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In My Opinion: Ranking Pixar's First Ten Films

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Ranking Pixar's First Ten Films

I wanted to post this list the same week Pixar's Up hit theaters, but I didn't want to put it together before rewatching a few of the Pixar films I hadn't watched for some time. Most notably was Monsters, Inc., which I had only seen once and definitely needed to revisit. I also rewatched Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug's Life, Cars and Finding Nemo. Yeah, it's been all Pixar all the time for the past week around my house and I'm not complaining. Now, let's see how things worked out…

A Bug's Life (1998)
I rewatched this one when Disney released it on Blu-ray last month and I while I still like this film I was surprised at how simple the story is considering how much more elaborate Pixar storytelling has gotten. A Bug's Life is a cute little movie with cute characters and a neat and tidy moral to the story, but when it comes to the overall list of films from Pixar it falls to the bottom of the pile for me.
Toy Story 2 (1999)
If I'm not mistaken, most people actually like the sequel to Toy Story more than the original. Don't count me in that group. Toy Story 2 is a bit of a disappointment in comparison to the original if you ask me, even if it does have a couple of clever moments. Perhaps my favorite being Zurg and Buzz playing a bit of catch together near the end. However, the film as a whole just never quite clicked with me.
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
This is the one Pixar film I had to make sure to watch again before putting this list together considering the first time I watched it I was bored stiff. While the second time around didn't necessarily blow me away, I was able to enjoy it much more than I remembered. I'll be anxious to watch it again when it hits Blu-ray (hopefully later this year). Maybe it's another one of those films that will grow on me over time.

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Post #1
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I don't think I can rank all the Pixar films. I love them all. But I do know I would rank "Cars" last because despite good characters and animation, the story was too simplistic and the pace was too slow. Plus, that movie did not need to be nearly 2 hours long!

I have thought it through, and I actually think my favorite Pixar film was "Up." It was a beautiful film. I have never cried in a movie before but that beginning montage had me nearly choking up. Plus I could listen to Michael Giacchino's score all day. (Even though I liked his music for "Ratatouille" a bit better.)

- NackAttack
( June 15th, 2009 | 5:55 am )
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Post #2
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For me:

1. Toy Story
2. Up
3. The Incredibles
4. WALL-E
5. Cars
6. Monsters Inc.
7. Toy Story 2
8. Ratatouille
9. Finding Nemo
10. A Bug's Life

Love 'em all, though.

- Bustray
( June 15th, 2009 | 6:05 am )
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Post #3
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For me it's like

1. Wall-E
2. Finding Nemo
3. Ratatouille
4. The Incredibles
5. Toy Story 2

the other five follow in no particular order. Love 'em all anyway.

- Nick
( June 15th, 2009 | 7:29 am )
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Post #4
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My Top 5 Pixar

1. Finding Nemo – still groundbreaking – the movie that propelled Pixar into a Great Movie Studio and not just Great Animator. With a wonderfully complex yet deceptively simple storyline, with so many twists you just can't foresee.

2. Wall-E – a very close runner up. Stunning, original, funny, provoking. Not quite the multi-faceted story that Nemo offered however, so it only gets the silver medal in my book

3. Toy Story – brilliant and SO funny.

4. Toys Story 2 – I agree with you that TS2 does not quite have the potential of TS1. It's also a bit more "adult" as the theme about a collector is quite lost on younger kids who just do not follow that logic.

5. Ratatouille – I still think of this move as a lot of slightly missed opportunities, and perhaps lacking in a wider narrative theme that connects across the ages. But it is special and unique and wonderful to watch.

Note: I have not yet seen Up and I think it will become a member of my top 5 when I do.

I am not a fan of Cars which gets my number 10 spot, mostly because it is derivative, a totally unoriginal story too heavy on the Capra nostalgia. It's never a good sign when you realize it might as well have been done by Dreamworks. Also, the whole sponsorship theme leaves most non-american kids completely bewildered – they have no clue what this is all about.

- Amberdragon
( June 15th, 2009 | 8:20 am )
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Post #5
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1. The Incredibles
2. Finding Nemo
3. Monsters Inc.
4. Ratatouille
5. Toy Story 2
6. Toy Story
7. Up
8. A Bugs Life
9. Wall-E
10. Cars

I'm sorry, but I don't see what all the buzz about wall-e is about. Sure its a cute movie, but whats so "spectacular" and "new-landmark-in-animation-and-film" about it? The WHOLE POINT of the movie is to demonize corporate America. Am I missing something?

