Now that Disney+ is here, we’re sure you already have a long list of movies you want to rewatch. To help you prioritize and remember, here’s our list of top 10 Pixar films. Enjoy!
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10. Onward
The latest Pixar movie has earned a spot in our top 10 because of its combination of fantasy elements and incredibly realistic narrative roots that will thrill more than a few. Beyond its action scenes, chases, battles and dungeons, we find the story of two brothers who are unable to accept their father’s death, so they decide to bring him back with a spell that obviously goes wrong. Who hasn’t found themselves unable to move on with life after a tragic event? Don’t forget Disney + subscribers will be able to watch Onward on the streaming platform starting April 3. Keep in mind you’ll have a free 7-day trial period (more than enough time to watch your favorite Marvel movies), and you can use it on up to 10 devices, one of its special features.
9. Up
When we think of Up, the first thing that comes to mind are the tragic opening scenes and the incredible image of an old man’s house rising up into the sky. What many of us forget is the fantastic second half. True, it’s more formulaic than the first, but it serves to challenge many of grumpy Carl’s beliefs. By facing his childhood idol, Carl is forced to evolve and learn that despite all the tragedies that befall us, we always have reasons (and time!) to keep on living life as an adventure.
8. Wall-E
At a time when we believed Pixar had run out of innovation, Wall-E came along and silenced us. It was a tremendously ambitious and daring project in its day: the first half hour lacks a single line of dialogue, yet still manages to touch our hearts and make us smile… and let’s not forget that it tells a post-apocalyptic story in a subtle, intelligent way. In the second half, it’s more of a typical movie, but it also surprises us with a very Orwellian critique of the lazy capitalist society we have become.
7. The Incredibles
One of the best superhero movies of the past decade, The Incredibles is a real masterclass on how to construct a complex world in just two hours. The first hour focuses on the Parr family, their powers, and the post-superhero world they live in. The second hour shakes up the status quo with action and battles that, far from being superfluous, advance the relationships of the main characters. And obviously, it’s thoroughly entertaining for both adults and the little ones in the family.
6. Inside Out
It’s one of Pixar’s smartest movies, and the reasons are twofold. On the one hand, for its portrayal of the complex, abstract world of emotions and the importance of them all. And on the other, for getting its message across in a great way: with two adorable protagonists, Joy and Sadness, who need to return to their command center before their owner, a girl on the cusp of adolescence, gets overwhelmed by the changes in her everyday life. To get there, Joy and Sadness will travel across her mind and discover a series of places and allies.
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5. Ratatouille
Ratatouille is a movie about art. Yes, yes, we know the plot centers on a rat that’s actually the best chef in all of Paris, who controls a human from inside his hat and so on. But beyond that, we find notions about what art is, what it means to create, and how important it is to connect with the hearts and souls of those around us.
4. Finding Nemo
The reason why Finding Nemo is such a moving film lies with its director, Andrew Stanton. The movie is the culmination of years of wanting to exorcise his guilty memories of having overprotected his son. Anyone who has been a parent or had a child in their care will identify so much with the main character, a nervous clownfish who must find his lost son with the help of a memory-impaired blue tang.
3. Coco
It’s no big secret that one of the main themes of Pixar movies is family. But Coco explores this subject in a radically different way: through magical realism (so typical and unique to Latin American art) and overflowing dreamlike animation, Coco tells the story of Miguel, a boy who will travel across the Land of the Dead to unravel the truth behind a family curse that stands in the way of his dream of becoming a guitarist.
2. Toy Story
Okay, the animation is really showing its age. But, 25 years after its premiere, the story and characters of Toy Story are still as fresh as they were the first day. And now that we’re a bit more mature, we can rewatch it with new eyes. We’ll discover it’s a very melancholic film; it all starts with Woody’s obsession with wanting to preserve the good old days. Reluctant to accept the changes that come along with the new toy Buzz, he’ll cause a whole series of disasters, action sequences, and laughter, lots of laughter.
1. Toy Story 2
When someone says, “sequels are never any good,” remind them of The Empire Strikes Back or Toy Story 2. Woody’s adventure in pursuit of his true identity far outshines the original story, partly because it plays a lot with metalanguage and because it dares to be both cynical and subtle. It also dares to reduce the number of songs to just one (but what a song, we sigh just remembering it!), and it was a groundbreaking Pixar movie for revealing that the villain had been posing as an ally.
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