5. Coco (42)
Kevin: It’s a rare thing for a movie to make you appreciate life while offering a comforting vision of death. Coco’s Rivera family, living and dead, reminds us of the loved ones that make life worth living, and how they’re never really gone as long as we remember them. Hector’s rendition of Remember Me for baby Coco still warms my icy heart.
Ryan: Tears. I was SOBBING the first time I watched this. If an animated movie can genuinely pull at your heart strings enough to make a grown 24 year old man cry? You gotta be in the Top 5. Looks beautiful, every person can relate to it, and super creative.
Connor K: Awesome story, best music out of any Pixar, colorful and clever.
T-4. Up (47)
Ryan: I was in AWE of this movie the first time I saw it. Didn’t know it was possible to stuff that much charm into one film. The bond that forms between Karl and Russel, the humor from Kevin and Doug and the other talking dogs, and the absolutely bonkers plot just makes this not even my favorite Pixar movie but one of my favorite movies period. Not to mention the GORGEOUS score that ties it all together. And of course, both in the first ten minutes and after Karl looks at the Adventure Book all filled up…WATERWORKS.
Emma: First of all: one of the most iconic (and sad) scenes in animation history was displayed in Ellie and Carl’s relationship montage. Carl, Russell, and Dug are the ultimate trio: they bring out the best in each other even though they get annoyed with one another, and they defy stereotypical friendships (age, human/dog, personalities). Just to add: so rarely do I have a laugh out loud moment at a movie theater. This sounds so lame but I could not stop laughing at the squeaky voice Alpha the villain dog had. Top scene: Ellie and Carl relationship.
Conor L: Fun, funny, and packing an emotional punch – it’s hard not to love Up. The beloved opening sequence is Pixar at it’s best, but the whole movie is special.
T-4. The Incredibles (47)
Connor K: My favorite animated film, bar none. Humor, action, intrigue, excitement, fear… this one has it all for me. James Bond meets childhood adventure/action fantasy.
Ryan: Absolute HEATER. This movie is better than like half the Marvel movies and better than 100% of the DC movies. It doesn’t lose your attention for one second and blends action and humor so perfectly. This is a CAN NOT SKIP whenever it’s on TV and it took way too long for us to get a sequel (which except Toy Story 3 is pretty easily the best Pixar sequel).
2. Toy Story (57)
Matt: My personal favorite Pixar film. The fact that it was the very first entirely computer-animated feature film and it is nearly perfect really amazes me. It revolutionized the entire industry. And it gave us an all time song in “You’ve Got A Friend In Me”.
Emma: Toy Story carries Pixar. That’s all I have to say. Seriously, it made Pixar what it is today. The movie was so good, that people became a part of Pixar animation fandom. Top scene: the Claw.
Conor K: Not only the most “iconic”, but the original Pixar film for me. Every time I watch, it brings me back to being a kid again. Oh, and it’s hilarious and a brilliant story
1. Finding Nemo (63)
Emma: Finding Nemo is another instant classic. Let’s start with the animation itself – broke boundaries. Breakthrough color and level of detail. Finding Nemo is the perfect name – because it’s not necessarily about Nemo, it’s about the journey and encounters along the way. It focuses on the friendship development of Marlin, a fish desperate and determined to find his son, and Dory, a forgetful fish with lots of positive energy. Throughout the film, the instances show how incompatible the duo are, however, they realize they would rather be together than alone – we learn Marlin couldn’t find nemo without Dory’s help, who at first seemed a hindrance. Top scene: Toss up between swimming with Crush in the currents and Darla and the tank.
Connor K: The most visually stunning Pixar film for me, and it did a ton of new things that went on to influence the future of Pixar films moving forward. Also hits the feels pretty hard
Kevin: Finding Nemo’s appeal is simple: it’s fun. It’s unmatched combination of action, comedy, and colorful—(literally and figuratively)—characters makes for an endlessly re-watchable romp. Marlin is the protagonist, but the vast ocean of adventure is the star.
[…] Though it took him longer than his peers to climb the Pixar ranks to feature film director, Unkrich has proven he belongs with the best of them. The degree of difficulty is his projects is unmatched: revisiting the Toy Story series that we had placed on a glistening pedestal in our collective memories for 11 years, and an almost-musical set in the Mexican Land of the Dead. Yet he is the only director with multiple films in the official CreativeEqual Top 5. […]
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