Pixar has had quite the legacy for the studio’s filmography of computer-animated features spanning 25 years. They’ve explored everything from the lives of toys to the frustrations of fish. They’ve even dug into seemingly more abstract territory with films that touch on tougher topics of emotions, aging and death. Where most animated studios only go so far in their storytelling and animation, Pixar seems to go just a bit further. It’s worth remembering that anytime Pixar puts out another picture that their legacy has been rather robust. Here are 10 Pixar films that are certainly worth your time, especially if you’ve only seen them years ago and hardly remember them.
1. Ratatouille
The underdog rat Remy (Patton Oswalt) dreams of being a famous chef, if only he could conquer that barrier of species. He soon finds a partner in the loser chef Alfredo Linguini (Lou Romano), struggling to live up to his father’s expectations. What holds up greatly within this film is the animation, both in terms of the gorgeous displays of food as well as the near-flawless character animation of great slapstick and expression. It’s a film as finely crafted as the dishes its chefs serve up. It’s just a delectable film that becomes an inspiring comedy for how much greatness can be brought into the world when two people learn to work together. Well, to be accurate, a human and a rat work together.
2. Coco
The young Mexican boy Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of a future in music, inspired by the celebrity Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt), despite his family of many generations being against music in general. He’ll soon come to learn why when he makes an unscheduled trip to the Land of the Dead in this otherworldly adventure into the afterlife. Armed with catchy music and a vibrant depiction of life after death, Coco is a film not afraid to address topics of family heritage and death, as well as bridging generations with one of the most tear-worthy songs to have ever been sung so many times in one Pixar picture.
3. Up
When the aged resident Carl Fredricksen is threatened with his home being removed, he straps some balloons to his house for an adventure towards South America for closure with his departed wife. While the favoring of an older character for animated adventure is surprisingly emotional, the sidekicks of the plucky scout Russell, the talking dog Doug and the silliness of the bird Kevin keep the adventure fun enough for kids. But adults will dig this most for the emotional prologue which showcase’s Carl’s long and tragic life with his wife Ellie, setting a record for how quickly a Pixar film can make adults cry.
4. Inside Out
12-year-old Riley is having a tough time moving to a new city and her internal emotions of Joy, Sadness, Fear, Envy and Anger struggle to keep her mind a healthy place. Though simplistically surreal in the imaginative world of a girl’s brain, the film is rather emotional and thoughtful for taking tough aim at the subject on coming-of-age in a new city with new challenges of family and friends. Most importantly, the film isn’t afraid to admit that it’s okay to feel sad and to be okay with expressing your feelings, a positive and important message for kids of all ages.
5. Toy Story
The beloved toy Woody finds himself trying to adjust with the slick new toy Buzz Lightyear being the more favored toy of his owner Andy. As the first feature from Pixar, what holds up far better than the 1990s computer animation is the unique buddy dynamic with pitch-perfect chemistry between Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, as well as a stellar voice ensemble that includes the likes of Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger and Annie Potts. There’s a reason why this is Pixar’s longest running franchise with such well-defined characters and a fantastic sense of story that stands tall as to how well Pixar can craft such imaginative worlds.
6. The Incredibles
When superheroes are forced to go underground, the married couple of Mister Incredible and Elastigirl settle down to start a family. They must soon come out of retirement, however, when a new villain threatens the very safety of superheroes. What follows is an action-packed adventure of besting a mastermind while also coming to terms using superpowers for good rather than concealing them from the public. Although highly regarded by the action-oriented crowd for the film’s more adult appeal of mixing superhero theatrics with a James Bond aesthetic, the story is surprisingly robust as a commentary on talent and embracing yourself.
7. Monsters University
In this prequel to Monsters Inc., Mike and Sully are two new students at the university where monsters come to learn how to be experts at scaring children. Though Mike is the plucky student aiming to study his way to the top, Sully merely coasts on his jockular nature for being a towering fright. The buddy dynamic of Billy Crystal and John Goodman holds up remarkably well and does a great job at showcasing how their path is not as predictable as one might assume for going to school for their eventual profession, especially when being taught by the strict and no-nonsense Dean Abigail Hardscrabble voiced by Helen Mirren.
8. Toy Story 2
In this prequel to Monsters Inc., Mike and Sully are two new students at the university where monsters come to learn how to be experts at scaring children. Though Mike is the plucky student aiming to study his way to the top, Sully merely coasts on his jockular nature for being a towering fright. The buddy dynamic of Billy Crystal and John Goodman holds up remarkably well and does a great job at showcasing how their path is not as predictable as one might assume for going to school for their eventual profession, especially when being taught by the strict and no-nonsense Dean Abigail Hardscrabble voiced by Helen Mirren.
9. Finding Nemo
The clownfish Marlin (Albert Brooks) is very protective of his son Nemo and soon finds himself venturing through land and sea for him, accompanied by his silly adventuring companion Dory (Ellen DeGeneres). They’ll have to travel to all sorts of strange places and characters, from a group of sharks trying to mend their fish-eating ways to a gang of mindless segals that seek to mindlessly consume everything they claim as “mine.” Among Pixar’s earliest features, this film perhaps holds up the most visually, considering Pixar had to pull back and exaggerate the environments as their underwater environments were too realistic for the characters.
10. Toy Story 3
Andy can’t keep his toys forever and decides to say goodbye to them all as he ventures towards college. Though the toys of Woody and Buzz soon find a suitable home at a preschool, they come to learn the school holds some dangerous secrets. Regarded as one of the best of the Toy Story series, considering it was nominated for the Academy Award of Best Picture, the film provides an emotional conclusion to the arc of Andy and showcases how dedicated these toys are to each other, even when seeming to face oblivion in the most nail-biting climax of the franchise.