Toys, Monsters, Feelings: All 31 Pixar Movies, Ranked

Pixar has been making movies that make grown adults cry over toys, robots, fish, and floating houses since 1995. Somebody had to rank them all, and it might as well be us.
I sat down with CableTV.com’s Craig Stirland to sort every Pixar movie into tiers. We argued a little, agreed more than I expected, and found out one of us has never seen “Seven Samurai” (this will make sense later). Then we checked our list against the CableTV.com staff’s personal favorites and internal rating system to break the ties.

If a movie is marked “Staff Pick,” at least one person on our team calls it a favorite.

Every movie on this list streams on Disney+.

31. “Cars 2” (2011)

The first “Cars” has a real fan on our team (more on that later). Even he says “Cars 2” is “absolutely terrible,” and I’m not about to argue. Turning Mater into an accidental spy pulls the franchise away from everything that made the original good. Lightning McQueen ends up a side character in his own sequel. The only redeeming part is the pistachio ice cream bit.

30. “The Good Dinosaur” (2015)

This was a hard one, because it’s my three-year-old son’s favorite movie — but I can’t help that he has bad taste. Visually, it’s not bad, but the story is so slow, and as Craig so eloquently put it, “boring.” If you’re the one other person who thinks it belongs higher, fight us in the comments.

29. “Cars 3” (2017)

“Cars 3” is a step closer to the heart of the first movie, with Lightning McQueen figuring out what comes after racing. It’s a perfectly fine movie that most of us forgot existed. When half your ranking panel hasn’t watched it, that should tell you something.

28. “Lightyear” (2022)

The idea is fun, but this doesn’t come close to capturing the feeling of any of the five Toy Story films. We probably won’t rewatch it unless someone gives us a very good reason.

27. “Brave” (2012)

I’ll be honest: I don’t think I’ve ever paid full attention to “Brave.” That probably says it all. The bear-transformation plot feels more like a regular fairy tale than a Pixar original (or maybe just “Brother Bear”?). We can’t go much higher than this, but we’ll hear the defense.

26. “Elio” (2025)

A lonely kid gets beamed into an intergalactic council and mistaken for Earth’s ambassador. It’s not great, but it’s watchable, which is a weird thing to say about a Pixar movie. The alien designs are adorable. It just doesn’t land like most other Pixar movies do.

25. “Monsters University” (2013)

It’s fine, but it’s obviously not “Monsters, Inc.” Seeing Mike and Sulley as rival college kids is a fun idea, and some of it’s cute. It just doesn’t have a Boo — and for that reason, I’m out.

24. “Finding Dory” (2016)

If I’m being honest, “Finding Dory” just isn’t as good as the original. Dory is great in small doses, but a whole movie built around her memory loss gets repetitive. Hank is a highlight, though.

23. “Inside Out 2” (2024)

Is it as good as the first one? No, and we’ll say that. But Anxiety is a great addition, and watching her take over Riley’s mind is funny in a way that feels a little too real. It’s a solid sequel that proves there’s plenty left to explore.

22. “Onward” (2020)

“Onward” came out right as the world shut down in 2020, and I’ll always associate it with lockdown. I feel like that gave this movie an unfair chance without a real theatrical release. Chris Pratt and Tom Holland are great as elf brothers on a quest to spend one more day with their dad. If you have a sibling, the ending hits harder than you’d think.

21. “Toy Story 5” (2026)

Some of us were stoked to get another Toy Story movie. Others wonder when Pixar is going to let our childhoods rest. “Toy Story 5” introduces Lilypad, the tablet that steals Bonnie’s attention. It’s fun, but it’s hard to compete with ones that came before it.

20. “Toy Story 4” (2019)

After “Toy Story 3”, a fourth movie felt like a risk. It’s a heavy one, too, with Woody questioning what being a toy even means once his kid doesn’t need him. Forky, the spork with an identity crisis, turned out to be a polarizing addition not too different from the great Jar Jar Binks debate. Overall, it’s fine, it just doesn’t come close to the first three.

19. “Incredibles 2” (2018)

We waited 14 years for this sequel, and the excitement may have set our expectations too high, but it’s not a bad movie. Elastigirl gets the spotlight while Bob struggles with a baby with superpowers. The villain twist is easy to see coming, which keeps it a step below the original.

18. “Luca” (2021)

This one divided us. I personally love the animation style, while Craig said, “The sea monster faces freak me out a little.” But I really enjoyed this movie. It’s a low-stakes Italian summer tale about two friends hiding a big secret. I’m fine with it right here.

17. “Turning Red” (2022) — Staff pick

If we were ranking Pixar movies by their songs, “Turning Red” would be in the top 3, easily. 4*Town’s “Nobody Like U” has been stuck in my head for years. Beyond the boy band, this movie is a funny and relatable metaphor for being 13. It’s one of our team’s favorites for a reason.

