When we talk about animated movies, only a few other studios in the world have achieved the iconic status that Pixar Animation Studios, often called just Pixar, has. Kicking off in 1995 with Toy Story to their latest offering Inside Out 2, the studio has enchanted audiences across ages with their cutting-edge animation technology, stunning, lifelike visuals, unforgettable characters and exceptionally well-written stories that evoke a whole spectrum of emotions. Today, the phrase “Pixar movies” is basically synonymous with quality. Here is a list of the best Pixar movies ever made, ranked by their IMDb rating.
Pixar movies are more than just animated movies. They are journeys that we undertake — journeys that are heartfelt and typically explore themes such as identity, friendship, family and self-discovery. Every movie from the studio’s stables, even sequels, is unique in some way. They fuse a sense of adventure, emotion and even sometimes magic (though not always of the supernatural kind) in a way that is both fresh and timeless. Over nearly three decades, Pixar has released a collection of movies that are nothing less than cultural landmarks. Perhaps only Studio Ghibli’s movies can rival Pixar when it comes to this level of quality and having the most devoted fan bases.
For instance, in the unlikely romance that is WALL-E (2008), we are told the story of a cute, lonely robot called WALL-E in a futuristic earth that became a wasteland due to the destruction of its ecosystems (a future that doesn’t seem all that unlikely). The robot goes on a space adventure, teaching us a thing or two about love and environmental stewardship.
Up (2009), on the other hand, involves a dog that talks, a house that flies and a mythical giant bird. Yet, the best thing about it is its deeply emotional and resonant story about grief, friendship and rediscovering the joys of life. Meanwhile, Coco (2017) takes us on a journey into the ‘Land of the Dead’ and is a celebration of Mexican culture, family, traditions and heritage.
Last but not least, Inside Out 2, which is currently running in theatres, is now the highest-grossing movie of 2024 so far.
Laughter, tears and adventure: Top 10 Pixar movies ranked by IMDb rating
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The Incredibles (2004)
IMDb rating: 8
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 97 per cent
Directed by: Brad Bird
Voice cast: Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, Holly Hunter, Jason Lee
Movie duration: 1 hour 55 minutes
Synopsis: In a world where superheroes exist but are forced to live lives as ordinary people due to backlash against them after multiple disruptive events, Mr. Incredible or Bob Parr (Nelson) yearns deeply for the glory days. However, he is still secretly helping people. When a new, mysterious supervillain called Syndrome (Lee), who used to be his fan once upon a time, turns up, Bob must team up with his superhero wife Elastigirl (Hunter) and superhero friend Frozone (Jackson) to defeat him and save the world. Will they be up to it?
Why it is great: Before Bird was invited to direct The Incredibles, he had already directed The Iron Giant (1999), an all-around masterpiece and his debut with beautiful 2D animation and lovable characters. He did pretty much the same by using computer-aided animation in The Incredibles. Which is to say, he brought a similar level of creativity and depth (though I believe The Iron Giant remains his best work to date).
Ratatouille (2007)
IMDb rating: 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 96 per cent
Directed by: Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava
Voice cast: Brad Garrett, Lou Romano, Patton Oswalt, Peter O’Toole
Synopsis: Remy (Oswalt), even though he is a rodent, dreams of becoming a famous French chef like Auguste Gusteau (Garrett) using his sense of taste and smell. To that effect, he practises his culinary skills in secret. His journey leads him to Gusteau’s restaurant, though Gusteau himself is long dead. There, he partners with Linguini (Romano), who has no cooking skills. Remy controls Linguini like a puppet while hiding inside his hat and helps him become a chef. This unique arrangement also satisfies Gusteau’s iconic words: “Anyone can cook”. It all ends in a final encounter where the two come face to face with the renowned food critic Anton Ego (O’Toole).
Why it is great: With its beautiful recreation of Paris and its kitchens, Ratatouille nicely captures the essence of French cuisine and culture. The movie reflects on a usual Pixar theme (that of following one’s dreams) with a unique twist. The voice acting is quite outstanding, particularly by Oswalt and the late O’Toole.
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
IMDb rating: 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 96 per cent
Directed by: Pete Docter, David Silverman, Lee Unkrich
Voice cast: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Mary Gibbs
Movie duration: 1 hour 32 minutes
Synopsis: In a world populated by all kinds of monsters, a city called Monstropolis is powered by the screams of human children. The company Monsters, Incorporated, retrieves these screams by sneaking their employees into children’s bedrooms at night — but in reality monsters themselves are pretty terrified of the children. Mike Wazowski (Crystal) and James P. “Sulley” Sullivan (Goodman) work at Mostrers, Inc. with the latter being the “Best Scarer” for many months in a row. When a young girl they are supposed to scare named Boo (Gibbs) follows them back into the monster world, it causes chaos and fear among the citizens of Monstropolis. It is up to Mike and Sulley to get her back to the human world while facing evil designs by their rival Randal Boggs (Buscemi).
