My Top 10 Favourite Pixar Movies Part 2 (Disney 100th Anniversary Special)

Continued from Part 1.

Number 5: The Cars Trilogy

Yes, I unironically enjoy the Cars films. Sue me. =P While they wouldn't make a best Pixar movies list, they're still among my favourite Pixar films and while many Pixar fans kinda view them as the black sheep of the company, I enjoy them for what they are.

The Cars trilogy are films that I enjoy for how much fast-paced action we get in them with all the racing scenes, the various different cars we see in all three movies and how the cast is literally colourful with all the different car designs and colour schemes making them all stand out from one another. The world itself DOES require a lot of suspension of disbelief to get into, that I agree on, but I feel they still get creative on how a world full of sentient cars would operate and to me at least, it's believable. The racing scenes are often the highlights of these movies (less so the second one but I enjoy that one for the action scenes and interesting plot) and the animators always make them look so cool whenever they happen. But the stories of these films are also worth a mention as yes, they may not be Pixar's strongest plots ever, they are still well-told and have Pixar's usual flair of great character writing and emotional moments. Cars and Cars 3 were very solid in that department especially what with Doc Hudson's past in the first movie and Lightning's arc in the third movie.

When it comes to the movies, I say Cars 3 is the best of the trilogy but Cars 2 is the one I enjoy watching the most. Yes I GENUINELY like Cars 2. You may look down on me in shame now. XD I really like Cars 2 for its clever spy story that adds more to the world of cars by showing how espionage works in this universe and even if it feels less like a sequel and more of a spin-off movie, I still have a good time watching it because of how damn fun it is. :D But I enjoy the entire trilogy for all they have to offer and contrary to what many Pixar fans feel, I really like these films and feel they deserve more love.

Are they the best Pixar has to offer? No. But do I still enjoy them? YES. The Cars trilogy is one race I'm always happy to participate in...

Number 4: Toy Story 2 & Toy Story 3

A legitimate tie here for I love both of these sequels.

Toy Story 2 was the movie that solidified Pixar's status as an animation powerhouse and also showed Pixar can do good sequels as well as good movies while Toy Story 3 was the movie that made history as the first animated film to gross $1 billion worldwide and is widely considered to be Pixar's best movie ever made. I know if this was a best list, both these movies would be in the Top 5 as they are for my favourites list here because man did Pixar go hard on these sequels and give us a pair of masterpieces!

Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3 are sequels that not just follow on brilliantly from the first movie, but EVOLVE the franchise too with their plots growing bigger and bigger as we learn about Woody being part of a franchise and having to escape from a greedy toy collector and watch the toys have to deal with the part they've all been dreading since the first film: the day Andy finally outgrows them. These movies feel like logical extensions of what came before and it's what makes them such solid sequels to Toy Story. And not only do the plots and stakes get bigger than before, but the emotional core hits even harder too with both movies earning a reputation as big Tear Jerkers. I'll even admit that Toy Story 3 nearly had me breaking down when I watched it. Just who knew movies about sentient toys could make people cry?

And as I say, these sequels don't just feel like follow-ups, they feel like an evolution and they take us places the first film didn't take us before and they give us exciting climaxes that make even the first movie feel small by comparison whether it's Woody and Jessie escaping the aeroplane or the entire scene in the trash compactor that genuinely had audiences thinking the toys were going to die! No joke, people genuinely feared that was gonna happen! And what also makes these sequels so good is that they have satisfying endings that make them feel like a complete package by the time you're done. It's a pity they had to undermine Toy Story 3's perfect ending with Toy Story 4 but hey, at least that film was pretty decent in its own right even if I'd have happily gone without it.

Still, Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3 are among Pixar's best works and they're among my favourites for that very reason. Emotional, gripping, exciting, tear-jerking and constantly building up on what came before to evolve the franchise, these toys aren't just toys to be played with. They're collector's items that should be displayed and admired for years to come...

Number 3: WALL.E

There was a time where I was just OBSESSED with this movie and to this day, I STILL love it. And I'm not the only one who loves it too. My friend, The Wandering Fox, even reviewed it earlier this year and had nothing but praise for it.

If any movie could be considered Andrew Stanton's magnum opus, it's this one. WALL.E is a movie like nothing Pixar has made before or since with it's somewhat dark story that shows a bleak future for mankind and only a single robot operating in the present day and how it's mostly reliant on visuals for its story rather than dialogue. And all of that is to the film's strengths for WALL.E tells its story so beautifully with the minimal dialogue and fantastic visual story-telling it crafted and the film is constantly engaging from beginning to end as we watch WALL.E fall in love with EVE, leave the Earth with her, explore the Axiom and try to get the humans back to Earth. It never misses a beat throughout and it really does so well on giving us this great story. The slower pacing and minimal dialogue help to give the story time to breathe and manages to still make it an engaging watch throughout.

