Every Pixar Movie Ranked
4. Toy Story (1995)
Budget: $30million
Box Office: $244.7million
Director: John Lasseter
The one that started it all for Pixar, Toy Story is the ever-loveable story of a group of toys that come to life whenever humans can’t see them. Specifically, this group of toys is owned by Andy and led by his favourite toy Woody the Cowboy (wonderfully brought to life by the voice of Tom Hanks). However, Woody’s top spot as favourite toy is put in danger when a new toy arrives in Andy’s bedroom, Buzz Lightyear. Toy Story is a groundbreaking animation that illustrated what could be done with computer animation almost three decades ago and that still looks gorgeous today.
The film simply wouldn’t be what it was without the cast of characters, the voice actors who breathed life into them, and the script they had to work with. In just over eighty minutes, the Pixar team managed to craft a story and a screenplay that created an entire world in front of our very eyes, made us fall in love with Andy’s toys, and had us on the edge of our seats hoping Buzz and Woody would make it home.
Toy Story has everything; beautiful animation, adult jokes for the parents, wonderful characters, and a lovely friendship at the centre of it all. That’s what Toy Story is all about; friendship. Just as Andy loves his toys, they all love him and each other. Furthermore, Toy Story allows us to love them all the while feeling the love right back. The gang’s adventures would continue throughout the years, and just as they grew so did we, but this was the start of our love for both Toy Story and Pixar as a whole, and that is why it ranks so highly on this list.
MC
3. Toy Story 3 (2010)
Budget: $200million
Box Office: $1.067billion
Director: Lee Unkrich
The third installment in the Toy Story franchise moves away from the “lost toy rescue” narrative, and in many ways is a greater thematic work than its predecessors. The stakes become more existential for Woody, Buzz, and the gang as Andy grows up and heads off to college, leaving his toys to the cruel fates of storage, yard sales, or, worst of all, the garbage. But when the toys end up at Sunnyside Daycare, they discover that not all play places are fun and games, as they come under the fuzzy fist of the teddy bear Lotso.
Everyone falls victim to the inevitable march of time – many who had grown up with Toy Story were themselves off to college at the time of its release, and the question of how to cope with change and loss is relevant to viewers of all ages. There are also great gags within the film that keep a sense of levity, such as Barbie and Ken’s budding romance, or Buzz Lightyear being set to Spanish language output. The film also features a prison break from the daycare that plays like a more humorous version of The Great Escape or The Dirty Dozen. Lotso is also an iconic villain figure for Pixar, a complex antagonist whose harsh outlook was brought on by a tragic past, molding the cuddly bear into a pink despot. A climactic scene at the city dump may be one of the best sequences in any Pixar film, both visually and emotionally. With humor, heart, and a dash of dread, Toy Story 3 shows just how far Pixar had come, from the improved animation to the excellent story and beyond.
JD
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