The Best Pixar Movies... So Far!

Pixar has been an animation giant now for nearly 30 years. Creating some of the best films to ever grace the silver screen. The studio has always balanced dazzling visuals with humour, adventure and a moral compass, with poignant themes that have stood the test of time. The studio currently has 25 films currently in its library with countless shorts as well. Their latest action adventure ‘Lightyear’, is currently in theatres and to celebrate, I will be counting down the top 10 films in Pixar’s catalogue. These are my personal picks and will definitely differ from everyone’s selection, so take these with a grain of salt. Also, please note that these are in no particular order. So, without further ado, here we go!

Toy Story 2 (1999) – The first Toy Story film in 1995 broke new ground and launched Pixar into the spotlight. In 1999 we got a follow-up that surpassed the original film and cemented Toy Story as one of the greatest franchises of the 1990s. The story is given more dramatic heft, with the inclusion of Jessie and Bullseye. Both of these characters have a very real and heartbreaking origin, providing the emotional crux of the story. The animation improves in this sequel as well, with more locations and better realised renders of these characters. The relationship between the characters Buzz, Woody, Jessie, Mr Potato Head, is just so much fun and one of the highlights of the film. Even after 20 years, this film still remains one of Pixar’s best.

Buy The Toy Story Movies on DVD, Blu-ray & 4K UHD here!

Monsters Inc. (2001) – Easily the funniest film in Pixar’s catalogue of titles, Monsters Inc. still to this day is one of the funniest animated films ever made. The film's humour comes off the back of Bill Crystal's Mike and John Goodman’s Sully, and their relationship with one another. The chemistry between these two characters is palpable and my favourite part of this amazing film. The fun character designs are colourful and possess their own distinct personalities. This adds to the likeability of the world they populate, Monstropolis feels lived in and full of life. It is great. The story has a lot of emotion to it as well, as we see a true bond formed between Boo and Sully. Another nice touch is the addition of a blooper reel during the credits along with the company musical of ‘Put that thing back from where it came from or so help me’. It’s a nice addition for the audience and remains to be incredibly memorable. This is one of Pixar’s best!

Buy The Monsters Inc/Monsters University Movies on DVD, Blu-ray & 4K UHD here!

Inside Out (2015) – As mentioned, Pixar has always done a great job with blending mature themes with childlike wonderment. One of the best blends of this is 2015s ‘Inside Out’ a film that deals with mental illness and letting kids know that it is okay to be sad. This film shows how each of our emotions work, what they mean and why at times we don’t feel ourselves. This is topped off with gorgeous animation and creative character designs, as we see these emotions in a control panel as they help control Riley's mind. The film is very well executed, providing themes and morals that are relevant to both children and adults. It's marvellously executed and ranks among one of Pixar’s best in recent years.

Buy Inside Out on DVD, Blu-ray & 4K UHD here!

Finding Nemo (2003) – Easily one of Pixar’s most memorable entries is Andrew Stanton’s 2003 film ‘Finding Nemo’. The tale of a clownfish Marlin searching for his son Nemo who has been taken by a dentist from Sydney. A tale of discovery and exploring. This film is gorgeous. The ocean has never looked so real on screen. Pixar animated this film beautifully, with great renderings of these amazing characters, but to the backdrop of photo realistic environments. It's honestly breathtaking and still holds up remarkably well. The film’s two leads Dory voiced by Ellen DeGeneres and Marlin voiced by Albert Brooks are amazing together. The two characters are fun and memorable, and their relationship is sweet, showing that companionship can be found anywhere. A truly fun film, with poignant themes of family, self-discovery and of course adventure!

Buy Finding Nemo & Finding Dory DVD, Blu-ray & 4K UHD here!

Coco (2017) – Pixar is known for taking risks and in 2017, they did this with ‘Coco’ set to the backdrop of the Mexican ‘Day of the dead festival’. This makes for one of Pixar’s most visually striking films to date. The film is drenched in Mexican culture, which is fantastic to see. The cultural customs that are celebrated in this film are amazingly realised, and by all accounts a great, respectful representation of these customs. The film has the emotional beats that we have come to expect from a Pixar film, with one of the most emotional scenes in any Pixar film. I won’t spoil it, in case you haven’t seen it, all I will say is that it revolves around a rendition of the film's title song ‘Remember Me’. If you check this one, make sure you bring the tissues, I doubt there will be a dry eye in the room after you’ve watched it.

