Least Favorite Pixar?

[Jared]

There's a list ("Pixar's Winning Streak") on Rotten Tomatoes (where they average out movie critics' reviews) when there was 9 Pixar movies. Wall-E was #5 and Ratatouille was #6 when all the reviews of all the films were averaged out.

Since that list was made, both Up and TS 3 have gotten higher scores, so Wall-E drops to #7 and Ratatouille #8 on the snobby critics' list.

You piqued my interest, so I checked the scores of all 11 Pixar movies on the critical aggregate sites Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic.

First, the Metacritic results, which assign a normalized score out of 100 for each film based on the enthusiasm (or lack thereof) of the reviews:

11. Cars -- 73
10. A Bug's Life -- 77
9. Monsters, Inc. -- 78
8t. Up -- 88
8t. Toy Story 2 -- 88
6. Finding Nemo -- 89
5. The Incredibles -- 90
4t. Toy Story 3 -- 92
4t. Toy Story -- 92
2. WALL-E -- 94
1. Ratatouille -- 96

And now for Rotten Tomatoes, which assigns a percentage that represents the percentage of overall favorable reviews, not taking into account the enthusiasm of the review. Therefore, an extremely positive review and a mildly positive review are worth the same. Also, a normalized ranking out of 10 that does take the review's tone into account:

11. Cars -- 6.9/10 (74%)
10. A Bug's Life -- 7.9/10 (91%)
9. Monsters, Inc. -- 7.9/10 (95%)
8. The Incredibles -- 8.3/10 (97%)
7t. WALL-E -- 8.4/10 (96%)
7t. Ratatouille -- 8.4/10 (96%)
5. Finding Nemo -- 8.5/10 (98%)
4. Up -- 8.6/10 (98%)
3. Toy Story 2 -- 8.6/10 (100%)
2. Toy Story 3 -- 8.8/10 (99%)
1. Toy Story -- 9.0/10 (100%)

What does all this mean? Really, not that much. The one thing it seems everybody agrees on is that the "Toy Story" franchise is wonderful. That's about it.

I still wonder what it is about "Cars" that enchanted audience and turned off critics. It's the one Pixar movie that really shows a major schism.

[Evil Genius]

This was a very difficult question to wrap my head around. Because if you put everything into perspective...even the weakest PIXAR film is superior to two thirds of every other film that comes out of Hollywood.

That being said, I'd have to say my least favorite is the ever cliched answer of Ratatouille. My reasoning being that unlike other PIXAR films, Ratatouille simply didn't have as engaging a dramatis personae. I just never connected with anyone in the movie.

It also didn't feel like a rollercoaster ride the way other PIXAR films do. PIXAR has had this knack for crafting films with twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. Ratatouille just do that for me. It's the only PIXAR film I struggled to get through the first time and I've not returned for another viewing since.

Now I feel like giving you my obligatory ranking of the PIXAR movies. So without further adieu...

1) Finding Nemo
2) Toy Story 3
3) Toy Story 2
4) Monsters Inc
5) The Incredibles
6) Toy Story
7) Wall*E
8) Up!
9) A Bug's Life
10) Cars
11) Ratatouille

Now this is simply a list ranking the movies as to my enjoyment of them. Not in actual ranking of quality of movie. That list would go something like this...

1) Up!
2) Wall*E
3) Toy Story 2
4) Finding Nemo
5) Toy Story 3
6) Monsters Inc
7) Toy Story
8) The Incredibles
9) Cars
10) A Bug's Life
11) Ratatouille

I must say in reference to those that consider Wall* E too "preachy". Yeah it's a film with a message and perhaps it gets a trifle heavy handed with it...but that can take nothing away from the near flawless story telling that film accomplished. If nothing else the film succeeds above others simply based on the first half hour+ of plot that is told without a single stitch of spoken dialogue. Just brilliant!

[Disneypixie513]

Here's my list in order of my favorites:

1) Wall-E
2) Toy Story (all 3. I can't figure out which one I like the most)
3) Up
4) Monsters Inc.
5) Finding Nemo
6) The Incredibles
7) A Bug's Life
8) Ratatouille
9) Cars (I fell asleep while watching it)

I was so surprised I like Wall-E as much as I do. I thought the "preachiness" was so much more subtle than what I had expected. And I just think he is the cutest. I love his little crush on EVE throughout the movie.

[Jim&AngieMarriner]

I have to agree with a lot of te folks here and say my answer is Its a Bugs Life for my least favorite pixar flick (no pun intended... ok who am I kidding, I thought it was funny)

That being said, notice I mentione LEAST FAVORITE, and not worst. I love all of them and depending on my mood, different one will be my fav for that moment.

I love the little details in Cars, like the volkswagen "bugs" who used turn signals. All the panaramic scenery that had autobody parts molded into it. the list could go on and on.

Nemo... Beautiful. And the comedy in it was great i thought (Nemo touched the BUTT!!!) Ellen is brilliant as Dory. So many memorable characters.

One poster mentioned that UP was a bit sad for them at the begining when Ellie died. Would you believe thats one of the parts that made me love that movie? You could really connect with how heartbroken Carl was how he turned into a grumpy old man. The visuals of the jungle were ..SQUIRREL!!! were breathtaking and even better if you saw it in 3D at the theater.

Im a comic book nerd from waaaay back. Incredibles, 'nuff said (10 bonus points to those who caught that reference and can name it)

Monsters Inc brought us a wonderful new world where in the end, a childs laughter is the most powerful thing. It also taught us what color puce is.

I really could keep going but im sure you are bored to death by now. And really, you arnt that interested in me rabmling about each movie and what I love about it. Are you.

[GrmGrninGost]

Not a bad movie in the lot. In fact they're all great! (IMHO) However, my least favorite is Nemo followed very closely by Bug's Life.