Complete list of movies from best to worst

No animation company has made us laugh as loudly and cry as much as Disney's Pixar.

From the best friendship between Woody and Buzz in Toy Story to the touching moments in Coco and Up that brought us to tears, Pixar has been entertaining kids of all ages for three decades with a range of beloved films and even a few Oscar winners. Inside Out is one of them, winning the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2016. And the emotional crew is back in the new sequel Inside Out 2 (in theaters now).

How does it compare to the rest of the Pixar canon? We've ranked all 28 films so far from worst to best. (And if you need to catch up, the previous films are streaming on Disney+.)

28 “Cars 2: The Return” (2011)

Oh yeah, Cars 2. What can I say about you? You were the movie that made us lose faith in Pixar for a moment. We understand why you exist, we get that, but we prefer to pretend otherwise.

27. “Cars 3” (2017)

What sets the third installment in the Cars franchise apart is that it is not Cars 2. Although the voice cast is enriched by a long list of talented actors (including Kerry Washington and Chris Cooper), it is, on the whole, just a slightly less disappointing Cars movie.

26. “Cars” (2006)

Do we see a pattern here? Unfortunately, the “Cars” sequels have somewhat tarnished the memory of the original. We're not mad about the first “KACHOW!” festival, but Lightning McQueen and Co. just don't blow you away like many Pixar films.

25. “Arlo & Spot” (2015)

“Arlo & Spot” has a bad reputation. The film is far from being a first-class Pixar film, but the story of a dinosaur and a Neanderthal boy has a lot of heart – and a film with Sam Elliott as a T. Rex can't be all bad.

24. “Onward” (2020)

We'll always refer to this film as “the film about the pants.” This unusual fantasy road movie is about two elf brothers (Chris Pratt and Tom Holland) who travel with their dead father's sentient legs – and learn to say goodbye to him in the process.

23. “Monsters University” (2013)

Monsters, Inc. has one of Pixar's best endings, so it was best that the studio didn't make a sequel. The prequel they made instead is entertaining — think of Monsters, Inc. for kids — but it lacks the sense of wonder and themes about childhood that made the original so great.

22. “Elemental” (2023)

Like Zootopia but with more casual racism, the film goes overboard in its attempt to be both a buoyant romantic comedy and an emotional immigrant story. We love the fiery Ember (Leah Lewis) and the sensitive, moody Wade (Mamoudou Athie) as a couple.

21. “Brave” (2012)

Brave had so much potential and gave Pixar its first female protagonist, but it just didn't work out. Maybe it was the story structure, the subpar humor, or failed attempts at feminism. The lesson here: fairy tales are pure old-school Disney.

20. “Lightyear” (2022)

In Pixar's metaversion of “Star Wars,” the straightforward sci-fi spin-off “Toy Story,” Chris Evans (aka Captain America) plays the young Buzz Lightyear, who trains a group of rookies to take on the evil Zurg and actually creates a meaningful LGBTQ moment in the process.

19. “The Incredibles 2” (2018)

The sequel came out 14 years after the original thrilled audiences in theaters. Since then, superhero cinema has dominated, and Brad Bird's visual style and humor seem less novel. Nevertheless, it's an entertaining ride with many of the family themes that made the first part great.

18. “A Bug's Life” (1998)

Not all Pixar projects have to be complicated and emotionally manipulative. Sometimes all it takes is a kids' movie to be about little critters, and this underrated gem is refreshing with its simple premise, slapstick humor, and lovable cast of stubborn ants and quirky bugs.

17. “Finding Dory” (2016)

Another Pixar sequel made more than a decade after the original film, Dory primarily explores themes of family and loneliness, but most importantly, it puts Ellen DeGeneres' forgetful title fish in the spotlight, giving her disability depth and context.

16. “Toy Story 4” (2019)

Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) are back for a Toy Story that's more adventurous than most, but still offers a poignant farewell to our favorite cowboy and space ranger. We also have Forky, a spork with a death wish who is pure chaos and utterly charming.

