Juggernaut animation studio Pixar jumped onto the Hollywood scene within a fan-favorite decade thanks toToy Story(1995). After that, they released another two other films amid the 1990s inA Bug’s Life(1998) andToy Story 2(1999). But in the following decade, they started releasing titles on a much more consistent basis, with the 2000s going down as perhaps their most impressive stretch of content to-date.
Seven feature films from Pixar came out throughout the 2000s, starting a few different franchises and reaching widespread critical acclaim every step of the way. Some of these stints were among the most well-regarded projects of their respective years, garnering nominations for Best Animated Feature at each prominent award association if they didn’t win the awards outright. All that said, this is every Pixar movie of the 2000s, ranked.
You can’t go wrong with a single placement on this list, as each of these Pixar pictures are of the utmost quality. But if this list pertained to pure poignance,Up(2009) would boast a much higher placement. It would probably come out on top, in fact, as its opening scene of is among the more emotional sequences in animation as a whole. If you aren’t invested to the protagonist in Carl after that gut-wrencher, you might not be capable of empathy. And as more characters show up as the plot progresses, thistale of loneliness and isolationdevelops into one of long-lasting friendship.
Once Carl’s wife Ellie passes, he’s deemed a public menace after assaulting a construction worker and is thus ordered to be relocated to an assisted living facility. That’s when Carl initiates one of the more intriguing inciting incidents not just on the list, but among Pixar’s unique roster of films as a whole. He attaches hundreds of balloons to the roof of his house and takes off to South America with his trusty companion, an eight-year-old “wilderness explorer” — basically a boy scout — named Russell. The two develop a lovely rapport off the bat that only flourishes as the plot progresses, with their respective developments defining the quality ofUpto a tee. This may seem an unfair placement, but it’s still a tremendous film.
6Monsters, Inc.
Off the bat with regard toMonsters, Inc.(2001), it’s worth looking back on the star-studded nature of its voice cast: take John Goodman and Billy Crystal, for example. They appear as the leads, James P. “Sully” Sullivan, and Mike Wazowski respectively. And it’s as if those two well-regarded Hollywood actors were born to provide their dulcet vocals to these characters and lead the project at hand to some seriously impressive heights. This is among the most critically acclaimed projects from the respective careers of Goodman and Crystal, as the movie holds a whopping 96% approval rating oncritical consensus website Rotten Tomatoes.
That should speak to the caliber of the rest of the list, considering this is only the second entry hereof and you don’t get much more critically acclaimed than that. But of course, while Goodman and Crystal for a lot of fans define the movie as a whole, it would be a crime not to mention the brilliant performances from every voice involved. Other actors inMonsters, Inc.include James Coburn as Henry J. Waternoose, Steve Buscemi as Randall Boggs, and more minor roles from the likes of Jennifer Tilly, Frank Oz, and Bonnie Hunt. They all play staff members of the titular scare company, and they see the project into perfect fruition.
5Ratatouille
Following a rat named Remy, this entry chronicles his attempt to achieve his goal of becoming a chef at the esteemed restaurant of Auguste Gusteau. The protagonist (voiced by Patton Oswalt) recruits the help of the restaurant’s garbage boy, Alfredo Linguini — played by Lou Ramano. It’s an intriguing premise, and one that perhaps only Pixar could have pulled off such fluidity.
Ratatouille(2007) received widespread praise upon release from audiences and critics alike, going down as one of the definitive titlesby director Brad Bird. That filmmaker appears again with a much higher placement in the list, but more onThe Incredibles(2004) in a bit. With regard toRatatouille: to elaborate on its brilliance, it’s worth noting that this entry was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards. That’s a pretty high honor, and it perfectly showcases the wit ofRatatouillethat lands it here in the fifth spot.
Thanks to the dynamics of its characters in tandem with perfect choices of casting with regard to the voice actors and some wonderfully witty wordplay within its well-written script,Cars(2006) by director John Lasseter is perhaps the single funniest film on the list. But it’s plot is also driven by emotion every mile of the way, with Lighting McQueen undergoing some of the most tangible character development not just on this list or of Pixar’s filmography, but in 2000s cinema as a whole. He’s played by Owen Wilson, with several other famous actors providing an excellent range of voices across the board ofits star-studded cast.
Take Larry the Cable Guy, for example. He arguably stood as the brightest star hereof as Mater, nearly defining the humor ofCarsby himself. But there are other names worth noting like Bonnie Hunt as Sally Carrera, Paul Newman as Doc Hudson, and Michael Keaton as Chick Hicks. And frankly, that’s hardly even scratching the surface, with more minor roles being played by the likes of Tony Shalhoub, Cheech Marin, George Carlin, and Jenifer Lewis. They all perform wonderfully, withCarsas a whole being seen into perfect fruition around every corner of its production. On any given day, it could land even higher than number four on the list.
Machines whirring and whistling, metals clanking together, the titular character sighing, screaming, beeping, buzzing, and cooing as he zooms along the barren wasteland in which the film is set — these uses of diegetic sound inWALL-E(2008) maintain the audience’s wholehearted attention until the first line of dialogue is uttered nearly twenty minutes into the film. Actual conversations between characters are few and far between from there, with the film also featuring occasional songs that comprise a carefully curated soundtrack.
But aside fromthe sound design, it’s of course worth noting that this is also an endlessly impressive project with regard to the visuals. The realistic gloss of the higher-tech probe robot named EVE (which stands for Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) is perfectly juxtaposed by the rustier and more withered compactor robot of the eponymous variety. And of course, its plot hits home through and through. Directed by Andrew Stanton from a screenplay he co-wrote alongside Jim Reardon,WALL-Eis without a doubt among the most emotionally resonant films on the list. If you somehow missed this Pixar classic, rest assured it’s essential viewing re: the 2000s.s
2Finding Nemo
The fifth entry from the animation studio,Finding Nemo(2003) was the first Pixar movie to win Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards. A couple of years prior,Monsters Inc.(2001) became the first of the bunch to receive a nomination, as the category itself was first ever featured in that very year. And of course, the famousShrek(2001) from DreamWorks Animation came out on top back then.
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But back to Pixar: since their first victory, they’ve won Best Animated Feature a whopping eleven times. That’s more than Disney, DreamWorks, and Studio Ghibli combined.Finding Nemowas the first to get it done, and justifiably so. It’s a moving tale of love and loss — be it the loss of a loved one, or something more intangiblelike ones memory. The characters herein share wonderful dynamics, particularly Marvin and Dory, and its well-written script results in some truly hilarious dialogue the whole way through. For some Pixar fans, this entry could likely come out on top.
1The Incredibles
This is perhaps Pixar’s masterpiece even two decades down the line. The first fewToy Storymovies give it a valiant run for its money in that regard, perhaps along with a few other titles on this very list. But no matter how you may rank their films in total, there’s no denying the caliber ofThe Incredibles, nor the fact that it’s among their best of the decade at hand.
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Chronicling the titular, superpowered family, this entry runs the gamut of genre: it’s a superhero stint, which means it blends science fiction with elements of action and adventure. But it also features truly hilarious dialogue from each member of the family. And yes, that includes Jack-Jack and his giggling glory. And when you account for its musical score from Michael Giacchino in tandem with the covert operations within its plot,The Incrediblescan also be classified as a spy film. But all in all, it’s best considered a high-quality flick regardless of genre that hits home just as well today as it did back in the 2000s. It ultimately tops the list.