16. “A Bug’s Life” (1998) — Staff pick

Fun fact: “A Bug’s Life” has basically the same plot as “Seven Samurai”. A colony hires a band of “warriors” to defend it, but the warriors turn out to be circus performers. I think it often gets overshadowed by “Toy Story”, but it’s definitely worth a rewatch.

15. “Soul” (2020) — Staff pick

“Soul” is a good movie, but I’m not sure it’s a great one. People seem to either really love it or really hate it, and I’m somewhere in the middle. The jazz score is incredible, but it does feel a little heavy for something that’s meant for kids. It’s a favorite of at least one person on our team, and I get it.

14. “Cars” (2006)

Craig thinks “Cars” is phenomenal, and he’d put it near the very top. I’ve got it a little lower, but I won’t pretend it isn’t good. I took my son to see this in theaters for the 20 year anniversary of its release (chat, am I old?) and I did catch myself tearing up a little bit at the end of the Piston Cup race.

13. “Elemental” (2023)

I feel like nobody saw this movie, and that’s a shame. I showed it to my sister, and a few days later I came home to find her watching it again, by herself, in tears. That’s a sneaky-good movie. The fire-and-water romance is done well here, and it’s a sweet story about immigrant families.

12. “Toy Story 2” (1999)

Our next potentially hot take: the “Toy Story” sequels give the original a run for its money. “Toy Story 2” gives us Jessie, Bullseye, and the Prospector. It also gives us the scene where a toy cleaner restores Woody, which is one of the most oddly satisfying moments Pixar has ever animated. Then “When She Loved Me” plays, and the tears start.

11. “The Incredibles” (2004) — Staff pick

We rated this one on a count of three and landed in the same place. “The Incredibles” is a superhero movie, a spy movie, and a family sitcom at the same time. Even if superhero movies aren’t your thing, it’s worth watching for the comedy and the one-liners. No capes!

10. “Monsters, Inc.” (2001) — Staff pick

“Monsters, Inc.” is great, and we didn’t need to debate it. Sulley and Mike are one of Pixar’s best duos, and Boo is so cute that I tear up when she gets scared.

9. “Finding Nemo” (2003) — Staff pick

My kid loves “Finding Nemo,” which means I’ve seen it more times than I can count. It still holds up. An anxious clownfish dad crossing the ocean to find his son is Pixar at its best. Top-tier, no question.

8. “Hoppers” (2026)

I’m full sending this one. I’d never been speechless after a movie until “Hoppers”. I gasped out loud in the theater. The premise sounds silly: a student transfers her consciousness into a robotic beaver to talk to animals and save their habitat. But it is genuinely funny, wild, and moving. If you haven’t seen it yet, consider this my official recommendation.

7. “Inside Out” (2015) — Staff pick

This movie has everything: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, Disgust, and one very tragic imaginary friend (pour one out for Bing Bong). “Inside Out” is a great film for all ages, in my opinion. People may be mad that we didn’t put it even higher, but luckily, this is the perfect movie to teach them how to regulate their anger.

6. “Ratatouille” (2007) — Staff pick

A rat who wants to be a chef shouldn’t work, and yet, “Ratatouille” is one of Pixar’s funniest movies. The scene where Anton Ego takes one bite and flashes back to his childhood might be the best food moment in film. And, the music is fantastic.

5. “Toy Story” (1995) — Staff pick

The one that started it all. “Toy Story” was the first fully computer-animated feature film, and 30 years later, it still holds up. Pixar wouldn’t exist without it, and we respect it for that. Just don’t put me in a room with that baby head with robot spider legs.

4. “Toy Story 3” (2010)

Out of every Toy Story movie, this is the one most likely to make you cry. Andy is heading to college, the toys end up at a day care that’s basically a prison, and the incinerator scene is still one of the most intense moments in any animated movie. Catch me crying during the final scene with Bonnie.

3. “Coco” (2017) — Staff pick

“Coco” is so good, and so beautiful, that there was no way we could put it any lower. The Land of the Dead is one of the best worlds Pixar has ever built. “Remember Me” is a beautiful song that hits completely differently the second time it’s sung. Bring tissues for the ending.

2. “WALL-E” (2008) — Staff pick

I’m a huge “WALL-E” fan. Pixar made a movie where the first 30 minutes barely have dialogue, and it’s still one of the most expressive films they’ve ever made. A lonely trash-compacting robot falls in love with EVE and accidentally saves humanity. The music, the robots, the romance: all perfect.

1. “Up” (2009) — Staff pick

The opening montage of Carl and Ellie’s life together is one of the best scenes in film, period, and it makes me cry 100% of the time. Then the movie turns into an adventure with a floating house, talking dogs, and a giant bird named Kevin. “Up” is funny, heartbreaking, and hopeful, sometimes all within the same scene.

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