Pixar Tier List with Soul

All 23 Pixar movies, definitively ranked

Take a look back at the high highs and low-ish lows of the acclaimed animation studio.

• By Allegra Frank, Alex Abad-Santos, Emily VanDerWerff, and 2 more
• on December 29, 2020 9:43 am

Since the release of its very first feature film, Toy Story, in 1995, Pixar has become one of Hollywoods most celebrated animation studios. Ranging from superhero adventures to tales of a lonely robot on a post-apocalyptic Earth, the studios 23 movies to date have earned plaudits for being artistically adventurous and telling stories ostensibly aimed at kids that have just as many adult fans. Even Pixars lesser works usually have something to offer.

2020 has been a big year for Pixar, which had two new films come out, even with the movie business ravaged by a pandemic. The first one, Onward, which came to theaters briefly on March 5, is the tale of a pair of brothers on a quest, set in a fantasy world in which magic has been slowly drained away. The second, the jazz-driven adventure Soul, was delayed several times before its Christmas Day debut on Disney+. These came on the heels of the Oscar-winning Toy Story 4, which most likely brought an end to the studios most well-known franchise after 24 years.

And what better to do in a two-Pixar year than rank all of the Pixar movies from worst to best? So thats just what the Vox Culture team has done; youll find our definitive standings below.

23. Cars 2 [2011]

The worst thing about Cars 2, even worse than the fact that it is 106 minutes of Larry the Cable Guy doing his unfunny Larry the Cable Guy shtick against a backdrop of borderline offensive clichés and regional stereotypes, is that the animation is frequently dazzling. Its flashy, colorful, full of intricate and eye-pleasing detail, and far, far lovelier than this terrible movie deserves.

The first Cars movie was a tired story about a cocky race car who needs to learn humility from a bunch of small-town yokels, but it still managed to deliver at least some charm and character variety. In contrast, Cars 2 puts all of its energy into a bafflingly insipid mistaken-identity spy plot, entirely centered on Larry the Cable Guy, a.k.a. Mater. Its North by Northwest by Hee-Haw, and no matter how hard you wish for it, there is no reprieve; Larry the Cable Guy keeps being in the movie, and the movie keeps happening, and the movie is 106 minutes long.

Here is a list of other movies that are 106 minutes long: Hitchcocks To Catch a Thief, Gremlins, D2: The Mighty Ducks, Whiplash, Fright Night, Lars and the Real Girl, Somethings Gotta Give, The Lego Movie 2, Halloween [2018]. None of them contain uncomfortably long bidet gags, or references to pains in my undercarriage, or a scene where Larry the Cable Guys talking tow truck character pees himself in public. This makes them all five-star movies by comparison; highly recommended. Aja Romano

22. Cars 3 [2017]

For a movie that largely exists to allow Disneys merchandising arm to create more toys, Cars 3 is better than it has to be. Like the other Cars movies, its world-building feels especially half-assed [unless you assume its the post-apocalyptic tale of a world where sentient cars have killed all humans]. But unlike the first two movies, its a surprisingly involved story about aging, the dismantling of white male privilege, and our coming artificial intelligence-dominated future.

Befitting its characters, Cars 3 feels more assembled than gracefully created, and its distinctly episodic nature holds it back. But its the rare movie whose protagonist learns that winning at all costs isnt the only thing. Consider it the computer-animated version of a classic sports film like Bull Durham. Emily VanDerWerff

21. The Good Dinosaur [2015]

Even now, five years after its release, The Good Dinosaur can make a claim to being the most beautiful Pixar movie. Its photorealistic backdrops provide a gorgeous canvas for a story of a talking dinosaur and a silent human child trying to make their way across the American West to the dinosaurs home.

