All 20 Pixar Movies Ranked from Worst to Best

Since its founding in 1986—with a then little-known Steve Jobs serving as a major shareholder—Pixar has established itself one of the greatest movie studios in Hollywood history.

In 2006, as a testament to its soaring success in animation, Pixar was acquired by its long-term rival Disney for a remarkable $7.4 billion. There were initial doubts and voices of disapproval over the merger—would Pixar still be the same once it was part of the Disney empire? But these concerns were quelled when, two years later, Pixar released Wall-E: a robot love story that immediately entered its canon of classics.

Pixar's breakthrough success came in 1995 with Toy Story, widely considered to be one of the best animated films ever made. It launched not only a new era of animation, but a new franchise as well—Toy Story 4 is due this year.

With further huge successes such as The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, and Up, Pixar now populates the imaginations of children worldwide—and a fair few adults as well.

There's much debate about which is the best Pixar movie; everybody has their own favorite. For some it's Finding Nemo, for others it's Ratatouille or Wall-E. Younger fans may choose Inside Out or Coco, while their parents may agree it's Toy Story, but argue over whether it's 1, 2 or 3.

So, in an attempt to find a consensus, Newsweek has combined critics' scores from Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic as well as users' scores from IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, to rank all 20 Pixar movies from worst to best.

20. Cars 2 (2011). Total score: 59.4%. IMDb users: 6.2. Metacritic: 57. Rotten Tomatoes: 5.5. Rotten Tomatoes users: 3.3. Metacritic users: 5.7.

Directed by: John Lasseter, Brad Lewis. Starring: Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Eddie Izzard, John Turturro, Bonnie Hunt, Thomas Kretschmann.

Plot summary: Star race car Lightning McQueen and his pal Mater head overseas to compete in the World Grand Prix race. But the road to the championship becomes rocky as Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage.

What the critics said: "The law of averages has finally caught up with the most remarkable studio in modern movie history, the dream factory that lived up to Buzz Lightyear's joyous cry of 'To infinity and beyond.' This frenzied sequel seldom gets beyond mediocrity." Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal.

19. Cars 3 (2017). Total score: 66.2%. IMDb users: 6.8. Metacritic: 59. Rotten Tomatoes: 6.1. Rotten Tomatoes users: 3.7. Metacritic users: 6.9.

Directed by: Brian Fee. Starring: Owen Wilson, Cristela Alonzo, Chris Cooper, Armie Hammer, Larry the Cable Guy, Bonnie Hunt, Kerry Washington.

Plot summary: Lightning McQueen sets out to prove to a new generation of racers that he's still the best race car in the world.

What the critics said: "The first Cars, such as it is, remains the most appealing in a relatively weak field. But if Cars 3 pays for another Ratatouille or Inside Out, I say: slum away, slum away." Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune.

18. The Good Dinosaur (2015). Total score: 68.2%. IMDb users: 6.7. Metacritic: 66. Rotten Tomatoes: 6.6. Rotten Tomatoes users: 3.6. Metacritic users: 7.

Directed by: Peter Sohn. Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Frances McDormand, Maleah Nipay-Padilla, Anna Paquin, Sam Elliott.

Plot summary: In a world where dinosaurs and humans live side-by-side, an Apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend.

What the critics said: "If The Good Dinosaur falls low in the rankings ... it is still leagues finer than the flurry of frenetic colors and screwball pacing of the standard children's animated movie." Alison Willmore, BuzzFeed News.

17. Cars (2006). Total score: 72.2%. IMDb users: 7.1. Metacritic: 73. Rotten Tomatoes: 6.9. Rotten Tomatoes users: 3.7. Metacritic users: 7.4.

Directed by: John Lasseter, Joe Ranft. Starring: Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, Paul Newman, Larry the Cable Guy, Cheech Marin, Tony Shalhoub, George Carlin.

Plot summary: A hot-shot race-car named Lightning McQueen gets waylaid in Radiator Springs, where he finds the true meaning of friendship and family.

What the critics said: "Pixar finally rolled out a clunker." Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer.

16. Brave (2012). Total score: 72.2%. IMDb users: 7.1. Metacritic: 69. Rotten Tomatoes: 7. Rotten Tomatoes users: 3.9. Metacritic users: 7.3.

Directed by: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, Steve Purcell. Starring: Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters, Robbie Coltrane, Craig Ferguson, Kevin McKidd.

Plot summary: Determined to make her own path in life, Princess Merida defies a custom that brings chaos to her kingdom. Granted one wish, Merida must rely on her bravery and her archery skills to undo a beastly curse.

What the critics said: "If the Walt Disney Studios logo were the only one on Brave, this film's impeccable visuals and valiant heroine would be enough to call it a success." Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times.

15. Monsters University (2013). Total score: 72.6%. IMDb users: 7.3. Metacritic: 65. Rotten Tomatoes: 6.8. Rotten Tomatoes users: 4. Metacritic users: 7.7.

