Over the years, Pixar has created some of the most iconic animated movies of all time. The company has been consistent with high quality and that has led to some fantastic characters being made. However, while there have been several amazing films, not every single one of them has connected.
There have been certain movies that have slipped through the cracks and haven’t quite been as impressive, with some just not hitting the same mark.
Monster’s Inc – 79 (2001)
The fact that one of Pixar’s 10 ‘worst’ movies scored a Metacritic rating of 79 shows just how strong Pixar’s overall library of movies are. The quality is just so high and that is certainly the case with Monster’s Inc, which took animation to a whole new level with the detail placed on Sulley and all the hair he had.
The film is a ton of fun, taking the monster world and the idea of creatures scaring children at night and flipping it around by having them be nice. Mike and Sulley connecting with Boo is a fantastic storyline and it brings a lot of humor to a movie that still stands up today.
A Bug’s Life – 77 (1998)
This movie was only Pixar’s second-ever film, so to gain a strong 77 rating certainly shows how impressive the animation company was right out of the gate. However, Pixar has certainly upped its game since A Bug’s Life and because of that, it isn’t a surprise to see it ranked as one of the worst films according to Metacritic.
The plot s a simple one about the underdogs fighting up against a bully, but the film tells that story nicely. However, the characters in this movie aren’t quite as fleshed out as other Pixar creations, and there is a lack of emotional punch that many of the other movies provide.
Finding Dory – 77 (2016)
Finding Dory had some major expectations when it was released, mainly because Finding Nemo is one of Pixar’s greatest ever films. While it was pretty much impossible to live up to those lofty heights, Pixar did do a fairly good job here, telling an emotional and funny story all focused on Dory.
It isn’t easy to focus a movie on a character that was primarily comedic relief in the original, but Pixar found a way to do it. The film perhaps introduced too many new characters, but bringing in an aquarium setting and focusing on the tropes that come with them was a fun twist to take.
Cars – 73 (2006)
The Cars franchise is certainly one that tends to divide opinion amongst movie fans as critics often rate the films low, but they proved to be very popular (hence the fact there is three of them.) The original is certainly the strongest of the trilogy and does a really nice job developing the different characters.
The character of Lightning McQueen is a great one, going from an arrogant race car to someone who learns to be humble thanks to those who live in Radiator Springs. There are some stunning visuals in this film as well, with Pixar really doing a great job on the animation.
Brave – 69 (2012)
Brave is currently Pixar’s only attempt at a princess movie and the animation company certainly went down a different route from the traditional approach. There wasn’t a damsel in distress insight here, with Merida being a confident girl who could do it all.
That was an interesting approach to take, but the film becomes confusing when it turns into an adventure movie with her mother turning into a bear. The film tried to take on far too much within just one movie, and while it is still very enjoyable, it isn’t quite as strong as others.
Good Dinosaur – 66 (2015)
Pixar’s Good Dinosaur was slightly disappointing for most people, with this movie struggling to connect in the same way that movies from Pixar normally do. While the company took things to a whole new level with its beautiful animation, that really was the best part of the film.
The characters just didn’t stand out here and there was a real lack of memorable moments for audiences to really grasp onto and remember to make the film rank any higher.
Monster’s University – 65 (2013)
Monster’s University was a prequel to Monster’s Inc and while it was fun to see where the characters came from and how they met, this film suffered from being too predictable. It was the classic story of two characters hating each other and then becoming friends, which was made even more obvious by the fact everyone knows Sulley and Mike became pals.
Aside from the slightly basic plot, the world that was created really was fun. Seeing a lot more new monsters and their personalities was a great decision by Pixar and it made for a fun and easy to watch movie. It just isn’t as strong as the original.
Onward – 61 (2020)
Onward was Pixar’s latest movie, and surprisingly it didn’t score well within Metacritic. The film was one about brotherhood and family and it certainly packed an emotional punch, all while taking audiences on a magical adventure, with a fantastic world being created for this one.
However, the film arguably tried to do a little too much within just one movie, and it ended up suffering because of that. Rather than fully focusing on one plot, the film took on several and with the journey going on a little longer than it needed to, Onward suffered some backlash.
Cars 3 – 59 (2017)
The third and final instalment into the Cars world saw the characters return to the race track, with Pixar tackling the subject of someone becoming too old. While Lightning McQueen wasn’t exactly an old character, he was past his peak in racing and it focused on him tackling that situation.
It was actually an interesting direction to take and it did wrap up this trilogy well, however, in comparison to other movies from Pixar it struggles to compete. There is emotion, but because the franchise itself isn’t the strongest, the connection isn’t quite as deep with audiences.
Cars 2 – 57 (2011)
Unsurprisingly, the lowest-rated movie in Pixar’s history according to Metacritic is Cars 2. It’s a movie that didn’t perform well in the eyes of critics and while the characters certainly remained popular, the overall plot of this film was one that people just weren’t that interested in.
It took the cars away from the race track and turned them into spies. Trying to create a thriller was just something that didn’t really work within the Cars world, and having Mater as the main character here also didn’t connect. He was just too much of a comedic sidekick to be thrust into the lead role and sadly, it helped this film fall flat.
