrace old ground and feel creatively underwhelming. The biggest success of this film is its action, nobody can choreograph and direct action like Brad Bird and the big set pieces in this film are phenomenal. It just feels weird to do a quite basic and underwhelming superhero film in the middle of a time son full of mediocre superhero films. It is incredibly enjoyable and these characters are just as fun as ever, it just severely lacks the heart and passion of the original outside of the action, Bird cares about creating a compelling superhero film but the thing that made the original so iconic was how it was a compelling human story as well.
Monsters University
This is the most criminally underrated films in all of Pixar. I think it is wonderful! Is it as good as the original? No, of course not but I think it is definitely worth another look. A lot of people dismiss this as a cash grab prequel which retcons a lot of the charm from the original but I'd argue it adds so much more and even feels like a really welcome development of this world and these characters. I love the setting, it really delves into the potential behind this world of monsters, it's a really fun and imaginative film with a brilliant set of characters. I think it has a brilliant message that may be a bit overstated but I think it matters a lot, the simplicity of 'don't let anything beyond your control define you' is a delightful message that a lot of animated films undertake, but I think this one does it really well. Sully and Mike are as great as ever, I love how Mike is at the forefront and you get to really see them grow into the people they become, it's a heartwarming buddy college film that is not only full of brilliant ideas but full of hilarious moments I still quote to this day.
Toy Story
It feels a bit bad putting this film quite as low as it is because without this film Pixar, and animated films, in general, would be completely different. It's a legacy film and even though it is 25 (25!) years old it still stands up as an iconic piece of history. I'm a firm believer of separating legacy from quality, I'm not a fan of the idea that just because a film did something first, it must be the best. That being said 'Toy Story' is a tight wonderful film, concise in its execution and still an absolute delight of a story. It kind of functions like a short film, something still feels so exciting and fresh with every scene that it kind of loses the compelling adventure and complexity of the films succeeding it. The script is so tight and so perfect, once you get past the admittedly ropey animation it stands out as a hilarious and compelling small little story about some jealous toys. Tom Hanks will never get enough praise for his work on Woody, he is so versatile and so hilarious in this role and he carries the film entirely. It's simply this low because Pixar took everything this film dipped its toes into and ran with it in so many interesting and beautiful ways.
Up
A film like this has such cultural significance that I think the actual quality of the film itself is misjudged and often lost in the stream of discourse. The opening of this film is downright incredible, a concise masterclass into how to build effective characters and an emotional story with little dialogue and special animation. However when that opening is over, the rest of the film kind of feels like a by the books adventure film that kind of drops the incredible power of the opening for a hilarious romp. Pixar films often like opening their film in high emotion and using that to string together character beats throughout, but I do just feel that this opening doesn't ruminate throughout as well as other films and the ending doesn't really delve into this potential. However it is still a delightful film, the score is gorgeous and it is one of the funnier films in the Pixar canon, I have a few problems with the antagonist and the third act but it's worth the love it gets.
Toy Story 3
On the flip side of 'Up', this is a film that is often reduced to the success of its third act, but there are so many incredible sequences throughout this film and as a whole, it is more than a worthy Toy Story film. There is something so confident about how this film opens and the path it goes down, it takes a real gamble by creating a genuinely really upsetting story about these characters coming to terms with Andy growing up and maybe being left behind. Pixar always knows its audience well and this is a choice that really pays off for them, this sequel is a mature and compelling film with so much aching heart and passion throughout. I have a few problems with the villain and a lot of similar ground is retraced but it still such a brilliant conclusion to this trilogy that it is well worth it.
Toy Story 4
What a surprise this was! The announcement of a 4th Toy Story was met with almost universal confusion. The original trilogy was perfect why does it need another follow-up? But in all honesty, although the film isnt entirely needed, I think it justifies its existence wonderfully and is a fitting little epilogue to this incredible story. After watching, I feel like Woody's arc in this movie is so perfectly in character that it feels like this was the plan all along, his borderline obsessive desire to be there for a kid is the compelling trait throughout the trilogy and here we get the satisfying release of that factor and he gets to let go of that part of his life. It's only real fault as a film is that we don't get to spend as much time with the original cast except for Buzz and Woody, Jessie especially is given barely anything to do but the new cast members are so brilliant that honestly, it is worth it. Forky, Bo and Duke Caboom are all amazing and the villain is a surprise success, it also has some of the best animation in Pixar history. An unexpected triumph that I think deserves more love.
