Okay, I’m gonna say it right up front: this list will make you mad. I’d apologize, but it’s truly not my fault that Pixar makes so many good movies. There are many movies that you’d expect to see on the list that you won’t. That’s not because they are bad movies, these are just better. Also, you may think a few on this list shouldn’t be here at all. If that is the case, please re-watch the movie you are talking about. I’m sure you will see why I put it where it is. Final disclaimer, this list does not take into account any movie released post-2013 as that is the year I became a man and thus took a step away from the Pixar game. I will try to watch all of the newer movies and then rank those at a later convenience.
5. Ratatouille
I feel like despite the disclaimer at the top, people are already gonna be mad this isn’t higher on the list. Don’t get me wrong, I love Ratatouille, it wouldn’t have made the list otherwise. Of course I love Remy and Alfredo, those are both perfect names for each of them. The magical whimsy of a rat cooking a Michelin- Star meal by pulling at a young buffoon’s hair is so delighting, I’d watch it right now even if I wasn’t under any sort of influence. Ratatouille is such a good movie it is able to make an entirely vegetarian dish prepared by a rodent look delicious. From this movie alone, our entire generation knows about an eggplant dish served at approximately 2% of restaurants. That’s mind blowing to me. You know a movie is good when it comes to mind faster than the object it’s named after.
4. Toy Story 3
Yes, this is the best installment of the Toy Story franchise. I thought about putting the original on this list instead for nostalgia purposes, but it’s just not the truth. Toy Story 3 tells the story of Andy going to college, leaving his old toys behind. There are already sad pretenses as the end for the toys looms around the corner, yet the movie turns the situation into an adventure of a lifetime. The toys come across near-death experiences, meet new toys and children (though they end up being evil), and have a ton of fun. You have your classic Toy Story bits between Hamm, Mr. Potato Head, and Rex, but also heart-warming moments and a ton of suspense. I remember watching this movie in theaters as a small 9-year-old boy, truly thinking that all the toys were going to be melted down into plastic. The feeling I got when they escaped death is how I imagine heroin feels. So, yeah, this is the best Toy Story.
3. Cars
Unlike Toy Story, I did not choose the first of the series purely because it’s the original. Cars is easily the best of the bunch, though I do love spy Mater in Cars 2. The third installment is honestly not great, but that’s not what we’re talking about right now. Cars may be Owen Wilson’s best performance in a film that doesn’t star Vince Vaughn. The relationship between Lightning McQueen and Doc Hudson is one for the ages. Mater provides the dumb-idiot classic comic relief every great Disney movie has, while Luigi and Guido are the lovable side characters that push the movie to greatness. This movie is honestly just awesome for all ages. From the tractor tipping to McQueen’s heroic tongue-finish, Cars is an all-time favorite that will never get old.
2. Monsters University
This is undoubtedly the biggest shocker on this list. For those of you complaining, go watch this movie. Not only does it make Monsters Inc. look like a pile of dogshit, but it’s genuinely the funniest Pixar movie ever released. Imagine Old School and Animal House meets Pixar. That’s this movie. It’s not about school or homework, it’s about fraternities. Monster fraternities. Mike and Sulley join a ragtag frat of absurd monsters that seem more like clowns than scare-machines. The plot of this movie is great with a lot of funny moments from the fraternity “scare games” competition, but what really makes this movie so amazing is the characters. Obviously we all know and love Mike and Sulley, but their new frat is hysterical. Between a pair of siamese-twins, an old blob that reminds you of your own chapter advisor, and Art, there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, which if we’re being honest is quite impressive for a Pixar movie made for children. If you are in college right now and haven’t seen this movie in a while, do yourself a favor and go watch it. It tackles classic college stereotypes to a tee including living in a dorm with a roommate, maintaining a social life, and so much more.
1. Up
For anyone who thinks that Up isn’t the greatest movie of all-time, you are just incorrect. Not only is it extremely funny, but it’s just all around a great film. To start out, the plot of the film is just fantastic. Who wouldn’t like an old man and chubby boy scout flying through the air in a house with a million balloons attached to it? To make things even better, they throw in characters like Dug the dog and Kevin the weird looking foreign bird. I don’t know what it is, but even now at 21 years old I still find the name Kevin for a dodo bird to be quite humorous. Aside from humor, Up is sentimental and could even make you shed a tear. From the opening montage that shows the story of Carl’s wife to the most amazing soundtrack ever, this movie will make you feel your emotions. That’s what makes this movie so perfect. It will make you smile, laugh, and cry all in a span of 90 minutes. That is artwork.
