Luca hit Disney+ as Pixar’s latest release and is the second in a row to go straight to a streaming service rather than to theaters. The movie tells the story of a child who was born a “sea monster” but wants to be so much more. Like all Pixar movies, it is a journey to find out who Luca is inside, regardless of how he looks on the outside.
However, while Luca has a high Rotten Tomatoes score compared to other animated releases, it doesn’t rank higher than 17th on the list of all Pixar animated movies.
Luca (89%)
Luca tells the story of a child named Luca, born as a sea monster and protected by his family. It is like the story told in Finding Nemo but feels more like a Studio Ghibli movie than a Pixar movie; a story told on a smaller scale with lower stakes.
The critics’ reviews on Rotten Tomatoes praises its “infectious joy” that charms audiences but discounts it because it plays it safe for the kids with less depth for adults to enjoy, a smaller movie than Pixar fans expect.
A Bug’s Life (92%)
A Bug’s Life is Pixar’s forgotten movie for many fans. This was the second movie Pixar released after the acclaimed Toy Story, and one that never received a sequel or follow-up. It also came out at the same time DreamWorks released Antz.
Rotten Tomatoes critics praised A Bug’s Life for its animation, and in the end, both Antz and A Bug’s Life received duplicate 92% ratings from Rotten Tomatoes critics. However, the audience loved the Pixar movie more, with 73% of viewers praising A Bug’s Life compared to 52% for Antz.
Wall-E (95%)
Wall-E saw Pixar take a chance with something different, proving with the movie that the studio was as concerned with entertaining adults as it was with keeping kids’ attention.
Wall-E had almost no dialogue for much of its running time, focusing on a solitary robot cleaning up a post-apocalyptic Earth while surviving humans remained in a space station orbiting the planet. Critics and audiences loved it, with both scores above 90% and the movie certified fresh.
Soul (95%)
In 2020, Soul arrived on Disney+, the first of two consecutive Pixar movies that skipped theaters for the streaming service. Both movies shared the theme of a person who wanted something more than life afforded them.
However, while Luca focused on a child realizing he didn’t have to be what the world saw him as, Soul took a darker turn and had a man die, only to realize he never lived his life to the fullest. The movie had an Oscar-winning musical soundtrack and critics praised its ambitious and gorgeously animated world.
Monsters, Inc (96%)
Monsters, Inc. got a sequel called Monsters University, but outside of the Cars movies, that was the one Pixar sequel that fans turned a nose up to, although it sits at 80% from critics and 81% with the audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the first movie was an unmitigated success.
Critics certified it fresh at 96% and the audience rated it at 90%, with over 250,000 viewers scoring it. Critics praised it as a “smart” and “inventive” movie that “set the standards” for future animated releases.
Ratatouille (96%)
Ratatouille faced an uphill battle and came out as a winner. With a puzzling title for kids and a setting in the world of a Paris kitchen, this was one Pixar movie that seemed geared more toward adults than the little ones.
However, with the cute little rat Remy leading the way, it won over audiences and has a certified fresh 96% rating. Critics praised it as a “wonderful, wistful comedy” that is more than just about a rat wanting to become a chef; showing what a great artist can create with the right canvas.
The Incredibles Movies (97%, 93%)
The Incredibles is one of three Pixar franchises that remained great through sequels. That is impressive since 14 years passed between the two releases. The Incredibles hit in 2004 and introduced the world to a family of superheroes forced out of retirement, tracking their journey to find what makes a family strong.
That movie has a high 97% Rotten Tomatoes score, with critics praising its action scenes and witty script. The sequel had a lower score but remains certified fresh, although most critics admit it doesn’t stand up to the high standards the original movie set.
Coco (97%)
In 2017, Pixar created an animated movie focused on the Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico. Miguel is a young boy who wants to be a musician, but his family won’t allow it. When he learns why they feel this way, Miguel travels to the Land of the Dead to find his father.
This was a hit for fans and critics, with an audience score of 94%, just behind the critics’ 97% rating. The critics praised the movie’s emotional and creative aspects, while also appreciating Pixar exploring other cultures with “love and respect.”
Up (98%)
Up was a movie that had every chance of failing but ended up becoming another rousing Pixar success story. The two lead characters were an elderly man whose wife died in the movie’s opening, and a young scout who didn’t seem to have a father figure in his life. That opening was the most heartbreaking in any Pixar movie, and the story of the two characters finding their place in the world was touching.
Critics pointed out the touching opening, but most said the movie never lost its way after that, and it was an “original, boundary-pushing story.”
Inside Out (98%)
In 2015, Pixar took audiences into the brain of a young girl. This was a literal experience, as the main characters were her emotions, Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Anger, and Fear.
Inside Out showed the girl going through major changes. Her emotions attempted anything to keep her happy at all costs, with the biggest moment coming when they learned sadness’s importance. Critics called it Pixar’s “most inventive film” and one that “will deepen with repeat viewings.”
Finding Nemo Movies (99%, 94%)
Finding Nemo was almost a perfect movie, based on critics’ reviews, sitting at 99% fresh. The second movie, with the focus on Dory, sits at an impressive 94% fresh. Only the Toy Story movies fared better.
Critics praised the original as a “touching” yet “reassuring” tale with “breathtaking” animation. For Finding Dory, critics pointed out that it is not as deep and original as the first, it was still a movie that is “touching” and “entertaining.”
Toy Story Movies (100%, 100%, 98%, 97%)
The best of the best at Pixar is the Toy Story franchise. All four movies remain certified fresh, with the first two sitting at 100%, without a single detractor. The third, which was a fitting finale, sits at 98%, and the fourth, which many people didn’t think was necessary before its release, sits at 97% as the perfect goodbye for Woody.
The fourth movie even has the second-highest audience score for all Pixar movies, at 94%, sitting just behind Onward.