- Ryan
( June 15th, 2009 | 8:50 am )
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Post #6
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I agree about Wall-E not being that great

for me it was like, yeah we get it, he makes cute noises. it just got old. sure it is beautiful to look at, but that doesn't necessarily make a good movie

- Nick
( June 15th, 2009 | 10:00 am )
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Post #7
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My list goes like this:

10. A Bug's Life
9. Toy Story 2
8. Cars
7. Monster's Inc
6. WALL-E
5. Up
4. Ratatouille
3. The Incredibles
2. Toy Story
1. Finding Nemo

- Shawn
( June 15th, 2009 | 10:31 am )
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Post #8
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@Ryan: I think you are probably missing something. The WHOLE point of the film isn't to demonize corporate America, obviously, even if it doesn't paint capitalism in great light. How many movies in the recent history of Hollywood have had a main character that only says three words? Even if you can't connect with the themes I think you have to give a lot of credit to the classical story telling techniques employed by Pixar for Wall-e.

1.) Wall-e
2.) Cars – This is the film that gets demonized, but still I couldn't help but love it.
3.) Finding Nemo
4.) Ratatouille – their greatest screenplay, very unpredictable
5.) Up – the ending blew my mind, how depressing yet fitting

- Harry
( June 15th, 2009 | 11:17 am )
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Post #9
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No way is The Incredibles worse than Cars or Finding Nemo. I find it vastly more entertaining and humorous, not to mention clever, than either of those other films, which I consider far too kiddy, especially Nemo. I've never understood why people loved that movie so much. I found it to be extremely bland, uninspired, and cheesy, especially compared to other Pixar films, almost all of which are exemplary. Good call on Wall-E, though.

- ChristianH
( June 15th, 2009 | 12:19 pm )
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Post #10
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1. Ratatoullie
2. Monster's Inc.
3. The Incredibles
4. Toy Story
5. A Bug's Life
6. Toy Story 2
7. Up
8. Finding Nemo
9. Cars.
10. Wall-E

I know my list is opposite of most people's. . .i didn't really like finding nemo, cars, or wall-e though

- popeofchina
( June 15th, 2009 | 12:37 pm )
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Post #11
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1) Finding Nemo
2) Toy Story
3) Up
4) Wall-E
5) Monster's Inc
6) Cars
7) Ratatouille
8) The Incredibles
9) Toy Story 2
10) A Bug's Life

- Roger
( June 15th, 2009 | 12:58 pm )
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Post #12
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Nice to see someone else's list! I think it says something about the quality of Pixar's output that there's not one clear "best" (though there's a couple of pretty clearly defined "worsts," for some definition of "worst").

10. A Bug's Life (1997)
9. Cars (2006)
8. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
7. Toy Story 2 (1999)
6. Up (2009)
5. Ratatouille (2007)
4. Toy Story (1995)
3. WALL-E (2008)
2. Finding Nemo (2003)
1. The Incredibles (2004)

- Allen
( June 15th, 2009 | 1:20 pm )
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Post #13
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Oooooh, very interesting way to start off the Monday, Brad.

MY LIST

10. BUG'S LIFE
I haven't watched this one in the longest time. I probably should though sometime. In fact, I haven't watched it since I was a kid probably! I remember not liking it too much. The ending where Hopper gets graphically eaten by birds freaked me out as a kid like no other. So yeah… don't care for this one at all really. Haha. Is it a bad movie? No. But it's not very memorable either.

9. CARS
It's entertaining! Definitely not up to par with a lot of other PIXAR flicks. The story doesn't capture me all that much, and the pace is quite slow. If I wanted to fall asleep to a movie, then this is the perfect choice (does anyone know what I mean? 'cause that's meant as a compliment). The characters are very amusing and I like the Doc Hudson/Lightening McQueen rapport. It's OK, but definitely not special. I don't mind it though.

8. FINDING NEMO
I like this one. They wrote solid, very funny characters (the freaks Nemo gets stuck with, and come on.. a fish that has short-term memory loss. Just think about it. It's hilarious. Whose idea was that? Hahaha) and some very stunningly beautiful sequences but once again.. I just didn't connect to it. How do I put this? It's not like I was bored. I was engaged, but I wasn't emotionally connected. It wasn't very relatable to me and movies have to relate to me too in order to completely win me over. This just has the laugh and entertainment factor for me and that's it. Whenever it gets dramatic, it felt a tad cheesy. It's why it's a bit lower on the list, but it's still a great film.

