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USA Today
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
The definitive ranking of all 29 Pixar movies (including 'Elio')
The definitive ranking of all 29 Pixar movies (including 'Elio') Show Caption Hide Caption 'Elio' trailer: Boy meets alien BFF in Pixar's sci-fi movie A lonely 11-year-old boy dreams of being abducted by aliens and winds up on a spaceship in Pixar's animated sci-fi comedy "Elio." Love movies? Live for TV? USA TODAY's Watch Party newsletter has all the best recommendations, delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now and be one of the cool kids. No animation outfit has made us laugh as loud and cry as hard as Disney's Pixar. From the best friendship of Woody and Buzz in "Toy Story" to tear-jerking moments in "Coco" and "Up" that turned us into weepy mush, Pixar has been entertaining kids of all ages for three decades with a slew of beloved movies and even some Oscar winners. The latest is an original tale: The sci-fi comedy "Elio" (in theaters June 20) follows an 11-year-old boy (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) who wants desperately to be abducted by aliens and winds up going on an intergalactic adventure. How does it compare to the rest of the Pixar canon? We ranked all 29 movies so far, from worst to best. (And if you need to catch up, the previous films are streaming on Disney+.) 29. 'Cars 2' (2011) Oh, "Cars 2." What to say about you? You were the movie that made us lose confidence in Pixar, ever so briefly. We get why you exist, we do, but we'd prefer to pretend otherwise. 28. 'Cars 3' (2017) What the third installment in the "Cars" franchise has going for it mostly is that it's not "Cars 2." Despite adding a laundry list of talent (including Kerry Washington and Chris Cooper) to the voice cast, it's mostly just a slightly less disappointing "Cars" film. 27. 'Cars' (2006) Are we noticing a pattern here? The "Cars" sequels have unfortunately tarnished the memory of the original a little bit. We're not mad at the first "KACHOW!"-fest, but Lightning McQueen and Co. just don't bowl you over like many Pixar films do. 26. 'The Good Dinosaur' (2015) "The Good Dinosaur" gets an unfortunate rap. It's not top-tier Pixar by any stretch, but the tale of a dino and a Neanderthal boy has a big heart − and any movie with Sam Elliott as a T. rex can't be all bad. 25. 'Onward' (2020) We'll forever refer to this as "the movie about the pants." This offbeat fantasy road movie centers on two elf brothers (Chris Pratt and Tom Holland) traveling with their dead dad's sentient legs – and learning to say goodbye to him in the process. 24. 'Monsters University' (2013) "Monsters, Inc." has one of the best Pixar endings, so it was best the studio didn't make a sequel. The prequel they gave it instead is fun – think "Animal House" for kids – yet misses the sense of wonder and themes about childhood that made the original so great. 23. 'Elio' (2025) Pixar throws back to the days of "Explorers" and "The Last Starfighter" with this familiar sci-fi project, where a young boy disaffected by Earth gets abducted and becomes BFFs with an alien. Best for a kid who's never seen "E.T." 22. 'Elemental' (2023) Like "Zootopia" but with more casual racism, the film overreaches trying to be both peppy rom-com and emotional immigrant story. We do adore hot-tempered Ember (Leah Lewis) and sensitive watery sort Wade (Mamoudou Athie) as a couple, though. 21. 'Brave' (2012) "Brave" had so much potential and gave Pixar its first female protagonist, but it just couldn't click. Maybe it was the structure of the story, subpar humor or failed attempts at feminism. The lesson here: Fairy tales are strictly old-school Disney's game. 20. 'Lightyear' (2022) Pixar's meta version of 'Star Wars," the straightforward sci-fi "Toy Story" spinoff casts Chris Evans (aka Captain America) as a young Buzz Lightyear, who trains up a bunch of rookies to take on the evil Zurg, and actually pulls off a meaningful LGBTQ moment. 19. 'Incredibles 2' (2018) The sequel arrived 14 years after the original blew audiences away in theaters. Superhero cinema has dominated since then, and Brad Bird's visual style and humor feel less novel. Still, it's an entertaining ride with many of the familial themes that made the first one great. 18. 'A Bug's Life' (1998) Not all Pixar projects have to be convoluted and emotionally manipulative. Sometimes, it's fine for a kids' movie just to be about little critters, and this underrated gem is refreshing in its simple premise, slapstick humor and endearing cast of tenacious ants and quirky bugs. 17. 'Finding Dory' (2016) Another of Pixar's sequels more than a decade after the original film, "Dory" mostly recaptures the themes of family and loneliness but more importantly puts the spotlight on Ellen DeGeneres' forgetful title fish, giving depth and context to her disability. 16. 'Toy Story 4' (2019) Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) returned for a "Toy Story" that's more adventure-driven than others but still delivers a poignant sendoff to our favorite cowboy and space ranger. Plus, it gave us Forky, a spork with a death wish who's pure chaos and totally charming. 