Directed by: Dan Scanlon. Starring: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Helen Mirren, Sean Hayes, Alfred Molina.

Plot summary: A look at the relationship between Mike and Sulley during their days at Monsters University—when they weren't necessarily the best of friends.

What the critics said: "The latest Pixar offering charms in an excessively familiar way that illustrates a troublesome eventuality: Pixar has lost its edge." Eric Kohn, indieWire.

14. A Bug's Life (1998). Total score: 74.4%. IMDb users: 7.2. Metacritic: 77. Rotten Tomatoes: 7.9. Rotten Tomatoes users: 3.3. Metacritic users: 7.8.

Directed by: John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton. Starring: Kevin Spacey, Dave Foley, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Hayden Panettiere, Phyllis Diller, Richard Kind, David Hyde Pierce, Denis Leary.

Plot summary: A misfit ant, looking for "warriors" to save his colony from greedy grasshoppers, recruits a group of bugs that turn out to be an inept circus troupe.

What the critics said: "A Bug's Life may be the single most amazing film I've ever seen that I couldn't fall in love with ... It's so obsessed with wowing you, in every corner of every frame, that as a movie it doesn't quite breathe." Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly.

13. Finding Dory (2016). Total score: 76.4%. IMDb users: 7.3. Metacritic: 77. Rotten Tomatoes: 7.6. Rotten Tomatoes users: 4.1. Metacritic users: 7.4.

Directed by: Andrew Stanton, Angus MacLane. Starring: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O'Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Ty Burrell, Diane Keaton, Eugene Levy, Idris Elba, Dominic West, Kate McKinnon.

Plot summary: The friendly but forgetful blue tang fish, Dory, begins a search for her long-lost parents, and everyone learns a few things about the real meaning of family along the way.

What the critics said: "It's watchable, with all the wonderful animation technique that we are in danger of taking for granted. But it's basically a footnote or retread of the movie which melted everyone's heart 12 years ago." Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian.

12. Incredibles 2 (2018). Total score: 80%. IMDb users: 7.8. Metacritic: 80. Rotten Tomatoes: 7.8. Rotten Tomatoes users: 4.2. Metacritic users: 8.

Directed by: Brad Bird. Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner, Catherine Keener, Eli Fucile, Bob Odenkirk, Samuel L. Jackson, Brad Bird.

Plot summary: The Incredibles hero family takes on a new mission, which involves a change in family roles: Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible) must manage the house while his wife Helen (Elastigirl) goes out to save the world.

What the critics said: "It's good—funny, smart and contemporary. By definition it can't be as groundbreaking as the first film, but never does it feel like a cash grab." Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic.

11. Monsters, Inc. (2001). Total score: 80.4%. IMDb users: 8.1. Metacritic: 78. Rotten Tomatoes: 8. Rotten Tomatoes users: 3.8. Metacritic users: 8.7.

Directed by: Pete Docter, David Silverman, Lee Unkrich. Starring: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Mary Gibbs, Steve Buscemi, James Coburn, Jennifer Tilly.

Plot summary: In order to power the city, monsters have to scare children so that they scream. However, the children are toxic to the monsters, and after a child gets through, two monsters realize things may not be what they think.

What the critics said: "Staggeringly generous with its witty lines, its allusions, above all with its sheer visual spectacle." Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian.

10. The Incredibles (2004). Total score: 81.8%. IMDb users: 8. Metacritic: 90. Rotten Tomatoes: 8.3. Rotten Tomatoes users: 3.4. Metacritic users: 8.8.

Directed by: Brad Bird. Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, Holly Hunter, Jason Lee, Eli Fucile, Spencer Fox, Sarah Vowell, Brad Bird.

Plot summary: A family of undercover superheroes, while trying to live the quiet suburban life, are forced into action to save the world.

What the critics said: "Made with so much wit, such cinematic savvy, and such a brilliant instinct for the way real bodies move through space, that it has more ontological authenticity than a lot of films featuring people who actually exist." David Edelstein, Slate.

9. Toy Story 2 (1999). Total score: 82.2%. IMDb users: 7.9. Metacritic: 88. Rotten Tomatoes: 8.6. Rotten Tomatoes users: 3.5. Metacritic users: 8.8.

Directed by: John Lasseter, Ash Brannon, Lee Unkrich. Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Don Rickles, Annie Potts.

Plot summary: When Woody is stolen by a toy collector, Buzz and his friends vow to rescue him, but Woody finds the idea of immortality in a museum tempting.

What the critics said: "In the realm of sequels, Toy Story 2 is to Toy Story what The Empire Strikes Back was to its predecessor, a richer, more satisfying film in every respect." Todd McCarthy, Variety.

8. Finding Nemo (2003). Total score: 84.2%. IMDb users: 8.1. Metacritic: 90. Rotten Tomatoes: 8.7. Rotten Tomatoes users: 3.8. Metacritic users: 8.7.

Directed by: Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich. Starring: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe, Allison Janney, Geoffrey Rush, Barry Humphries.

