Look, we need to have a serious talk about the Pixar movies tier list meta. It’s a mess. Honestly, if I see one more list putting Cars 2 in the "F Tier" without acknowledging the sheer audacity of turning a racing movie into a James Bond spy thriller, I might lose it.
Ranking Pixar isn't just about which movie made you cry the hardest—though Up usually wins that by the four-minute mark. It's about balancing the technical wizardry of the early 2000s with the high-concept, existential "do I even exist?" vibes of the modern era. We're in 2026 now. The landscape has shifted. Inside Out 2 is no longer the "new kid" on the block; it's a proven juggernaut that saved the studio’s theatrical reputation. Meanwhile, 2025's Elio struggled to find its footing despite a warm 83% critical score, and we’re all sitting here holding our breath for Hoppers and Toy Story 5.
Let’s get into what actually belongs where, and why your nostalgia might be lying to you.
The "Masterpiece" Tier: Untouchable Classics
These are the films that didn't just move the needle; they broke the machine. You’ve got the original Toy Story and Toy Story 2. Both sit at a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and for good reason. They aren't just movies; they are the DNA of modern animation.
Then there's WALL-E.
Basically a silent film for the first act. Bold. Risky. It managed to critique consumerism while making us fall in love with a rusty trash compactor. It’s one of the few animated films inducted into the National Film Registry. You can't touch that.
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Ratatouille also lives here. I know, I know—some people find the idea of a rat in a kitchen gross. But Brad Bird’s direction is surgical. The "Anyone Can Cook" monologue by Anton Ego? Chills. Every time. It’s a movie about the soul of an artist, and it hits harder the older you get.
Inside Out and its massive 2024 sequel, Inside Out 2, have earned their spots at the top. While the first one gave us a roadmap for childhood grief, the sequel tackled teenage anxiety with a precision that felt almost too personal. It didn't just make money ($1.69 billion, to be exact); it gave a generation a way to talk about their panic attacks.
The "Elite" Tier: Just a Hair Below Perfection
This is where the debate gets spicy.
- Coco: Visually, it’s probably Pixar's best work. The Land of the Dead is a neon-soaked fever dream. It’s deeply emotional, but it loses half a point only because the "twist" villain is a trope Pixar uses a bit too often.
- The Incredibles: It was a better superhero movie than most of the MCU before the MCU even existed. Mid-life crises, suburban malaise, and a killer jazz score.
- Finding Nemo: It’s the funniest movie they’ve ever made. Dory is iconic, but the heart of the story is Marlin’s trauma. It’s a tight, perfect adventure.
- Monsters, Inc.: The world-building here is a masterclass. The door chase sequence is still a technical marvel.
Why "Up" Isn't in the Top Tier
I’m going to get flak for this. Up has the best opening in cinema history. We all agree. But once the house lands in South America, it becomes a fairly standard—albeit very good—adventure movie with a talking dog and a giant bird. It’s great, but it doesn't maintain the "Masterpiece" energy of the first ten minutes throughout its entire runtime.
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The "Very Good but Divisive" Tier
This is the 2020s era. It's a weird time for the Pixar movies tier list. Because of the pandemic, movies like Soul, Luca, and Turning Red were dumped on Disney+. People started seeing Pixar as "free" content.
Soul is arguably Pixar’s most ambitious film. It’s a movie about a middle-aged jazz teacher having an existential crisis and dying. Not exactly "kid stuff." It’s brilliant, but it’s dense. Turning Red faced weird backlash from "grifters" (as WatchMojo recently noted) for being "too specific" to the girlhood experience, but honestly? It’s one of the most energetic and stylistically unique things they’ve done in years.
Then there's Elemental. It started slow at the box office but had incredible legs, proving that audiences still want original stories, even if they take a minute to find them. It's a solid 8/10 that gets better on rewatch.
The "Underperformers" and Black Sheep
We have to talk about Elio. Released in 2025, it was supposed to be the next big original hit. It’s a fun sci-fi adventure, but it lacked that "special sauce" that makes people go to the theater twice. It’s currently sitting in the "Fine, I Guess" tier for most fans.
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And then there's the bottom.
- Cars 2: The only Pixar movie generally considered "bad" by the consensus. It’s a spy movie. It’s weird.
- The Good Dinosaur: Beautiful backgrounds, but the character designs felt like they belonged in a different movie. It’s the "painfully mediocre" entry.
- Lightyear: This one suffered from "who is this for?" syndrome. It wasn't the Buzz we knew, and it was too serious for its own good.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Rewatch
If you're planning a marathon to settle your own Pixar movies tier list disputes, here’s how to do it right:
- Watch for the Neurosis: Notice how early Pixar protagonists (Woody, Marlin, Mr. Incredible) are all stressed-out adults. Modern Pixar (Luca, Mei, Elio) focuses more on the "sadness" and "anxiety" of youth. It’s a massive shift in the studio's DNA.
- Skip the Sequels (Mostly): Unless it has Toy Story or Inside Out in the title, the sequels (Cars 2, Finding Dory, Monsters University) usually provide "more of the same" rather than something new.
- The Technical Jump: Watch Toy Story (1995) and then immediately watch Hoppers (2026) or Inside Out 2. The jump in lighting and texture tech is genuinely staggering.
The real takeaway? Pixar is at a crossroads. With Toy Story 5 and Incredibles 3 on the horizon, the studio is leaning heavily on sequels to stay afloat. But the real "Pixar Magic" always lived in the risks—the rats who cook and the robots who love. Check out the "Philosopher" picks like Soul if you want to remember why this studio matters.
To keep your ranking sharp, keep an eye on how Hoppers performs this year. It’s the ultimate litmus test for whether audiences still care about original Pixar stories or if we're just here for the nostalgia of the 90s.