Ranking All Pixar Films!!!

Everyone loves Pixar. Unlike a lot of my openings, there's no question mark there or a rhetorical "right?", because that is essentially taken these days as cold, hard fact. Pretty much everyone has a favourite Pixar film and there is more than enough room for debate on this topic. With that said, that's what inspired me to create this list, ranking Pixar's currently released 18 films, a few months before the new film Coco comes out (which looks magical by the way). Now, as I just said, everyone has a favourite, so I am well aware I am treading into some dangerous waters here. I beg everyone leading to bare in mind then that this is my opinion then. I of course am not setting out to annoy or argue with anyone here, but I thought this would be a great opportunity to give my thoughts on every Pixar film, and have some fun with it at the same time. So this is nothing more than my own personal thoughts and rankings of Pixar films, breaking down the films themselves with some personal anecdotes thrown in as well (particularly the number one slot and how it inspired me as I got older but we'll get to that). With that out of the way, let's jump in!

18) Cars 2

Let's get this out of the way: Cars 2 is the only film on this list which I will regard as straight up bad. This is one of the most misguided sequels I have ever come across in my entire life of watching and analysing films. I do not have a clue what would possibly drive the usually reliable John Lasseter to turn what was a somewhat enjoyable first film into a spy action flick. Probably what drove him to make the first film in the first place: his love of cars and seeing them do insane things. That's a heavily publicised fact which is a fairly common explanation for the weakness of the Cars franchise as a whole. The elevation of comedy hillbilly sidekick Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) to film lead is one of the worst directions the series could have made (and one which was thankfully quickly rectified come the sequel), and the addition of big names such as Michael Caine to the cast comes across as inherently forgettable as they are given no material to work with, while original lead Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) gets strangely sidelined as well. The plot is riddled with contrivances and is generally unenjoyable, with a fairly predictable and unsatisfying reveal at the ending. The action set pieces are pointless, bloated, and boring as well, and the film crucially lacks the great soundtrack that at the very least the other two films have. What's good about the film? The animation is great, the returning characters are fun for the very little time that is devoted to them, and the variety of locations around the world is great this time round. It's a shame that this movie exists to be a black spot on Pixar's name, but I suppose every studio needs one. At least it's all up from here. Literally in this article.

17) Cars 3

Well, at the very least we're getting the Cars movies out of the way early in the proceedings. Cars 3 suffers mostly from how bland the film as a whole is. The animation in the film is again beautiful, but the entire world is strangely uninteresting to behold and examine. It lacks the small details and enjoyable Easter eggs or references that are included throughout their other films. The plot is also a somewhat generic one by Pixar standards, focusing on a character who was once at the top of their game being challenged by advances in technology and younger competitors. It's not as if we've seen that before. The characters also remain uninteresting. The movie tries it's best to make new characters Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo) and Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer) as interesting as possible but these characters lack the fun quirks and personality traits that lie with practically all other Pixar films, while lead character Lightning McQueen (a returning Owen Wilson) undergoes the same bland, unimaginative journey that we have already seen him undergo in the first film. That said, the animation, as I said, is still heavily detailed. The soundtrack is great this time round after lacking in the second film, and there are at least some fun action beats and a decent resolution to the franchise as a whole in this entry. It's not very good, but it's not dreadful. Well, doesn't that practically sum up the Cars franchise as a whole?

16) The Good Dinosaur

Alright, there's nothing inherently wrong with The Good Dinosaur as a whole. The animation is gorgeous (as has come to be expected from Pixar), the voice acting is solid, the characters are liable and fun, and everything in the film is competently executed. The problem with this film comes in it's marketing and also the script and it's execution. The marketing, or it would probably be better to say the lack of in this case, is likely the reason this was Pixar's only bomb at the box office to date, and it did not take advantage of the inherently Pixar concept at it's heart. What I mean by that is that the idea of dinosaurs not being wiped out and humans essentially evolving as animals, with no real intelligence, is brilliantly unique. That said, the script takes a strangely generic route in telling it's story. Each emotional beat is very simple and easy to relate to, and no uniquely mature message that Pixar has become known for has been placed into the film. The film isn't bad, not by any means, but the entire film comes across as strangely lazy by Pixar's standards. This might come across as a shorter entry than others on this list, but that simply comes down to the fact that the film is just fine, it's good but by Pixar standards, it's just fine. There's very little else for me to delve into here: everything is executed competently and enjoyably, but it simply does not match the standards of the other 15 films I had to rank on the list. It's a shame when considering the concept, but don't take this low ranking as meaning The Good Dinosaur as bad. That's the difficulty of this list. No film (from this point up at least), is bad. I don't need to find reasons why the film was bad. I just have to find reason to place films above each other, and unfortunately I struggled to do that here.

