Pixar is known for making heartwarming, imaginative movies that are enjoyable for both kids and adults. Since the first Toy Story movie came out in 1995, the studio has leveraged animated storytelling to tap into the human experience in beautiful, unexpected and humbling ways.
Its filmmakers have explored our struggles with tragedy, loss and grief (including questions about the meaning of life), as well as our experiences with love, family and friendship. At its D23 fan event last summer, Disney announced upcoming projects including Toy Story 5 and Incredibles 3. Other upcoming films include Hoppers, which is slated for a March 2026 release, and Coco 2, which is set to debut in 2029. Pixar's latest film Elio, now in theaters, is a refreshingly original story about the power of imagination and the heaviness of grief.
All 29 Pixar Animation Studios films delve into emotional themes in different ways, which makes ranking them no easy task. It's inevitable this list will ruffle some feathers, but it's a testament to how much these movies mean to audiences.
In determining rankings, we examined five key attributes of each film: plot, characters, depth, cultural impact and rewatchability. This helped with the tough task of figuring out which of these truly great Pixar movies should top the list.
Here's our ranking of the best Pixar movies in order of least crowd-pleasing to the most beloved.
Screenshot by Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET 29. Cars 2 (2011) One Cars movie really would have been enough, but this was when Pixar was (unfortunately) deep in its sequels phase. It's no secret that this film wasn't a hit with audiences or critics, as it's the only Pixar movie so far to get a "rotten" score on Rotten Tomatoes. Cars 2 is one of those sequels that lacks a strong standalone script and instead relies heavily on the success of its predecessor. It also tends to focus more on action scenes than heartfelt moments, leaving viewers without the wonder and depth that have defined Pixar's other films. See at Disney Plus
Disney/Pixar 28. The Good Dinosaur (2015) Best known for its stellar animation, The Good Dinosaur is an incredibly heartfelt film that will leave anyone who's ever felt like an outcast empathizing with lead character Arlo, the black sheep of the family. It's a solid movie, but because Pixar's other films have set the bar really high in terms of creativity and storytelling, we're placing this one at number 28, as some of the scenes are a bit slower and redundant. (What's this? Yet another animal attack?) See at Disney Plus
Pixar 27. Cars 3 (2017) Somehow Pixar wasn't deterred by the lukewarm reception Cars 2 received. Thankfully, the third installment in the Cars franchise features a more enjoyable story (and more solid jokes), as we watch Lighting McQueen struggle to stay relevant in the quickly changing world of racing. It still doesn't quite stack up against Pixar's other offerings (it's hard to with sequels anyway), but it's a pretty good film, all things considered. See at Disney Plus
Pixar 26. Finding Dory (2016) Watching this Finding Nemo sequel felt like experiencing deja vu. (A lost fish looking for its parents? That sounds awfully familiar…) The film borrowed a little too heavily from the winning storyline of its predecessor, and without the same emotional depth. Still, it's a fun journey into what made Dory, a blue tang fish with memory loss, who she is. See at Disney Plus
Disney/Pixar 25. Lightyear (2022) Lightyear is one of the most visually stunning Pixar films to date. Epic animations of the vastness and beauty of space make for an alluring sci-fi movie, taking Pixar in a fresh direction. Admittedly, I'm not a huge fan of spin-offs, and it's hard to feel like this wasn't just an opportunity for Disney/Pixar to milk the hype around the Toy Story franchise. But it was nonetheless enjoyable to see the studio venture into new territory and push the limits of animation. Also, embarking in a new thematic direction means we get fewer of the tender moments that characterize other Pixar films like Inside Out, Up or even Toy Story. But that's not necessarily a bad thing, if you prefer a more action-focused storyline. See at Disney Plus
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