Rank and File: Pixar Movies - Part 6

It's sequel night for the Pixar movie project! Tiffany and I settled in with some Chinese food and pie, and rocketed through a double-feature of the next two movies, both of which are continuations of earlier franchises. One was really, really good, and one...wasn't. One was really, really easy to place on the list, and one...wasn't. I won't keep you in suspense any longer. Let's hit it!

Toy Story 3 (2010)

If the first Toy Story was about forging a new family, and Toy Story 2 was about the importance of maintaining that family, Toy Story 3 is about how to let go. Andy is all grown up and ready to go to college, so he's faced with the decision of what to do with all his old toys. Through a series of mishaps, they wind up at a prison-like daycare run by a plush bear, and must plan a daring escape. But escape to where?

This is the most heartfelt of the Toy Story movies, which is saying something after Toy Story 2 reduced me to tears. It captures the heartache of losing someone you care about, and teaches that while change is inevitable, you can face the future while still cherishing the past. It also happens to be an extremely funny and smart movie, so it's not all about tugging at the heartstrings.

Back when it first came out, I liked it, but didn't climb on the bandwagon of people who were shouting its praises from the hills. Now, though, I see that Toy Story 3 belongs in the upper echelon of Pixar movies.

Oh, and guess what? The short is outstanding, too. Day & Night is the almost-wordless tale of two figures who are anthropomorphic representations of daytime and nighttime. They start off not understanding each other, then hating each other, then showing off for each other, and finally, by realizing that they have more in common than they could ever dream. It's as heartfelt and funny and witty as Toy Story 3, all packed into a few minutes. This one is my clear favorite to date.

Current Feature Rankings:

#1: Finding Nemo (2003)
#2: Ratatouille (2007)
#3: Toy Story 3 (2010)
#4: The Incredibles (2004)
#5: Toy Story 2 (1999)
#6: Monsters, Inc. (2001)
#7: Toy Story (1995)
#8: Up (2009)
#9: WALL-E (2008)
#10: A Bug's Life (1998)
#11: Cars (2006)

Current Short Rankings:

#1: Day & Night (paired with Toy Story 3)
#2: Presto (paired with WALL-E)
#3: One Man Band (paired with Cars)
#4: Geri's Game (paired with A Bug's Life)
#5: Lifted (paired with Ratatouille)
#6: Partly Cloudy (paired with Up)
#7: Boundin' (paired with The Incredibles)
#8: For the Birds (paired with Monsters, Inc.)
#9: Knick Knack (paired with Finding Nemo)
#10: Luxo Jr. (paired with Toy Story 2)
#11: Tin Toy (paired with Toy Story)

Cars 2 (2011)

Cars has been resting comfortably at the bottom of the Pixar ranking since we watched it. It must have been popular, though, because of all the properties, this was the next one after Toy Story to get another whirl. I'm not sure why that is, and after watching it, I'm still confused.

Cars 2 puts Lightning McQueen in a series of races around the world, but mostly ignores him to focus on Mater the tow truck, who gets wrapped up in an international secret agent ring, dealing with the struggle between gasoline and alternative fuel. What follows is a shockingly straightforward spy movie.

Every other Pixar movie aims to dig at a deeper emotional level. Cars 2 doesn't bother at all, choosing instead of focus on gadgets that are perfect for - ahem - merchandising. Every other Pixar movie is written with intelligence, to appeal to the entire audience, both kids and adults. Again, Cars 2 ignores this, and just gives Larry the Cable Guy yet another platform to spin his aw-shucks-ain't-I-a-dumb-'Murican jokes.

If I were judging this just as a movie, I'd say it was fine, if not overly impressive. But judging this as a Pixar movie, it's the first truly disappointing entry, and its only redeeming feature is that it's extremely easy to rank.

Hawaiian Vacation is the short, and instead of original content, it deals with the characters from Toy Story 3. It's a fairy cute telling of the toys trying to put on the best faux resort experience for Ken and Barbie that they can. It doesn't beat any of the truly clever shorts, but it's always fun to spend time with these characters.

Current Feature Rankings:

#1: Finding Nemo (2003)
#2: Ratatouille (2007)
#3: Toy Story 3 (2010)
#4: The Incredibles (2004)
#5: Toy Story 2 (1999)
#6: Monsters, Inc. (2001)
#7: Toy Story (1995)
#8: Up (2009)
#9: WALL-E (2008)
#10: A Bug's Life (1998)
#11: Cars (2006)
#12: Cars 2 (2011)

Current Short Rankings:

#1: Day & Night (paired with Toy Story 3)
#2: Presto (paired with WALL-E)
#3: One Man Band (paired with Cars)
#4: Geri's Game (paired with A Bug's Life)
#5: Lifted (paired with Ratatouille)
#6: Partly Cloudy (paired with Up)
#7: Hawaiian Vacation (paired with Cars 2)
#8: Boundin' (paired with The Incredibles)
#9: For the Birds (paired with Monsters, Inc.)
#10: Knick Knack (paired with Finding Nemo)
#11: Luxo Jr. (paired with Toy Story 2)
#12: Tin Toy (paired with Toy Story)