Plot summary: After his son is captured in the Great Barrier Reef and taken to Sydney, a timid clownfish sets out on a journey to bring him home.

What the critics said: "A visual marvel, every frame packed to the gills with clever details, Finding Nemo is the best big-studio release so far this year." David Ansen, Newsweek.

7. Coco (2017). Total score: 84.2%. IMDb users: 8.4. Metacritic: 81. Rotten Tomatoes: 8.3. Rotten Tomatoes users: 4.5. Metacritic users: 8.3.

Directed by: Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina. Starring: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Edward James Olmos.

Plot summary: Aspiring musician Miguel, confronted with his family's ancestral ban on music, enters the Land of the Dead to find his great-great-grandfather, a legendary singer.

What the critics said: "It's a whimsical, touching and heartfelt celebration of Mexican traditions and folklore, and it's one of the more original stories the acclaimed animation studio has told in years." Britton Peele, Dallas Morning News.

6. Up (2009). Total score: 84.4%. IMDb users: 8.3. Metacritic: 88. Rotten Tomatoes: 8.7. Rotten Tomatoes users: 3.8. Metacritic users: 8.8.

Directed by: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson. Starring: Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, John Ratzenberger, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai.

Plot summary: Seventy-eight year old Carl Fredricksen travels to Paradise Falls in his home equipped with balloons, inadvertently taking a young stowaway.

What the critics said: "Rarely has any film, let alone an animated one powered by the logic of dream and fantasy, been able to move so successfully—and so effortlessly—through so many different kinds of cinematic territory." Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times.

5. Ratatouille (2007). Total score: 85%. IMDb users: 8. Metacritic: 96. Rotten Tomatoes: 8.5. Rotten Tomatoes users: 3.9. Metacritic users: 8.6.

Directed by: Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava. Starring: Brad Garrett, Lou Romano, Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Brian Dennehy, Peter O'Toole, Janeane Garofalo, Will Arnett.

Plot summary: A rat who can cook makes an unusual alliance with a young kitchen worker at a famous restaurant.

What the critics said: "Brad Bird wrote and directed Ratatouille and tops his previous work. Since his work includes The Iron Giant and The Incredibles, this puts him somewhere between Chuck Jones and Michelangelo." David Edelstein, New York Magazine/Vulture.

4. Toy Story (1995). Total score: 86.4%. IMDb users: 8.3. Metacritic: 95. Rotten Tomatoes: 9. Rotten Tomatoes users: 3.7. Metacritic users: 9.

Directed by: John Lasseter. Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles.

Plot summary: A cowboy doll is profoundly threatened and jealous when a new spaceman figure supplants him as top toy in a boy's room.

What the critics said: "As The Lion King did before it, Toy Story revived the art of American children's animation, and ushered in a set of smart movies that entertained children and their parents. It's a landmark movie, and doesn't get old with frequent repetition." Michael Booth, Denver Post.

3. WALL·E (2008). Total score: 87.4%. IMDb users: 8.4. Metacritic: 95. Rotten Tomatoes: 8.5. Rotten Tomatoes users: 4.2. Metacritic users: 8.9.

Directed by: Andrew Stanton. Starring: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, Sigourney Weaver.

Plot summary: In the distant future, a small waste-collecting robot inadvertently embarks on a space journey that will ultimately decide the fate of mankind.

What the critics said: "It is a story about love and loneliness, perseverance and triumph, the possibilities and pitfalls of human existence. That this story is told by way of the exploits of a tiny, faceless robot only makes it more extraordinary." Christopher Orr, The New Republic.

2. Inside Out (2015). Total score: 87.6%. IMDb users: 8.2. Metacritic: 94. Rotten Tomatoes: 8.9. Rotten Tomatoes users: 4.3. Metacritic users: 8.7.

Directed by: Pete Docter, Ronnie Del Carmen. Starring: Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Kaitlyn Dias, Kyle MacLachlan, Diane Lane.

Plot summary: After young Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco, her emotions—Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness—conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house, and school.

What the critics said: "A bold, gorgeous, sweet, funny, sometimes heartbreakingly sad, candy-colored adventure that deserves an Academy Award nomination for best picture." Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times.

1. Toy Story 3 (2010). Total score: 87.8%. IMDb users: 8.3. Metacritic: 92. Rotten Tomatoes: 8.9. Rotten Tomatoes users: 4.3. Metacritic users: 8.9.

Directed by: Lee Unkrich. Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty, Don Rickles, Michael Keaton.

Plot summary: The toys are mistakenly delivered to a day-care center instead of the attic right before Andy leaves for college, and it's up to Woody to convince the other toys that they weren't abandoned and to return home.

What the critics said: "This film—this whole three-part, 15-year epic—about the adventures of a bunch of silly plastic junk turns out also to be a long, melancholy meditation on loss, impermanence and that noble, stubborn, foolish thing called love." A.O. Scott, New York Times.