The film output of Pixar Animation Studios has one of the best track records for good reviews on the planet. So much so that their 2022 film, Turning Red, comes nowhere near the top of their 25 movies despite scoring a 95% on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes. Here is a list with the weighted averages from the critics' reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, so check out where Turning Red lands on the list!
As the first Pixar film, Toy Story will always be the crowning achievement of the animation company. The defining technical and emotional first feature from John Lasseter set the standard for all Pixar films to follow and became a defining childhood moment for an entire generation.
These two more recent masterpieces from Pixar hit the perfect blend of universal appeal despite coming out over 15 years past Toy Story. Pixar has not, and probably never will, lost the magic that continues to inspire new generations.
Had Pixar failed to quickly maintain the momentum of their exciting works that appealed to children and adults, the company might have fallen into one-hit-wonder status. Instead, they perfected the isolated sequel formula with Toy Story 2, which tells a separate story that kids can follow while equally developing the characters audiences knew and loved.
Andrew Stanton worked with Lasseter and the rest since the beginning of Pixar, but Finding Nemo finally gave him the spotlight as primary director and writer. Under his control, Pixar made their most beautiful-looking and moving film for all ages.
With tears already pouring from the audience only ten minutes in, animation lovers will never forget the initial experience of watching Up.
With every new setting, Pixar revolutionized where its features could go compared to the grounded efforts of Disney’s usual output. Wall-E officially proved Pixar as the most ambitious mainstream animation studio on the planet, telling a meaningful sci-fi story while trying out heavier emotions than ever.
Ratatouille showed off another lovingly constructed world, though this one was not fictional. Despite featuring a rat as a brilliant cook, this film had the most vivid human setting displayed in a Pixar film at the time.
Few will be surprised that all four Toy Story movies are in the top ten Pixar films. The Incredibles took the incredible talents of Brad Bird to new heights following his equally great first feature, The Iron Giant.
Coco is yet another recent Pixar great, showing up after a dry spell and winning numerous awards, including Oscars for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song.
The first online-only Pixar release Soul is a particularly poignant rumination on life and death and the current best Pixar film of the 2020s so far.
Nominated for the first-ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, Monsters, Inc. told a darker story than its Pixar predecessors and has become iconic as the rest.
Being 14th on most other lists is not much of an achievement, but seeing Turning Red surrounded by Monsters, Inc. and Incredibles 2 makes you realize that Pixar still has magic to give the world.
A thrilling follow-up to the original (again helmed by Brad Bird) that picks up in every way where the story left off.
Pixar’s second feature was considered a step below Toy Story, but audiences have warmed to A Bug’s Life and now consider it an enjoyable film in its own right.
Though it’s missing the character dynamics that made Finding Nemo so special, Finding Dory is a worthy sequel that stands alone to explore some necessary character development.
Luca tells a simple, cute story of young mermaids trying to make it on land in another meaningful coming-of-age tale.
While some critics found the Pixar magic waning after these long years, Onward is an honest, heartfelt, and thoughtful take on familial bonds and parenting.
Though more traditional in Disney scope than the usually adventurous destinations and characters of past Pixar films, Brave is unquestionably successful in bringing the modernized Disney princess to fruition.
Even this far down the list, the decent sequel Monsters University still received very positive reviews.
The Cars trilogy and The Good Dinosaur may show Pixar in a less successful light, but remarkably they are far from terrible despite coming in dead last on this list of Pixar films.
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