The definitive Pixar ranking

#22: “Cars 2”

Why? Why does this exist? What studio executive saw the first Cars and thought “this would work as a great James Bond parody?” It’s so hard to believe that Pixar made this. It feels like an Illumination movie, and that is the greatest criticism I can give any movie.

Rating: Hard 1

#21: “The Good Dinosaur”

This is one of the blandest movies I’ve ever laid eyes upon. There are maybe one to two scenes that have any kind of heart or soul put into them, but overall, this entire movie blends together.

Rating: Light 2

#20: “Brave”

Brave’s biggest flaw falls on Merida. She’s insufferable for the majority of the movie. The entire bear plot feels silly, and there isn’t much about this movie to like outside of a few good jokes and a couple of memorable characters.

Rating: Light 2

#19: “Cars 3”

Disregarding “Cars 2” (as everyone should), this is the true sequel to “Cars” And while some of the racing scenes have amazing spectacle to them, it’s not enough to cover up the bland characterization. At the end of the day, Lightning McQueen doesn’t work as a character, and adding another bland character like Cruz Ramirez on top of that doesn’t help.

Rating: Light 2

#18 “Incredibles 2”

“Wasted potential” are the two words that perfectly sum up this movie. “The Incredibles” is one of the greatest animated movies of all time, but, with what seems to be a common theme with most Pixar sequels, “Incredibles 2” doesn’t seem like a desire to continue the rest of the story but rather just a shameless cash grab.

Rating: Mid 2

#17: “A Bug’s Life”

While A Bug’s Life definitely has the early Pixar charm, the poorly aged animation and bland characters prevent this from being on the same level as “Toy Story” or “Monsters, Inc.” There are some funny moments, and Kevin Spacey knocks it out of the park as Hopper, but other than that, the movie fails to impress.

Rating: Hard 2

For more analysis, visit my full review: https://www.thevervenews.com/post/pixar-underdelivers-with-dull-a-bug-s-life

#16: Monsters University:

There are parts of Monsters University that are able to capture the magic of its predecessor. Mike Wasowski gets the all-star treatment in this movie, and so much development gets added to his character. Really, the movie works best when it’s just Mike and Sully interacting with each other, but other dull characters and boring set pieces prevent this movie from coming anywhere close to the original.

Rating: Light 3

#15: “Soul”

Soul is a movie that feels like it’s right on the verge of being a masterpiece. However, it’s too similar in concept to “Inside Out,” and the terrible pacing and bland characters prevent this film from reaching its full potential. The jazz score is amazing, and it really does have a terrific message about passion, but it’s not enough to save this movie from mediocrity.

Rating: Light 3

#14: “Cars”

The main problem with this movie is Lightning. Lightning is despicable for the majority of the movie, and even after his redemption, he’s still a pretty boring character. On top of that, the weird Shrek-Esque pop culture humor rarely works at all. But, despite all of that, there is still a lot of charm and just plain fun to be had in this movie. The final race is exhilarating, and characters like Guido, Luigi and Mater add much-needed life.

Rating: Light 3

For more analysis, visit my full review: https://www.thevervenews.com/post/pixar-s-cars-provides-a-light-hearted-but-flawed-experience

#13: “Finding Dory”