All 29 Pixar Movies Ranked From Worst to Best
Where does your favorite fall on the list?
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Let's start with this premise: All of the Pixar movies are basically good. It's nearly impossible to find a studio with as good of a track record: Pixar has put out 29 feature-length movies since 1995, and none of them are total duds — each one has something to recommend, be it a technical achievement, an emotional ride or an unforgettable character.
But that doesn't mean they're all created equal. Some dazzle with state-of-the-art visuals, others get the tears flowing and many of them make you feel good with tales of unlikely friendships. Here's the definitive ranking of all 29 Pixar feature films, listed from worst to best.
If you have any gaps in your Pixar viewing, there’s never been a better time to catch up —or rewatch to see if you can spot all those Pixar Easter eggs! For one thing, all of the movies except for the newest, Elio, are available on Disney+. (Compare that to the longstanding Disney practice of “the vault,” where they took movies out of home-video circulation to increase demand for the VHS tapes and DVD/Blu-rays when they did become available.) Many are also available to rent through other services, like Amazon's Prime Video, though the prices vary by movie. And, if you're finished watching all those Pixar films and still need something good to watch with the kids, check out the other kids' movies coming out in 2025.
Cars 3 (2017)
The fact that Lightning McQueen wrestles with aging in this movie — and is teamed up with a younger, charismatic screen partner (with the voice of Cristela Alonzo) — gives this something for the adults to latch onto, but there are just so many animated cars zooming around to endure.
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Finding Dory (2016)
Dory trying to find her family — despite her memory loss — is a true story of triumph over adversity. But, to do so, she has to travel through a lot of aquarium tanks. We love these familiar characters, but the plot gets repetitive.
The Good Dinosaur (2015)
While the more cartoonish designs of Arlo, the apatosaurus star of this movie, and his human cave-boy friend are entertaining to watch, the tale — which covers young Arlo trying to reunite with a lost family — feels overly familiar.
Cars 2 (2011)
In this Cars sequel, there's a lot of focus on Lightning McQueen's buddy Mater, who is sent on a spy mission. Your mileage my vary depending on how entertaining you think Mater is, but a little Mater goes a long way.
Lightyear (2022)
This is famously supposed to be the movie that Andy watched that made him want a Buzz Lightyear action figure. But after seeing it, you would be forgiven if you didn't fully understand why he'd actually want it (especially when Sox the cat would clearly be the more desired toy). There's some fun space adventuring and cool sci-fi elements, but Buzz himself seems to be dealing with some problems that read very adult, especially when it comes to wrestling with life's failures. (Why couldn't he just dance a tango?)
Monsters University (2013)
Mike Wazowski heads to college hoping to be a champion scarer, only to find that he's not as good at is as he thought. That's a tough lesson for a kids' movie — that you're not going to be good at everything, no matter how hard you try or practice — and doesn't leave room for the fact that some people might want to do something they're not great at just because they like doing it. But thankfully there are enough Animal House-style antics (this time from monsters!) to soften the blow of the bummer parts.
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A Bug's Life (1998)
Pixar's second feature film gets ground-level and follows a young, awkward ant, Flik, as he gets himself into all kinds of trouble. In an unlikely series of events, Flik calls on the help of a bug circus to help defend fellow ants from an evil grasshopper, if you've seen Seven Samurai (or, you know, The Three Amigos or Galaxy Quest), you can see where the movie is headed long before the climax, but seeing bugs do it sure is entertaining.
Onward (2020)
Onward has to juggle a lot of elements — there's an epic quest, a world where the fantastical and the mundane blend into each other, a story about two brothers and the loss of their father — and, at times, it feels like the balance is off. But the action is great, and the heartwarming parts really land their emotional gut-punch.
Brave (2012)
It's crazy how often mothers are absent (or dead) in kids' movies (think Bambi, Nemo, Cinderella). Finally, there's an adventure movie about mothers and daughters, starring a princess with a rebellious spirit (and hair that's basically a character of its own). It's a shame the mom spends so much time transformed into a bear!
Soul (2020)
This may be Pixar's most gorgeous film to date, and there's a fun, body-switching adventure to go along with it. But there's also a lot of introspection about the difference between your life's passion versus your life's purpose, and kids (and adults) may find that a bit hard to relate to and heavy to wade through.
Inside Out 2 (2024)
Riley from Inside Out is 13 and entering a world of puberty and the intense emotions that go with it. Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust are joined by Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment, and Ennui, which throws Riley HQ into turmoil. Watching this may give kids a way to better understand and talk about their emotions, which is great. But as a movie, returning to Riley's mind just doesn't have the same magic as visiting it for the first time, and the plot feels kind of schematic.
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Elio (2025)
Credit goes to Elio for being a new, original story in a sea of sequels and reboots. That story, about a kid who feels like an outsider finding a place where they belong, isn't the most unique in the world, but there are enough cool alien designs to make it feel fresh.
Cars (2006)
Ka-chow! Cars may be about Lightning McQueen, the fastest racer around, but the story really gets going when he heads to Radiator Springs and things slow down a little. There, McQueen gets a lesson in appreciating the little things — a reminder we can all use every now and again.
Elemental (2023)
Elemental takes place in a world populated by creatures of different elements — air, water, earth and fire — and the various ways the groups are seen by society. ("Elements don't mix," they say.) When Ember, whose family emigrated from the world of fire, falls for Wade, who's made of water, they start to upend the whole system. The immigration metaphor doesn't always work and the plot sometimes wanders, but the ingenious ways the different elements look, move and are animated give the movie its own charm.
Toy Story 4 (2019)
The fourth installment in the Toy Story franchise introduces a bunch of new characters — Forky, Gabby Gabby, Ducky and Bunny — most of whom are hilarious, and all of whom get meaty stories. But it also answers a question that was already very elegantly answered in Toy Story 3, about what toys do when it's time to move on.
Luca (2021)
Some might give Luca demerits for not being as ambitious as either 2020 Pixar movie, Onward or Soul. But by keeping the scope small and only using one magical element instead of trying to create complicated, fantastical worlds that exist within our own, Luca is more successful at what it's trying to accomplish — a story about family and friendship. Santa Gorgonzola, that's great!
Finding Nemo (2003)
Finding Nemo proves the lengths a father would go (well, swim) for his son. In this case, he also meets some fantastic friends, like the forgetful Dory or chill turtles Crush and Squirt, along the way. It's these characters, rather than the run-of-the-mill plot, that give Nemo its charm.
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
Pixar has a knack for pulling off the unexpected. In Monsters, Inc., it sets up a backwards world where monsters are believably scared of kids — and it makes a movie about office politicking that isn't boring. (Lots of adult movies can't pull that second thing off.)
Toy Story (1995)
Toy Story started it all way back in 1995, and showed the world that a completely computer-animated feature film was a viable prospect. But, re-watching it now, you can see just how far the technology has come, and the animation here looks much rougher. Still, this one introduces us to Woody and Buzz, and we've had a friend in them ever since.
The Incredibles (2004)
This movie has a ton of exciting superhero action that sees the man characters lift, stretch, disappear and run their way to victory. But they also have to learn to work together as a team, which is something all families can relate to at one point or another.
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
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