Pixar Movies Reviews/Thoughts

I will be re-watching all films done by Pixar Animation Studios in preparation for Coco, which I will be watching in a week. I'm mildly critical when it comes to movies, and I hardly ever give movies a perfect score. Last year there were only 2, this year there have been none. With Pixar. I can honestly give 6 of their feature films a perfect score, so I think you can tell I'm in love with this studio. Stick around to find out which ones get all 100 points!! Let's start!!

1. Toy Story (1995)
2. A Bug's Life (1998)
3. Toy Story 2 (1999)
4. Monsters Inc (2001)
5. Finding Nemo (2003)
6. The Incredibles (2004)
7. Cars (2006)
8. Ratatouille (2007)
9. WALL-E (2008)
10. Up (2009)
11. Toy Story 3 (2010)
12. Cars 2 (2011)
13. Brave (2012)
14. Monsters University (2013)
15. Inside Out (2015)
16. The Good Dinosaur (2015)

Release Year: 1995

A lot of people would not hesitate to regard this as Pixar's best work. Me? Well, I think this was as strong as a debut could be, but like any other debuts, they are a sign of the greatness that there is to come. Toy Story set the example for animated films to come, and it transcended a new era for the medium. While I think that the storytelling is more "to the point" than some other Pixar films, this still solidifies itself as an amazing film.

This probably has the best assemble of characters from any Pixar movie to date; each and every single toy has their charm, wit, and purpose. This probably also contains the best dialogue in Pixar's umbrella, striking for edgier wit with clever comical circumstances than any other mainstream animated film. It is entertaining, charming, and fast paced from beginning to end. Since this came out in 1995, the folks at Pixar were still evolving into masters in their craft and were still stretching their creative muscles. While I believe that Pixar has more sophisticated and complex stories under their belt, I am still going to give this an extremely high grade.

Release Year: 1998

A Bug's Life, many would remark this as the forgotten one. This film had the task of following up Toy Story, and it undeniably falls short. How would I describe this film? Cute. While it is a complimentary adjective, you never really want to call a Pixar movie just "Cute".

The attempts at crafting the bug world are effective, the characters are decent, and the story is not half-bad. I think that this movie excels the most in its comedy; tackling hilarious bug puns and over the top characters, this film results as a perfectly enjoyable watch. A Bug's Life is not among Pixar's best because of what it did, rather because of what it didn't do. The film never really tries to be anything more than a fun and entertaining comedy. Because the movie effectively delivers on nearly every aspect in its agenda, I will give this a very positive score. However, it would've been nice to have seen some of Pixar's more emotionally resonant storytelling techniques on display.

Release Year: 1999

Dare I say this one is better than the first? Yeah, I think so. Not only is the animation better this time around, but so is the story. Many would say this is not as good as one or three, or maybe even call it "the forgettable entry", but this is a pristine example for animation and live-action alike on what a sequel should be like.

This movie explores deeper layers to a toys' psyche than the first one. Granted, the notion that Buzz didn't know he was a toy worked for comedic and emotional impact in Pixar's debut, but not quite like Toy Story 2. This movie takes the toys in a new direction, physically and emotionally. Not only is the adventure/rescue mission more fun and hilarious this time around, but this is the movie were we get themes like: What is the purpose of a toy? What happens when our owner outgrows us? What does bond mean if we will be forgotten eventually? This not only serves as a fantastic tear-jerking moment in the "When she loved me" sequence with Jessie, but it also expands on Woody's arc and centers him as a fantastic character. Overall, this took everything that was fantastic about the first one, and expanded on it flawlessly.

Release Year: 2001

One of Pixar's most creative and charming efforts can be seen in this 2001 comedy. Many would consider this one of Pixar's absolute best. While I can see the appeal to praise the movie to such high resonance, I wouldn't regard this as highly as the other efforts.

