Pixar is arguably one of the best animation studios in the world, and it continues to dominate both the box office and critical response with its emotional, humorous, and amazing stories in each film. With its new film, Finding Dory, Pixar, once again, created an amazing piece of film, and showed that audiences everywhere still love what Pixar can do. (It also should be mentioned that, so far, Finding Dory made $213 million in only one week of its release.) With each new film that Pixar has released, Pixar proves again and again how much of an impact they have made on the world. Although there are bound to be greater and greater films to come, here is a ranking of their 17 released films that have each contributed great things to the animation world.

17. Cars 2

Cars 2 was, in a word, disappointing. After the mediocre Cars, it was strange to think that Pixar would make a sequel other than for the sake of money. Pixar should have left Cars as it was instead of expanding the world and creating a mess of a movie. The film wasn’t terrible, but it was sad to see a Pixar film fail in this way. It almost doesn’t seem like a Pixar movie with the lack of emotion and fun-loving humor that is in other Pixar films.

16. A Bug's Life

What A Bug’s Life failed to do was to create a captivating plot. It was boring and the characters were not complex or interesting enough to make viewers invested in the film. There was not as much creativity as there could have been, and the whole film is just not that engaging or fun as some of Pixar’s other films. It’s predictable and, overall, just an okay film with no real depth.

15. Cars

While Cars did create fun and memorable characters, the story is shallow, and the ending is not as satisfying as it should have been. There could have been so much more to this story than what was given in the movie. It also seemed to silly and childish instead of smart, yet family-friendly that other Pixar films seem to have.

14. Monsters University

After the wildly successful Monsters, Inc., it’s not surprising that Pixar would make another movie in its universe. Sadly, however, Monsters University is completely forgettable. It doesn’t have the same emotion and impact on the viewers as Monsters, Inc. had, and it’s probably because Boo is not in this film. (It also might have been more successful if it was a sequel than a prequel.) Having fraternities and sororities as the conflict rather than a cute toddler like Boo made Monsters University a film that is not a great as the first.

13. The Good Dinosaur

The great thing about The Good Dinosaur is that it truly shows how far Pixar has come with their animation since their first short films. However, although The Good Dinosaur is absolutely stunning in its beautiful and extraordinary amount of detail in its landscaping and design, the story itself is something that has been seen many times before. It can make a viewer recall many other films that Disney and Pixar films, which makes it seem a little predictable. It may be cute and gorgeous, but this attribute also makes it one of the most unoriginal stories that Pixar has produced, which thereby makes it a little disappointing.

12. Brave

With Brave, Pixar finally made a female-centered film. It was satisfying to see a great princess heroine, but the plot was confusing and the characters were not as complex as they could have been. There also wasn’t as much humor as usual and the light atmosphere that makes other Pixar films great was missing throughout this dark film. However, it should be said that the animation in Brave is spectacular, especially because this is one of the few films that Pixar has created with humans as the center of the film’s plot.

11. Ratatouille

Ratatouille has a very unique premise that has great characters and hilarity throughout. While there are some scenes that are especially memorable (“I killed the man, with this thumb”), Ratatouille, overall, is not that groundbreaking of a film. While it has many merits, still has the tendency of being overshadowed by other Pixar greats.

10. Finding Dory

Finding Dory is the newest Pixar film to be released, and it has been anticipated for many, many years. And, thankfully, it does not disappoint. It has great new characters and the film’s plot still has hilarious situations and it has emotion throughout. Although it has the same “Lost and Found” premise as its predecessor, Finding Nemo, it is still very different, making it non-repetitive and an interesting and cute sequel.

9. Monsters, Inc.

Monsters, Inc. is, overall, an adorable film with a premise that actually makes monsters loveable. The casting is great, and the plot is both emotion and exciting with its creative premise that combines the human world and the monster world. Viewers can see the creative nature of the film through each monster that was introduced, and viewers can see the intricacy of their design through every detail that was put into the film.