The problem stems from how obvious it is that the story is cobbled together from the elements of other, better stories. Pixar made its name by taking wild scenarios that could only happen in animation toys wake up, bugs have a secret society, there are monsters in the closet, etc. and grounding them in old-fashioned, classic Hollywood storytelling. But The Good Dinosaur [which went through a tumultuous production process] doesnt have much to add to the old tropes its updating. EV

20. Cars [2006]

My 2-year-old nephews favorite movie before he saw Toy Story, that is was Cars. But then he saw Toy Story and he stopped talking about Cars [to my brothers chagrin, since my brother loves cars, and Cars]. I have to side with my nephew on this one. Cars is an absolutely fine movie, and it has a sweet affection for small-town, forgotten life by way of Radiator Springs. But Cars fails to match the ambition of some of its Pixar cousins, instead coming across as relaxed to the point of low stakes. And once youve seen any one of the studios other films, your love for Cars will most likely become but a passing phase. Alex Abad-Santos

19. Onward [2020]

Onward takes place in a world that was once enchanted, but where the magic has faded away. The plot cleverly employs the structure of a campaign you might play in a fantasy role-playing game such as Dungeons & Dragons, with heroes, a quest, a number of obstacles and monsters, puzzles, spells, and some surprises thrown in here and there. The Tolkien-lite elements are mixed with more banal workaday realities. Set in a world populated by creatures like elves and centaurs and cyclopes who live in the suburbs, where stray unicorns sometimes paw through the garbage its both magical and hilariously ordinary.

Written and directed by Monsters Universitys Dan Scanlon, Onward is gentle and fun. No, its not top-tier Pixar. But its better than most of the entertainment aimed at children that studios churn out these days. It doesnt move at a frantic pace. It isnt loud and grating or reliant on musical numbers that will eventually drive loving parents out of their ever-loving minds. Its just a movie that has a big organizing concept and its also got a heart. Onward gives a glimpse of Pixars likely future, but it still retains a spark of that old-time Pixar magic. Alissa Wilkinson

18. Finding Dory [2016]

Over the years, Pixar or more specifically director-screenwriter Andrew Stanton has perfected the basic studio sequel formula of repeating the previous movies plot without making it feel like more of the same. Prime example: Finding Dory doesnt have much to add to the original story of Finding Nemo, but it does have the great reveal that Dory really can talk to whales! Yes, thats a small way to move things forward, but a fun one nonetheless.

The themes at the heart of Finding Nemo are still present in this film; theres still an emphasis on the importance of found family, the unique challenges and delights of navigating life with a neuroatypical brain, and the vast and stunning splendor of the ocean. But Finding Dory diminishes Nemos philosophy of perseverance and communal kindness a bit, drowned out by a plot whose daring rescues frequently verge into the extravagant and often undermine the urgency of Dorys quest to find her parents. That said, its still a fun kids movie, its still Pixar, and wow, the ocean: pretty cool, huh? AR

17. A Bugs Life [1998]

A Bugs Life is something of a sophomore slump for Pixar. The studios follow-up to Toy Story was one of two animated movies about insects to hit theaters within months of each other, dampening some of the excitement around it. [The movies competitor, Dreamworks Antz, came out first.] That was a strange move on both studios parts: Ants and grasshoppers arent the most endearing or marketable main characters. But few [if any] of the characters from A Bugs Life are likely to rank among Pixar fans favorites.

The film culls from an old Aesop fable, The Ant and the Grasshopper, to tell a story that feels much folkier than Pixars more modern fare: Flik is an inventor who wants to help save his home from invading grasshoppers in an effort to prove his worth to his suspicious neighbors. Instead of recruiting real fighters, he collects a traveling circus group of other bugs and tries to pass them off as the saviors his fellow ants are looking for ... an amusing premise, but ultimately not one that really sticks.

Theres still some value in watching A Bugs Life, if only just to see how much Pixars animation and storytelling have evolved in the years since. And the movie does have some unique touches, like an explicitly romantic ending and a villain, the terrifying Hopper, that straight-up dies. Otherwise, A Bugs Life is but a quirky footnote in Pixars catalog. Allegra Frank

16. Monsters University [2013]

One of Pixars lesser follow-ups is this college-set prequel, which fails to leave as much of an impression as the film its based on. Mike Wazowski and his future BFF James P. Sulley Sullivan are college freshmen who, as we know from Monsters Inc., are about to become lifelong pals. The stakes are low as a result, and in the end, its not all that interesting or exciting to watch their friendship develop. The college setting doesnt really expand on the world of Monsters Inc., and watching these characters flail as their younger selves hardly adds to a story already defined best by its humor.

