10 Best Pixar Movies

Thanksgiving is upon us and you know what that means? In addition gathering with families and carving up turkeys, Pixar‘s latest film is finally hitting theaters.

Coco, from directors Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina, is preparing to take the holiday box office by storm, and fans are ready to see what the legendary Disney/Pixar partnership has cooked up this time around.

In honor of the new movie getting released this week, we thought it was a good time to take a look back through Pixar’s storied history, and celebrate the best outings the studio has delivered over the years.

So, without further ado, it’s time to count down the ten best Pixar movies leading up to Coco‘s release.

10. Toy Story 2

It’s hard to follow-up a film as good as Toy Story, but Pixar’s first sequel still managed to do one hell of a job. By introducing new characters like Jessie, Bullseye, Stinky Pete and Wheezy, and including perfect musical numbers like “When She Loved Me,” Toy Story 2 made a stamp on the beloved franchise. Plus, as the third Pixar film to hit theaters, it helped prove to the world that Pixar was in it for the long haul.

9. Ratatouille

When you combine Brad Bird’s visionary style with the exceptional voice work of Patton Oswalt, you get a knockout hit like Ratatouille. This one-of-a-kind story puts a rodent named Remy behind the hands of an up-and-coming chef in Paris, creating a memorable story that audiences still enjoy today. Who knew we would ever actually root for a rat in the kitchen.

8. Finding Nemo

The themes of love, loss and the unbreakable bond between father and son all come together in the fun-loving, under the sea adventure that is Finding Nemo. Not only was the story of Nemo one of the most beloved in Pixar’s arsenal, but Ellen Degeneres’ work as Dory keeps her incredibly relatable character swimming into our hearts each and every time we watch it.

7. Monsters, Inc.

When you talk about all-star voice casts in animated movies, it’s hard not to bring up Monsters, Inc. John Goodman and Billy Crystal bring the laughs, and scares, to Monstropolis as Mike and Sully, a pair of lovable monsters who befriend a young girl named Boo. Together, the trio taught audiences that families can come in all shapes and sizes.

6. WALL-E

WALL-E started off as one of the funniest movies in Pixar’s history, with the eccentric little robot trying his best to keep the world moving on his own. However, about halfway through, the film turned from an adorable comedy to a gut-wrenching social commentary on humanity’s relationship with our planet, as well as our unhealthy reliance on technology.

5. Up

Loss is something that we can all relate to on some level, whether it be the death of a loved one or the absence of a father. Up is able to use that pain to show us that companionship and adventure are things that each of us can achieve, no matter how young or old we are.

4. Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3 came out 15 years after the original, but it more than held its own when put up against its 1995 predecessor. Those of us who were kids when the first two movies came out were able to see the franchise as adults for the first time, and it broke all of our hearts to watch Buzz and Woody let go of their best pal, Andy.

3. The Incredibles

Even though it doesn’t have a Marvel or DC stamp on the title credits, The Incredibles still stands out as one of the best superhero movies in history. Brad Bird’s take on the genre gave audiences a set of characters that were complex, yet easy to understand. Whether you were an aging father or a kid on the verge of puberty, this movie told your story.

2. Inside Out

Perhaps Pixar’s most intellectual and thought-provoking movie to-date, Inside Out explored what was really going on inside the heads of each and every one of us. By creating characters out of a young girl’s emotions, the film taught us that not everything in life can fit into a box, and we sometimes need the imagination of a child to make it through hard times.

1. Toy Story

Sometimes it’s difficult to top the original, and such is the case with Pixar’s very first movie, Toy Story. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen helped show both kids and adults that friends come in all shapes and sizes. Despite being released in 1995, Toy Story still holds up to today’s animation standards, allowing it to continue reaching new generations.