Why it is great: It is one of the early Pixar movies; thus, the details and animation are a touch dated. But there is enough strength in the movie’s script and storytelling to more than make up for it. It boasts a fully realised fantasy world, and there is some really imaginative and creative character design on display.
Inside Out (2015)
IMDb rating: 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 98 per cent
Directed by: Pete Docter, Ronnie Del Carmen
Voice cast: Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Phyllis Smith, Kaitlyn Dias, Kaling
Movie duration: 1 hour 35 minutes
Synopsis: Inside Out takes us inside the mind of a young girl called Riley (Dias). In her mind, emotions like Joy (Poehler), Sadness (Smith), Anger (Black), Fear (Hader) and Disgust (Kaling) are personified and navigate her life through a control centre in her psyche, even as they try to maintain an equilibrium. But that equilibrium is shattered to pieces as Riley deals with the upheaval of moving to a new city with her parents. Joy is the dominant emotion in the beginning, but she, along with Sadness, is evicted from the control centre and descends to further reaches as Anger, Fear and Disgust take over her mind. They must find their way back before it is too late. Will they be successful? Most of the movie is set within Riley’s mind, though we get occasional glimpses of the outside world, too.
Why it is great: It has an innovative concept (how many of us would be able to dream up an idea as wild as this one?) that is executed brilliantly. Like many other Pixar movies, this one also deals with complex themes like mental health with gentle humour and sensitivity.
Finding Nemo (2003)
IMDb rating: 8.2
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 99 per cent
Directed by: Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich
Voice cast: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Geoffrey Rush
Movie duration: 1 hour 40 minutes
Synopsis: One of the movies that made Pixar famous around the world, this movie was something of a phenomenon back in the day. It follows majorly two characters — Marlin (Brooks) and his son Nemo (Gould). When Nemo goes missing, Marlin teams up with an amnesiac blue tang fish called Dory (DeGeneres) to go into the unknown vastness of the ocean and bring back his son to safety. It is an epic journey, and they encounter a host of colourful characters, including a sea turtle, a bunch of vegetarian sharks and a pelican called Nigel (Rush). In the meantime, Nemo is in a fish tank and has to plot his own escape and get back to his father.
Why it is great: This movie blends stunning visuals and animation with an emotionally satisfying story and lots of comedic and fun moments.
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 98 per cent
Directed by: Lee Unkrich
Voice cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, John Morris, Ned Beatty
Movie duration: 1 hour 43 minutes
Synopsis: The third movie in the Toy Story franchise continues the adventures of sentient toys such as Woody (Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Allen), and the rest of the toy gang. They are facing an uncertain future as their owner Andy (Morris) prepares to leave for college. When the toys find themselves in Sunnyside Daycare, the seemingly idyllic place turns out to be a nightmare. Here, toys are already ruled by Lotso (Beatty), a teddy bear who seems cuddly and adorable but is actually manipulative and evil. Now, Woody and others have to escape and get back to Andy before he leaves.
Why it is great: One of the most emotional Pixar movies, it is all about letting go. I do still believe that the announcement (and release) of the fourth movie dampened the emotional impact of this one’s ending somewhat, but it still remains a beautiful send-off to Andy and his relationship with his toys, his companions that kept him company throughout his childhood.
Toy Story (1995)
IMDb rating: 8.3
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 100 per cent
Directed by: John Lasseter
Voice cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Erik von Detten
Movie duration: 1 hour 21 minutes
Synopsis: The first ever fully computer-animated full-length feature movie, this movie put Pixar on the map. It also introduced us to immortal characters such as Woody (Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Allen). Woody is a cowboy doll owned by a boy called Andy when the kid is gifted with a new toy called Buzz Lightyear, a space ranger. Funny enough, Buzz does not know that he is a toy (and not an actual space ranger). Not surprisingly, Buzz becomes Woody’s rival and this escalates until they are separated from the rest of the toys and end up at the mercy of Sid (Detten), a sadistic kid who is not as merciful with toys as Andy is. Will they successfully get back to Andy?
Why it is great: Besides the fact that it was a landmark in the field of animation, it also established the Pixar style of storytelling: simple yet profound tales, pretty visuals (even if they are low resolution in this particular movie), relatable characters and themes, and more.