15. 'Luca' (2021) Young sea creature Luca explores the world outside the ocean with Alberto, a slightly older half-human, half-fish. The queer allegory is undeniable, as Luca grapples with identity, prejudice and acceptance, plus learns the meaning of chosen family one memorable Italian summer. 14. 'Soul' (2020) This jazzy riff on humanity and the hereafter brings a cartoon New York City to vibrant, diverse life with Pixar's first Black lead character, a band teacher (played by Jamie Foxx) who meets a jaded soul (Tina Fey), and asks big questions about the meaning of life. 13. 'Toy Story 3' (2010) Perhaps the most millennial movie that Pixar has ever made, it finds Andy getting ready for college in a tale about life transition and the inevitability of death – heady stuff for a kids' movie but it miraculously works. It's also the rare kids' movie depicting daycare as a deranged prison state. 12. 'Up' (2009) Fun fact: There's more to this movie than its opening salvo of complete emotional devastation. Imagine pitching this story: Who wants to see a movie about an old man, an outcast kid, a talking dog and another old man who's a villain? "Up" shouldn't be this powerful but it is. 11. 'Toy Story 2' (1999) All of the "Toy Story" films are about growing up and growing apart, but none so mournfully as the second installment, which introduces Jessie (Joan Cusack), a toy whose owner has grown up and moved on. It kept the essential franchise theme while also cleverly expanding the universe. 10. 'Turning Red' (2022) Like "Inside Out," "Turning Red" depicts a young girl learning to harness her emotions. Here it's a brainy, boy-crazy Chinese-Canadian teen in the throes of puberty who learns you don't have to hide the messier parts of yourself in a combo of coming-of-age movie and kaiju flick. 9. 'Ratatouille' (2007) "Ratatouille" is one of Pixar's most earnest films, turning a rat into an absolutely adorable hero. Pair that with one of the studio's best side characters, food critic Anton Ego (Peter O'Toole), and this effort manages to feel as intimate as a Parisian dinner. 8. 'Inside Out 2' (2024) The sequel introduces Anxiety (voiced by Maya Hawke) into the emotional mix, and chaos ensues inside and out of now-teenage Riley. It's a clever and ambitious exploration of puberty, and many kids (as well as adults) will feel seen in its honest depiction of mental-health struggles. 7. 'Finding Nemo' (2003) The sea tale of an overprotective father (voiced by the inimitable Albert Brooks) searching for his lost son is one of Pixar's most overt stories meant for both parents and kids, but it never lets the sentiment overpower the comedy. 6. 'Toy Story' (1995) The revolutionary film pioneered computer animation and featured all the ingredients that have become Pixar staples: emotional storytelling, action sequences, insights on the human condition, an all-star voice cast and protagonists you never would have thought of yourself. 5. 'WALL-E' (2008) With a story this harsh on humanity, it helps to have a protagonist as innocent and (literally) wide-eyed as the title trash-compacting robot left all alone on a destroyed planet Earth. A searing critique of consumerism that's still a very enjoyable movie for children (and plenty of adults). 4. 'Inside Out' (2015) The first "Inside Out" exquisitely brought a child's mind alive in the most imaginative ways. It's a madcap adventure where cheery Joy (Amy Poehler) and mopey Sadness (Phyllis Smith) have to find common ground but also a heartbreaking tale reminding parents that time is fleeting and kids grow up quickly. 3. 'Coco' (2017) Musical, magical and visually splendid, Pixar's adventure in the Land of the Dead found a new way for the studio to examine loss and grief. We dare you not to weep through the last 10 minutes when the stirringly beautiful (and Oscar-winning) "Remember Me" comes on. 2. 'Monsters, Inc.' (2001) It's easy to forget that the John Goodman-Billy Crystal buddy comedy is essentially about two guys who work at a power plant. The fact that it also tackles childhood, loss of innocence, what we're truly afraid of and the nature of good and evil is what makes it one of Pixar's most imaginative outings. 1. 'The Incredibles' (2004) Sorry, Marvel, this remains the best Fantastic Four movie ever. A family of superheroes with secret identities stars in an entertaining masterpiece about identity, with a middle-aged couple finding each other again and kids figuring out their place in the world. Contributing: Kelly Lawler and Patrick Ryan
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Film reviews: Elio
