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Pixar's Inside Out 2 is in theaters now! To celebrate, we're taking a look at Pixar's legacy.
When Disney distributed Pixar’s Toy Story as an autumn alternative to traditional 2D animated features in 1995, could the studio have predicted that it would set the gold standard and template for theatrical cartoons for decades to come? Pixar was up to that point a studio that only made commercials and shorts; a feature-length 3D animated movie was a miracle in of itself, and they were not equipped to churn out quality yearly releases like Walt Disney Animation.
Pixar’s follow-up took three years to hit theaters, and though A Bug’s Life is looked back on in the canon as a minor Pixar effort, everyone in 1998 rushed out to see it, and it again ended up grossing more than Disney’s then-recent works like Hercules and Mulan. 1999’s Toy Story 2 was a cultural event, and established Pixar as the one to take animation to the highest heights in the new century. What followed was a then-unprecedented run of Certified Fresh hits and box office smashes, from Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo to The Incredibles, WALL-E and Up.
The studio has spent the past decade oscillating between returning to the sequel well (Monsters University, Finding Dory, Toy Story 4) and pulling up original property (Coco, Inside Out, Encanto). In 2020, Onward was pulled from theaters due to the pandemic, while Soul went straight to Disney+ in hopes of salvaging a year of chaos. Luca and Turning Red continue to expand the breadth and color of their stories. Now, we’re ranking all Pixar movies by Tomatometer! Read on to see the top titles, and check out the entire list at Rotten Tomatoes.
16. Inside Out 2 (2024)
Tomatometer: 93%
Audience Score: 96%
Synopsis: Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2 returns to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley just as Headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions! Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust, who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up. And it looks like she’s not alone.
Critics Consensus: Spicing things up with the wrinkle of teenage angst, Inside Out 2 clears the head and warms the heart by living up to its predecessor's emotional intelligence.
Starring: Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Ayo Edebiri
Directed By: Kelsey Mann
15. Turning Red (2022)
Tomatometer: 95%
Audience Score: 68%
Synopsis: Mei Lee is a confident, dorky thirteen-year-old torn between staying her mother's dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. And as if changes to her interests, relationships and body weren't enough, whenever she gets too excited (which for a teenager is practically ALWAYS), she "poofs" into a giant red panda!
Critics Consensus: Heartwarming, humorous, beautifully animated and culturally expansive, Turning Red extends Pixar's long list of family-friendly triumphs.
Starring: Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse, Hyein Park
Directed By: Domee Shi
14. Finding Dory (2016)
Tomatometer: 94%
Audience Score: 84%
Synopsis: Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) is a wide-eyed, blue tang fish who suffers from memory loss every 10 seconds or so. The one thing she can remember is that she somehow became separated from her parents as a child. With help from her friends Nemo and Marlin, Dory embarks on an epic adventure to find them. Her journey brings her to the Marine Life Institute, a conservatory that houses diverse ocean species. Dory now knows that her family reunion will only happen if she can save mom and dad from captivity.
Critics Consensus: Funny, poignant and thought-provoking, Finding Dory delivers a beautifully animated adventure that adds another entertaining chapter to its predecessor's classic story.
Starring: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O'Neill, Kaitlin Olson
Directed By: Andrew Stanton
13. WALL-E (2008)
Tomatometer: 95%
Audience Score: 90%
Synopsis: WALL-E, short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-class, is the last robot left on Earth. He spends his days tidying up the planet, one piece of garbage at a time. But during 700 years, WALL-E has developed a personality, and he's more than a little lonely. Then he spots EVE (Elissa Knight), a sleek and shapely probe sent back to Earth on a scanning mission. Smitten WALL-E embarks on his greatest adventure yet when he follows EVE across the galaxy.
Critics Consensus: WALL-E's stellar visuals testify once again to Pixar's ingenuity, while its charming star will captivate younger viewers -- and its timely story offers thought-provoking subtext.
