Every Pixar Movie Ranked
22. The Good Dinosaur (2015)
Budget: $200million
Box Office: $332.7million
Director: Peter Sohn
The Good Dinosaur starts with a strong premise. What if the infamous meteor that is thought to have wiped out the dinosaurs actually missed Earth 65million years ago and the dinosaurs were left to evolve instead of mammals? Strangely enough, even lacking the necessary opposable thumbs, vocal cords, and IQ, the dinos follow a similar path to humans, forging west into the Rocky Mountains, living on their own patch of land, and reaping what they sow. After a traumatic event, Arlo (Raymond Ochoa), a runty apatosaurus, is left to fend for himself in a harsh yet beautifully rendered environment.
The film, directed by Peter Sohn, was somewhat let down by its marketing team and is classified as Pixar’s first official flop. And it’s true, the action is slow, and somewhat predictable, and it relies too heavily on a wacky (and more or less pointless) cast of side characters for any humour. But the animation is stunning, and the emotional gut punch is strong. Spot and Arlo’s wordless communication of grief is one that will stay with you until the next evolutionary event hits the planet.
ML
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21. Finding Dory (2016)
Budget: $200million
Box Office: $1.029billion
Director: Andrew Stanton
Finding Dory was the long-awaited sequel of the much-loved Finding Nemo (2003). Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), everyone’s favourite forgetful fish, goes on an epic journey to find her family. Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Nemo (Hayden Roylence) are with her every (metaphorical) step of the way.
Unlike many Pixar offerings, the cast is a plethora of Hollywood stars. Ty Burrell’s concussed Beluga whale is a particular highlight. The impressive box office takings suggest that making the audience wait for the second part of this story was totally worth it. The film plays on a lot of riffs set up thirteen years earlier, but it doesn’t rely on them, managing to stay afloat on its own merit. The joy and support that comes with found family is clear in every frame.
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20. Luca (2021)
Budget: $200million
Box Office: $49.8million
Director: Enrico Casarosa
Luca sees Disney return to familiar ground: human/sea creature hybrids that feel like they don’t belong. Luca (Jacob Tremblay) and Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer) are sea monsters who appear as humans when on dry land, which they do as often as sea-creaturely possible. All they really want in life is to ride a Vespa. Luca is a funny and heartwarming tale about acceptance, growth, and friendship.
Enrico Casarosa steers this coming-of-age drama where the lush countryside and sparkling cerulean seas bring the Italian Riviera to life. Astonishingly, the production (and Dan Romer’s incredible score), happened remotely as the Pixar team worked from home during COVID-19 lockdowns. The pandemic also affected the film’s release, but it achieved the status of most-streamed film of 2021 and racked up 48 award nominations from Oscars to Golden Globes.
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