(Part 1 can be found here.)
Onto #15!
Indeed. My pick for #15 is: A Bug’s Life!
I actually really like this one, but I have no earthly clue how to feel about it post #MeToo. Taken on its own merits, it's a light, fun retelling of Seven Samurai that I think takes full advantage of its setting to deliver some inventive imagery. It also managed to make grasshoppers terrifying, and I respect any movie that can do that.
Dot is easily my favourite character in the entire movie, just FYI. I'll also give the movie's sense of urgency, but I just think Pixar's made better since.
This movie is full of great characters. I've seen a lot of Seven Samurai retellings and the circus bugs have more personality than many of their contemporaries. Also, it has a character named P.T. Flea and I just think that's great.
Next to The Underminer, I think that's my favourite Ratzenberger role.
Gonna have to tell me more about The Underminer later. So, what's this mysterious #15 pick of yours? I'm dying to know.
Simple: it's Onward.
Remember how I mentioned my dad's heart attack? Well, I also lost both of my grandparents on his side at a young age. My Zaidy in particular died in a car accident before my second birthday, so I never really got to know him outside of one, really faint memory. This movie felt extremely personal for that reason.
It's not quite top-tier Pixar, but Dan Scanlon really cared about this one. The D&D stuff also hit home since my last job was at a D&D-themed pub, and I loved its semi-predictable resolution. That was kinda bold considering that Ian had never met his dad, and him letting Barley say goodbye one last time made me cry again. (I'm a softie, I'm sorry.) This is the kinda movie that, like Dreamworks's Abominable, is much better than its formulaic concept should allow it to be. And it'd be nothing short of a masterpiece had it not been for Pixar's incredibly high-standards.
Oh wow, I am genuinely surprised by how low Onward is on your list.
That should tell you something right there, shouldn't it? Keep in mind that that we're now in "good" territory, too.
Yes, we've almost run out of mediocre Pixar movies...almost, but not quite.
I think Onward's proof that Scanlon's got a great movie in him, but needs a better script.
I'm very torn on this one, so I'll get into it shortly.
Fair enough.
#14 is Incredibles 2, which has dropped a bit since I first saw it.
I still really love this movie, but ignoring the strobing (which was also an issue in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), it feels like a lower-stakes sequel to a masterpiece. I also think that while it builds on its world quite nicely, and that the twist villain makes more sense than people care to admit, it retreads quite a bit.
Still, that light rail chase is amazing. And I love everything involving Jack-Jack in this movie. I also really like The Underminer, even if he gets away, and the movie's closing shot is a great rhyme with that of the first one.
I don't know, man. Brad Bird has always been phenomenal at action set-pieces, even in stuff like Tomorrowland, but when the novelty's worn off and you know all the twists, Incredibles 2 just feels kind of...boring. That said, The Crusher has the best line in the movie.
I guess I just was happy to see more of the family dynamic this time around. But yeah, it's not as fresh on re-watch.
Speaking of things that aren't as fresh on re-watch, my #14 pick: Inside Out.
This movie's biggest issue, was, for me, its leading duo. The setting is very inventive, there's a lot of fantastic visual comedy, some genuinely emotional (pun intended) beats, and a poignant message...
But good Lord, I never knew happiness could be so mean. I think the idea of Joy being selfish was actually an intentional commentary on our desire to always be happy, but it was frustrating to see the conflict be driven almost entirely by her entitlement to control Riley's life.
Believe it or not, the original draft made Joy a lot nastier.
I mean, given Woody's track record, I absolutely believe it. Sadness, for her part, was incredibly frustrating to watch as well. Which works thematically, but doesn't make for a very pleasant viewing experience.
I think it is very important to qualify that we are in "good" territory.
Yeah. I'm that weirdo that loves Inside Out, but I'll save why for when I discuss it.
Looking forward to it.
My #13 pick is: Finding Dory.
It was kind of a tossup between this one and Inside Out, this one would have placed lower if Hank wasn't such an achievement in character design. It tread a lot of the same ground as Finding Nemo and it felt like it had a lot less heart than its predecessor.
I also don't really understand why there was a demand for this movie. Finding Nemo ended on a very conclusive note, and I don't feel like Finding Dory really benefitted from the context of, or in turn benefitted, the legacy of the original.
I disagree for one, very major reason, but you'll understand soon enough what it is. But yeah, Hank the septopus was easily the best-animated character in the film. I have to wonder how much time went into making him alone.
Every sequence with him was an absolute joy, and I have a real thing for cephalopods too.
I wouldn't be surprised if Pixar studied tarantulas for him, to be honest. They're good at cross-researching.
