This is going to be a rather tough list to compose. Pixar has done so many good movies that I think it'll be hard to figure out which ones go where. I have a feeling that 5 slots won't be enough.
1. Wall-E
Oh, what a gem this movie is. I think the fact that this movie stood out to me as much as it did really acts as a testament to the movie's quality. The movie manages to tell a story with no dialogue for a pretty much the first half of the film, and it succeeds in spades.
The movie, as well as the title character, are just flat out adorable. I find a hard time believing anyone can't be won over by this movie.
2. The Incredibles
As a fan of superheroes and comics in general, it's no surprise that I enjoyed this movie as much as I did. While it does parody the tropes of the genre to some extent, it also works as a genuine, bona fide superhero film. Comic fans can pick out nods to works like Watchmen, X-Men, and Fantastic Four, while also respecting the fact that this film stands on its own and lets the characters develop their own quirks and personalities. Credit also goes to Jason Lee, who did a great job as Syndrome.
With Pixar building their films into franchises through sequels, I hope that they do the same with this one as the superhero film lends itself to multiple movies. The characters are rounded and likable enough that we do want to see what happens to them as they continue their fight against crime.
3. Toy Story 2
The original Toy Story was a fun, lighthearted, piece of whimsy. It overdid it on the 'Narm" at points, but all in all it was a good movie. This movie kicks it up a notch in every respect. Character development, story, emotional poignancy, humor, it hits it out of the park in every respect.
When Jessie first emerged, I kind of hated her. I figured she was going to be the most annoying thing in the movie. Though once her back story was revealed, she had me hooked and I had a new found respect for the character.
Toy Story 3 was also quite good, but I think this movie had a better balance of funny and poignant where the third film may've gone a bit too far in the latter direction.
I considered saying "the Toy Story trilogy", but that would've been a cop out.
4. Ratatouille
We just watched this a few days ago and it was highly enjoyable. If you can work past the whole "hairionnette" thing, I think you'll find it rather entertaining. The animation is superb and the two main characters develop an entertaining rapport despite not being able to talk to each other.
5. Finding Nemo
This was the hardest slot to fill. There were so many contenders, Toy Story 3 and Up, being the big two. Ultimately, I went with Finding Nemo. It has been a while since I've seen it, but I remember it being a blast to watch.
Final Thoughts
Some may be disappointed that "Up" wasn't on there, as several people cite it as Pixar's best. There was a time where it probably would've made the top 5 list. Heck, it probably would've ranked in the top 3, but the more Pixar movies I see, the further it falls down the list. It's not that Up was bad, on the contrary, it's quite good; it's just that the other movies are so good and won me over to such an extent that Up just comes up a little short. As I said in the list though, it was a major contender and is definitely a film worth checking out.
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