I am a firm believer that at least everyone living on planet Earth have seen a Disney or Pixar film at least once. Meanwhile, I believe I’m in the group that has seen almost every Disney film. I absolutely love everything Disney, especially the animated masterpieces made by the fellows over at Pixar. I’ve been watching Pixar films since I was a little, so I have a very personal connection to these films. Which is why for my first “Ramblings” post, I’ve decided to list my top 5 personal favorite Pixar films.
Before I go into the list, I will have to be honest. I am going to be a little bit biased when listing these films. So for some films that are listed higher, it will mostly be because of nostalgia. But nonetheless, they will all still be amazing films that you should watch, if you somehow haven’t already.
5. Ratatouille
Starting off this list is the film that got me to appreciate the craft of a chef. Ratatouille first released in 2007 and is about a rat who aspires to one day become a chef. As silly as this premise sounds, I find it to be one of Pixar’s most adult films. Mostly with the ideas present, such as the scene towards the end where the film’s antagonist, a food critic named Anton Ego, gives a speech on the work of a critic. Watching this as an adult, I’m surprised that something as wise as this can come from a children’s film. Ratatouille is also a great film for children as well, with funny characters and colorful animation.
Despite the characters being lovable, some of the cast can be a tad bit forgettable when compared to other Pixar characters. I’m mostly talking about some of the other chefs at Gusteau’s Restaurant. I remember their personality, but I don’t remember doing much in terms of contributing to the plot. The film also doesn’t have as many tearjerker moments as in other Pixar films. To some, that may be a good thing, but for me, I live for those scenes. Other than that, Ratatouille gets its number five spot for its themes aimed at an older audience while also being great fun for kids.
4. Toy Story 2
I find the Toy Story trilogy to be one of the best trilogies in all of film. Each film is amazing and deserve a watch, but which film do I think is the best? That would be (you guessed it!) Toy Story 2. It is hard for sequels to surpass their predecessor and they usually fail to do so, but that is not the case here. Toy Story 2 completely surpasses its predecessor by introducing new great characters, (with the same lovable cast from the last film present as well) a brand new engaging story, and raising the bar of emotional moments. Want to know the saddest scene in Toy Story 2? Then look no further than Jessie’s heartbreaking backstory. If you have not seen Toy Story 2 yet, or the whole trilogy for that matter, give it a watch. You won’t be disappointed.
3. Finding Nemo
Ahhhh yes. Here is the first biased fueled entry on this list. I first saw this movie when I was either five or six and I still love it to this day. Finding Nemo takes place in the ocean, as a father clown fish named Marlin tries to find his lost son Nemo. Firstly, for an animated movie that came out in 2003, the movie still looks great today. The underwater scenery is varied and beautiful, ranging from a colorful coral reef, to a dark and unwelcoming minefield. As with every Pixar film, characters are all great, with the standout being Dory played by the lovely Ellen DeGeneres. Whenever she is on screen, I can’t help but to smile.
For these last few entries, I have not been talking much about the music in the Pixar films. As much as the score presented in the films are great, there wasn’t any tracks that stood out to me. (besides the song that plays through Jessie’s backstory) Here however, the music in Finding Nemo is absolutely spectacular. I don’t know how to properly explain it, but the music in Finding Nemo is like if the entire ocean were converted into audio format.My personal favorite tracks are Nemo’s Egg and Haiku for an example. Also, since this is a Pixar films, it definitely contains its fair share of emotional scenes. A great example being the movie’s flipping OPENING. You know you’re in for a great time when the opening is getting you choked up. Overall, Finding Nemo is superb and you gotta give it a watch if you haven’t already.
2. Up
SPEAKING OF SAD OPENINGS. Up is infamous for its ability to emotionally destroy you in its first few minutes. But does that mean one great opening means the rest of the film will be bad? Absolutely not. The movie follows an old man named Carl Fredricksen as he escapes from going into a retirement home by attaching thousands of balloons to his house making it fly. He then soars off to a place called Paradise Falls, where he and his late wife always wanted to visit since they were a child. Up is one of Pixar’s greats for MANY valid reasons: its characters, story, animation, music, overall message. It is all absolutely amazing. To go more into detail on its message, it is about how the relationships we make with other people in life are the real adventure. I absolutely love that message and it is conveyed perfectly here. On the topic of music, the track that plays during the opening, Married Life is the standout track from the movie. I cannot help by get choked up whenever I listen to it. Up is just a terrific film for the whole family and just a great film in general.
1. Monsters Inc.
Finally, my absolute favorite Pixar film, Monsters Inc. Like Finding Nemo, I saw this film years ago and I still have a strong affection for it. Monsters Inc. takes place in a world completely inhabited by monsters. Their job is to scare human children by coming out of their closet that is also connected to the monster world. This is made possible by . . . Magic? Science? Okay it’s never full explained but whatever its a kids movie. However the monsters are not scaring the children for entertainment, but because the screams of children help fuel the monster’s city. I just wanna say that I absolutely love that concept as a kids and still do today. Anyway, the story follows a monster named Sully, who is a scarer, and his best friend Mike. Sully one day accidentally frees a human child into the monster’s world, so it is up to him and his pal Mike to bring the child back to her room.
My affinity for this film definitely comes from the imaginative concept of the film, and the execution of said concept. Having a human child come into the monster’s world leads to so much potential of being able to see this strange world and they definitely achieved that potential. The characters’ relationships with one another are also a major plus. Mike and Sully’s conversations with one another really makes it feel like they are real friends, and Sully’s friendship with the human child is so heartwarming that I feel like melting whenever I watch this movie. Although Finding Nemo possibly has my most favorite soundtrack of the Pixar films, Monsters Inc. soundtrack is also great. The tracks that send me straight back to my childhood are the Main Theme and If I Didn’t Have You, sung by Billy Crystal and John Goodman, the voice actors of Mike and Sully respectively. I love that last song because it does a great job at portraying the friendship between Mike and Sully. Monsters Inc. is not only one of my most nostalgic films ever, but most importantly a legitimately amazing animated feature.
Conclusion
Well that’s my list! I hoped you agreed the choices I’ve made here. If not, then that’s okay. That’s the beauty of Pixar films, no matter which film is your favorite, there are people who will humbling respect and recognize it even if it is not their favorite. Pixar films are THAT good. (Except for Cars 2 and Monsters University. No one likes those.)
Ramblings and Reviews 