My #13 is a controversial one, but I can't help it: I think Toy Story hasn't aged all that well.
It's still a good story, but aside from the wonky animation, the character models also creep me out now and the film is way too short and rushed.
I remember really loving this one as a kid, and I still enjoy it a lot now. Its scary moments are still effective, albeit more Sam Raimi scary than actually scary, and the lesson that Woody learns is nice and effective, but considering that, like I said, the film feels too short and rushed, it can't quite level up to what it used to be. Also, Bo Peep is barely even a character in this one.
I still respect the fact that it changed the landscape of animation overnight, but yeah...
Heresy.
Also, fun fact: Joss Whedon penned this movie. It was taking forever and going nowhere before he contributed to it.
Anyway, you may now pelt me with stones.
I've given a lot of consideration to where Toy Story goes on my list, and I think that regardless of its aged animation, the script and direction very much hold up today. It may be a relic in some ways, but we wouldn't still talk about it if it wasn't timeless.
Scud doesn't freak you out now?
Oh, Scud freaked me out as a kid! But that never detracted from the movie's charm.
I was talking about his design aging poorly. Also, Sid's one menacing asshole!
#12 goes to Finding Dory.
I know you think it didn't need to be made, but I think it justifies its existence retroactively with that throwaway line about Dory's parents in the first movie.
Whenever people claim that every non-Toy Story sequel sucks, I feel like Violet whipping her super-suit at the wall in Incredibles 2 and storming to her room. What are y'all talking about? Finding Dory's great! It's funny, occasionally tear-inducing and even touches on adversity through disability. I already touched on this a few years ago, but as someone with an LD profile myself, Dory's struggles have always spoken to me. And this movie builds on that by having Marlin, the only non-disabled character, actually feeling out of place this time. Fancy that, huh?
I guess it's just nice to have a family film treat disabilities with respect and sincerity for a change, so I guess that's why it stands out so much in my mind. And yes, telling the story from Dory's perspective this time actually helps to subvert the "out-of-order narrative" trope that so many pretentious movies get wrong.
I actually really appreciated the disability-sensitive narrative as well. It was handled with a lot of care, and I appreciated that Marlin's arc was coming to terms with how insensitive he'd been. Other than that, the movie didn't click with me.
I guess it's very much the right mindset mentality. I might be biased because of my LD profile, but I've always been weirded out by the unrelenting hate this movie receives. Still, fair enough!
Also, "Unforgettable" is a fittingly-on-the-nose song to include at the end.
Yeah, I don’t think the unrelenting hate is necessary. I personally just don’t particularly care for it.
Moving on to my #12 pick: Onward.
I knew this movie was going to be exactly in the middle of my list as I watched it. It’s perfectly middle of the pack Pixar. I didn’t particularly love it, but it was very competently made and I didn’t really dislike it either. It’s a very slick story. Everything mentioned in the script gets used at some point or another, and the ending was very sweet. As somebody who lost their grandfather right before Christmas, this movie would have destroyed me if I saw it in theaters at the time. But I don’t necessarily credit the movie with that.
I'm sorry to hear that. I know a lot of people who were moved by Onward because they lost relatives. But I guess that was kinda the point.
Yeah, I had the benefit of a little space to see that, emotionally, that’s all Onward really has going for it. I was pretty ambivalent on the D&D stuff, it seemed like how somebody who doesn’t play D&D thinks people who play it act. Very outdated stereotype. This movie also doesn’t do a very good job of raising its stakes or creating tension. For a film about racing to spend time with a lost loved one, it has very little sense of urgency.
But, as I said, it was technically very well made.
I found that that part of the movie was more of a catalyst for Ian and Barley's splintered relationship. Especially in the final moments, where Ian sacrifices his chance to see his dad so that Barley can say goodbye properly. It reminded me of when my grandmother was on her deathbed.
Yeah, I thought that was a really neat and nuanced take on this kind of story.
I'm glad we're in agreement over that. Anyway, time for your #11 pick.
Yes, my #11 pick! This is where things start to get really difficult. My #11 pick is: Toy Story.
It definitely says something that the next eleven films on my list are all complete knock-out hits. I still adore Toy Story, I think it’s aged remarkably well, all things considered. (Watch Pixar’s first shorts if you want to see truly horrifying, outdated animation.) Toy Story owes a lot of its enduring appeal to its original premise and its cast of well-rounded characters. This story may not be entirely timeless, but it’s pretty darn close, and I don’t see this one falling out of my good graces any time soon.
