Here's Where 'Soul' Falls in Our Definitive Ranking of Pixar Movies
23) 'Cars 3' (2017)
The fact that Lightning McQueen wrestles with aging in this movie — and is teamed up with a younger, charismatic screen partner (with the voice of Cristela Alonzo) — gives this something for the adults to latch onto, but there are still a lot of animated cars zooming around to sit through.
22) 'The Good Dinosaur' (2015)
While the more cartoonish designs of Arlo, the apatosaurus star of this movie, and his human cave-boy friend are entertaining to watch, the tale — which covers young Arlo trying to reunite with a lost family — feels overly familiar.
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21) 'Finding Dory' (2016)
Dory trying to find her family — despite her memory loss — is a true story of triumph over adversity. But, to do so, she has to travel through a lot of aquarium tanks. We love these familiar characters, but the plot gets a little bit repetitive.
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19) 'Monsters University' (2013)
Mike Wazowski heads to college hoping to be a champion scarer, only to find that he's not as good at is as he thought. That's a tough lesson for a kids' movie — that you're not going to be good at everything, no matter how hard you try or practice — but thankfully there are enough Animal House-style antics (this time from monsters!) to soften the blow.
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18) 'A Bug's Life' (1998)
Pixar's second feature film gets ground-level and follows a young, awkward ant, Flik, as he gets himself into all kinds of trouble. In an unlikely series of events, Flik calls on the help of a bug circus to help defend fellow ants from an evil grasshopper, if you've seen Seven Samurai (or, you know, The Three Amigos, or Galaxy Quest), you can see where the movie is headed long before the climax.
17) 'Brave' (2012)
It's crazy how often mothers are absent (or dead) in kids' movies (think Bambi, Nemo, Cinderella). Finally, there's an adventure movie about mothers and daughters, starring a princess with a rebellious spirit (and hair that's basically a character of its own). It's a shame the mom spends so much time transformed into a bear!
16) Onward (2020)
Onward has to juggle a lot of elements — there's an epic quest, a world where the fantastical and the mundane blend into each other, a story about two brothers and the loss of their father — and, at times, it feels like the balance is off. But the action is great, and the heartwarming parts really land their emotional gut-punch.
15) 'Cars' (2006)
Ka-chow! Cars may be about Lightning McQueen, the fastest racer around, but the story really gets going when he heads to Radiator Springs and things slow down a little. There, McQueen gets a lesson in appreciating the little things — a reminder we can all use every now and again.
14) Soul (2020)
This may be Pixar's most gorgeous film to date, and there's a fun, body-switching adventure to go along with it. But there's also a lot of introspection about the difference between your life's passion versus your life's purposes, and kids (and adults) may find that a bit hard to relate to and heavy to wade through.
13) 'Toy Story 4' (2019)
The fourth installment in the Toy Story franchise introduces a bunch of new characters — Forky, Gabby Gabby, and Ducky and Bunny — and gives them meaty plotlines. But it also answers a question that was already very elegantly answered in Toy Story 3, about what toys do when it's time to move on.
12) 'Finding Nemo' (2003)
Finding Nemo proves the lengths a father would go (well, swim) for his son. In this case, he also meets some fantastic friends, like the forgetful Dory or chill turtles Crush and Squirt, along the way. It's these characters, rather than the run-of-the-mill plot, that give Nemo its charm.
11) 'Monsters, Inc.' (2001)
10) 'Toy Story' (1995)
9) 'The Incredibles' (2004)
Just like Incredibles 2, this movie has a ton of exciting superhero action that sees the man characters lift, stretch, disappear, and run their way to victory. But they also have to learn to work together as a team, which is something all families can relate to at one point or another.
7) 'Up' (2009)
A cowboy and a space man, a rat and a chef, a girl and a monster — Pixar always does great work when it comes to unlikely pairings. In Up's case, a cranky old man, an earnest young scout, and an overeager dog head off on a gorgeous, globe-trotting journey and wind up being just the trio needed to defeat some unwitting foes.
5) 'Ratatouille' (2007)
There's plenty to laugh about when a starry-eyed rat teams up with a hapless chef to get cooking in the kitchen, as Remy and Luigi do in Ratatouille. But there's also a heartwarming lesson tucked in there about how greatness can come from even the most unexpected places.
4) 'Toy Story 2' (1999)
IMO, Toy Story 2 is the pinnacle of the franchise. With the character dynamics already established, this film can hit the ground running, sending the toys on a mission that's remarkably poignant (Jessie's "When She Loved Me," sob) and hilariously gag-filled (Buzz and Zurg do their own Star Wars reveal).
3) 'Coco' (2017)
It'd be easy for a movie about a young boy traveling through the Land of the Dead to turn maudlin, but, in Pixar's hands, Coco remains uplifting — and the candy-colored underworld is a treat for the eyes.
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1) 'Wall-E' (2008)
Wall-E is a truly impressive feat, because you feel for the lonely little robot on his Earth cleanup mission from the very beginning — which is mostly wordless, so even really little kids can understand his plight. The movie builds from there, sending Wall-E into space, where he gets to be a brave little hero. (Plus, its message of eco-friendliness couldn't be more prescient.)
At least until 'Luca' comes out in June.