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Elio (PG) ★★★ Ret Path ★★★★ Elio is one of those Pixar movies that doesn't feel like a Pixar movie. This is more of a jolt than you might think. After 30 years and almost as many joyful feature films (you don't have to count Cars 2 if you don't want to), the Pixar brand and its magic touch is easy to identify: stories that are more original than those from other family-friendly competitors, with wilder invention, richer playfulness and deft storytelling that is ambitious and slyly comic. Elio | Disney It's hard to maintain that level of originality over the long haul, and lately Pixar has had its ups and downs. Behind the scenes, Elio has a history that suggests corporate nervousness, with its release date pushed back and both its original director, Adrian Molina, and one of its voiceover stars, America Ferrera, replaced. Elio is now led by Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian (Turning Red). Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Orphaned as a child, Elio (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) yearns to find his place in the universe, and concludes that the answer lies far from Earth, after stumbling across a museum exhibit about the Voyager satellite at an air force base where his Aunt Olga (Zoe Saldana) works. Olga has put her dreams of becoming an astronaut on hold to care for her nephew. Still, paradoxically, Elio is now obsessed with space travel and desperately seeks aliens to whisk him off across the cosmos, spending hours lying on the beach with a message in the sand that pleads, 'Aliens, please abduct me.' Elio | Disney Thanks to a US military computer system surprisingly low on passwords and confirmation requirements, Elio finally gets his wish and is whisked off to a United Nations of aliens who make up the 'Communiverse.' The aliens have mistaken Elio for the leader of Earth, which isn't a hugely consequential error until Elio volunteers to negotiate on behalf of the Communiverse with an aggressive alien named Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett), who has more than his share of teeth, eyes, armaments, and barely-concealed insecurities about parenting. Meanwhile, back on Earth, Olga has not realised her nephew is missing, thanks to a clone cooked up by the Communiverse in much the same way that some of us make microwave chocolate mug cake. However, while Elio's clone is an exact physical match, the pleasure it takes in gardening, commiserating with neighbours about back pain and low-cholesterol recipes for macaroni cheese begins to arouse her suspicion. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There's much to delight in Elio: the creative alien designs and Galactic Assembly scenes are inventive, there are nods to classic sci-fi favourites that will please space nerds, it is often funny, and there's a nicely-evolved friendship between Elio and Lord Grigon's son Glordon (Remy Edgerly), a spaceworm who has no interest in being like his warlord father and who may be key to defusing an extra-terrestrial stand-off. Yet while he film's sentiments are hard-earned and pack an emotional punch, the narrative is built on predictable bones of heroes' journeys and homilies. Elio clearly hopes to resonate with those facing loneliness, just as Inside Out 2 did for those coping with anxiety, but while its messages about being yourself and finding connection are wholesome, tidy, and should feel fresh to young audiences, part of the thrill of seeing a Pixar film as an adult, with or without accompanying children, has been the sense that their films offered something extra: a work with deeper soul than even most grown-up films could muster. Elio is only disappointing if you expect the highest quality from what we like to pass off as 'family entertainment." But it's worth remembering it was Pixar that taught us to expect that quality in the first place. Red Path | Contributed Inspired by real events that unfolded in the conflicted borders of the Mghila Mountain in Tunisia in November 2015, Red Path marks the feature film debut of Tunisian author and director Lotfi Achour, after a long career in theatre and directing several shorts. His experience working with young actors draws a remarkably close, textured performance from Ali Hleli, who plays Achraf, a young shepherd in impoverished northern Tunisia who takes a herd of goats to graze in unfamiliar upland pastures with his teenage cousin Nizar (Yassine Samouni), unaware that it is a militarized zone. After subathing on rocks and paddling in warm pools, the boys are attacked by Islamist militants, and Achraf is left to make his way home alone, with Nizar's severed head in a duffel bag. 'Show it to his mother and maybe then you'll all learn not to come here," the terrorists tell him, before vanishing. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Back at home, Achraf has to break the news to Nizar's mother, and his sweetheart Rahma (Wided Dabebi). The family is powerless to act, the police are unmoved, and Nizar's parents become fixed on retrieving their son's body for a proper burial, forcing Achraf to make a return journey to a cursed land, clinging to visions he has of Nizar's ghost, as he is haunted by guilt and grief. Despite a string of awards at film festivals, including the Red Sea's Golden Yusr, it has taken Red Path three years to get a UK theatrical release, but its focus on childhoods violated by war has never felt more timely, potent, or provocative.