To the movies credit, there is a nice theme of learning to make peace with yourself when you fall short of achieving your dreams. Mike wants to be an accomplished scarer of humans, just like Sulley is and again, we already know that isnt to be. But when he realizes its not quite in the cards for him, he chases another passion instead. Its not necessarily the most uplifting message from Pixar, but it plays out nicely [and realistically] enough. AF

15. Brave [2012]

It felt, and in a way still feels, like so much was riding on Brave: It was Pixars first female-driven film, the first film with a girl as the hero, the first film with a woman as director. But Brenda Chapman, presiding over a depressingly gender-imbalanced art production team, found herself abruptly replaced in the directors chair, on the orders of a CEO who later resigned from Pixar following allegations of sexual misconduct and accusations of open sexism that referenced Chapmans firing.

Did Brave manage, then, to live up to expectations despite that production hurdle? I vote yes: Brave, by Pixar standards of excellence, is a delight. You feel the lovingly detailed animation in every curl on Princess Meridas head, in every stitch of each intricate wall tapestry. Its story, about a fiery Scottish lass whose desire to fight and hunt like her father inadvertently leads her mother to be cursed and transfigured into a bear, is as interesting as the studios best. Its stakes the restoration of Meridas family and, oh, just her lifelong happiness and ability to be treated with respect in a violently patriarchal society are as high as ever.

The plot isnt as tightly wound as those of other, more highly regarded Pixar films, but thats just fine. Brave takes its time reinforcing its emotional connections, lingering on the bond between Merida and her mom, and building Merida into one of Pixars most fully realized characters. Brave did everything the boys movies did, and it did it backward, in high heels, while frequently fending off inappropriate workplace behavior. If you want a better movie, well, heres what you can do. AR

14. Monsters Inc. [2001]

Remember how Monsters Inc. lost the first-ever Oscar for Best Animated Feature to Shrek? Awards arent everything not to mention theyre political and subjective but the loss still feels like a sore spot in Pixars history. Unlike the movie that took the crown that year, Monsters Inc. holds up as something like an even more intimate Toy Story. Its in part a platonic love story between an odd couple of monsters, the one-eyed Mike Wazowski and furry blue Sulley. Throw in a human toddler nicknamed Boo, who ends up in the guys care after getting lost in the monster world, and things get a bit more special.

Boo, Mike, and Sulleys makeshift family is where Monsters Inc. wrings out its most emotional moments, even if it may be easy to cynically consider her a human plot device meant to inspire coos from viewers and create drama between her two fumbling monster dads. But Monsters Inc. is charming, funny, and often moving nonetheless.

In contrast to the more meme-friendly Shrek, Monsters Inc. doesnt have an extensive internet legacy. And maybe that has clouded some folks memory of its quality theres nothing like Shreks All Star sequence. [A high-energy musical number from Billy Crystals Mike comes really close, though.] But theres a reason Pixar revisited the film with a [much less engrossing] prequel: Mike and Sulley are as classic a pair of best friends as Buzz Lightyear and Woody. It just may be harder to remember it because theres no goofy alt-rock song attached. AF

13. Incredibles 2 [2018]

It took 14 years for director Brad Bird to return to the world of 2004s The Incredibles [one of Pixars finest films], and in that time, the world had gone absolutely gaga for superheroes. So this sequel engages with questions of what were looking for from superhero storytelling and from our current superhero boom.

But its also interested in a whole host of other questions, like what it means to be exceptional and how to balance the needs of the self against the needs of the community. That it wraps all this up in a zippy plot filled with brilliant action sequences and is centered on Holly Hunters Helen Parr [a.k.a. Elastigirl] gives the movie plenty of visual and storytelling verve. Its messier than the first film, and at times, its hard to parse exactly what its villains motivations are. But that pales in comparison to all the stuff that works, because it works so, so well. EV

12. Toy Story 4 [2019]

If Toy Story 4 is the end of the Toy Story franchise, it will be a satisfying one. While its predecessors are more ensemble-focused, this movie is really about Woody, the pull-string cowboy, as he comes to terms with his own obsolescence. Bonnie, who inherits Woody at the end of Toy Story 3, doesnt love him as much as his original owner, Andy leaving Woody to look for meaning in a life that doesnt match up with the way hes always believed it was supposed to go. Woven into the plot are vulnerable moments about how we deal with love, our feelings, and relationships that fall off with age.