7. MONSTERS INC.
Love this movie. Mike and Sully are a perfect comedic pairing. This is a movie where I don't have to relate to enjoy – everything else is top notch. It's a clever flick with a peculiar, fascinating imagination and a solid, lasting plot. This film has a very entertaining, silly attitude and is just darn sweet. I really, really like this one.

6. WALL-E
Ahhhh.. the one aspect of this film that won me over was the romance. It is POWERFUL. Honestly… who knew you could relate to a robot? It's heartbreaking. It's relatable and so honest and gorgeous and… ah. The moment where Eve watches previously-taped footage of WALL-E doing all those things for her. Seriously, this movie knows how to get you. Wonderful, dazzling little film.

5. TOY STORY
Looks like I'm one of the people who likes the 2nd one a litttttle bit more. That doesn't mean this one is by any means and anywhere near bad though. I grew up on this film. I had Woody and Buzz Lightyear toys of my own. My gosh, this is part of my childhood. It's a classic film. It still makes you laugh, smile really big, and just feel your heart warmed after almost 15 years. This one is special.

4. THE INCREDIBLES
Come on dude… it's everything that's wonderful about retro action and adventure films (James Bond, Indiana Jones) packed into a spectacular, impressive, creative superhero pic. I love Brad Bird. He knows how to make movies. You know that magic you get when you watch the Indiana Jones films? Like when Indy is fighting somebody, and you're like "Kick him out of the car!" or "Run him over!", and then Indy does just what you wanted? This film has that magic. It's also very smart, and humorously inventive, and it's really just a good time. You can tell they were having fun and the fun is extremely contagious.

3. TOY STORY 2
Everything you loved about the first film with a few new additions. Don't care too much for Jessie but she's bearable. Either way, this is actually more mature than the first one and I like that. I watched it a few weeks ago, and it actually almost made me tear up. It's sad! Had no clue of it when I was a kid but when you watch it now.. the theme, the idea… completely and painfully heartbreaking. And then the nostalgia factor kicks in too. Thankfully, it's also very funny and silly.

2. UP
Saw it the day after it's release. WOW. The first PIXAR movie to make me cry. Way more than once. With a lump in my throat. Who knew, right? So, so heartbreaking. That musical score. Come on. It knows how to make you chill up and cry. Thankfully, it's not a total downer and it's actually WILDLY and CREATIVELY hilarious and adventurous. I really, really like it. I wanna see it again. It's truly a beautiful, beautiful film. Not only does it inspire you to go out and hold onto your loved ones, but it makes you want to live every day to it's fullest. And if a film inspires me, makes me cry, and makes me laugh out several times… it's got me.

and 1….

1. RATATOUILLE
Didn't manage to make me cry, but being an aspiring filmmaker and actor, it completely inspired me with it's moral, and it still does every time I watch it. It's UNIQUE all around and it's unpredictable, and it's very creative. And I love creativity. Some parts do make me have major chills, but never to the point of crying. It is powerful though, and extremely sweet and cute, and just a lovely little film. My favorite PIXAR film ever, and it's a hard one to beat. Love it.

:]

- Chuck Bartowski
( June 15th, 2009 | 2:44 pm )
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Post #14
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In 2001, after the release of Monsters, Inc. I realized something: even though I had enjoyed all of Pixar's films up until that point, they got any better than Toy Story. Alas, even though it makes me feel like a traitor – neither Toy Story nor its 1999 sequel make it into Pixar's top 5 films and surprisingly it's the story of a little robot who doesn't speak English that is the masterpiece which sits atop the mountain.

1. Wall-E
2. Finding Nemo
3. The Incredibles
4. Ratatouille
5. Up
6. Toy Story
7. Monsters, Inc.
8. Toy Story 2
9. Cars
10. A Bug's Life

- The Jackal
( June 15th, 2009 | 3:55 pm )
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Post #15
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1.Wall-E
2.UP (nipping at Wall-E's heels)
3.Ratatouille
4.The Incredibles
5.Toy Story 2
6.Finding Nemo
7.Monsters Inc.
8.Toy Story
9.A Bug's Life
10.Cars

Overall, it is a great library of 10 films (thus far). Even their much maligned film (Cars) is something that I will willingly sit through over the Madagascar movies, Over the Hedge, Robots, Ice Age movies, and most other animation. The question now is whether Pixars next 10 films will match and even surpass the first 10 collectively.