However, the next ten films following Toy Story all have the benefit of newer technology and more experience from Pixar’s staff. I can’t really justify putting this one above some of the films which would succeed it.
I find that Toy Story fans generally tend to fall into two camps: people who consider it to be Pixar's best movie, or people who consider its sequel to be Pixar's best movie. I'm neither camp, but I still appreciate the impact this film made on my 5 year-old mind.
...Depends on which sequel.
Generally speaking, people consider its immediate sequel to be the best.
I decline to comment at this moment in time.
I'll take that as you hiding something, but okay!
You know me, ever deceitful.
I sure do! My #11 goes to Ratatouille.
I know this one is a fan-favourite of foodies, but speaking as one myself, I find parts of it to be a little off-putting. I mean, a rat cooking? And controlling a schlub by his hair? They do a decent enough job selling you on that, but it's kinda gross. And let's not forget that not every character in the movie has a French accent, or that really uncomfortable kissing scene that borders on rape by today's standards...
The speech that Ego gives at the end, though? Chef's kiss. I mean that both pun intended and not intended, too.
Okay, look. The rat washes his hands, so it’s okay.
Maybe, but The Hantavirus is still a thing that exists...
I actually wrote a whole piece on that speech, though. As an artist myself, that's quite the humbling dissertation by the late-Peter O'Toole.
...I think this a good time for you to move on to your next pick.
Fair enough.
#10 is gonna make some people really angry, even though I've said why in a previous blog: WALL-E.
To be fair, it looks and sounds beautiful. And it's quite clever. My issue is that WALL-E's three movies in one: a love story, a dystopian sci-fi movie, and an ecological message movie. I don't mind all of those on their own, I loved Avatar, but together they clash constantly. It's like Andrew Stanton couldn't decide which story to focus on, so he meshed all of them and we got a confused movie as a result.
To its credit, the characters, particularly the robots, are all great. I especially like how WALL-E and EVE subvert traditional gender roles, yet still end up not totally bucking them at the end of the day. I actually wrote about that very thing for a university course in 2011.
Wow, you’re right. That did make me angry!
I'm sorry, but you placing Inside Out as low as you did made me angry. So I guess we're even?
Suppose so. I personally really like WALL-E. It feels very experimental, and we haven’t seen that from Pixar...pretty much since WALL-E, despite the film’s massive success. It’s a triumph of silent story telling for most of the film, the robots are adorable and it’s a scathing (if heavy handed) criticism of capitalism. What’s not to love?
I guess my frustration stems from, like I said, its tone. It's weird to have two robots dancing in space, only to then have AUTO turn on The Captain a short while later. Like I said, it feels like three movies vying for attention.
Fair enough, but I think the dystopian/environmental subplot went pretty well with WALL-E’s job being, you know, stacking ridiculous amounts of garbage.
I guess so. Anyway, your #10 pick?
Ah, alright, I’m taking the plunge. #10: Monsters, Inc.
What a screwball movie. The setting is incredibly original, the art style keeps its animation from going out of date, it has Billy Crystal in it, and it very elegantly handles themes of prejudice. This movie is phenomenal. And it is my number ten pick. God help me.
"Put that thing right back where it came from, or so help me..."
“OR SO HELP ME!”
Also, don't feel bad about ranking it so low. Pixar's made many great movies over the years.
Does that mean I’m off the hook for the next nine movies because there are no wrong answers?
I guess so.
Good, we’ll see how long that lasts.
By the way, fun fact: the scene where Sully thinks Boo's being impounded? Taken straight from a Warner Bros. cartoon.
You mean when she was being “cubed?”
Yeah.
Oh yeah, I think I know the cartoon. Works just as well here as it did there!
I also remember the scene traumatizing me as an 11 year-old.
Oh, when I was a little, little kid Randall terrified me.
Right next to Sully's scream. Speaking of which, how come this movie got a lame prequel instead of a sequel? The world opens itself up to one quite nicely, especially with that closing shot.
I could not tell you, but I’m a real sucker for open endings.
This next one’s gonna rattle some cages. Coming in at #9: Toy Story 2.
Toy Story 2, in my opinion, is where Pixar found their voice as the studio that makes really sad movies. It did what all good sequels do, taking the implied themes of parenthood and mortality inherent to the premise of the first film and exploring them in excruciating detail. What is a toy without their child? What happens to toys that get broken? Is it even worth belonging to a child if they won’t be around forever? These questions are incredibly resonant and human. I commend Toy Story 2 for essentially asking “is life worth living?”