Up (2009)
IMDb rating: 8.3
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 98 per cent
Directed by: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
Voice cast: Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, John Ratzenberger, Bob Peterson, Christopher Plummer
Movie duration: 1 hour 36 minutes
Synopsis: A widower called Carl Fredricksen (Asner) is being forcibly sent to an old age home. But never the one to give up easily, he ties thousands of balloons to his home and flies away, intending to end up at Paradise Falls — the place where he and his late wife dreamt of holidaying but had to spend their savings on other matters. During the journey, Fredricksen discovers that he has a stowaway in the form of a young “Wilderness Explorer” named Russell (Nagai). Since there is no option to drop him off anywhere, Fredricksen reluctantly agrees to take him along. In South America, they encounter numerous other characters, including a talking dog called Doug (Peterson), Carl and his wife’s childhood idol Charles Muntz (Plummer), a legendary adventurer.
Why it is great: Not just one of the most touching Pixar movies, Up is one of the most touching movies of all time. There is a genius and poignant montage towards the beginning that sums up an entire married life (of Carl and Ellie) without a single word spoken. It is a masterclass in non-verbal filmmaking. This montage could have been a movie on its own, even if it had a sad ending.
WALL-E (2008)
IMDb rating: 8.4
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 95 per cent
Directed by: Andrew Stanton
Voice cast: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin
Movie duration: 1 hour 38 minutes
Synopsis: Humans have made Earth uninhabitable after destroying its ecosystems and the landscapes are buried under mountains of garbage. The survivors have left the planet, though they did leave behind robots to act as trash compactors. But after centuries, only one robot called WALL-E remains active. But he is lonely. One day, he meets a sleek prove called EVE (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) that is searching for signs of life on Earth. Instantly falling in love, he informs EVE about the seedling he has found. He also follows her to the starliner on which humans now reside.
Why it is great: WALL-E is an absolute masterpiece. It is simply the best Pixar movie ever made (you are free to disagree, of course). The animation is phenomenal with details that will astound you. Fifteen years hence, it has aged remarkably well to the extent that it would not look out of place if it were released today. In fact, I would go as far as to say that it looks better than some of the recent Pixar movies.
Coco (2017)
IMDb rating: 8.4
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 97 per cent
Directed by: Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina
Voice cast: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt
Movie duration: 1 hour 45 minutes
Synopsis: Miguel Rivera (Gonzalez) is a young boy who loves music but is part of a family where music has been banned for many generations. On the Day of the Dead, the Mexican holiday that honours departed forbearers, Miguel finds himself in the Land of the Dead, a place that sounds forbidding but is actually wonderfully visualised as a world filled with colourful marigold petals and bustling streets adorned with papel picado. His paths cross with a charming trickster skeleton called Héctor (Bernal). Now, Miguel must go back to the land of the living before sunrise or he will never be able to go back.
Why it is great: The last 10 minutes of Coco deliver an emotional gut punch that will make you bawl uncontrollably. I still remember watching it in theatres and hearing people around me sniffling. I am not ashamed to say I was one of them. The lullaby version of “Remember Me” has to be one of the most heart-rending moments in a Pixar movie, and isn’t that saying a lot? It would make your eyes water no matter how many times you have seen this movie.
(Hero image: Courtesy of Up/ IMDb; Featured image: Courtesy of Disney/ Pixar/ IMDb)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Opinions vary, but movies like 'WALL-E' (2008), 'Up' (2009) and 'Toy Story 3' (2010) are regularly cited by Pixar fans as their favourite.
Pixar fans have their own favourite characters, but more often than not, Woody from the 'Toy Story' movies is the most loved Pixar character. It is voiced by Tom Hanks.
IMDb ranks Pixar movies like it does all the other movies — based on user votes. 'WALL-E' (2008) and 'Coco' (2017) are jointly the highest-rated Pixar movie on IMDb, with a rating of 8.4. They are followed by 'Up' (2009), with an 8.3 rating.
You can check out the IMDb rankings of all the Pixar movies on their respective IMDb pages.
'Incredibles 2' (2018) is the highest-grossing Pixar movie of all time, in terms of global box office haul. It collected USD 1.24 billion, as of 4 July 2024.
Both 'WALL-E' (2008) and 'Coco' (2017) are at the top with a rating of 8.4.
Ironically, Pixar's biggest competitor in terms of box office rivalry is a sister studio — Walt Disney Animation Studios. Like Pixar, it is also owned by The Walt Disney Company.
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Kshitij is a journalism graduate who did not initially intend to become a film critic, but such are the vagaries of destiny. Now, Kshitij is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and a member of the Film Critics Guild, bringing expertise and experience in evaluating entertainment content with him. Additionally, he serves as a jury member on the Critics' Choice Awards in India. When he's not busy wielding words, catch him nose-deep in books or joyfully lost in the realms of gaming and photography.