15) Monsters University

Well, this film is the definition of the word "pointless". We'll get to the genius of the original Monsters, Inc. later on in the article, but just briefly that film feels perfectly standalone. We understand exactly where those characters come from just from their natural dialogue and interactions with each other, and it feels like we know exactly what we need to know. Part of the writing's brilliance is that is chooses to hint and not directly show the audience - it allows us to work it out ourselves. This film removes that. The film also removes one of the original's best qualities by placing one single character at the heart of the story, in this case Billy Crystal's Mike, rather than having the centre attraction be the double act between Mike and Sully (John Goodman). It almost feels like the writers didn't understand what made the film so brilliant, and that's a point even more clearly emphasised in the removal of a great deal of character moments which make the first film so fun. Instead, we are treated with a slew of zany action beats which seem to pad out the film but do little to develop character and add any real depth to the story at hand. That said, these sequences are still fun and have the Pixar spark of creativity to make them enjoyable. The animation throughout is still fantastic, and the variation in character designs and traits is brilliant to behold. The characters themselves are still loveable, and the new characters fare well as well, although practically all of them undergo the same journey with little variation. The story does provide a solid emotional anchor via Mike, and the messages are effective for the story in question, although some are quite obviously put across. All in all, for all the magic of the original that's missing in this film, it is still a solid romp and fun family entertainment. It lacks the charm and sheer brilliance of a lot of Pixar's other films (as you can tell in my mind by the placement it has received here), and it is rather pointless in the grand scheme of things, but nonetheless has enough fun moments to justify watching it at least once or twice.

14) Cars

You might have been wondering when this one was coming but here we are finally, the first Cars film after examining the other two movies in the series. Unlike the first two films, this movie actually had some charm to it. It's clear that producer John Lasseter's passion for cars was the drive for this film and indeed the series as previously mentioned, and that's really the main reason this film works considerably better than the other two entries. This was where the passion was it it's highest, and this instalment is a tad more enjoyable because of the sheer number of references to cars, racing and Easter eggs as a whole. The humour in the film is on point, largely down to the great interactions between the characters and chemistry between the actors, but this is one of the only Pixar films with some truly exhilarating action beats, particularly the opening and final races. The emotional beats in the film are also well executed, particularly in relation to the character of Doc (Paul Newman), with a slightly subtle examination of the consequences of fame, and the eventual fade away from the limelight celebrities will inevitably face to younger stars and competition. The problem here of course lies in the rest of the script. The story as a whole is rather generic, as the character arc of Lightning (Owen Wilson) is one which we have seen countless times in other films. Full of himself character undergoes a journey to discover everything is not about him and he does need friends courtesy of a small town community. You know the drill here. The main character is also incredibly unlikable for the most part, even after he undergoes the typical character arc you can predict from the outset. An unlikable main character in any movie is a recipe for disaster. That said, it is the animation, charm and honestly my nostalgia for the initial novelty of the concept that has brought this film up in the list for me. It is absolutely nowhere near perfect (clearly), but it nonetheless a fun, passionate and ultimately harmless movie. It's innocent, but it's enjoyable nonetheless.