But it also had the beginnings of some of Pixar’s worst habits. I’m not a fan of Stinky Pete as a twist-villain, there’s some major tonal whiplash, and lots of references that were, even at the time, pretty dated.
Come now, that Star Wars reference was hysterical!
Look, I love me a good Star Wars reference, but I could never really get behind the Zurg sequence.
I do love the opening though. I can’t explain why, but a lot of the textures and particle effects in this movie are just...satisfying.
Indeed. For those who don't know, Toy Story 2 was rushed and laden with production issues, hence why the opening still has some traces of the original opening for the movie. Between fighting to not make this a direct-to-video sequel, the 9 months of reworking and almost permanently deleting the file on Pixar's mainframe computer, it's amazing that they were able to pull this off.
And to pull it off so well.
Indeed.
Speaking of, my #9 entry is also Toy Story 2.
It seemed like this shouldn't have worked, but it did. Between Woody's existential crisis, Jesse's tragic backstory, and the ethical dilemma it raises about self-worth, it seems like Pixar was truly on the road to greatness with this one. I also, unlike you, love the references to Jurassic Park and Star Wars, to name a few.
This movie also happens to have the company's best end-credit bloopers, as well as one of the best closing jokes. I think my only issues are that the animation is still a bit dated and that Woody shifts gears in his character arc way too quickly. Then again, the movie's only about 90-something minutes long, so...
Yeah, its short runtime definitely necessitates its breakneck pace.
Yeah, that can sometimes be a problem for Pixar movies.
Though Toy Story 2 succeeds in spite of that.
Indeed it does. I'm still surprised you weren't a fan of the Star Wars parody.
What can I say? I guess Chicken Little put me off Darth Vader jokes.
Chicken Little? You actually watched that?
Yes. Yes I did. NEXT!
You poor soul...
I SAID NEXT.
Anyway, #8 is Monsters, Inc.
I'll admit that this is my least-favourite of Pete Docter's Pixar offerings so far, but I still really enjoy it. It's not only one of Pixar's most-quotable movies, it's also one of their funniest. It's true that a lot of its humour is cheap slapstick, which is my least-favourite kind of humour, but it's really well-placed slapstick at that. I also like that Mike and Sully have to get over their fear of children, which is funny on its own, through Boo, who's unbelievably cute.
I do think that some of the over-reliance on slapstick has worn it out over time, and it lacks a truly sad moment as an adult, but I'll be damned if I don't still love it. To quote a family friend, "It's a classic!"
I don’t think a movie necessarily has to have a “truly sad moment” to be great. Monsters, Inc. knew exactly what it was meant to do, and it did it very well.
Considering it sets itself up for one, I beg to differ. I don't recall actually crying when Mike and Sully said goodbye to Boo, and I cry very easily.
Hmmm, I see your point. I think it’s because it lacks finality. They rebuild Boo’s door at the end, they can always go visit.
I think it's more like how it wasn't given enough time to really marinate as a moment. In a weird way, that's aged the worst of the entire movie.
What's your #8?
My #8 is: The Incredibles.
Holy hell, do I love Brad Bird’s first contribution to the Pixar canon. This movie, unlike its successor, has a phenomenal sense of scale and adventure. It really throws you into its world. It also has some very, very heady subtext, like violent crime and infidelity that went right over my head as a kid. It was also very, very far ahead of its time with Syndrome, who is, essentially, just an entitled, toxic-ly masculine fanboy who turns his hatred for the person who rejected him back on society. This film has only gotten more relevant and I love it.
2004, the year that gave us Spider-Man 2 and The Incredibles. Aka, two of the best superhero movies ever made.
Pizza Time intensifies.
You just reminded me: The Parrs have never done a Pizza Hut commercial.
I actually very distinctly remember desperately wanting to see this movie, but not being allowed to go with my brother and his friends to a late showing. I was right to be mad.
Also, what?
Never mind. And don't worry, I didn't see the movie in theatres either because it was an awkward time in my life. I actually had to wait until my brothers rented it on DVD the following Winter.
I'll save my full thoughts for later, but this is a brilliant movie regardless of how you look at it. I even know non-superhero fans who love it.
It’s funny how The Incredibles has never really been considered a superhero movie in the sense we know it today. I think it falls much more firmly into the mystery genre, what with all the thrilling twists and clues.
Brad Bird was a fan of James Bond and Mission: Impossible as a kid, so that doesn't surprise me.
“KRONOS.”
I up the ante with Mirage.
Touché!
Also, fun fact: Nomanisan Island is really an anagram for "no man is an island".
This movie just keeps on giving.
Indeed.
(To be continued in Part 3...)
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