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If you do not wish to read the entire post, here is the ranking as a tier list (made using TierMaker).
A+ (THE BEST): WALL-E, Toy Story 2, Coco, Inside Out, Soul
A/A- (EXCELLENT): Up, Finding Nemo, Toy Story 3, The Incredibles, Toy Story, Ratatouille, Monsters, Inc., Toy Story 4, Finding Dory, Incredibles 2
B+/B (SOLID): Monsters University, A Bug’s Life, Onward, Brave
B-/C+ (FAIRLY DECENT): Cars 3, Cars
C/C- (MEDIOCRE): The Good Dinosaur
D+ (PRETTY BAD): Cars 2
Recommended Films to Watch First: Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Up, Inside Out, Coco
Where It All Began…
I don’t think I need to explain how 2020 was, and despite the fact that I am writing this on December 31st, 2020, I don’t really want to use this space to be reflective.
Pardon the Interruption!
Side note: While we’re on the subject of reflecting on 2020, I did recently see Death to 2020, a so-called “comedic” recap of the year, and it is easily one of the worst pieces of television I’ve seen in a very long time. In fact…
Death to 2020 (2020)
TL;DR Review: Death to 2020 is a cringeworthy mockumentary that spreads itself too thin and possesses a remarkably consistent string of unfunny humor and lazy satire. At its core, in an obvious – but failed – effort to provide comedy in the midst of global disruption, this British-American Netflix special shares an inappropriate, premature, and annoying message of “one day, we’ll look back on this troubling time and laugh.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 29%
Rotten Tomatoes Score Average Rating: 4.30/10
Grade: F
Uhh…Where Were We?
Alright, with that out of the way (seriously, don’t watch Death to 2020), I only wanted to bring up the upsetting nature of 2020 because that is what drove to me to doing movie marathons and ranking films from worst to best. Back in the spring, to cope with boredom, I began what would become my new hobby with a ranking of Disney/Pixar films from worst to best, and I shared this list exclusively with my friends. From there, following some positive reception (and complaints from those upset with my rankings of Ratatouille and A Bug’s Life), I began to go through new marathons, spanning multiple genres, studios, and filmmakers. After doing this for some time, and at the suggestion of my friends, I decided to create a blog and share my thoughts with the world (though I don’t really plan on becoming “internet famous”, and I don’t think I will since amateur film reviewing is more popular on YouTube or podcasts).
With that being said, I didn’t just want to copy and paste my initial list here, and that was for two reasons:
- I completed my initial list before Onward and Soul became available on Disney+, so that list wouldn’t have been comprehensive.
- I was not satisfied with the TL;DR reviews I initially gave to these films, and even though I did not re-rank the films (as my thoughts haven’t really changed on them), I wanted to share more descriptive and/or entertaining thoughts.
Now that I’ve watched all the Pixar movies as of December 2020, and after completing some other movie marathons in my queue, it is finally time to share the movie marathon ranking that started it all!
From Luxo Jr. to Beyond!
I don’t think I need to spend much time explaining Pixar’s movies, but as someone who grew up watching them, I probably should take into account those who, for any valid reason, have never seen a Pixar film.
Since the release of its 1986 short film Luxo Jr., Pixar has become well-known for its acclaimed and groundbreaking approach to animation, leading to some of the most memorable films enjoyed by audiences of all ages. I’ve seen most of these films before embarking on my marathon, but I was curious to know if my original feelings for these films have changed as I’ve grown older…
And there you have it. That’s my introduction to Pixar, so let’s go already!
Go! Go! Go!
| BOTTOM 5 | TOP 5 |
| 19. Brave | 5. Soul |
| 20. Cars 3 | 4. Inside Out |
| 21. Cars | 3. Coco |
| 22. The Good Dinosaur | 2. Toy Story 2 |
| 23. (THE WORST) Cars 2 | 1. (THE BEST) WALL-E |
23. (THE WORST) Cars 2 (2011)
TL;DR Review: While it may have some dazzling animation, Cars 2 is an incredibly ridiculous take on its predecessor’s already bizarre concept of talking cars – featuring a painful overabundance of Mater! Truly, this film is the embodiment of a car accident (with no human injuries or fatalities, of course).
Alternate TL;DR Review:
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 39%
Metascore: 57/100
My Grade: D+
22. The Good Dinosaur (2015)
TL;DR Review: While The Good Dinosaur looks gorgeous, this story of Arlo, a young dinosaur, is irritatingly boring and predictable. Make no mistake – this film is aimed solely at children.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 76%
Metascore: 66/100
My Grade: C
21. Cars (2006)
TL;DR Review: Did they have to be talking cars? No. Not at all. As long as you don’t overthink the concept, you’ll have some fun watching Cars. KA-CHOW!