8. Finding Nemo

If one thing could be said about Finding Nemo, it’s that the film is

utterly gorgeous. The stunning animation throughout with the colorful ocean scenes and fishes and the intricate details on the scales and plants makes Finding Nemo a beautiful and captivating film. Its fun and great characters are memorable and lovable, which is true to Pixar’s standards.

7. Toy Story 2

Toy Story 2 was Pixar’s first sequel, and, until Cars 2, it’s only sequel. And, it did not disappoint. The characters became more complex, and Toy Story 2 introduced even more great characters to an already fantastic cast. It even brought more emotion than the first, and the plot was just as fun and entertaining as the original Toy Story. Usually, when it comes to sequels, the new films are never as good as the first, but Toy Story 2 went against the norm and proved to be a new and non-repetitive sequel to an already fantastic start of the series.

6. The Incredibles

The Incredibles is another example of Pixar’s impeccable job at making creative and new characters in a world that has not been seen before. It was released at the beginning of the new superhero boom of the 21^st century, and seeing a film that is not set within either the Marvel or DC universe was refreshing and, altogether, more fun. Instead of focusing on the superheroes in their golden ages, it features them after the public has shunned them into hiding, and it asks: what would superheroes do as an ordinary member of society? It also creates a family dynamic that evolves throughout the movie, and its stellar cast makes The Incredibles a great addition to the superhero genre.

5. WALL-E

WALL-E is another one of Pixar’s gorgeous films, and, this time, it's set in a completely new environment: outer space. The beautiful design of WALL-E and the world that has turn to trash immerses the viewer into the world, and makes it a captivating watch. The commentary on both society’s treatment on the world and obesity makes WALL-E an important film because of its view on these serious problems. It even makes great characters that do not even speak throughout the entire movie, which is not an easy task.

4. Up

From the first scene of Up, viewers are introduced to a damaged character, and the emotion of it all is starkly apparent. With an unlikely relationship, this film created characters that are loved by all, and introduced quirky characters that even include talking dogs. There is depth in the story, wit throughout, and a fun and exciting adventure that makes Up a visually fantastic and an overall amazing film.

3. Inside Out

Inside Out is a film that has a premise that has never been seen or even thought of before. It looks into a child’s mind as she goes through many obstacles, and, with it, introduces the topic of depression, making this an important watch for all. It is a thought-provoking and curious film that brings both emotion and hilarity to the big screen. A film that is perfect for both children and adults, Inside Out is a film that can make a person rethink how they act through life while still being a film that is enjoyable and exciting at the same time.

2. Toy Story

Toy

Story was Pixar’s first film and it put Pixar in the spotlight because of its incredibly creative plot and its groundbreaking animation. It brings nostalgia and fun with amazing characters that are all memorable in their own ways. It's really surprising as to how Pixar was able to make a person feel so emotionally attached to the toys in the film, but they were able to do it with ease, and, thus, creating a new animation phenomenon that has impacted generations since its initial release. Because of this, and along with its quotable lines and its engaging and exciting adventure of a plot, it is extremely easy to fall in love with every aspect of this film.

1. Toy Story 3

It was extremely hard to choose a number one, but Toy Story 3 just has it all. Most sequels are a disaster waiting to happen, but Toy Story 3 is one of those extreme rarities where every part of the film works. The characters are even more complex than the last movie, the animation improved, there is humor for both adults and children, it is heart-breaking as much as it creates hope, it just has everything an animated movie should have. Fifteen years after Toy Story, one would expect that Pixar would not be able to capture the same imagination as the original, but Toy Story 3 expands on the imagination and creates excitement and adventure in a emotional roller coaster of a film. It is nearly impossible not to cry in this movie as its nostalgia of the first movie makes viewers realize how attached they are to the characters and creative world that Pixar created. Arguably one of the best animated movies at all time (it should be mentioned that it not only won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, but that it was nominated for Best Picture), Toy Story 3 proved that Pixar is still a force to be reckoned with, as Pixar shows that it can repeatedly improve on their previous successes.