Buy Coco on DVD & 4K UHD here!

Ratatouille (2007) – Pixar is known for their original ideas, and Ratatouille may just be one of their best. The film centres on a rat named Remy who joins forces with a struggling chef Linguini. Similar to all the other films in Pixar’s extensive catalogue, the film has themes of ambition and following your dreams, no matter what your setbacks might be. The film is anchored on the butting relationship of Remy and Linguini. Their back and forth throughout the film is fantastic and provides some of the best sequences. The animation is also fantastic here, with well realised character designs and photo realistic depictions of Paris. I adore this film and would recommend it to film fans of all ages.

Buy Ratatouille on DVD, Blu-ray & 4K UHD here!

The Incredibles (2004) – Way ahead of its time and a film that is highly regarded by many Pixar fans, ‘The Incredibles’ is not only one of the best animated films of all time, but also one of the best superheroes of all time. The film follows the Parr family who also double as ‘The Incredibles’, a superhero family balancing the responsibilities that come with being crime fighters with everyday life. This film has some of the best action set pieces in any animated film. The animation is sharp and well-executed, and the characters are all fantastic. The themes of family are again poignant and relevant to most. The importance of family is a theme present through a lot of Pixar’s films, but I think the best example of it is in ‘The Incredibles’. The film still holds up remarkably well and its sequel ‘The Incredibles 2’ also makes for great viewing.

Buy The Incredibles on DVD, Blu-ray & 4K UHD here!

Up (2009) – One of Pixar’s most admirable qualities is their ability to make you care for characters through clever writing, mixed with visual storytelling. The relationship developed between Carl and Russell in ‘Up’ is endearing and quite beautiful. The childlike innocence of Russell mixed with Carl’s bitter persona is a match made in heaven and sees the two form a memorable bond. The animation here is also stunning, with these larger-than-life characters put into photo realistic environments, which make for entertaining and visually stunning results. The opening sequence of ‘Up’ as well, is one of the most heart-wrenching sequences Pixar have ever put to film. Make sure to bring the tissues here as well.

Buy Disney's Up on DVD, Blu-ray & 4K UHD here!

Toy Story 3 (2010) – 11 years after ‘Toy Story 2’, Pixar struck gold again with the third instalment in the franchise, aptly titled ‘Toy Story 3’. This film shows Andy’s favourite toys donated to a local day care. The gang must band together one again to get back to Andy. The film is emotionally resonant and at times heartbreaking. The real life parallels of the audience experiencing what Andy is in the film, of out-growing his toys, hits hard as we have all had to go through this. The ending of the film is a satisfying conclusion to the original trilogy. The film marks (in my opinion) the best looking in the franchise, with vibrant colours, fun new characters who are introduced at the daycare, including Michael Keaton’s Ken and the film's antagonist Lot-so Huggin Bear voiced by the late, great Ned Beaty. This film is amazing and well worth your time.

Buy The Toy Story Movies on DVD, Blu-ray & 4K UHD here!

Turning Red (2022) - 'Turning Red' ranks among one of Pixar's best in recent years. The film is filled with dazzling visuals which is a given now with modern animated films from the animation studio powerhouse. The film's unique setting of Toronto, Canada was incredibly refreshing. I loved the way that the location was used, it felt incredibly unique and different from other animated films. The film was technically flawless. One of the film's biggest strengths is the use of its themes. We have a coming-of-age story that uses its themes of growing up, family and the power of friendship through adversity. Turning Reds emphasis on these themes really does set it apart from a lot of other family films out there at the moment. This ranks among Pixar's best in recent years and is definitely worth your time.

Buy Turning Red on DVD, Blu-ray & 4K UHD here!

Pixar continues to hit it out of the park with each release, even some of their lesser titles are much better than most out there. I am a huge fan of what they have been able to do over the years and how they continue to adapt and provide original, thoughtful films that appeal to audiences of all ages, cultural backgrounds and are guaranteed to be entertaining. Head to your local Sanity or online to pick up your favourite Pixar films on DVD, Blu-Ray or 4K UHD. You can also check out Lightyear right now in cinemas, sign up to Sanity’s newsletter as well, so you can pre-order the title as soon as it's available. 

Buy Pixar & Disney Movies DVD, Blu-ray & 4K UHD here!

Christopher Pattison wrote this blog post for Sanity. See more from Chris here