15. “Luca” (2021)

Young sea creature Luca explores the world outside the ocean with Alberto, a slightly older half-human, half-fish. The queer allegory is unmistakable as Luca grapples with identity, prejudice and acceptance, and learns the meaning of chosen family during an unforgettable Italian summer.

14. “Soul” (2020)

This jazzy riff on humanity and the afterlife brings a cartoon New York to vibrant, diverse life with Pixar's first black lead character, a music teacher (played by Jamie Foxx) who meets a jaded soul (Tina Fey) and asks big questions about the meaning of life.

13. “Toy Story 3” (2010)

It's perhaps the most millennial film Pixar has ever made. Andy prepares for college in a story about life's transition and the inevitability of death – heady material for a kids' film, but one that miraculously works. It's also the rare kids' film that portrays daycare as a mad prison state.

12. “Up” (2009)

Fun fact: There's more to this movie than just the opening salvo of utter emotional devastation. Imagine telling this story: Who wants to see a movie about an old man, an outcast child, a talking dog, and another old man who's a villain? Up shouldn't be this haunting, but it is.

11. “Toy Story 2” (1999)

All of the Toy Story films are about growing up and drifting apart, but none are as sad as the second film, which introduces Jessie (Joan Cusack), a toy whose owner has grown up and moved on. The film maintains the essential franchise theme while cleverly expanding the universe.

10. “Turning Red” (2022)

Like Inside Out, Turning Red is about a young girl learning to control her emotions. Here, it's a smart, boy-crazy Chinese-Canadian teenager in the midst of puberty who learns that there's no need to hide the ugly sides of herself in a combination of coming-of-age film and kaiju flick.

9. “Ratatouille” (2007)

One of Pixar's most serious films, Ratatouille turns a rat into a thoroughly lovable hero. Combine that with one of the studio's best supporting characters, restaurant critic Anton Ego (Peter O'Toole), and this film manages to feel as intimate as a Parisian dinner.

8. “Inside Out 2” (2024)

In the sequel, Anxiety (voiced by Maya Hawke) enters the emotional mix and chaos reigns inside and outside the now teenage Riley. It's a smart and ambitious take on puberty, and many children (and adults) will find themselves recognizing the honest portrayal of mental health issues.

7. “Finding Nemo” (2003)

The seafaring tale of an overprotective father (voice: the inimitable Albert Brooks) searching for his lost son is one of Pixar's most overt stories, aimed at both parents and children, but it never allows the emotion to overshadow the comedy.

6. “Toy Story” (1995)

This revolutionary film was a pioneer of computer animation and contained all the ingredients that have become Pixar's trademark: emotional storytelling, action sequences, insights into the nature of humanity, an all-star cast of voice actors and protagonists you would never have thought of yourself.

5. “WALL-E” (2008)

With such a harsh history for humanity, it helps to have a protagonist as innocent and (literally) wide-eyed as the titular trash compactor robot, who is left all alone on a devastated planet Earth. A scathing critique of consumerism that is nonetheless a very entertaining film for children (and many adults).

4. “Inside Out” (2015)

The first part of Inside Out brought a child's mind to life in a wonderful and imaginative way. It's a crazy adventure in which cheerful Joy (Amy Poehler) and gloomy Sadness (Phyllis Smith) must find common ground, but also a heartbreaking story that reminds parents that time flies and children grow up fast.

3. “Coco” (2017)

Musically, magically and visually magnificent, Pixar's adventure in the land of the dead showed the studio a new way to address loss and grief. We challenge you not to cry during the last 10 minutes of the hauntingly beautiful (and Oscar-winning) “Remember Me.”

2. “Monsters Inc.” (2001)

It's easy to forget that the buddy comedy starring John Goodman and Billy Crystal is essentially about two guys working at a power plant. The fact that it's also about childhood, the loss of innocence, our true fears and the nature of good and evil makes it one of Pixar's most imaginative films.

1. “The Incredibles” (2004)

Sorry, Marvel, but this is still the best Fantastic Four movie ever made. A family of superheroes with secret identities star in an entertaining masterpiece around Identity: A middle-aged couple finds each other again and the children search for their place in the world.

Featuring: Kelly Lawler and Patrick Ryan