Toy Story 4s message to viewers is that we dont have to stop loving someone just because theyre not in our lives anymore. And even if those relationships end, it doesnt make them any less special or powerful. While one could argue these themes were already explored in the second and third Toy Story movies, Toy Story 4 still stands out with its rich storytelling and focused story. AAS

11. Inside Out [2015]

When it was released in 2015, on the heels of a rough patch for Pixar [from when 2011s Cars 2 became the only Pixar movie with a rotten score on Rotten Tomatoes to when The Good Dinosaur had to abandon a late 2014 release date due to production problems], Inside Out felt like the studio finally righting its way. Its depiction of the emotions guiding the inner life of a girl on the cusp of adolescence was clever and visually innovative, while its cast [including Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling, and Bill Hader] was perfectly chosen.

The movies superb storytelling introduces incredibly complex ideas like the notion that two emotions can combine into some third emotion, more complicated than either of them alone in ways that make instant sense to the audience without tons of exposition. And the message that sometimes feeling darker emotions like sadness and anger is necessary is a meaningful one. Inside Out has its problems [particularly its perhaps too simplistic view of the divide between men and women], but on the whole, its a sneakily devastating good time. EV

10. Toy Story 3 [2010]

Toy Story 3 is a heartbreaker. Its the perfect culmination of a story that, when it came out in 2010, had been 15 years in the making. Andy, the kid who owned the franchises familiar ensemble of toys, grew up and out of his once-beloved playthings. As viewers, maybe his choice to ditch his toys as he preps for college feels unfair, even cruel. We love Woody and Buzz, after all doesnt Andy remember that he once did, too?

Of course he does. But as he enters a new phase of life to be filled with new people, new memories, new loves, his toys must accommodate him. And they have to come to terms with their own growth too; as new residents of Sunnyside Daycare, theyre about to meet new kids and learn to love them, as scary as that can seem.

As a viewer around Andys age when Toy Story 3 came out, I found the film beautiful, if very difficult to watch. Yes, its beautiful and emotional at any age [theres a scene toward the end with an incinerator that should be used as a sociopathy test, because if you dont cry, theres an issue]. But watching it as I sat on the cusp of college myself, I found it to be the most affecting, realistic portrait of the transition to adulthood Id ever seen in animation. This was the dramatic, necessary conclusion that Pixar had been building toward since the first Toy Story. All apologies to Toy Story 4, but Toy Story 3 will always feel like the series true finale. AF

9. Coco [2017]

Coco doesnt get enough credit for being one of the most beautiful films of Pixars entire run if not the past 25 years overall. That first glimpse of the soaring, stupendous, and sweetly spooky Land of the Dead is breathtaking. But a failure to fully recognize Cocos beauty could be blamed on how wonderfully Coco tells a story about how crucial our families are to who we become.

Miguel, the movies plucky protagonist, travels to the underworld to find out about himself and his familys history, but ends up finally understanding his grandmother and, for the first time, truly discovers who she is. Through the journey, he realizes that love is the only way for him, and for those who have died, to forever remain in the world of the living at least in spirit. In Cocos world, and in ours too, love, life, and survival are one and the same. AAS

8. Toy Story 2 [1999]

Toy Story 2s magic lies in its ability to add world-shattering wrinkles into the fabric of everything we thought we knew about Toy Story. In this installment, Woodys going through an existential crisis, as he has to choose between leaving Andy to live [a loose interpretation of the word] in a Japanese museum forever or staying with Andy, despite Woodys fears that Andy will outgrow him. The narrative twists and trapdoors in making Woody more cognizant of his own existence, and his wants and desires, are equal parts stress-inducing and thought-provoking for those of us who have grown attached to the pull-string cowboy. The creativity, adventure, and emotional depth in Toy Story 2 make it, in the eyes of some viewers, the best Toy Story of all time. [Ed. note: Our collective ranking suggests otherwise, but its all subjective, right?] AAS

7. Up [2009]

One of my favorite things about Up is the delighted conversation my friends had upon its release about Kevin the Bird. Granted, there are lots of reasons to love Up: Its masterful at wrangling its openly bittersweet emotions, particularly showcased in Pixars best and most memorable opening montage. Its dotted with faint touches of magical realism that befit its South American locale, and many of them are warmhearted surprises: Balloon-ship houses! Dogs that can tell you they love you! Squirrel!