The characters are also a highlight for me with WALL.E and EVE being the most adorable pair of robots ever animated onscreen, AUTO being a fascinating villain and Captain McCrea being a captain who seeks more in life after doing nothing for so long. It's even he who gives us the best line in the movie: "I don't want to survive Auto! I wanna LIVE!"

That line just hits me every time. And the movie is also strong when it comes to its emotional scenes, some of its comedy and most especially its romance. Seriously, only Pixar could've given us such an adorable romance between a pair of robots. They handled it so well and made it insanely appealing and I just love watching them fall in love all over again whenever I watch the movie.

With its brilliant story, gorgeous animation, endearing cast, relevant social commentary and cute romance plot, WALL.E is a well-oiled machine that is in no need of repair for it functions well enough as it is...

Number 2: A Bug's Life

Given my review on it last year, nobody should be surprised that it's this high on the list. It's not just one of my favourite Pixar movies, but one of my favourite movies PERIOD.

A Bug's Life is one of Pixar's more overlooked works as I've said before and it really shouldn't be because of what a strong second outing for the studio it was. The plot manages to be an exciting and fun watch thanks to how it takes advantage of the cast being insects and how at that size, just about anything can be a threat to you like a bird, a swarm of insects or even rain. Many of the action scenes have forever cemented themselves in my mind because of how well-executed and thrilling they were to watch and it makes for an incredibly memorable viewing experience as a result. Even the soundtrack adds to the enjoyment factor of this movie and makes this movie seem epic and gigantic despite being about tiny little bugs. Fitting for "an epic of miniature proportions" as the tagline would say. XD

A Bug's Life is also enjoyable for its memorable cast of characters that give us a variety of insects to see and many of them have their own quirky charm like the circus bugs or are interesting for how they're developed like with Princess Atta. We even have Hopper whom to this day remains one of Pixar's most intimidating villains they've ever created. Combine that with a pitch-perfect voice cast and you have a group of characters that only add to the film's enjoyment. The animation, while a little dated, still holds up brilliantly too and is a large part of why the action scenes are so memorable and exciting. They really show just what kind of chases and near scrapes a bug can get into and they make the danger feel so real for these bugs.

Incredibly memorable, wonderfully voice-acted, exciting to watch, beautifully animated, full of charming characters and also giving us a lot of fun moments, this is a movie that may give you a new appreciation on bugs. Who knew a bug's life could be so awesome to watch...

And my Number 1 Favourite Pixar Movie Is...Inside Out

I consider this to be Pixar's best movie they've ever made and it's also one of my all-time favourite movies so of course it was going to be Number 1.

Inside Out is just something else when it comes to animated films. I mean a movie that's all about what goes on in your mind? That has so much creative potential that I can't even imagine how I'd craft such a movie! And yet Pete Docter managed it and gave us a movie that isn't just great, but incredibly thought-provoking and psychological to watch. The story is amazingly clever with how it executes such a complex concept and plays it out in a way both kids and adults can follow and also feels painfully relatable in regards to Riley and her development over the course of the movie. But the biggest one for me is the message of the movie and how much it really meant to me at the time it came out. How so?

By the time this movie came out, I was frequently suffering from panic attacks and becoming depressed with anxiety so this movie REALLY spoke to me and I don't exaggerate when I say that. It told me that it's OK to be sad and that it's healthy to have all these emotions and that you should open up about them. In order to be mentally healthy, you need to be open about your emotions and there's no shame in that. Talk to people, spill your heart out, don't bottle up your emotions and let people in so they can heal you, that's what I learned from this film and it more than helped my problems. It's a solid lesson and a VERY important one to take away from this beautiful movie. All I can say is thank you Pixar for making this movie at just the time I needed it, and I imagine many others will share my thoughts on that too.

When the movie isn't trying to make you cry or think about yourself, it's also managing to be really enjoyable with its colourful and creative animation that makes the inside of your head look like a fascinating place to be and it really takes advantage of what it has to offer to make the story feel engaging and gripping to watch. Watching Joy and Sadness try to get back to headquarters and discover more about themselves is compelling stuff and we root for them to make it back so that Riley can be happy again. And of course, they even manage to get some creative jokes out of the premise too as Pixar is quite good at doing.

With its powerful story-telling, psychological feel, thought-provoking messages, compelling characters, sensational voice-acting, spectacular animation and strong emotional core, Inside Out is the movie I don't think Pixar will ever top and is easily their magnum opus. And all that is why it is easily my Number 1 Favourite Pixar Movie...

And that's all I have for this one. I hope you liked my selection and as usual, feel free to share your comments down below. Which Pixar movies are your favourites? Which ones make your Top 10? I'd love to hear. Next week, we celebrate Halloween as I count down the Top 10 Best DreamWorks Villains. See you then media fans!