13) Finding Dory

Alright, this is where ht list begins to get difficult, because every single movie from this point up is rated between 8 and 10 in my mind. These are all excellent films which come next, and if you were to put any of these higher on the list, I would completely understand why. That said, I cannot have 13 slots joint for number one, and so I need to find reasons to rank some films higher than others. That's what the next entries are about: not why these are bad films, but finding reasons to put the others higher. It's a shame then that the belated sequel to Finding Nemo, somewhat appropriately called Finding Dory, finds itself at the bottom of these rankings. The animation of this entire film is absolutely gorgeous, and it has some of the best water animation I have ever seen in a film. The environments are different from the original film and beautifully rendered for the film by the animation team. The characters are funny, engaging and interesting to watch. Even the elevation of Ellen DeGeneres' Dory to film lead which concerned me up until release works surprisingly well, especially as she is given much more emotional and sympathetic potential this time round. The story is focused on Dory finding her family and that is of course a relatable and enjoyable journey to watch, although the themes of family here feel somewhat obvious. The theme of course had to be in a film like this, especially with that particular story, but the problem is that they feel almost like they are being shoved in the face of the audience in this instance. They are not as subtle or mature as some of the other Pixar films on this list perhaps. However, the rest of the script excels, and is constantly funny and well paced. Like I said at the beginning, it's not a bad film in any way. It's simply one of the more predictable movies that the company could have made without any major steps up from the original film, and, unfortunately, it feels somewhat unnecessary. Has your view on the story of Nemo and company have changed in any way after watching it? It's a matter of taste, but I know mine hasn't.

12) A Bug's Life

A Bug's Life is a film which takes the edge just above Finding Dory because of pure creativity. The story is a great twist on a common story of a colony under threat from an outside clan. There are a number of moments in this film which mirror a real life setting, including the city of garbage and rubbish which is almost a reflection of Las Vegas or New York. The creativity which was involved in crafting this world, particularly with the limited technologies of 1998, is truly something to behold and, whether you enjoy this film or not, is nonetheless extremely respectable. The cast of characters in this film is fantastically creative and features a great deal of memorable characters, from Mike Doley's lead Flik, to Kevin Spacey's (yes, Kevin Spacey) villainous Hopper, to the entire (literal) circus of insects Flik comes across to help Ant Island combat the insidious grasshoppers. The conflicts between them feel genuine and are believable (helped in large part by Kevin Spacey's intimidating performance), and the emotional beats are also effective. Flik's journey from creative outcast to accepted member of the colony is a somewhat stereotypical concept considering the creativity and imagination of the rest of the film, but it is an emphatic and sympathetic story regardless. It's standard Pixar business as usual with this film, and it does little to stand above the films which follow it in this piece, but for the purposes of imagination, the skill of the time, and, perhaps most importantly, nostalgia, it deserves a respectable place on this list, just below the halfway point. For a list about Pixar films and the track record of that particular company, and the difficulty I had composing this order, I promise that's a respectable place.

11) Brave

2012's Brave is a somewhat more formulaic Disney movie on the surface of things, with the concept focusing on a young, strong, independent princess on a magical journey. It almost feels lazy considering the imagination which has been injected into all of the films which came before it. It's a testament then to the skill of Pixar's screenwriters that they manage to ensure that this film is everything but generic. Kelly McDonald's Merida is an extremely endearing character, and her journey is an enjoyable one throughout the film, anchored by her determination to change her destiny and the obvious themes of family rooted throughout the film. The location of Scotland is a decidedly more realistic location than a number of other Pixar films, but, assisted by the company's own creativity as well as the natural beauty of the landscape they are drawing from, the animation still manages to draw out the magic of the venue of the film and ensures that it is as equally memorable as any other location Pixar has chosen to put on the big screen. The animation is gorgeous (you'll be beginning to notice a pattern here and it will of course continue throughout), and the voice acting is also stellar, boasting a fantastic cast of British, and largely Scottish, actors and actresses. The plot is enjoyable throughout, although some elements feel slightly forced into the story, particularly the recurring appearances of the villainous bear which Merida encounters on a number of occasions. Unfortunately, at some points, these appearances felt predictable and tiring in comparison to the rest of the action the film offered. On that note, the action in the film is excellent and supremely enjoyable, while the score is also an area of note in this particular film. Patrick Doyle's work on the music is severely underrated, while the few lyrical songs injected into the film also help to add something to the atmosphere of the film, not take away from it. All in all, Brave is a solid but much more predictable Pixar movie than a number of others on the list of their work. Despite that, however, it's still a great movie overall and the journey of the main character is what makes the film meet the standards of Pixar.