But none of them top my excited group of friends explaining to me, a clueless white person, how funny it is that Russell, the eager boy scout who accompanies grieving widower Carl on his mission to the Venezuelan tepuis, names the exotic bird they find Kevin. Russell is a tiny Asian kid, they explained, and Asian guys named Kevin are a whole Thing. To me, Kevin was just a bird named Kevin; to them, it was an entire sly cultural in-joke.

Look, Up is only the second animated film ever nominated for a Best Picture Oscar, deservedly, and its my favorite Pixar film because of its warmth, its humor, and its painful truths about grieving and letting go. But its also full of small coded details like Kevin, and they remind me that it might be even more special for eager Asian kids like Russell than it is for me. I love Up all the more for that. AR

6. Ratatouille [2007]

Ratatouille is best remembered for its triumphant finale, which serves as a thesis on the nature of criticism one that almost feels like director Brad Bird is speaking to film critics directly through the intimidating food writer Anton Ego. But Bird isnt thumbing his nose at critics or their work. Instead, his films message is that love for art of all forms is what inspires all critics, professional or otherwise; thats what drives us, and thats what we mustnt forget.

What makes this remarkably strong takeaway so effective is that Ratatouille works as a great example of why film critics are so drawn to the medium. The movie is a work of art on its own beautifully animated, with a well-constructed story. And its characters, from the dopey cook Linguini to little chef Remy the rat, each tell us something about art itself. Art is an opportunity to share our passion, and it can offer pleasure, no matter the bona fides of its origin.

This resonates even if you arent a critic by trade. In all art, we seek entertainment, or joy, or excitement. And Ratatouille offers all of that in spades. The movie benefits from the work of a Pixar crew performing at its height, even if its high-concept, slightly bizarre story a rat that cooks? Its weird! could suggest at first that it may not sing for audiences quite as beautifully as some of Pixars other stories. Not the case: As Anton Ego says, A great artist can come from anywhere. Ratatouille is a great artist, and great art. AF

5. Finding Nemo [2003]

Finding Nemos greatness can be measured in the sheer number of characters minor and major that you think about long after the movies over. Theres Nemo, Dory, and Marlin, the core trio, but theres also Gil, Bruce, and even smaller characters like Peach, the Allison Janney-voiced starfish, and Pearl, the baby octopus who inked herself. Nemo succeeds in not only capturing the natural beauty and wonder of our real-life ocean but also telling a story about parenthood and friendship and, to our own deep sadness, the fragility of life in a way and through diverse, myriad characters that we dont usually think about. AAS

4. Soul [2020]

It feels terrifying, even a little gutsy, to say that a movie arriving this many years into Pixars oeuvre might top some of the studios classics. But I think Souls position is merited, for a few reasons.

Its a story about a jazz musician and souls in search of a spark, and it may be the most philosophically complex of the studios work. Director Pete Docter [who also made Inside Out] and co-director Kemp Powers tackle a traditional theme in family-friendly animated movies finding your unique purpose in life and turn it on its head, subtly challenging our cultures focus on doing what you love as your occupation. Instead, they think with more complexity about the many things that make us human, and they do it with humor, grace, and subtlety that feels uncommon in animated storytelling, even from Pixar.

