(Photo by Pixar / courtesy Everett Collection)
All Pixar Movies Ranked By Tomatometer
When Disney distributed Pixar’s Toy Story as an autumn alternative to traditional 2D animated features in 1995, could the studio have predicted that it would instead set the gold standard and template for theatrical cartoons for decades to come? After all, the slide from peak Disney Renaissance had only just begun (their releases that year were Pocahontas and A Goofy Movie) and Pixar was up to that point a studio that only made commercials and shorts; a feature-length 3D animated movie was a miracle in of itself, and they were not equipped to churn out quality yearly releases like Walt Disney Animation.
Pixar’s follow-up took three years to hit theaters, and though A Bug’s Life is looked back on in the canon as a minor Pixar effort, everyone in 1998 rushed out to see it, and it again ended up grossing more than Disney’s then recent works like Hercules and Mulan. 1999’s Toy Story 2 was a cultural event, and established Pixar as the one to take animation to the highest heights in the new century. What followed was a then-unprecedented run of Certified Fresh hits and box office smashes, from Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo to The Incredibles, WALL-E, and Up.
2011’s Cars 2 broke the streak with Pixar’s first Rotten film, and the studio has since spent the past decade oscillating between returning to the sequel well (Monsters University, Finding Dory) and pulling up original property (Coco, Inside Out), closing out with Toy Story 4. For 2020, Onward was pulled from theaters after two due to the pandemic, while Soul went straight to Disney+ in hopes of salvaging a year of chaos. Now, let’s take a long look at the past 25 years, ranking all Pixar movies by Tomatometer!
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#24
Adjusted Score: 47345%
Critics Consensus: Cars 2 is as visually appealing as any other Pixar production, but all that dazzle can't disguise the rusty storytelling under the hood.
Synopsis: Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) takes a detour into international espionage when he and Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) head overseas...
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#23
Adjusted Score: 79147%
Critics Consensus: Cars 3 has an unexpectedly poignant story to go with its dazzling animation, suggesting Pixar's most middle-of-the-road franchise may have a surprising amount of tread left.
Synopsis: Blindsided by a new generation of fast cars, Lightning McQueen finds himself pushed out of the sport he loves. With...
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#22
Adjusted Score: 81918%
Critics Consensus: Cars offers visual treats that more than compensate for its somewhat thinly written story, adding up to a satisfying diversion for younger viewers.
Synopsis: A rookie race car (Owen Wilson) that only cares about winning learns what is really important in life after getting...
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#21
Adjusted Score: 85109%
Critics Consensus: The Good Dinosaur delivers thrillingly beautiful animation in service of a worthy story that, even if it doesn't quite live up to the lofty standards set by Pixar, still adds up to charming, family-friendly entertainment.
Synopsis: With help from a friendly Neanderthal boy (Jack Bright), a young dinosaur (Raymond Ochoa) embarks on an epic adventure to...
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#20
Adjusted Score: 89625%
Critics Consensus: Brave offers young audiences and fairy tale fans a rousing, funny fantasy adventure with a distaff twist and surprising depth.
Synopsis: A courageous Scottish princess (Kelly Macdonald) must figure out how to undo a beastly curse after an eccentric witch (Julie...
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#19
Adjusted Score: 88468%
Critics Consensus: Offering Monsters, Inc. fans a return visit with beloved characters, Monsters University delivers funny and thoughtful family entertainment for viewers of any age.
Synopsis: Back in their college days, Mike Wazowski's (Billy Crystal) fierce rivalry with natural-born Scarer Sulley (John Goodman) gets them both...
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#18
Adjusted Score: 105594%
Critics Consensus: It may suffer in comparison to Pixar's classics, but Onward makes effective use of the studio's formula -- and stands on its own merits as a funny, heartwarming, dazzlingly animated adventure.
Synopsis: Teenage elf brothers Ian and Barley embark on a magical quest to spend one more day with their late father....
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#17
Adjusted Score: 110038%
Critics Consensus: Slight but suffused with infectious joy, the beguiling Luca proves Pixar can play it safe while still charming audiences of all ages.
Synopsis: A boy tries to help his best friend hide a fantastical secret -- he turns into a sea monster whenever...
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#16
Adjusted Score: 97561%
Critics Consensus: A Bug's Life is a rousing adventure that blends animated thrills with witty dialogue and memorable characters - and another smashing early success for Pixar.
Synopsis: An inventor ant teams up with other insects to keep a gang of grasshoppers from terrorizing his colony....
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#15
Adjusted Score: 113843%
Critics Consensus: Incredibles 2 reunites Pixar's family crimefighting team for a long-awaited follow-up that may not quite live up to the original, but comes close enough to earn its name.