The thing I would like to commend the most is the movie's concept. it is there with Inside Out as one of the more creative and complex concepts the studio has delivered and it is surprising to see how well it was executed. The comedy that sparks between our fantastic duo of Mike and Sulley in some very hilarious situations is fantastic and probably the film's strongest point. The film can also be seen as a point were Pixar began to set their tear-jerking themes in motion, found in Sulley and Boo's relationship. The third act is iconic and creative, a door chase sequence followed by one of the studio's most touching moments. While this film is definitely top tier Pixar, I would rank it as the weakest in that handful of films, just because it doesn't resonate as loud as their later outings.

Release Year: 2003

If by 2001 one didn't believe that Pixar was a juggernaut of a studio, 2003 did it for them. For me, Finding Nemo was never a childhood favorite growing up, my 6-7 year old self always gravitated towards Monsters Inc. Now, as I'm entering my adulthood, and have learned to analyze movies on a mature level, Finding Nemo is one of the handful of films I would consider perfect.

There isn't much I should say to prove this movie is fantastic, you should just know. The animation shifted from impressive in Pixar's earliest efforts, to jaw-dropping in Finding Nemo. The dramatic gears in this film gave an adult emotional resonance that had never been seen in a Pixar film before. The duo of Marlin and Dory are perfect and a nice tool to keep the film lighthearted, yet grounded in the drama. The adventure alone is breathtaking, our fish find themselves trapped with a group of sharks, racing through a jellyfish pit, stuck inside a whale, and each moment is as fantastic as the last. Finding Nemo is a prime example of what Pixar is so well-known for, it balances an emotional story with weight, and a fun adventure with fantastic characters and exciting set pieces.

Finding Nemo is my second favorite animated movie of all time next to Spirited Away

Spirited Away is one of my absolute favorite of mine. Another film I would give a 100/100

Release Year:2004

Expectations were sky high following Finding Nemo in 2003. But leave it to masterful storyteller Brad Bird to come in and shake things up at Pixar. This 2004 superhero film was ahead of its time, and it is an exemplary piece of filmmaking. Not only is this my favorite Pixar movie, not only is this my favorite animated film. But this is in my top 10 of all time.

Aside from this being massively nostalgic as it was a glowing highlight of my childhood, this film gets everything right, it's incredible. This is Pixar's most adult movie to date; take out all the vibrant action and fun characters, this film is about mid-life crisis, missing your glory days, feeling disconnection to family, this movie tackles the latter themes through fantastic family scenes, juxtaposed by Mr. Incredible's side missions were he feels back in his habitat. Not only that, but this superhero film might be the most relatable, it provides different family scenarios (brawling in the kitchen table, fighting in the car for directions) and simply adds the superhero elements to them. The film has fantastic action, mature themes, a clever spin on the superhero genre, a fantastic villain, amazing character arcs and unforgettable sequences. The Incredibles is, in my opinion, the best Pixar film.

The Incredibles is my favorite Pixar film as well, by a lot.

__________________
I may go back to hating you. It was more fun.

I can't wait for the sequel!

Release Year: 2006

Cars is the film that most people would point at for Pixar's weakest point. Me, not so much. True, this is not as clever or as heartwarming as it thinks it is, and it is definitely not on par with PIxar's best efforts; I could still think of a few more Pixar films worse than this one. However, this is still an above-average animated film that still somewhat captures some of PIxar's mature spirit.

The story and message might be more adult than one might think. Trying to find your identity, overcoming your ego, realizing to slow down and appreciate life are all very mature themes. Car racing is also a very exciting theme for mature demographics. The reason this doesn't echo as loudly as Pixar's best films is because of how simplistic it is with its story and how highly formulaic the character choices are. Apart from that, I think this movie is pretty good, offering a highly entertaining story, an interesting main character, some exciting moments, and a couple of mature motifs.

Release Year: 2007

Ratatouille. Many would consider this the forgotten gem, as it is hardly ever mentioned when discussing Pixar. But regardless, this feature holds the highest rating for any animated film on Metacritic. This gem brought back the mature storytelling, the creativity, and the beauty that was missing in Cars, and it had never been as present as it was in this 2007 film.