Monsters, Inc
I can't quite put into words how exactly 'Monsters, Inc' works so damn well but I will never get tired of this film. It was kind of the first film that Pixar got to demonstrate its true potential and creative versatility. The amount of beautiful world-building and character that is in this little story is at times overwhelming, it feels like an exceptional chance of circumstance came together to make this film a fascinating and beautiful delight. Perhaps I have a certain biased as this is an incredibly nostalgic film for me, these elements were all perfectly designed for me as a kid, each character is iconic and compelling and the set pieces are beyond anything I had seen at that age. The biggest successes are Billy Crystal and John Goodman as Mike and Sully who are one of the most iconic duos in cinematic history, their chemistry carries this film and I never get tired of watching them bicker and bump heads. It is full of heart, incredibly fun and a script that is so tight yet so brilliantly full of creaticity its a miracle it came out this well.
WALL-E
From here on out we are getting into the best of the best in terms of Pixar, which is probably why a lot of people will be surprised this film isn't higher. WALL-E is an accomplishment of a film, it is one of those heavy concepts with a lot of really risky decisions that pays off so extraordinary well that I will never quite get over what a film this is. It's a film that is full of some incredible sequences and moments that is slightly brought down by a bit of a messy underlying narrative and structure. The highs are often higher than any other Pixar films, especially the opening silent sequence and the incredible dance in the second act, they are the elements that make this film. I just have a few issues with the villain and, whilst probably intentional, the setting for the second half is somewhat overwhelming and distracting in comparison to that beautiful opening. It always blows me away how easily Andrew Stanton is able to endear the audience to these two robots, they are so ridiculously well characterised that you often forget WALL-E is functionally just a pair of eyes. The message is more important than ever and although it isn't exactly subtle, the way the story utilises endearing characters to tell this message makes it a very important film.
Toy Story 2
The endless debate over which Toy Story is the best is one of those arguments that I enjoy because it is only ever people arguing which one is the best when they are all downright incredible. For me, it will always be Toy Story 2, a film so integral to my childhood and just absolutely an influential part of my life. I think this takes everything amazing from the original and perfects it whilst introducing so many incredible elements that the sequels just end up repeating. It is the quintessential adventure film as an accident causes Woody to be taken by a toy collector and the rest of the gang has to go and rescue him, but he slowly comes to realise that he has an incredible legacy and maybe it is time to honour his true identity. Every Toy Story film is about identity but I think this explores the idea the best, having Woody and Buzz both be confronted by their past and having to choose their own identity from that is a stroke of genius. Jessie is my favourite character in the series and she is just perfect here, the absolutely heartbreaking flashback is still an unbeaten scene in this series in my opinion. This film is 21 years old and is still an absolute achievement in turns of script structure, animation and character writing.
Inside Out
I went back and forth so many times when trying to figure out where to place 'Inside Out'. For a while, it was much lower before I rewatched it and then everything just worked for me and it quickly became in my top 5 Pixar films of all time. 'Inside Out' is one of those films that is such a confident strike of brilliance that it is at times almost overwhelming, the ambition and love that went into the film are seeping out and as a result, I remember when the moments that are catered towards making it a more commercial film come up, they tend to be more obvious and distracting. However, when I revisited the film I found myself so ridiculously engrossed and so focused on what a personal and well-realised story this film is. There is so much care and attention in this film that it fascinates me how well such a tough concept has been pulled off, a film about such an abstract concept like emotions is not only treated with care but incredibly compelling and emotional. It looks beautiful, it genuinely makes me bawl my eyes out on several occasions (that hug at the end kills me) and it has one of the best scores of all time.
Coco
Speaking of films that have an endless hold on my tear ducts! After a few years of very mediocre films, 'Coco' just emerged out of nowhere and absolutely blew me away, much like 'Inside Out' it is this high on the list due to the true dedication and love that is present throughout this film. It is also an existential nightmare about death and identity and the inevitable fact that we will one day be forgotten. Pixar are known for appealing to adults as much as children and this is an example of thematically catering completely to adults whilst keeping the children's attention through the songs, action set pieces and colourful animation. It is such a gamble to try and tackle a subject like Death in a way that isn't sugar-coated but realistic and rewarding, I find the way it explores these ideas to be so uniquely Pixar. On top of these brilliant ideas is a love letter to Mexican culture, I obviously have no real knowledge or connection to this culture but I can only imagine how rewarding it must be to see this representation so vividly brought to life. vivid is how I would describe the whole film, from its breathtaking animation to wonderful musical segments, the whole film is a delight and that third act will make even the strongest people shed a tear.