10) Toy Story 3

You might have been wondering when the Toy Story franchise was going to begin to make an appearance on here, and finally we start on the series with the final part of the trilogy (for now, unfortunately). This is probably a slightly controversial option to put at the bottom of the series, especially considering it is one of the only animated features ever to be nominated for the prestigious Best Picture Academy Award, but I'll quickly explain why it falls short of the other two. Firstly, the main theme of abandonment is completely rehashed from the second movie. Admittedly, it's presentation here is much more intense and hard-hitting, but it lacks the sombre emotion of Jessie's song from the second film, and it comes across as slightly less effective when you compare the two. One works as a song and conveys emotion entirely without dialogue, the other with lines and told as a flashback. It's emotional, but falls a bit shorter considering it essentially repeats the theme. The other reason is that this is a movie which introduces far too many new characters for it's own good. They are all interesting to look at and are great recreations of toys, but lack any real personality, motivation or traits which made all of the characters in the first two films so endearing. I'll compare this again to Toy Story 2 later. Anyway, let me stop justifying why it's on the bottom of the Toy Story series, because it absolutely isn't at the bottom of Pixar's record, and it is a fantastic film. The animation in the film is excellent, and this is one of the few Pixar films where lighting plays such a pivotal role in creating atmosphere, and the animation team nails this. The voice actors, both old and new, are excellent and bring personality to the roles as much as possible. The story is engaging and and the character dynamics are fantastic. There's also a few action sequences throughout the film, which are all surprisingly tense, while the finale in particular also carries some real emotional weight to it. In my mind, yes, it's lower than the other movies in this series, but Toy Story 3 is still a phenomenal movie which will be remembered along with all of these movies for years to come.

09) Toy Story

Waiting for Toy Story movies on the list and along come two at once. This is the movie which started in all for Pixar, way back in 1995 if you can believe it, and it really is the movie which still sets the standard for Pixar movies to meet or (hopefully) surpass. The animation in the movie still holds up today, containing as much detail and passion as any other Pixar film and far surpassing anything else that was being offered at the time. The story initially presented here is unique, fun, and full on interesting characters. Although they are toys, they are still presented as three-dimensional characters with human character flaws, such as envy and jealousy (especially Tom Hanks' Woody), and have engaging conflicts with each other. Character dynamics are the bread and butter of this film, and they are executed perfectly, and you can understand the history of characters (particularly near the start of the film) simply by their dialogue and actions towards each other at the start of the film. The mature exploration of themes such as jealousy and being forgotten were the start of Pixar's trend of exploring deeper themes despite these being "kids films". There's so much to love in this film, but of course there was always room for improvement, which allowed it to be surpassed by the other 8 films I 'm going to be talking about after it. A few characters might be slightly underserved and Woody comes dangerously close to unlikable at a few points throughout the film. I understand that that is how he was written, and we are meant to be able to sympathise with his journey, but some moments are nonetheless still make him near unforgivable, to the extent that it is clear that the character was initially imagined as a straight-up villain for this film before that was wisely changed. That said, these are small issues in the grand scheme of things considering the amount of things the movie does right. A brilliant script, stellar voice work, excellent animation, and with room for deeper insight and analysis into the film, Pixar's first film also set a high bar for the years to come.

08) Up

Alright, alright, pitchforks and torches down everyone! Let me explain why Up hasn't made it up higher in the list than most might have expected it to. In large part, I think it is because a lot of people confuse the first 10 minutes of Up, which the movie has become famous (and to an extent infamous) for, with the rest of the film. The opening is a devastatingly realistic, heartbreaking and realistic portrayal of marriage, life and death, following a couple who alway swore to divert from the stereotypes of life and do things their own way, before falling into routine and never carrying it out. It's a tragic and deeply affecting examination of the subject, and is perhaps the most mature moment in any Pixar film. A pretty intense opening right? The rest of the movie? Not so much. Don't get me wrong, Up is a truly excellent film, as are a number of the movies below it. The voice acting is incredible, the writing hilarious, the characters and their development excellent, and the animation consistently gorgeous to look at in every pixel of detail. On the face of it, the movie is flawless, and that is how many regard it. That's a fair statement, besides the intense tonal shift which occurs alarmingly quickly when the film begins to introduce talking dogs (again, pitchforks down, I adore Dug, it's just an example), and the villain as a whole. It feels like the main character from the first 10 minutes was plucked from the harsh and mature world he was living in and dropped into a more fun and kooky world to make the film more light-hearted. I know it sounds as if I am being far more critical and harsh on this particular film than a lot of others on this list, but this is movie I am always most concerned to defend my opinion of. Pixar films, even some such as Toy Story, have always been mature, and that's what makes Pixar so remarkable in this field. The difference is that Toy Story at least feels like the same movie throughout. That's why Up isn't higher on the list. That said, I still do love this film in spite of that for all the reason above and more. It's yet another Pixar gem that will be remembered for years.