The character of Remy is instantly likable, and he is just as unusual as the premise. A story about a rat who dreams of becoming a chef in Paris' most prestigious restaurant shouldn't have worked, and definitely not as well as it did. The animation is breathtaking, and so is Michael Giacchino's score. Every frame of this film, every line of dialogue, every action is injected with a beautiful inspiration that gives this picture a unique and warm ascetic throughout the entirety of its runtime. Remy's character arc is one of the most perfect in Pixar's history; Brad Bird takes his character to numerous emotional extremes; from an overwhelming trust in humans, to an overwhelming trust in himself, to the realization that the world won't accept his kind; it is masterful storytelling. Top it all off with an incredible piece of filmmaking that isthe critic's monologue from Anton Ego, and you've got another Pixar masterpiece.

Release Year: 2008

This next picture was the most experimental for Pixar. Considering the silent tropes adopted from early cinema, the prominent sci-fi dystopian vision, the main storyline being about two robots falling in love, every decision in this film was a role of the dice. A lot of people would claim this as one of the best works of Pixar, others will call the first half better than the second. Me? I'll call this film perfect.

This film does an exemplary job at establishing Wall-E as a main character, and offers a brilliantly well realized future in which this robot is relevant. The world building is fantastic, with skyscrapers made out of trash cubes and dead robots left to clean the earth. The silent portion of the film is breathtaking, it is awesome to see our silent protagonist emote to an impressive extent with dialogue limited only to his name. Once his romantic counterpart arrives, the relationship is established beautifully through amazing visuals and heartwarming actions. The second half is definitely different, but still just as strong. Pixar once again gets profound with the storytelling, this time around offering a startling look at a potential future for humans. This is a perfect example of the "show, not tell" rule. Pixar doesn't talk down to the audience even if one might consider it "for kids". It tests the audience's mind to draw conclusions on the "robots teach humans how to be humans" theme overarching this narrative; it was refreshing to see an animated film not be so "on the nose". This film just gets everything perfectly, from the romance, to the commentary, to the visuals, score, story, it is a fine piece of filmmaking.

Release Year: 2009

The third film in Pixar's golden era (2007-2010) came to us from Monsters Inc director, Peter Docter. Undeniably known for being the most poignant Pixar film to date, this film left its stamp for not leaving a dry eye in the movie theater. Add to this, a fantastic and fun adventure powered by heart-wrenching emotion, and we've got ourselves another winner.

Essentially, it would be crime not to mention Pixar's strongest piece of filmmaking: the 15 minute opening scene; it is flat out one of the best pieces of cinema ever put on screen. Up there with Brook's monologue from Shawshank Redemption as one of the most beautiful montages. Many would complain that what follows does not match the mastery of the opening, and it is true; but why should it? Expecting the rest of the film to match the perfection of the opening scene is too much of a tall order, even for Pixar. The opposite duo of Carl and Russell is perfectly written and makes it so that these characters unknowingly complete each other. The adventure is exciting and fun, elevated once again by Carl's character arc. And finally, this film carries one of the most emotionally satisfying endings I've seen, while never feeling to heavy handed. Up might be the Pixar film to show to give someone a full grasp on what Pixar is all about.

Release Year: 2010

The first animated film to reach 1 billion dollars in the international box office was the third installment in this fantastic franchise. This 2010 masterpiece took our favorite animated gang into a new adventure and to emotional extremes that had never been explored before in the series, this is the reason why Toy Story 3 is, in my opinion, the best in the trilogy.

Toy Story 3 is the most emotionally rounded with its themes in comparison to the first couple. The original Toy Story was a clever and fun buddy cop movie that mostly told its story effectively through comedy. The sequel was an adventurous rescue mission film, upping up the comedy and the character development. Toy Story 3 takes everything the first two did to a mature level, and displayed heavy hitting themes that moved me to tears. The ending is undeniably the most emotionally satisfying in Pixar's library, and the character arcs are catapulted into interesting and heavy places. Aside from the emotional aspects, Toy Story 3 has hilarious moments with sharp writing, and a third act so intense I felt like I was watching a live action heist film. Overall Toy Story 3 takes the new Pixar formula that took the studio towards sonorous praise, and applied it flawlessly to the closing chapter of one of cinema's finest trilogies.