Alternate TL;DR Review:
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 74%
Metascore: 73/100
My Grade: C+
20. Cars 3 (2017)
TL;DR Review: Cruz Ramirez is the saving grace of Cars 3 and the Cars franchise overall, and when Pixar inevitably follows up on this film, she must be the protagonist. (Seriously, please stop putting Lightning McQueen in the spotlight, and don’t give it to Mater again. Please?)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 69%
Metascore: 59/100
My Grade: B-
19. Brave (2012)
TL;DR Review: Brave could have been an incredible action-fantasy film. It had well-written characters and an amazing setting, but Pixar decided to use these to make a somewhat drab Disney Princess film (without the romance, which is fine) instead.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78%
Metascore: 69/100
My Grade: B
18. Onward (2020)
TL;DR Review: From The Walt Disney Company, one of the studios behind the Kingdom Hearts franchise, it’s Onward – an exciting mix of a (pretty generic) Pixar film and a fantasy RPG!
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
Metascore: 61/100
My Grade: B
17. A Bug’s Life (1998)
TL;DR Review: A Bug’s Life, Pixar’s second feature film, leaves behind a legacy of an admirable message and humorous charcters, but unfortnately, that legacy eclipses the film’s overall blandness.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
Metascore: 77/100
My Grade: B
16. Monsters University (2013)
TL;DR Review: “[Young] Mike Wazowski!”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
Metascore: 65/100
My Grade: B+
15. Incredibles 2 (2018)
TL;DR Review: This film is a fantastic continuation of its incredible (no pun intended) predecessor. It improves on quite a few fronts, but it also regresses on others, especially in the lackluster development of a potentially great Pixar villain. #JusticeForEvelynDeavor
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
Metascore: 80/100
My Grade: A-
14. Finding Dory (2016)
TL;DR Review: Now THIS is how you make a follow-up animation film starring a comic relief from the original. Bravo!
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
Metascore: 77/100
My Grade: A-
13. Toy Story 4 (2019)
TL;DR Review: While not as strong of a conclusion to the Toy Story franchise as Toy Story 3, Toy Story 4 makes for a humorous and adventurous epilogue that boasts one of Pixar’s greatest-written villains.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
Metascore: 84/100
My Grade: A
12. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
TL;DR Review: “Mike Wazowski!”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
Metascore: 79/100
My Grade: A
11. Ratatouille (2007)
TL;DR Review: It’s quite amazing how a film about the relationship between a rat and a human can be so touching and inspirational.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
Metascore: 96/100
My Grade: A
10. Toy Story (1995)
TL;DR Review: In its feature-length debut, Pixar gives an innovative and exciting introduction of some of its most iconic characters.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Metascore: 95/100
My Grade: A
9. The Incredibles (2004)
TL;DR Review: The Incredibles is such a unique, well-done, and visually striking blend of a family comedy-drama and a superhero film.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
Metascore: 90/100
My Grade: A
8. Toy Story 3 (2010)
TL;DR Review: Even though this is no longer the final Toy Story film, Toy Story 3 is perhaps one of the most perfect conclusions to an animated film franchise ever. (And yes, I am clearly qualified to make such a strong claim.)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%
Metascore: 92/100
My Grade: A
7. Finding Nemo (2003)
TL;DR Review: This film is an excellent take on trust between parents and children, taking place in the midst of an amazingly-animated aquatic backdrop.
Alternate TL;DR Review: If only Nemo hadn’t touched the “butt”…
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 99%
Metascore: 90/100
My Grade: A
6. Up (2009)
TL;DR Review: Up is a beautiful illustration of a man’s devotion to his passions and loved ones.
Alternate TL;DR Review: “Yo, we’re gonna the whole audience in tears 10 minutes into this movie! And we don’t mean from laughing,” remarked the writers of Up.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%
Metascore: 88/100
My Grade: A
5. Soul (2020)
TL;DR Review: While some may reduce Soul to an existential cousin of Inside Out or an introspective companion to Coco, it would be more reasonable to regard this film, on its own merit, as top-quality Pixar artistry successfully brought into the 2020s. This is because Soul is a powerful and robust exploration of the questions surrounding “the meaning of life.”
Alternate TL;DR Review:
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
Metascore: 83/100
My Grade: A+
4. Inside Out (2015)
TL;DR Review: Inside Out is an imaginative exploration of human emotions that drives the realistic plot of a girl’s adaptation to a new lifestyle. This is the 21st Century Disney/Pixar magic at its finest.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%
Metascore: 94/100
My Grade: A+
3. Coco (2017)
TL;DR Review: Coco is a shining and emotional testament to Pixar’s decades of growth in animation quality, storytelling ability, charm, and capablity to engage with its audiences.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
Metascore: 81/100
My Grade: A+
2. Toy Story 2 (1999)
TL;DR Review: Toy Story 2 epitomizes, for animated films, sequels that improve upon their predecessors in all areas.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Metascore: 88/100
My Grade: A+
1. (THE BEST) WALL-E (2008)
TL;DR Review: WALL-E demonstrates the power and versatility of animation – animation as a storytelling medium, animation as audiovisual art, animation as an agent of change, and most importantly, animation as an expression of human imagination.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
Metascore: 95/100
My Grade: A+
Miles on Media 
Wonderful list! Please read mine.
https://jacobsonbblog.wordpress.com/2016/07/27/my-top-20-favorite-pixar-movies/
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