Media Essays: Ranking The Pixar Sequels

Feels like it was only a matter of time before I did this. As anyone reading this blog should already know at this point, I LOVE Pixar. Pixar is my all-time favourite animation studio, even above the likes of Disney themselves. Pixar is an animation studio of such high quality that even their weakest movies are still good to some extent (except for Lightyear, that one is pretty bad) and when they make good movies, they make masterpieces. Films such as the Toy Story trilogy, The Incredibles, WALL.E, Up, Finding Nemo and Inside Out stand as among the greatest animated movies of all time and many of their movies such as Inside Out, A Bug's Life, WALL.E and Toy Story 3 are among some of my favourite movies of all time. Pixar is an animation studio that changed animation forever and has been such a staple of our lives that we can't ever imagine life without them.

So with this essay, I'm doing something Pixar related for a change, and with the recent release of Inside Out 2, I thought "Hmm...why not do a ranking of all the Pixar sequels?". Pixar sequels tend to be a mixed bag among Pixar fans. They're simultaneously the best and worst movies in the studio's library with some like Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3 being considered among Pixar's best while Cars 2 and Incredibles 2 are considered some of Pixar's worst. It's so funny how a studio can have such an inconsistent track record when it comes to movie sequels.

So how do I rank them? Which one do I consider to be the best of the sequels and which one do I rank at the bottom? Let's dive in. We'll start off at the bottom and work our way up. For this list, it has to be a sequel to a Pixar movie and it doesn't matter how many sequels each movie got, any and all sequels will make this list. Oh and don't expect Lightyear on the list. This is a ranking of Pixar SEQUELS, not spin-offs. Monsters University is also a prequel, not a sequel, so it won't make the count either.

So let's rank the Pixar sequels...

Number 8: Cars 2

While everyone (wrongly) considers this to be Pixar's worst movie, and by proxy Pixar's worst sequel, I personally feel Lightyear is worse. And while I don't consider Cars 2 to be Pixar's weakest sequel, even I have to acknowledge it doesn't deserve any higher on this list. Sorry Cars 2, I may be your biggest defender, but even I have to agree that you're the bottom of the Pixar sequels.

The biggest problem Cars 2 has as a sequel is that when you compare it to Cars 3, it doesn't even feel like a sequel to Cars, rather it feels like a spin-off movie. You could've called it Mater's Tall Tales: The Movie and that would've fit much better! And I have to agree that yes, Mater does work a lot better as a comic relief character than a main character and that Lightning McQueen should've been more involved. And yet I still find it a very enjoyable movie regardless of how it doesn't really work as a sequel. Ironically enough, I enjoy it for reasons many people hate the sequel, namely the shift from racing to spy fiction. I thought it was fascinating to see how the world of Cars tackled the spy genre and it just added more to the world of Cars at large as we get to see what things are like outside of racing. Is it a weird genre shift? Yes. But does it make the movie more interesting to watch? HELL YES! The slightly darker tone also made the film more intense to watch at times. Yes, it might seem a bit at odds with the first movie, but I feel like it still kept true enough to the spirit of the first film by still having a bit of a goofy side to it so it never felt it was going too far in that direction.

I also like how the movie shows us different countries but with a Cars twist to them such as Japan, Italy and England and they use those set pieces to their advantage with all kinds of cool racing, chasing and action scenes that occur in those countries. The highlights of the movie for me include the action scenes with Mater and the spies facing off against the lemons and the animators use the settings to their advantage to make the scenes look really cool. I also feel that the story was pretty clever in how it fit in a race and this sabotage plot to make alternative fuel look bad and it feels like the kind of scheme an evil car would try to pull off. While some may find the reveal on who the villain was to be a bit obvious, I didn't think it was myself and found it quite a surprise. Speaking of villains, I like how despite this being a Cars movie, they still went out of their way to make the lemons genuinely menacing villains and that when they get involved, cars will get hurt or even killed. Just ask that American spy whom they exploded for example...

Cars 2 is a tonne of fun for me with an interesting story, interesting world-building regarding the presence of superspies in the Cars world and has some cool action and creative visuals that only Pixar animation could bring to life. The only reason I rank it at the bottom of the list is because it feels the least like a sequel to a Pixar movie and that Cars 3 kinda pretending it didn't happen makes this movie's existence feel the most pointless as a result. It's best enjoyed when viewed as a spin-off to Cars rather than a full-on sequel. People can hate this movie all they like, I'm never going to change my mind on it. Cars 2 doesn't deserve the hate it gets and certainly ISN'T Pixar's worst movie. That dishonour goes to Lightyear and that's a fact...

