From the crushing disappointment of Cars 3 to the tear-inducing euphoria of Toy Story 3, these are the best and worst of Disney Pixar.
Disney and Pixar are two of the most consistent companies working in the movie industry. A lot of care goes into each and every one of their movies, and the results are often extraordinary. Most of their films contain wondrous visuals, fantastic sound design and voice acting, catchy music, and stories that prove both touching and moral.
It's difficult to say which of their movies are the best, as each has its own pros and cons. The 2010s was a great decade for both Disney and Pixar, and now that it's over, one can look back and see which movies made the biggest impact.
The Cars franchise has long been regarded as Pixar's weakest creative effort, and most of its movies have received a middling critical reception.
Cars 2, while it has its fans, is the lowest-ranking Disney and Pixar effort of the 2010s, scoring just 40% on Rotten Tomatoes and proving the only "Rotten" movie the company has ever produced. It's widely regarded as the worst Pixar movie by a company with far greater potential.
While Cars 2 was a critical disaster, it still earned over $560 million at the global box office, necessitating the creation of a third film. Unfortunately, many critics felt that Cars 3 wasn't much better, though it did receive many positive reviews, as well.
It currently sits at 69% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising the "unexpectedly poignant story." Its Audience Score is the same, proving that it definitely wasn't universally reviled.
Set in the Scottish Highlands, Brave landed at 78% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the third-lowest rated Pixar film of the 2010s. Critics called it a "funny fantasy adventure with a distaff twist and surprising depth," and while it proved one of Pixar's weaker efforts, it still won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
Critics praised numerous aspects of the production, including protagonist Merida, who proved a welcome break from the stereotypical Disney princess.
Sitting at 78%, Frozen II proves Disney's lowest-rated film of the 2010s. According to critics, the sequel was a somewhat disappointing follow-up to its iconic and incredibly popular original.
As the consensus reads, "Frozen II can't quite recapture the showstopping feel of its predecessor." Nevertheless, they still call it "a dazzling adventure," and it ended up taking in $1.4 billion at the global box office and achieving an Audience Score of 92%.
Proving to be Dan Scanlon's directorial debut, Monsters University was released in the summer of 2013 - nearly 12 full years since the iconic original movie (which was released in November of 2001). Critics called it "funny and thoughtful family entertainment," resulting in a strong 80% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Much of the praise was singled on the film's animation and the returning vocal performances of Billy Crystal and John Goodman.
Breaking from the tropes of every Disney princess movie, Wreck-It Ralph is a unique film centered around video games and arcades. While the film somewhat underperformed at the global box office, with a take of just $470 million, it nevertheless scored well with critics.
It currently sits at 87% on Rotten Tomatoes and critics called it "a clever, colorful adventure built on familiar themes and joyful nostalgia."
Despite Wreck-It Ralph's somewhat underwhelming box office performance, it grossed enough money to warrant a sequel. Ralph Breaks the Internet was released six years after the original and scored even better than its predecessor, resulting in an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Critics say that it "levels up on its predecessor," proving one of the rare occurrences in which a sequel is better than the original.
Proving Disney's first title of the 2010s, Tangled told the famous story of Rapunzel and provided one of the greatest modern Disney princesses. In fact, many princesses of the 2010s were modeled after Rapunzel's somewhat clumsy and ditzy personality.
Critics admitted that Tangled was "far from Disney's greatest film," but nevertheless called it "a visually stunning, thoroughly entertaining" movie.
Disney struck cinematic gold with Frozen in 2013. Grossing $1.2 billion and introducing the world to the phenomenon that was "Let It Go," it set a new benchmark with Frozen - at least in terms of popularity.
Critically, it scored just above Tangled with a 90% score. Critics called it "beautifully animated, smartly written, and stocked with singalong songs."
Big Hero 6 was a major departure from the typical Disney fare, offering up a surprisingly mature story rooted in the superhero genre.
Critics called it "briskly-paced, action-packed, and often touching," singling out specific praise for the movie's maturity and the unique relationship between Baymax and Hiro.
The recent Winnie the Pooh is often forgotten in the Disney canon. The film served as a modern reboot of the iconic franchise, and to this day remains Disney's last traditionally animated film.
It was this gorgeous animation and nostalgia that earned the movie much of its praise, with critics saying the movie was "short, nostalgic, and gently whimsical."
There was much hesitation surrounding the release of Incredibles 2, as it came with a very long gap between its movies.
Nonetheless, Pixar confidently cast all doubts aside and delivered a spectacular piece of modern animation. Critics admitted that it "may not quite live up to the original, but comes close enough to earn its name."
Dory proved one of Pixar's most instantly memorable characters after making her debut in Finding Nemo, resulting in the long-anticipated sequel Finding Dory.
While its predecessor is an undeniable classic, Finding Dory confidently found a place next to it with a smart script, great humor, and a thoughtful story that treated its titular character with respect.
There was a lot of hype around Moana, as it was Disney's first animated musical after Frozen. And while it didn't become the cultural touchstone that Frozen did, it is arguably the better film. Critics certainly think so, too, judging by its 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Coco may have proven a difficult story to tell, as it largely deals with themes of life and death. But Pixar struck a deft and wonderful balance between pathos and humor, resulting in one of the finest animated movies of the 2010s.
Much of the praise centered around the film's animation, story, and characters, resulting in an excellent Rotten Tomatoes score of 97%.
Many people didn't want a Toy Story 4. It had been nearly 10 years since the third film, and the trilogy ended in a perfect manner.
But Pixar had some good ideas, and they delivered with this surprisingly effective film. It sits at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics stating that it "manages the unlikely feat of extending -- and perhaps concluding -- a practically perfect animated saga."
According to critics, Toy Story 3 is a near-perfect movie, and it ended the Toy Story franchise in a magnificent, touching fashion (at the time).
It sat at a perfect 100% for some time, but five "Rotten" reviews have brought the score down to 98%. Regardless, "Toy Story 3 is a rare second sequel that really works."
Perhaps the most thoughtful Pixar film of the 2010s, Inside Out is a richly emotional film that works on nearly every level.
The film earned critical acclaim for nearly every aspect of its production, with specific praise going towards its original and inventive story, the creative ways in which it deals with themes of childhood emotion, and its superb animation. It's easily one of Pixar's finest efforts.
While not a traditional Disney film (it has far more in common with Pixar than it does Disney), Zootopia is widely regarded as the company's finest effort of the 2010s.
The film has it all, including memorable characters, gorgeous animation, and a story that creatively unveils themes of modern race and cultural relations through the lens of cute animals. It's hilarious while also being thoughtful and optimistic, proving one of the greatest modern Disney films.