- Raichu
( June 15th, 2009 | 8:21 pm )
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Post #16
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I believe that if we are very good in this life we go to Pixar when we die. That said, having a young child really puts ones love for even the greatest of films to the test. My list is based on how many times I saw it in the theater/my gut reaction of being asked to watch it multiple times in one week. This is distinct from artistic & technical merit, but a key component of what makes a great movie from a parental point of view.

1. Up
2. Cars
3. Finding Nemo
4. Ratatouille
5. Monsters Inc.
6. The Incredibles
7. Toy Story 2
8. WALL-E
9. Toy Story
10. A Bug’s Life

- mergyeugnau
( June 15th, 2009 | 9:06 pm )
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Post #17
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It's like rating your own children. But here goes:

Wall-E
Up
The Incredibles
Finding Nemo
Ratatouille
Toy Story
Monsters, Inc.
A Bug's Life
Toy Story 2
Cars

Keep in mind, though, that I have only watched "Monsters, Inc.," "Toy Story 2," and "Cars" once.

- JM
( June 15th, 2009 | 9:40 pm )
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Post #18
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1. Ratatouille
2. The Incredibles
3. Toy Story
4. Toy Story 2

5. Finding Nemo

- antonioara
( June 16th, 2009 | 12:35 pm )
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Post #19
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1. Ratatouille
2. Wall-E
3. Finding Nemo
4. Up
5. Toy Story 2
6. The Incredibles
7. Toy Story
8. Monsters, Inc.
9. A Bug's Life
10. Cars

I have to say that this may have been the toughest top 10 I ever put together. How could I put The Incredibles at 6? Then I look at 1 through 5 and realize that I had to put that movie at 6. Even their worst film, Cars, is still a damn good movie. I find Toy Story 2 to more satisfying story wise that Toy Story but that's not to say that Toy Story isn't a superior film. Ratatouille is my favorite mainly due to my recent obsession with Food Network, which made me appreciate the culinary world in that film more. I can't see what else these guys will have coming out of the gate.

- The Check Spot
( June 16th, 2009 | 4:31 pm )
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Post #20
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I find this such a wonderful and interesting topic. :) I agree with an above poster, that said how amazing Pixar is to have so many different films and there is not any clear winner. While it is SO hard to pick my top 5 here it is:

5. Ratatouille – When I first saw this film and the rats fell out of the ceiling, I thought I was done with it! I HATE rats! But once I got past that part, the film was so beautiful, and the characters are so enjoyable. I loved it! And I continue to watch it very often. It leaves such a good (no pun intended) taste in my mouth.

4. WALL E – I wasn't very keen on seeing this film. It so screamed out anti-capitalism to me. But I kept an open mind, and went to see it. I was VERY surprised at how much I liked it. :) Not only does it have a wonderful romantic quality to it, I enjoyed the 'no talking' aspect of it as well. Films that don't use a lot of language speak so much more!! It makes you pay attention to the characters body language, and I feel like you can read their feelings easier. I give a standing ovation to the animators for achieving this!!! I didn't really see the anti-capitalism in this film. I saw more of what happens when the government gets involved with businesses (cough * GM * cough). And the people's dependance on the government for things. Instead of getting off their floating chairs, and feeling the joy in accomplishing things themselves. An amazing achievement in animation, and storytelling.

3. Up – This film has it all! Drama, Comedy, and most important of all, heart. Thank goodness for my 3D glasses! I was happy that they were hiding my tears, but when I looked around everyone else (including my Husband) had tears in their eyes. I was quite surprised that they included some very real and sad, situations.
SPOILER ALERT: the miscarriage of their baby
But that is the magic of PIXAR, they are not afraid to incorporate 'adult' themes into their films. You can see a million of the Dreamworks films, which in my opinion are very childish. I don't think it qualifies as Dreamworks if there isn't at least one bowel movement in it. They don't have the strong stories, and characters, that PIXAR takes the time to achieve.