Number 7: Incredibles 2

I feel people exaggerate a lot when they talk about how bad this movie is, like REALLY exaggerate how bad it is. Hell, calling Incredibles 2 bad in general is an exaggeration! But compared to other Pixar sequels, it definitely is one of their weaker ones. You'd think after 14 years of waiting for a sequel, we'd have gotten something...ahem, incredible. Instead, we got something that while I consider it good, the fandom is very divided on it.

Incredibles 2 is ranked higher than Cars 2 because this one DOES feel like a sequel given it immediately follows up from the first movie and expands on the world of The Incredibles at large. But the big issue this movie has is that many people feel it rehashes the first movie a bit (even I can see their point, if I feel they exaggerate how much of a rehash it is), Tony getting mindwiped was unnecessary and ruined a potentially interesting dynamic he and Violet could've had and that the two plots they have of Elastigirl fighting crime and Mr. Incredible raising Jack-Jack don't really come together as a whole. I also hate how that dumb superhero ban is still on when the events of the first movie should've gotten it lifted. But my biggest issue is how the sequel marketed itself as being an Elastigirl focused story with her as the main protagonist this time around...yet they did a terrible job at it. This movie does NOT in anyway feel like it's Elastigirl's movie. The story isn't really ABOUT her and she doesn't really undergo any kind of arc or development like Mr. Incredible did. It's like she's the main character because...we need a woman in charge I guess? What's really embarrassing is that Pixar did a way better job with Dory in Finding Dory, but we'll get to that later. Also, while I'm fine with the villain they got for this movie, there were better options out there. One such example is Gamma Jack, a guy whom you can hear the recorded voice log of in one of the bonus features on The Incredibles DVD. He sounded pretty shifty and it would've been quite a twist if he turned out to be alive and was the main villain here.

As is, I don't think Incredibles 2 is the disaster everyone makes it out to be by any means. I liked the subplot with Bob and Jack-Jack, Evelyn Deavour was a menacing villain who proved to be very crafty in how she pulled off her schemes, the action scenes are as incredible (pun intended) as ever and the animation is a gorgeous upgrade from the first movie with some of the best visuals ever put in a Pixar movie. I also like how the movie gives us a character who could've been a typical evil billionaire CEO kind of villain but made him legitimately a good guy. That was refreshing. And of course, Jack-Jack's wild, unpredictable powers did give us some great comedy. Also, this is going to be a real hot take from me, but I find Incredibles 2 to be more enjoyable than the first. I'm not saying it's better than the first obviously, the first has the vastly superior story. It's just the first movie felt a little slow at times and has boring conversations that even I as an adult don't really follow. The sequel is just more fun by comparison. If I'm in the mood for something great, I watch the first movie. If I'm in the mood for something fun, I watch the sequel.

As is, it deserves the second lowest ranking on the list because of all the things it did wrong. This should've been a GREAT sequel, but instead we only got an OK sequel, and that didn't make this movie feel as...well, incredible as it could've been. It's pretty sad when fans have probably written better sequels by comparison...

Number 6: Toy Story 4

The Pixar sequel that has the least reason to exist of them all. Even now, I'm STILL questioning why we even have a fourth Toy Story movie when the third movie was such a perfect ending. Whenever I talk about this movie, I compare it to a video-game: namely that Toy Story 3 is the main game and Toy Story 4 is the DLC pack you can buy afterwards. It's not necessary to your gaming experience, but it does give you more content to indulge in after you're done.

