Pixar has consistently created and produced animation movies that move generations since 1995, when Toy Story, their first production, came out. The company was bought by Disney in 2006, and the two became a powerhouse for movies for the whole family. The beautiful animations combined with complex and emotionally fulfilling storylines are simply impossible to forget.
Almost 30 years after Pixar’s first movie, the production company is responsible for 27 feature films. Some of them are sequels to beloved stories and characters who got to make a comeback in a new setting or adventure. Here are all the sequels for Pixar movies ranked according to the critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes.
8 Cars 2 – 40%
The sequel, and overall Pixar movie with the worst score on Rotten Tomatoes, follows the cocky car, Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson). While Cars 2 brought back fan-favorite characters, the storytelling felt lacking compared to the other movies by the production company, including Cars. With spies, races around the world, and even famous real-life pilots voicing characters, such as Sir Lewis Hamilton, the movie is still quite entertaining and includes a bigger scope of the Cars world.
7 Cars 3 – 69%
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The third and last installment of the Cars franchise got a 69% score from critics. While it outdid the previous sequel, it didn’t manage to quite reach the level of the first movie. The new element that feels enticing to watch is that now, McQueen is being pushed out of the sport as a new generation of faster cars race. Cars 3 presents an interesting side of the character that wasn’t explored before. He must fight to earn his place, as he is not yet ready to retire.
6 Monsters University – 80%
Monsters University came out twelve years after Monsters, Inc. The movie is a prequel story that shows how Sullivan (John Goodman) and Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) met during their time in university. The movie does a great job of showing the characters’ growth and their journey to become the ones the fans already know and love.
Mike Wazowski enters university with a dream: to be scary. There he meets the popular Sulley, who is one of the best Scarers. Unlike in Monsters, Inc., the duo has a ruthless rivalry that is fun to watch and leads to a unique friendship.
5 Incredibles 2 – 93%
Starting right where the first movie left off, Incredibles 2 continues the superhero journey of the Parr family. The movie tackles many different modern subjects that make it a great watch. Family dynamics, societal roles, growing up, and of course, a new supervillain create a fun story that can be enjoyed by everyone.
When Winston Deaver (Bob Odenkirk) wants to revive Helen’s (Holly Hunter) old days as Elasticgirl, it comes with a few changes. Now, Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) must stay at home and try to take care of their teen, pre-teen, and baby.
4 Finding Dory – 94%
Finding Dory is set after the events of Finding Nemo and has the lead characters on a new journey. Dory (Elle DeGeneres) is one of the most charismatic characters, and while can be a bit annoying at times, she has such a pure heart that it is impossible not to like her.
The forgetful blue fish’s life story is shown, and family becomes, once again, a central focus of this franchise under the sea. Nemo (Alexander Gould), Marlin (Albert Brooks), and Dory try to find Dory’s family, whom she was separated from when she was really young.
3 Toy Story 4 – 97%
Toy Story 4 has the lowest score on the website in the franchise, and yet it is an almost perfect score. With a more upbeat story that still doesn’t shy away from the emotional moments, the fourth installment is a great addition to this world. Talking about the idea of freedom and what that can mean to a toy makes the almost unbelievable feat of not dropping the ball on quality and entertainment.
The toys go on a road trip with their new owner, Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw). However, they reconnect with a long-lost friend and realize there might be more to life than they have experienced. This is not the final story in the franchise, as Toy Story 5 was confirmed.
2 Toy Story 3 – 98%
Toy Story 3 continued the legacy of making people weep at the movie theater and at home, with the emotional continuation of this incredible tale. The third movie focuses on when someone enters adulthood and their childhood is left behind. Taking the great premise of the toys coming to life, it’s hard to watch as the toys must move on, just like Andy (Charlie Bright).
As Andy left for college, his old toys should go to the attic. But their journey won’t be an easy one. Apart from Woody (Tom Hanks), they all mistakenly end up in a daycare where the kids are not as considered as Andy was when playing with them. So, they create a plan to escape.
1 Toy Story 2 – 100%
It is no surprise that the highest-scored Pixar sequel is another Toy Story movie. Toy Story 2 got the perfect score on the website, just like the first one did and is the only sequel to match the original movie score. Continuing the story of Woody and Buzz (Tim Allen), the second film took all the things that worked on the first one and expanded them, including the world and characters. After Woody gets kidnapped by a toy dealer. Buzz and the other toys have to find a way of bringing him back home.