07) WALL•E

This is one quite a few people have called out to me and being far too high on my list, and it's one which I have honestly debated putting higher, so let me explain the main reasons why WALL•E is as remarkable a film as it is. Firstly, the animation. This isn't a hard thing to explain: simple look at it, and in particular the environments captured on screen. Every single piece dirt is beautifully realised as Earth is transformed into a junkyard, while the magic only continues growing as the characters travel into space. The scene where WALL•E run's his robotic arm through the stardust stands as a particular highlight. The entire scene carries such a sense of wonder and magic without any words that it is difficult to ignore how well crafted the entire film is. One big reason I also love this film is because of how much of the story and emotion is conveyed without language. WALL•E and EVE of course do not speak throughout the film, and so we have to rely on little more than character interactions and small eye movements (from WALL•E in particular) to understand what they are saying when they communicate to each other. What we get from this is a genuinely beautiful friendship and one of the better love stories Pixar has ever put to screen. So much emotion and adoration is conveyed without the characters speaking to each other that it is difficult to ignore the pure skill involved in their generation. The story is also extremely engaging and intimate, not so much focusing on Earth and the humans (the villain is almost like an after thought in this movie honestly), but rather focusing on the all too sympathetic and relatable love story between WALL•E and EVE. Undoubtedly, WALL•E's desperation for affection and a response from this new robot who crash lands on the planet is a deeply emotional and uplifting one, but is equally rooted in the genres of science fiction and comedy. The jokes in the film are, again because of the lack of dialogue, mostly visual, and it's yet another testimony to Pixar's brilliance that they can manage to make an entire film work on these alone, without the jokes becoming repetitive or tiresome. The characters are three dimensional, interesting and relatable, a remarkable feat considering we're talking about a trash compactor here. In short, WALL•E is a remarkable film to witness. Beautiful in it's realisation, astounding in it's development of character and method of storytelling, and fantastically emotional, it accomplishes everything a good movie should and more. It's pure Pixar magic.

06) Finding Nemo

Finding Nemo takes what should be a decidedly simple premise of a father searching for his son and puts an ingenious twist on it, and that's why I love it. The concept of an overprotective fish father searching for his son after he is taken by divers, and making his way all the way to Sydney, Australia, is such an engaging premise simply in terms of creative possibilities that it is no wonder the film turned out to be as strong and fun to watch as it still is today. The animation in this film is absolutely stunning (bet you're getting tired of hearing me say that in a bunch of different ways), and the water animation in particular ensures that the film would still be able to make jaws drop today. The characters are unique and engaging, each with their own personality traits and quirks that makes them individuals and fun to watch. From the loveable amnesiac Dory to the gentle but mysterious Gil to the brilliant creation that is the hippie turtle Crush and his entourage of life loving turtles. Quite a few of these characters are slightly underserved, but they are still enjoyable and memorable in the small moments they are given. The emotional beats of the film work throughout, but it is separated out with a lot of great humour and funny visual gags. The messages and themes of the film venture outside of the obvious possibilities of love and family, and instead venture into more mature themes of growing up, and parents allowing their children to come into their own. Both are rare messages to be found in a film, and the way the writers chose to convey these are subtly and creatively expressed. All in all, the film is absolutely excellent, and deserves it's place among the greats of Pixar. Sure, a few characters are somewhat undeserved although still enjoyable in their small moments, but every other aspect of the film makes for pure magic. The script of this movie is what makes it, just like so many Pixar films. With that said, the animation, the story, and the creativity - they all help as well.

