Pixar is one of the more consistent film studios around. If only other studios could take up their motra of story first and everything else second. This Friday Toy Story 3 hits theaters, Pixar's 11th film. Seeing as how there are only ten films in the current Pixar catalogue for just one more day, I figured it'd be fun to do a Top 10 list ranking all of Pixar's films from best-to-worst. So let's get cracking and get a move on:
9. A Bug's Life - While I've got my problems with this one, it's still a fun, small-scale epic about a bunch of bugs fighting for their home. The animation is now a tad crude compared to Pixar's more recent offerings, but it still has that undeniable Pixar charm, even though you really only wanna watch this one for the finale between the ants and the grasshoppers.
8. Toy Story - I think that this should be seen as a testament to Pixar's abilities as storytellers that the original Toy Story clocks in at number 8 on this list. This film's a flawless showcase of adventure and heart, one of the most heartwarming films you'll ever see, and just one of the best period. Really, from this point on, I'm just gonna have to play favorites on this list.
7. Finding Nemo - I saw this movie so many times when it first came out, I got a tad burnt out on it, but don't let that stop anyone from thinking that this isn't an amazing film. Quite possibly Pixar's most emotional film they've ever done, and yet at times their funniest thanks to Ellen Degeneres as Dori.
6. Monsters, Inc. - One of the more original ideas ever produced, the monsters of Monsters, Inc. are just so lovable. The movie is hilarious thanks to Billy Crystal as the one-eyed Mike, and this movie delivers one of the most imaginative climaxes I've ever seen in a film when they're flying through the various doors to children's bedrooms trying to save Boo. A fabulous adventure, through-and-through.
5. Wall-E - This film was, in many ways, a step forward for Pixar. The animation was astounding, but Pixar managed to do something in Wall-E that they hadn't done in any other film they'd ever made. Wall-E provoked thought alongside the best of the science fiction genre. Like 2001, Wall-E is a fascinating space odyssey that while, yes, is funny, is more serious and slower paced than most of Pixar's other offerings, making it more delectable for the adult-oriented, food-for-thought category, and less so for the children in which usually eat up their films.
4. Ratatouille - Arguably Pixar's most beautiful film to look at, the cinematography of Ratatouille is worth seeing on its own, but the story is also a fascinating tale of unlikely friendship and people not always being exactly what we think they are. Never in my life have I ever seen anything that made me feel sorry or sympathize for a rat till I saw this film. And like every other Pixar film, it's a hilarious adventure through the streets of Paris and in the kitchen, but at the same time it's one of Pixar's most refined, and most classical films they've ever done.
3. Toy Story 2 - A rarity amongst sequels, a sequel actually better than its predecessor. The animation is cleaner, the jokes are funnier, and the heart has never been bigger. Pixar succeeded with this film, putting more of the focus on Woody this time around rather than Buzz, and we got to see the legacy of Woody's Roundup, an old 1950s TV Show where Woody was the star. But seriously, the main reason this one is better is cause they had already established the world and characters in the first one, and in this one they just kind of sat back, relaxed, and punched it into overdrive delivering all the fun, excitement, and adventure that a toy can bring.
2. Up - You know, all the talk about Up is usually focused on its emotional core and its genuine heart, which it does deliver exceedingly well, but what is often glossed over by so many critics is that Up is just a whole lot of fun. It's probably the funniest, most action-packed Pixar film there is. It has all of the adventurous thrills of Indiana Jones with all the hilarity and heart of Toy Story. Up is a masterpiece, and the first ten minutes are worth the price of admission itself.
1. The Incredibles - Okay, as a diehard superhero fan, how could this one not be on my list at number one? The Incredibles took a small nugget from something like the Fantastic Four, and made it into something that's way better in every way. Brad Bird's film is hilarious, action-packed, and filled with awesome twist-and-turns every step of the way. And did I mention that this happens to be one of the best family dramas ever made as well? Well, if I didn't, I just said it, cause it is. Seriously, superheroes, family drama, comedy, awesome Michael Giacchino music. All the ingredients for a genuine classic.
Toy Story 3 hits theaters tomorrow, go check it out. I will.
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