Synopsis: Elastigirl springs into action to battle a cybercriminal who plans to hypnotize the world through computer screens. That leaves Mr....
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#14
Adjusted Score: 110352%
Critics Consensus: Funny, poignant, and thought-provoking, Finding Dory delivers a beautifully animated adventure that adds another entertaining chapter to its predecessor's classic story.
Synopsis: With help from Nemo (Hayden Rolence) and Marlin (Albert Brooks), Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) the forgetful fish embarks on an epic...
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#13
Adjusted Score: 113422%
Critics Consensus: A film as beautiful to contemplate as it is to behold, Soul proves Pixar's power to deliver outstanding all-ages entertainment remains undimmed.
Synopsis: Joe is a middle-school band teacher whose life hasn't quite gone the way he expected. His true passion is jazz...
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#12
Adjusted Score: 106424%
Critics Consensus: Wall-E's stellar visuals testify once again to Pixar's ingenuity, while its charming star will captivate younger viewers -- and its timely story offers thought-provoking subtext.
Synopsis: After years of tidying up an Earth devoid of humanity, a robot janitor (Ben Burtt) meets a mechanical scout and...
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#11
Adjusted Score: 102861%
Critics Consensus: Clever, funny, and delightful to look at, Monsters, Inc. delivers another resounding example of how Pixar elevated the bar for modern all-ages animation.
Synopsis: A blue behemoth (John Goodman) and his short, one-eyed assistant (Billy Crystal) work in a giant factory that exists to...
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#10
Adjusted Score: 104751%
Critics Consensus: Fast-paced and stunningly animated, Ratatouille adds another delightfully entertaining entry -- and a rather unlikely hero -- to the Pixar canon.
Synopsis: A Parisian rat (Patton Oswalt) who enjoys fine food lives beneath a famous restaurant and longs to be a great...
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#9
Adjusted Score: 105091%
Critics Consensus: Bringing loads of wit and tons of fun to the animated superhero genre, The Incredibles easily lives up to its name.
Synopsis: Now fighting boredom in suburbia, a former superhero (Craig T. Nelson) and his family get a chance to save the...
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#8
Adjusted Score: 114509%
Critics Consensus: Coco's rich visual pleasures are matched by a thoughtful narrative that takes a family-friendly -- and deeply affecting -- approach to questions of culture, family, life, and death.
Synopsis: Accompanied by a charming trickster, a young musician embarks on an extraordinary journey through the colorful Land of the Dead...
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#7
Adjusted Score: 121158%
Critics Consensus: Heartwarming, funny, and beautifully animated, Toy Story 4 manages the unlikely feat of extending -- and perhaps concluding -- a practically perfect animated saga.
Synopsis: Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the rest of the gang embark on a road trip with Bonnie and a new toy...
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#6
Adjusted Score: 108181%
Critics Consensus: An exciting, funny, and poignant adventure, Up offers an impeccably crafted story told with wit and arranged with depth, as well as yet another visual Pixar treat.
Synopsis: A 78-year-old balloon salesman (Ed Asner) ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies to South America, but discovers...
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#5
Adjusted Score: 109335%
Critics Consensus: Deftly blending comedy, adventure, and honest emotion, Toy Story 3 is a rare second sequel that really works.
Synopsis: Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen) and the rest of the toys find themselves dumped in a day-care center after...
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#4
Adjusted Score: 116072%
Critics Consensus: Inventive, gorgeously animated, and powerfully moving, Inside Out is another outstanding addition to the Pixar library of modern animated classics.
Synopsis: An 11-year-old girl's (Kaitlyn Dias) five emotions try to guide her through a difficult transition after she moves from the...
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#3
Adjusted Score: 108313%
Critics Consensus: Breathtakingly lovely and grounded by the stellar efforts of a well-chosen cast, Finding Nemo adds another beautifully crafted gem to Pixar's crown.
Synopsis: A clown fish (Albert Brooks) embarks on a journey to find his son (Alexander Gould) after losing him in the...
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#2
Adjusted Score: 106934%
Critics Consensus: Entertaining as it is innovative, Toy Story reinvigorated animation while heralding the arrival of Pixar as a family-friendly force to be reckoned with.
Synopsis: A flashy new action hero's arrival creates upset in a community of toys that comes to life when people are...
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#1
Adjusted Score: 108723%
Critics Consensus: The rare sequel that arguably improves on its predecessor, Toy Story 2 uses inventive storytelling, gorgeous animation, and a talented cast to deliver another rich moviegoing experience for all ages.
Synopsis: When a toy collector kidnaps Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the other toys band together to bring him home....
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