05) Toy Story 2

So this is of course the final instalment of the Toy Story franchise to feature on this list, and you'll of course noticed that this sequel is considerably higher on the list that the predecessors. There for a few good reasons for this. Firstly, Toy Story 2 takes a dramatic step up in scale and stakes from the first film, and now has the characters exploring the entire outside world, including by foot, not just in cars as in the first film also. The story is engaging and is told from two different but equally enjoyable perspective: the first from Buzz and his expedition to rescue Woody from Al the Chicken Man from the TV; and the second from Woody as he becomes accustomed to his situation and is introduced to the other members of the Round-Up Gang, including Jessie, the Prospector, and the loveable Bullseye. Each story is excellent, but Woody and his story certainly is the more mature section of the film, and these are the segments which have certainly raised the placement of this movie. The movie takes a surprisingly deep insight into the theme of abandonment, and essentially heartbreak and love. Jessie's song remembering her previous owner is one of Pixar's most iconic tearjerker moments, and Woody's inner turmoil about whether to return home is an extremely interesting and surprising conflict. Toy Story 2 also avoids the Toy Story 3 issue of adding far too many new characters for it's own good, and instead adds a few including the aforementioned Round-Up Gang, and ensures that they are sufficiently developed and interesting to watch on screen. The animation is of course gorgeous, and the action sequences scattered throughout the movie are incredibly creative and fun, especially the Al's Toy Barn scenes and the climatic airport confrontation. Toy Story 2 is one of the only sequels to completely surpass the original in every way, and there are a number of reasons for it, but it is the maturity of the script and it's themes that puts this sequel leaps and bounds above the original in my opinion. It's not to say the others in this series aren't, understand, but it is the subtle approach to putting across it's ideas and themes makes Toy Story 2 a more emotionally affecting and interesting movie to watch.

04) Monsters, Inc.

Just look at the image above. Creativity in that image alone, and in this entire concept, is enough to bring Monsters, Inc. into the top 5 slot. It's one of Pixar's most visually arresting films if only because of the sheer number of different designs and environments on display here, and all of that animation is beautifully captured on screen. The plot is also brilliantly creative, drawing slightly from real life with a story about an energy and fuel crisis, albeit with the clear twist of showing it in a monsters' world, where the energy is the screams of human children gathered by the monsters travelling through doors into the real world. It's an engaging plot, and one with some great emotional depth when the human girl Boo is introduced into the story, and her relationship with furry goofball Sully is fun to watch throughout. The music by Randy Newman is also excellent and the main theme itself has become iconic in recent years. One of the things which truly makes the film though, is it's two leads. John Goodman and Billy Crystal as Sully and Mike are a match made in heaven, and their interactions and chemistry is electric throughout. At it's heart, this is a movie crucially about friendship and sticking together through difficult times. It is their relationship, especially when Boo is introduced into the mix, which serves as the anchor for the film as a whole, and it is (in my mind at least) a fair statement to say that they are quite possibly the greatest lead double act Pixar has graced the screen with. Need proof?

03) Ratatouille

This is yet another film where the music plays such a crucial role in my love of the film. Composed by Michael Giacchino, music plays as crucial a role in Ratatouille as it does. The score is beautifully emotive and is essential to capturing the mood of the environment of Paris, the city the characters inhabit. If you need a true example of where music works hand in hand with the animation to develop the scene, and create a vibrant and exciting atmosphere.

That leads quite perfectly onto the animation, which is again a triumph for Pixar. Every single rat hair and every single glisten on a kitchen surface is beautifully realised, and this is a film where lighting also plays a key role. Editing is also a brilliant area of note in this movie. Just watch the gorgeous fade in/fade out animation as Remy makes the soup for the first time in the restaurant just after the clip above. It's surely an incredibly difficult to achieve in animation where scenes filmed in real life cannot just have a fade transition inserted in post, and it's all the more admirable to see it's use here to show the swiftness with which the soup is made. The voice acting in the movie is all excellent as well, with Patton Oswalt bringing a great passion and energy to Remy throughout the film. It's one of the more generic messages Pixar has ever chosen to put across, as it largely focuses on individuality and the consequences of stereotypes, but it's an effective one regardless, especially from the unique perspective of the main character. In short, Ratatouille is one of Pixar most energetic and vibrant films, and it continues Pixar's record of mature messages, with the fun and beauty they are known for.