Starring: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard
Directed By: Andrew Stanton
12. Soul (2020)
Tomatometer: 95%
Audience Score: 88%
Synopsis: Joe is a middle-school band teacher whose life hasn't quite gone the way he expected. His true passion is jazz -- and he's good. But when he travels to another realm to help someone find their passion, he soon discovers what it means to have soul.
Critics Consensus: A film as beautiful to contemplate as it is to behold, Soul proves Pixar's power to deliver outstanding all-ages entertainment remains undimmed.
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Phylicia Rashad, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson
Directed By: Pete Docter
11. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
Tomatometer: 96%
Audience Score: 90%
Synopsis: Monsters Incorporated is the largest scare factory in the monster world, and James P. Sullivan (John Goodman) is one of its top scarers. Sullivan is a huge, intimidating monster with blue fur, large purple spots and horns. His scare assistant, best friend and roommate is Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal), a green, opinionated, feisty little one-eyed monster. Visiting from the human world is Boo (Mary Gibbs), a tiny girl who goes where no human has ever gone before.
Critics Consensus: Clever, funny and delightful to look at, Monsters, Inc. delivers another resounding example of how Pixar elevated the bar for modern all-ages animation.
Starring: John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Mary Gibbs, Steve Buscemi
Directed By: Pete Docter
10. Ratatouille (2007)
Tomatometer: 96%
Audience Score: 87%
Synopsis: Remy (Patton Oswalt), a resident of Paris, appreciates good food and has quite a sophisticated palate. He would love to become a chef so he can create and enjoy culinary masterpieces to his heart's delight. The only problem is, Remy is a rat. When he winds up in the sewer beneath one of Paris' finest restaurants, the rodent gourmet finds himself ideally placed to realize his dream.
Critics Consensus: Fast-paced and stunningly animated, Ratatouille adds another delightfully entertaining entry -- and a rather unlikely hero -- to the Pixar canon.
Starring: Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Lou Romano, Brian Dennehy
Directed By: Brad Bird
9. The Incredibles (2004)
Tomatometer: 97%
Audience Score: 75%
Synopsis: In this lauded Pixar animated film, married superheroes Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) and Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) are forced to assume mundane lives as Bob and Helen Parr after all super-powered activities have been banned by the government. While Mr. Incredible loves his wife and kids, he longs to return to a life of adventure, and he gets a chance when summoned to an island to battle an out-of-control robot. Soon, Mr. Incredible is in trouble, and it's up to his family to save him.
Critics Consensus: Bringing loads of wit and tons of fun to the animated superhero genre, The Incredibles easily lives up to its name.
Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, Jason Lee
Directed By: Brad Bird
8. Coco (2017)
Tomatometer: 97%
Audience Score: 94%
Synopsis: Despite his family's generations-old ban on music, young Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead. After meeting a charming trickster named Héctor, the two new friends embark on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history.
Critics Consensus: Coco's rich visual pleasures are matched by a thoughtful narrative that takes a family-friendly -- and deeply affecting -- approach to questions of culture, family, life and death.
Starring: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach
Directed By: Lee Unkrich
7. Toy Story 4 (2019)
Tomatometer: 97%
Audience Score: 94%
Synopsis: Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the rest of the gang embark on a road trip with Bonnie and a new toy named Forky. The adventurous journey turns into an unexpected reunion as Woody's slight detour leads him to his long-lost friend Bo Peep. As Woody and Bo discuss the old days, they soon start to realize that they're worlds apart when it comes to what they want from life as a toy.
Critics Consensus: Heartwarming, funny and beautifully animated, Toy Story 4 manages the unlikely feat of extending -- and perhaps concluding -- a practically perfect animated saga.
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale
Directed By: Josh Cooley
6. Up (2009)
Tomatometer: 98%
Audience Score: 90%
Synopsis: Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner), a 78-year-old balloon salesman, is about to fulfill a lifelong dream. Tying thousands of balloons to his house, he flies away to the South American wilderness. But curmudgeonly Carl's worst nightmare comes true when he discovers a little boy named Russell is a stowaway aboard the balloon-powered house.