Release Year: 2011

This film is known as Pixar's worst film, and there is no way around that, it is. This is the only Pixar fllm I would consider flat out bad; the other lesser films just weren't as great as the best ones, but this, is a disgrace to the studio. One may wonder, out of all the amazing films and characters Pixar has, why make a sequel to Cars? Probably John Lassetter's fault but whatever.

First off, this movie doesn't even make an effort to ponder to an adult demographic. Sure other Pixar films like The Good Dinosaur tried very hard and failed, (more on that later) but Cars 2 is simply soulless. Bringing the shift to Mater was torturous;, if you didn't hate him in the first film, well you probably do now. The film tries (i think) to have a spy plot line, and it is never near as clever as it thinks it is, it's just confusing and out of place. If there's anything that keeps this movie from being an absolute train-wreck is McQueen's storyline; granted it's short and doesn't get respectable runtime, but the international race sequences were pretty cool, and some action sequences were entertaining as well. Anyway, it was almost unbelievable seeing a studio like Pixar churn out something of this caliber, and right after Toy Story 3 might I add.

Release Year: 2012

Pixar's next outing is known for being their first with a female protagonist. It is also known for not living up to the highest of Pixar's standards. With a surprising twist that shifts the film in a new direction, it ultimately never lives up to the fantastic first act, which promised a better movie. Brave solidifies itself as a very good, yet hardly exceptional entry in Pixar's filmography.

Like mentioned above, the first act is fantastic; introducing us to the strong heroine that is Merida, and promising a heart-pounding adventure with bears, bows and arrows, and some fantasy elements; this was quickly shaping up to be another Pixar masterpiece. After the first act, however, the film just doesn't quite get there; abandoning the mature Zelda-like adventure promised for a bonding film about a woman who turns her mother into a bear. It doesn't really take us anywhere particularly exceptional, and it also doesn't quite deliver the emotional strengths that it aims for; it is left stuck somewhere in the middle. Regardless of the disappointment when compared to the set up, this film can still be considered an above average animated film with a couple of stand out sequences.

Release Year: 2013

This prequel to the 2001 classic delivers on the comedy that made the first so enjoyable, but falls a little short on everything else. It is kind of discouraging to see a prequel to one of the animated classics become forgotten in Pixar's filmography. I would call this film the opposite Brave; were as the 2012 film had a fantastic opening and an above average rest, Monsters University has an above average first two acts and a fantastic third one.

The most praise worthy thing I can draw is, like mentioned above, the comedy. The comedic duo of Mike and Sulley don't loose one bit of charm, as the writing remains sharp, witty and consistent; the movie made me laugh consistently. The plot is hardly exceptional but undeniably fun, the college sequences are charming and watching this group compete in the scare games makes for some very entertaining moments. The moral of the story about becoming successful even if you fail college is surprisingly mature, given how lighthearted this picture is. I guess what makes this film unexceptional is how simple and to the point it is, it never really takes the narrative anywhere particularly special or highly memorable. As far as prequels go, this film is pretty good, because considering past examples of the genre, you can go A LOT worse.

Release Year: 2015

2015 was a fantastic year for Pixar, a year of redemption if you will. At least this was the case with their June release, Inside Out. This film is, without a doubt, PIxar's most creative film to date, not only do they take this concept to extreme cleverness, but also to deep poignancy. This makes Inside Out a top 3 Pixar film contender in my eyes, as this picture is triumphant in every aspect possible.

The incredible premise is already enough to highlight the greatness of this film. Before its release, film fans were already labeling it as one of Pixar's best based on the premise alone. The world building (or should I say mind-building) is breathtaking, every inch of Riley's mind is done with so much care and creativity. The character arcs are surprisingly rounded, taking it that the main characters basically display one emotion, the writers find a way around this and build Joy and Sadness' characters to perfection. Inside Out also takes the touching themes we've come to expect from Pixar to new and affecting places. Inside Out also offers one of the most unique and greatest lessons not often explored in cinema; the notion of embracing sadness. I praised Wall-E for executing the "show, don't tell" rule perfectly, well Inside Out does too, displaying every emotional beat entirely through magnificent visuals. Not only is Inside Out in my top 3 favorite Pixar movies,it is my favorite film of its respective year.