Ratatouille
This was the biggest surprise whilst doing my Pixar rewatch as I remembered absolitely nothing about 'Ratatouille' and saw it as the 'weird rat chef movie' for a long time. But my god was rewatching it an absolute delight and it quickly became one of my favourites. When the film first opens I was more than dubious, I felt like I was seeing a lot of very familiar traits but once the film really gets to spread its wings, something incredible emerges and you are just sucked into this world with no remorse. Much like most of my favouite Pixar films, the tone and direction are what makes it so special in my mind, the way Bird directs this film is so attentive and at times almost overwhelmingly personal. Remy as a character is perfect, his attitude and motivations are so universal yet Patton Oswalt's voice acting makes him feel like a unique and compelling protagonist, his relationship with Linguini is hilarious and so endearing. The film isnt exactly too experimental our outrageous with its ideas but the way it demonstrates everything is so fascinating and so wonderful to watch, especially during that third act. I just find 'Ratatouille' to be almost hypnotic with its craft and it never fails to completely win me over. Just a beautiful film.
The Incredibles
As a kid, I probably watched this film more times than I've had hot dinners when you're already a kid obsessed with superheroes, a film like this is just perfect. Brad Bird is one of the best action directors of all time and the film is an ode to just how talented he is. It is such a stylish and entertaining film, combining this 1960s spy thriller with a silver age comic book story whilst smuggling in a very heartfelt and realised family drama underneath the gorgeous action. The thing that kept me going back to this story was how Bird manages to attribute the action to the characters, from an opening set-piece endearing us to Bob to the moments the Parr children have to take the agency to use their powers and that final battle that showcases them all working together. The Parr family are so well developed and considered, I just fell in love with these characters, especially as a kid being somewhere between Dash and Violet, understanding both of their problems and seeing them as genuine role models. It is a family story, it addresses the troubles in relationships, it is a story about legacy and identity, it is a story about corporate commodification and it if you don't care about any of that it is one of the greatest action films of all time. I can't find a fault in this film, Syndrome is incredible, Edna is incredible, Frozone is incredible the colour grading, score, cinematography, editing, voice acting, pacing are all simply incredible.
Finding Nemo
A couple months back I wrote a piece about film criticism and how I find this universal 'search for objectivism' in the industry to be woefully pointless, I never see a critic's job as being objective, but articulating their subjective connection to a film. That is why I put 'Finding Nemo' as my favourite Pixar film and in all honesty one of my favourite films of all time. This film practically raised me, I rewatched it just last week and was crying tears of nostalgia from the opening credits, I have such a strong visceral connection to this film that I can practically mouth along to the majority of it. 'Finding Nemo' is a story about overcoming trauma and separating our experiences from our perspective, it's about learning to respect and cherish those around us and to find our own feet (or in this case fin). A simple ocean-spanning story of a Dad trying desperately to find his son is still one of the most emotionally compelling and rewarding narratives ever made. I love this idea of translating this fear we have as kids about the 'big wide world' into an ocean-spanning epic, visiting people and characters from all backgrounds are rewarding and positive experiences as well as sometimes terrifying and dangerous. There is almost too much to love in this film, the core message is so strong and honestly, it might be the film that makes me cry the most; that opening is more upsetting than the opening of 'Up' and I will die on that hill. The animation is still some of the best work Pixar has done, the way the ocean looks is breathtakingly beautiful especially when combined with that beautiful serene score. The cast is insane: Geoffrey Rush, Willem Dafoe, Allison Janney, Ellen Degeneres and of course the sublime Albert Brooks. It is a very special film for me, it just hits that right spot of nostalgia and peace that not many other films can hit. I love you 'Finding Nemo', you taught me a lot, you made me laugh a lot and I'll never get bored of revisiting you.
And that's finally the lot! I'm so sorry this took so long, I have finally moved down to London and the last few weeks have been a bit manic trying to organise the big move. I may be a bit more irregular with my uploads (if it's even possible to be more irregular than this) but I will try my best to keep writing about whatever takes my fancy. Thanks for reading, thanks for your patience and thanks for staying with me.