Critics Consensus: An exciting, funny and poignant adventure, Up offers an impeccably crafted story told with wit and arranged with depth, as well as yet another visual Pixar treat.
Starring: Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Bob Peterson
Directed By: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
5. Toy Story 3 (2010)
Tomatometer: 98%
Audience Score: 90%
Synopsis: With their beloved Andy preparing to leave for college, Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusack) and the rest of the toys find themselves headed for the attic but mistakenly wind up on the curb with the trash. Woody's quick thinking saves the gang, but all but Woody end up being donated to a day-care center. Unfortunately, the uncontrollable kids do not play nice, so Woody and the gang make plans for a great escape.
Critics Consensus: Deftly blending comedy, adventure and honest emotion, Toy Story 3 is a rare second sequel that really works.
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty
Directed By: Lee Unkrich
4. Inside Out (2015)
Tomatometer: 98%
Audience Score: 89%
Synopsis: Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) is a happy, hockey-loving 11-year-old Midwestern girl, but her world turns upside-down when she and her parents move to San Francisco. Riley's emotions -- led by Joy (Amy Poehler) -- try to guide her through this difficult, life-changing event. However, the stress of the move brings Sadness (Phyllis Smith) to the forefront. When Joy and Sadness are inadvertently swept into the far reaches of Riley's mind, the only emotions left in Headquarters are Anger, Fear and Disgust.
Critics Consensus: Inventive, gorgeously animated and powerfully moving, Inside Out is another outstanding addition to the Pixar library of modern animated classics.
Starring: Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Richard Kind, Bill Hader
Directed By: Pete Docter
3. Finding Nemo (2003)
Tomatometer: 99%
Audience Score: 86%
Synopsis: Marlin (Albert Brooks), a clown fish, is overly cautious with his son, Nemo (Alexander Gould), who has a foreshortened fin. When Nemo swims too close to the surface to prove himself, he is caught by a diver, and horrified Marlin must set out to find him. A blue reef fish named Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) -- who has a really short memory -- joins Marlin and complicates the encounters with sharks, jellyfish and a host of ocean dangers. Meanwhile, Nemo plots his escape from a dentist's fish tank.
Critics Consensus: Breathtakingly lovely and grounded by the stellar efforts of a well-chosen cast, Finding Nemo adds another beautifully crafted gem to Pixar's crown.
Starring: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe
Directed By: Andrew Stanton
2. Toy Story (1995)
Tomatometer: 100%
Audience Score: 92%
Synopsis: Woody (Tom Hanks), a good-hearted cowboy doll who belongs to a young boy named Andy (John Morris), sees his position as Andy's favorite toy jeopardized when his parents buy him a Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) action figure. Even worse, the arrogant Buzz thinks he's a real spaceman on a mission to return to his home planet. When Andy's family moves to a new house, Woody and Buzz must escape the clutches of maladjusted neighbor Sid Phillips (Erik von Detten) and reunite with their boy.
Critics Consensus: Entertaining as it is innovative, Toy Story reinvigorated animation while heralding the arrival of Pixar as a family-friendly force to be reckoned with.
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney
Directed By: John Lasseter
1. Toy Story 2 (1999)
Tomatometer: 100%
Audience Score: 87%
Synopsis: Woody (Tom Hanks) is stolen from his home by toy dealer Al McWhiggin (Wayne Knight), leaving Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and the rest of the gang to try to rescue him. But when Woody discovers that he's actually a valuable collectible from a once-popular television show called "Woody's Roundup" and is reunited with his horse Bullseye, Jessie the yodeling cowgirl (Joan Cusack) and his faithful sidekick, Stinky Pete the Prospector (Kelsey Grammer), he doesn't want to leave.
Critics Consensus: The rare sequel that arguably improves on its predecessor, Toy Story 2 uses inventive storytelling, gorgeous animation and a talented cast to deliver another rich moviegoing experience for all ages.
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer
Directed By: Ash Brannon, John Lasseter, Lee Unkrich
