Every Pixar movie, ranked – from ‘Toy Story’ to ‘A Bug’s Life’

Ranking our favorite Pixar films feels a lot like ranking our favorite Marvel films — even when they’re bad, they’re good, and this is too hard and can we give up?

With Disney+, we can finally stream these films at leisure — even Cars 2! How do they hold up? Were the films we loved as children as good as we remember? How do newer entries like Soul and Onward fit in against the Toy Story franchise and The Good Dinosaur?

Well, we sorted it out. Read on for our ranking of every full-length Pixar movie ever — and get ready for Luca on June 16.

22. Cars 2

Cars 2 suffers from sequel syndrome of the Iron Man 2 variety, and not just because they both involve racing. It’s fine, but Pixar is usually well past fine.

21. Brave

Brave is still the only princess movie ever produced by Pixar (no, Moana wasn’t), and it was a solid effort. The story played out very differently than the marketing led us to believe – we did not think the bear would be such a major element – but the themes suit Pixar to a T and Merida’s hair is #goals.

20. Cars 3

Better than Cars 2 but still struggling to live up to Cars, the motorized threequel leaned into the passage of time, letting Lighting McQueen move on to the next phase while welcoming an exciting successor. What a way to see him off (well, at least for now).

19. The Good Dinosaur

The Good Dinosaur got lost in the year that also gave us Inside Out and ended up as Pixar’s lowest-gross to date. Which is a shame, because it had a charming premise: What if the dinosaurs never died out? Maybe they’d do what Arlo does here, and basically adopt a human (“Spot”) as a pet.

18. Monsters University

It’s not a sequel, it’s a prequel: Monsters University goes back to Mike and Sulley’s college days, revealing just how these BFFs became, well, BFFs. In the process, it also puts a creative, monstrous spin on all those familiar college tropes. 

16. Cars

Just when it seemed Pixar had told every story we could think of, along came the story of professional race cars who maybe need to learn a lesson or two about how to be better people. (Just go with us here.) Cars was a particular hit with young children – Lightning McQueen was the Elsa of his day – and spawned a nice little franchise.

17. Incredibles 2

Did The Incredibles really need a sequel, 14 years later later? We didn’t think so, but then Incredibles 2 came along to prove us wrong. The action is better than ever, Elastigirl is a heroine for the modern age, and Jack-Jack might just be the cutest baby we’ve seen onscreen since… ever. – Angie Han, Deputy Entertainment Editor

16. Toy Story 4 

Bring back our faves from the earlier Toy Story films, introduce a spork so adorably weird he can’t help but go viral, season generously with a existential despair, and bam, you’ve got Toy Story 4. While the fourth installment doesn’t fly quite as high as its predecessors, it retains the ambition and thoughtfulness of classic Pixar. — A.H. 

15. Toy Story 2

Toy Story 2 was Pixar’s first sequel, but anyone wondering whether this meant the studio had run out of ideas was quickly proven wrong. Losing Woody put the gang in dire straits and forced Buzz to become a leader in a way he never had before. We also met the adorable Jessie and cried many a tear at her tragic backstory.

14. Finding Dory

The ocean came vibrantly alive once more as forgetful Dory challenged her memory to lead her back to her parents. Nemo and Marlon (the latter more reluctantly) returned to follow her on another emotional roller coaster full of fish friends new and old.

13. Onward 

Pixar’s story of two bothers bringing their late father back to life is surprisingly zany. Set in the not-so-magical world of New Mushroomton, a place where mythical creatures exist but choose to live with modern convenience, Onward visits Pixar’s weirdest corners in all the best ways. – Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter

12. Ratatouille

This charming tale of a rodent’s culinary aspirations and his unexpected friendship with a floundering human chef would thaw even a New Yorker’s heart (albeit only temporarily). It also made us crave elaborate cuisine and think that maybe we shouldn’t give up on our dreams. After all, if a rat can pursue his passions, so can we.

11. Soul

 On paper, a film about jazz music, untapped potential, and existential notions of passion and purpose with vast stints in the after life should not work. But it does, and how; Soul beautifully handles the odd-couple pairing of Joe (Jamie Foxx) and 22 (Tina Fey), a wayward soul in the after life who reluctantly learns from his guidance.

10. The Incredibles

Superheroes are people too! Back in 2004, The Incredibles presented the delightful farce of a superpowered family trying to live incognito. We were rooting as much for Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl’s marriage as we were for the heroes to overthrow Syndrome – a storyline that led to some dark lessons about fame and rejection. We are so glad to have this gang back.

9. Monsters, Inc.

Maybe monsters aren’t scary – they’re just doing their jobs. The hilarity of creatures who frighten people for a living punching in and out and living their own adult lives was as enjoyable for parents as it was for kids. Mike and Sully felt like an alternate-universe Woody and Buzz, and we still want to adopt Boo.

8. WALL-E

2008’s cautionary tale about sedentary life and environmental corruption is, unfortunately, evergreen. WALL-E made us examine our harmful human behavior, through the eyes of an innocent and well-meaning robot. And while WALL-E and Eve’s love defies all logic, that doesn’t stop us from melting at their relationship. 

7. A Bug’s Life

As a story about literal insects, A Bug’s Life was better than it had any right to be. Here we were, rooting for ants – bugs! – in their fight against the oppressive grasshoppers, because the world crafted by Pixar was so detailed and immersive that it was impossible not to get invested.

6. Toy Story

The thought of toys coming alive instantly turned fun instead of terrifying, especially to the film’s young target audience. Toy Story flipped the script even further by making Sid the villain and prompting morally malleable viewers to reflect on how they treat others (inanimate or not). Most importantly, Toy Story brought us the iconic duo of Buzz and Woody, two characters who made no sense on paper but formed a fierce friendship that we still look up to.

5. Coco

Coco‘s foray into the Land of the Dead was Pixar at its most jaw-droppingly beautiful – and it brought the emotion, too, with a tender tale of familial love and creative ambition. If you need us, we’ll be over here weeping over “Remember Me.” – A.H.

4. Up 

We can’t talk about Up without talking about that opening montage, whose emotional devastaiton comes courtesy of Michael Giacchino’s score and the nefarious passage of time. This was a film about a curmudgeonly old man that gave us a window to his heart early on, then let us watch as he put his faith in fantasy and embarked on a last adventure. It’s a film for the kid in all of us, who never truly leaves.

3. Finding Nemo

Pixar changed the game again in 2003 by submerging us in the wondrous world of the Great Barrier Reef. We learned all about marine biology, we fell in love with a forgetful blue tang, and we found Nemo (spoiler) at the end of it all.

Emotions are the worst, as any adult can attest, but watching the human mind mature as richly as it did in Inside Out was truly spectacular. The Memory Dump? The Train of Thought? Bing Bong?? It’s all genius, and it just goes to show that mind and heart are linked forever.

1. Toy Story 3

With improvements in animation technology and the most heartwarming, heartbreaking script of the series, Toy Story 3 wrecked most of its now-adult fans as Andy bade farewell to his beloved toys and his childhood. Growing up can be rough, but the toys learn that you can get through anything with the right friends. 

This story was originally published in 2020 and updated in 2021 to add ‘Onward,’ ‘Toy Story 4,’ and Soul to the rankings.