2. The Incredibles – The super hero family is such a fantastic subject to me. Sure it has some similar subjects as other super hero films. But I LOVE every single character. Be they good or evil. From Mr. Incredibles annoying boss, to little adventurous Dash, to the clueless babysitter. All of the characters have some quality that captures my attention. I love how this family has the same problems as any other family. Violet has a hard time feeling self worth, and the once shy girl, becomes the confident young woman. :) Dash wants to be himself, but can't because of the fear of backlash from society. Syndrome gets let down by his role model, and the way he deals with being denied. There is so much I love in this film, it isn't just action. It has character development, drama, comedy, and just about everything else! I am always hooked from beginning to the end. It will probably always remain in my top 5.

1. Finding Nemo – Being a big time scuba diver, this film just puts me in the water, and gives me the feeling I'm really in the ocean. :) They did such an amazing job of capturing the spirit of ocean life. Even though the story may be simple, the comedy Ellen brings, and the sense of desperation from Marlin and his impossible quest to find his boy makes this film my #1.

Any of these films could be my #1, but how can you choose? I can't wait for the next Pixar film! And what about Pixar's shorts? They are just fantastic!

- Kara Thrace
( June 16th, 2009 | 7:08 pm )
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Post #21
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1. Finding Nemo
2. Up
3. Wall-E
4. Monsters Inc.
5. The Incredibles
6. Toy Story
7. A Bug's Life
8. Ratatouille
9. Toy Story 2
10. Cars

- Sarah
( June 16th, 2009 | 9:05 pm )
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Post #22
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Hmmmm

10. A Bug's Life
9. Cars
8. Finding Nemo
7. The Incredibles
6. Toy Story
5. Toy Story 2
4. Ratatouille
3. Monsters Inc.
2. Up
1. WALL-E

But really…..I love them all! Great characters and plots in each of them!

- Pimentel
( June 19th, 2009 | 2:18 am )
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Post #23
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this is a tough call, but if i have to pick my top three…

#1 – Wall-E
my family and i watched this together at home and all of us enjoyed the film, even my 2 year old nephew! and when you watch this film, you literally watch it, you have to rely on the facial expression or action of a robot (expression of a robot?, which doesn't even speak!

#2 – Finding nemo
i love dory! "are you my conscience?"

#3 – Ratatouille
kinda weird choice since in real life i really hate rats!

- destiny
( June 23rd, 2009 | 12:43 am )
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Post #24
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Are you guys crazy? No one has put Toy Story as the best pixar movie? I suggest you guys go back and watch that movie again. Heartwarming, incredibly original, and hilarious (hilarity being missing in many recent pixar films). And I can't for the life of me figure out why everyone has been putting A Bug's Life so low. A bug's life is again able to achieve and original and charming story while staying very funny. Anywho, here's my list.

1. Toy Story
2. A Bug's Life
3. Monster's Inc.
4. Up.
5. Toy Story 2
6. The Incredibles
7. Wall*E
8. Finding Nemo
9. Ratatouille
10. Cars

Don't get me wrong, I like all Pixar movies. Except for cars.

- Joey Joerson
( July 10th, 2009 | 7:47 am )
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Post #25
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OMG, i'm like the only one in my family and friends that liked cars. hehe
anyways, Wall-e is the best animation movie ever. Up was the only animation movie to ever cry. overall, i like all Disney movie, cartoon, CG, or real life.

- blkgrl
( July 22nd, 2009 | 9:56 am )
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Post #26
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1.Up
2.Ratatouille
3.Toy Story
4.The Incredibles
5.Wall-E
6.Monsters Inc.
7.Toy Story 2
8.Finding Nemo
9.Cars
10.A Bugs Life

Being an 3D animator myself I aspire to Pixar. I have seen Up 3 times already, twice at the BFI Imax and this movie is pretty much flawless in my book. Up until this point I didnt think they could surpass the quality of Ratatouille but with Up the finesse of character is awesome. The way they set up the movie in the first 3rd was incredible, every shot was like a painting. I absolutely loved the character developement and the movie brought me to tears as the guys at Pixar played with the audience like puppets.
The beauty of the animation in Ratatouille was what made this list a very difficult one to work out, but for me UP just edged it to number 1 because Pixar now seem to make CG animation look easy (a very difficult thing to achieve).

- Chris Hill
( October 18th, 2009 | 1:31 pm )
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