02) Inside Out

Inside Out is pure genius and one of the only Pixar films to make me shed a tear. The writing throughout the entirety of the film is absolutely stellar and one of their most remarkable scripts. Not only is the plot an engaging twist on the "kid moves to a new town and struggles" storyline, instead coming from the perspective of the emotions in her head, and incredibly funny, but it is also perhaps the most mature message ever to feature in one of their films. Whereas a number of films focus on the need to stay positive and not let yourself get put down too low, despite the situation, Inside Out ingeniously turns this around, instead taking the unique view that, rather than build up, it's alright to be sad sometimes. People need to vent, they need to cry, need to be comforted, and happiness can never be the single predominant emotion in a child or any person indeed. The film showcases the need for sadness as well as other emotions, no matter how much you might want to not feel it. The films shows that to feel it, to feel sad, is nothing more than human. We can't fight it, but it needs to be there. This is one of the most mature stances a Pixar film has ever taken in my mind and it is one of the primary reasons the film is this high on the list. Not only that, but the animation in the film is once again phenomenal, showcasing one of the most creative worlds Pixar have ever built: the inside of a child's mind. The characters are emotions and so could easily have been quite one note, but they are crafted so that, despite having one main trait, they are still interesting and flawed characters who are engaging to watch. Oh, and anyone who tells you that Michael Giacchino's score is not pure brilliance is lying to you.

I rest my case - this film is magic.

01) The Incredibles

So, here we are at the number one spot, and my choice for this is The Incredibles. One of my favourite animated and one of my favourite superhero movies of all time, The Incredibles does everything right. The story is an engaging one, focusing on a family hiding their powers and the conflicts that debate brings rather than a superhero discovering their powers in the formula usually adopted by the genre. The acting in the film is excellent across the board and the, and the animation is (of course) beautiful. There's also a lot of intense and fun action sequences, nothing which not a lot of other Pixar films showcase, and the balance of comedy and emotion is perfectly achieved. Oh, and it spawned the "where is my super suit?" meme so there's always that to appreciate. So The Incredibles does all of this right, but why does that make it different to me than any of the other Pixar films above? After all, WALL•E has heart, Inside Out emotion, Monsters, Inc. great comedy and creativity, and Toy Story fun action. What makes this one stand out? That, for me, runs not only on my nostalgia for this film, but how it affecting my love of film to this day. The Incredibles is the first superhero film I can remember really loving. You'll remember that this was before the MCU days, and I was too young to have been exposed to the DC films of the 1980s, so this was my best option. It was the wonder and fun of the film that helped to give me that love of the superhero and science fiction genre that I have today. Not only that, but as I grew older, this was a film which I began to appreciate had some hidden depths. When examined closely, this is a deep exploration of family, and what it means for families to stick together, through tough times in particular, in this instance when the family is trying to hide from the public domain. The film brilliantly explores the conflicts between the different family members, not only between brother and sister, but throughout concerning hiding their powers. These are engaging conflicts, and the action and powers are fun, but the film takes time to show the consequences of the fights. What happens when families don't stick together and go behind each other's backs. It's not a blatant message, but it is one of Pixar's more affecting and relatable to I imagine a number of people who watch this with their children. That attention to detail that I began to notice was what, along with a few other inspirations of mine and most notable of those The Dark Knight, essentially caused me to become involved with film. This, as one of my favourite animated films was my gateway into the world of animation and being to appreciate the maturity that a cartoon could truly put across. That's what The Incredibles is for me. It's not just an incredible film, but it helped me to love film as much as I do now, and appreciate the possibilities in filmmaking to tell not only a great story, but to put across a mature message. Yes, it is up here partially for nostalgia, but this is my list and it helped spawn my love for film, a large part of who I am today, and to an extent I suppose also then was part of creating this blog of mine. Whether that makes you like it more or less, I'll leave up to you.