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Pixar has been coming out with animated hits since the release of its successful first film, Toy Story, in 1995. Along with the release of countless acclaimed films, several iconic characters have been created. Some examples include Mike Wazowski from Monsters, Inc. and Tow Mater from Cars.
With every successful film studio, there has to be a few flops. While some of these films aren’t necessarily terrible, they just didn’t fare well with critics for various reasons. Some had lackadaisical story-telling, or confusing plot elements.
10 Luca Is Based On The 1954 Film Creature From The Black Lagoon – 7.5
Luca is the latest Pixar film, released in June 2021 on Disney+. Luca is based on the 1954 live action film Creature From The Black Lagoon by Universal International. Luca follows the life of a sea monster in the small Italian town of Portorosso in the late 1950s.
Luca is a goatfish herder who meets the adventurous Alberto, who encourages him to venture outside his comfort zone. The sea monsters turn into humans when they reach the surface, and eventually live happily with humans after the Portorosso cup.
9 Onward Follows Two Elf Brothers On A Journey – 7.4
Onward was released in February 2020, weeks before the start of lockdown. The pandemic meant the film wasn’t much of a financial success. Onward follows the lives of two elf brothers, Ian and Barley Lightfoot. Unlike his brother, Ian is socially awkward and fears doing most things. After Ian and Barley set off on a quest to temporarily bring back their deceased father, Ian gains a sense of self-confidence. The quest strengthens the relationship between him and his brother.
8 Finding Dory Is An Acceptable Spin-Off Sequel – 7.3
Finding Dory is the 2016 spin-off sequel to the largely successful Finding Nemo. Finding Dory revolves around Dory’s quest to find her parents, rather than Marlin’s quest to find his son. With the praise of Finding Nemo, it was hard for Finding Dory to perform as well as its predecessor. While Finding Dory sports a 94 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it scores 7.3 out of 10 on IMDb.
“Therefore, it is a relief to note that the follow-up has plenty of emotional hooks, some great lines and is no stinker, despite simply following what amounts to the same plot current as before” said Susan Wloszczyna in a review for Roger Ebert.
7 Monsters University Is Pixar’s Only Prequel – 7.2
Monsters University is the 2013 prequel to the popular film Monsters, Inc, making it the only prequel released by Pixar. Monsters University details the college life of main characters, Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan in their journey as rivals-turned-best-friends. Sulley is in a fraternity called Roar Omega Roar, while Mike is in Oozma Kappa. Both will compete in a scaring competition.
“Monsters University, which pictures Billy Crystal’s one-eyed goblin Mike and John Goodman’s fuzzy blue scare-master Sully as students attending Scare U, is true to the spirit of the original film, Monsters Inc., and matches its tone. But it never seems content to turn over old ground,” said Matt Zoller Seitz for Roger Ebert in a review.
6 A Bug’s Life Is Based On An Aesop Fable- 7.2
A Bug’s Life is the second film released by Pixar Animation Studios in 1998. Inspired by Aesop’s fable, The Ant And The Grasshopper, A Bug’s Life details the life of an ant colony and focuses on the troublemaking protagonist, Flik. Flik knocks over the food offering to the vicious grasshoppers while testing out an invention.
Hopper, the evil leader of the grasshoppers, wants double the amount of food Flik knocked over, so he sets on a quest to fulfill his request. Flik saves the day when Hopper is defeated and begins a relationship with Princess Atta.
5 The First Cars Is Best Rated Amongst The Three Installments – 7.1
Pixar’s Cars stars Owen Wilson as the star-studded racecar Lightning McQueen, and Larry the Cable Guy as his eventual best friend, Mater. Cars is the last acting role of Paul Newman before his death, Newman plays Doc Hudson. While the original Cars is the best-rated installment in the series, it isn’t one of the best-rated Pixar films, according to IMDb.
“An animated fable about happy cars might have made sense before gas hit three bucks a gallon, but even an earlier sticker date couldn’t shake the story’s underlying creepiness” said Manohla Dargis in a review for New York Times.
4 Brave Features An Outstanding Soundtrack Yet Mixed Reviews- 7.1
2012’s Brave follows the life of Princess Merida, who lives in DunBroch, a fictitious kingdom set in the Scottish Highlands. Brave makes Pixar history by featuring its first princess and female protagonist. Brave won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Despite its excellent soundtrack, Brave remains one of IMDb’s worst rated Pixar films. “The good news is that the kids will probably love it, and the bad news is that parents will be disappointed if they’re hoping for another Pixar groundbreaker,” said Roger Ebert in a review for Brave.
3 Cars 3 Lacks Originality Among Critics – 6.7
The third installment of the Cars film series was released in 2017 and featured Brian Fee in his directorial debut. Cars 3 revisits the familiar protagonist of Lightning McQueen, who now faces competition from an up and coming racecar named Jackson Storm. Lightning becomes badly injured after a race with Jackson, but wants to continue.
“Despite its lack of originality, as well as its lackadaisical storytelling and world building, it satisfies in that amiably weird way that only a Cars film can,” said Matt Zoller Seitz in a 2.5 star review for Roger Ebert.
2 The Good Dinosaur Lacks Good Storytelling, But Features Great Animation – 6.7
The 2015 film The Good Dinosaur earned stellar reviews for its animation style, but fell short because of its hard-to-follow plot. The Good Dinosaur follows Arlo, the fearful dinosaur who encounters a caveboy named Spot. Spot and Arlo develop a friendship through their various adventures together.
“The problem with their latest effort, The Good Dinosaur, is that it has the intriguing initial idea but then seems curiously unsure of how to pursue it” said Peter Sobczynski in a review for Roger Ebert.
1 Cars 2 Is Worst Cars Installment In Cars Film Series – 6.1
Cars 2 is regarded as the worst installment in the Cars film franchise. Cars 2, released in 2011, was the final film created with Pixar’s Marionette animation software system. Lightning and Mater travel to compete in countries – like Japan and Italy – for the World Grand Prix. While the voice acting for Cars 2 receives praise, the overall message is confusing, unlike most Pixar films.
“I truly hated watching Cars 2 as it is not only a sequel no one other than John Lassiter wanted, but it also has a plot that manages to squeeze all the joy out of the franchise,” said Martin Hafer in a review for IMDb.
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