They also do it with incredible visual imagination. Segments of Soul bend visual conventions that we are used to seeing from Pixar, evoking other dimensions and planes of being with different sorts of art. And even when the characters are just moseying along the streets of New York, the landscape is rendered in such detail and with such attention to texture that the specificity feels almost startling. The biggest joy of animation is that you can do things with it that you cant do with live-action, and Pixar pulls out all the stops in crafting Souls world. AW

3. Toy Story [1995]

Rare is it that a film studio gets its first-ever feature just right. But Pixar came out of the gate as a unique breed: a studio that dared to release a full-length animated movie created entirely with computer-generated graphics. In 1995, that was unheard of; traditional animation was still dominant. Despite having little competition on that front, Pixar wowed audiences not just on the basis of Toy Storys impressive novelty but also through the films sheer wit, storytelling, and maturity. Its introduction of Woody and Buzz Lightyear, opposites who very much repel each other until they naturally attract, contends with love, friendship, and the meaning of life in funny and thoughtful ways.

While Pixars work has become more technically advanced in the past two decades, Im still so drawn to how the original Toy Story feels lived-in and expansive, like every nook and cranny of Andys room could be worth exploring. As a kid, I found that world to be, well, a world: somewhere I felt safe and comfortable and excited to see more of. Thats something I continue to look for in movies, particularly animated ones; while Pixar continues to craft living, breathing universes for its stories, Toy Storys remains the one I feel as though I know best.

It helps that Toy Story is the longest-running franchise in Pixars oeuvre, just slightly edging out Cars. What makes Toy Story so essential where Cars feels exhausting, though, is the toys. Watching Buzz and Woodys friendship grow is an emotional experience; the 90-minute journey they take to accepting one another remains powerful. Above all, their relationship is why the toys [and Pixars] inaugural outing remains as funny, dazzling, and satisfying today as it was in 1995. Youve Got a Friend in Me, indeed. AF

2. The Incredibles [2004]

Brad Bird is the closest thing Pixar has to an auteur filmmaker, who makes movies with a strong, personal vision that keep returning to the same ideas over and over. And his first movie for Pixar, The Incredibles, showed off his talent for large-scale action sequences balanced against small-scale domestic comedy, in a tale of a family of superheroes living in a world thats made superpowers illegal after some unfortunate incidents and massive amounts of property damage.

Whats great about Incredibles is how it balances the two sides of its personality, while also allowing for a surprisingly meaty dive into ideas about what it means to be special and making room for other people to have their own sense of specialness. The ideas in this film have gotten Bird accused of being a Randian objectivist, but whats so smart about The Incredibles is how Bird never pins himself too thoroughly to any one point of view. This is a movie that can be read on many different levels, from a simple family comedy to an action movie imbued with philosophy to a genuine war of political principles that manages to pack in some great sight gags. EV

1. Wall-E [2008]

All by itself, Wall-Es sublime, dreamy opening sequence, in which a lonely android compacts trash on a desolate planet while enjoying the strains of Hello, Dolly!, would warrant its place at the top of our list. Like a little mermaid whos been collecting human gadgets and gizmos for several hundred years, Wall-E has managed to retrieve something like a soul out of all that discarded refuse; like us, hes entranced by musical theater, baffled by sporks, and full of love. This image of an adorable Curiosity-like rover keeping his spirit alive after centuries of solitude is simultaneously full of heartbreak and hope, and the film rides that delicate balance all the way through its wrenching highs and lows as Wall-E and his fellow android Eve fight to bring humanity home.

Pixars finest movie trusts frequently in its purely aesthetic storytelling, keeping viewers absorbed through long, dialogue-less scenes that marry stellar animation, intricate world-building, and superb sound engineering. Its perfectly humanistic androids have deeply human hearts, in contrast to actual humans, whove been cruising in space for so long that theyve fallen into a lethargic simulacrum of real life. Writer Andrew Stanton has constructed one near-perfect story after another for Pixar over the years, but with Wall-E, he gets closer than ever, simply by presenting the dystopian future as a product of everyday environmental mismanagement, corporate greed, and out-of-control consumption and wastefulness, and letting the results largely speak for themselves.

Even as it dives into conversation with Kubrick and Sagan, Atompunk and Heinlein, Wall-E never fully feels retro because it never stops asking painfully contemporary questions. We need its dose of clear-eyed, restorative faith, perhaps even more now than we did a decade ago. AR

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