At the time of this writing, Pixar has just released the first teaser trailer for their highly anticipated sequel, Finding Dory. As expected, it was an absolute delight, making June 2016 seem like a lifetime away. Also, at this very moment, we are just under two weeks away from the release of Pixar's next film, The Good Dinosaur. Watching the trailers leading up to the release, this one looks to be classic Pixar. The animation looks stunning and the emotion seems to have made it to the final product as well. Needless to say, I will be there opening day!
This week, I thought it would only be appropriate to jump-start the excitement for The Good Dinosaur and Finding Dory by revealing my top five Pixar films. Picking just five Pixar films is like picking which child is your favorite; it's virtually impossible! In fact, if I were to give honorable mentions for this list, I would basically cover the entire Pixar filmography.
With that being said, onward and upward to the top five!
5. Finding Nemo
What makes Pixar so unbeatable is their ability to perfectly blend hilarity with raw emotion, and a perfect example of that being the case is with Finding Nemo. The opening scene is heart-wrenching and will certainly get the hardest of hearts to break, but then that scene is immediately followed by a delightful adventure though Nemo's community on his way to school, a scene full of jokes and beautiful animation. Thus, the Pixar formula is excellently demonstrated. Nemo is one of the few movies that I have watched over twenty or thirty times and I still laugh out loud during scenes with Marlin and Dory or with the Tank Gang. Plus, the emotions have never been higher than in the aforementioned opener and the gut-wrenching finale. Finding Nemo is pure Pixar magic.
4. Up
In a matter of just ten minutes, Up has you in the palm of its hand. By the end of the heartbreaking scene to open the film telling us the story of how Carl and Ellie met, fell in love, and eventually lost one another, Pixar is able to reduce just about anyone watching to a puddle of tears. But then, right on cue, Pixar comes right back with a fantastic scene showing Carl getting down his stairs with the help of mobile chair. Once again, it's a perfect blend of drama and comedy, and that would be a theme throughout this masterpiece. The animation is, predictably, gorgeous, and the characters are so well developed with the story flowing so smoothly from scene to scene. Adventure is indeed out there, and with Up, Pixar reached a brand new height.
3. The Incredibles
If this film was a live action movie, I am fairly positive that it would be widely considered the greatest superhero movie of all-time. Nonetheless, Brad Bird's animated classic is phenomenal film-making. Endlessly quotable ("You sly dog! You've got me monologuing!") with so many fleshed out characters, The Incredibles is delightful whether you're six or sixty. The story is also second to none, and of course, the emotion is there as well. Are you beginning to sense a theme with Pixar here by the wat? The ending left people around the world (myself included) longing for a sequel, and in just a few years, we will finally get one, and for that, I cannot contain my excitement!
2. Inside Out
I know that Inside Out is the newest and freshest Pixar film on our minds, and some of you are probably hesitant to include it on your own personal list. I struggled with that idea too, but the more and more I thought about it, the more and more I started to convince myself that it definitely deserves a spot on my list. Perhaps the greatest concept for a movie Pixar has ever conjured up, Inside Out is hilarious and touching, sometimes at the exact same time. The animation is some of the most stunning artwork Pixar has ever created as well, and the five key Emotions are so well written and developed. Plus, the voice work is some of the best in Pixar history, led by Amy Poehler and Phyllis Smith who turn in career-best work. Of course, the ending provides the patented Pixar punch to the gut, the perfect emotional payoff for the film about emotions.
1. Toy Story 3
Toy Story 3 will always hold an extra special place in my heart because when I was a young boy, I received Buzz Lightyear and Woody dolls for my birthday and to this day, I still proudly own them. When Toy Story 3 came out in 2010, I was getting ready to transition into college life, and after spending a lifetime seeing myself as Andy in a way, watching the events of that film unfold was emotional beyond what I've ever experienced. On top of that, the humor in this film is so Pixar, subdued and sarcastic while also being laugh out loud funny. I will gladly see Toy Story 4 when it is released in the upcoming years, but to me personally, Toy Story 3 will always be the pinnacle of not only Pixar, but to animation as a genre.
Keep an eye out for episode three of The Mouse Knows Best podcast as I had the great pleasure of hosting and talking about Pixar with our great panel of Disney fanatics. Follow me on Twitter (@InsideDisney407) for updates regarding our podcast and Disney in general!
-Cody Fleenor
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