I still rank it higher than Cars 2 and Incredibles 2 though, because as pointless as this movie's existence is, it's still better written than the latter and unlike the former, it still feels like a sequel to the previous movies. Toy Story 4 may not need to exist, but they still gave us a damn fine movie and showed that there's still plenty of possibilities with the Toy Story movies. It was a genius idea on the writer's parts to bring back Bo Peep after her absence in the third movie and expanding on her character in a way that made her far more interesting than she ever was in the previous movies, and her relationship with Woody serving as the catalyst for the latter's decision to become a lost toy in the end made perfect sense to me. I also like how the villain, Gabby-Gabby, was handled in how she was more sympathetic than we expected and had to earn her happy ending instead of expecting it to be handed to her. It made her a unique case compared to other Toy Story villains and her story became more interesting to see. The film was also great for its wholesome and relevant message on the feeling of importance. We all feel the need to have importance in our lives, whether it's for ourselves or for someone else, and feeling obsolete is a crushing feeling to any individual. That alone made Woody's story compelling and his decision to become a lost toy in the end to find a new purpose in life only brought the theme full circle, as well as evolved Woody's character beyond the previous films. This is the same guy who was shocked at being a lost toy and now he's embraced the life of a lost toy.

As is, this is easily the weakest of the Toy Story movies for a myriad of reasons. Bunny and Ducky are new characters that really didn't need to be here and their story-arc just vanishes with no resolution, Buzz Lightyear has been dumbed down to the point he keeps needing his voice box to make decisions for him, a joke that was NEVER funny and just got annoying the more times they did it, Forky's existential crisis was resolved ridiculously easily and as I said earlier, there was no reason this story needed to be told and that this movie needed to exist. Toy Story 3 wrapped everything up perfectly, so why Pixar felt we needed another one just reeks of corporate meddling to me. Unlike the Toy Story fandom though, I don't have a problem with Bonnie abandoning Woody since, you know, she's a child and children move on to other things very quickly. Of course she didn't stick with Woody forever! And whoever drew those disgusting pictures of Andy beating Bonnie up for losing Woody should be ashamed of themselves. You'd think the TOY STORY fandom of all fandoms would be against child abuse... X(

Toy Story 4: It didn't need to exist, but I appreciate Pixar putting effort into it and giving us another solid Toy Story movie. Now I have to wonder why on Earth we're getting a fifth movie...

Number 5: Finding Dory

I personally don't think Finding Nemo ever needed a sequel, though I do appreciate that we got one anyway.

Finding Dory was a sequel that defied all expectations since we never once expected Finding Nemo to get a sequel and we certainly weren't expecting a movie starring DORY of all characters! Needless to say, it proved to be the right choice to make in the end for Dory proved to be a surprisingly compelling protagonist with a fascinating backstory that explained so much about her. Seriously, I can never look at Dory the same way again thanks to this movie. Her ability to read, her ability to speak whale, her knowledge of certain things, it's all explained here, and in a rather clever way too. You see, the original plot of Finding Nemo would've been told through a series of flashbacks that would've explained everything about Marlin and his worries slowly but surely over the course of the movie. That idea was abandoned and instead reworked for this movie, and it was such a genius idea. I also like how the movie keeps us in suspense regarding the whereabouts and wellbeing of Dory's parents. While it wasn't that surprising that they turned out to be alive in the end, the movie does do a good job on tricking you into thinking they might be dead, so it comes as a relief when it turns our they're alive.

Oh and remember how Incredibles 2 failed at being about Elastigirl? Finding Dory doesn't have that problem. The film is unquestionably ABOUT Dory, and we learn so much more about her past and how she developed as a character and the story is focused on HER wants and desires. Incredibles 2 could've put Mr. Incredible in Elastigirl's place and nothing would change, whereas Finding Dory could only work the way it did because it's about Dory. And unlike Cars 2, Dory proves she can be more than comic relief as she effortlessly fits into the main protagonist role here. Funny isn't it how this movie succeeded at two things other Pixar sequels did wrong? Oh and random note, I'm one of the few people that actually liked Nemo's character here. Seriously, give me snarky Nemo any day, he's surprisingly funny. XD

As is, Finding Dory still has some issues here and there. The tone feels a bit too wacky for a Finding Nemo sequel (especially during the climax), which makes it stand out too much compared to the first movie's more grounded and realistic tone, Fluke and Rudder (the two seals) don't do anything during the climax despite the two going off to get involved, Hank the Octopus takes a while to truly become likeable and the Tank Gang's presence in the after credits scene just raises too many questions and has me wondering why they were just left out of the main plot. But none of that stops Finding Dory from being a great sequel to an already great movie. Dory didn't just find her parents, she also found herself in a great sequel...

Number 4: Cars 3

I don't think anyone will disagree with me on Cars 3 being ranked above Cars 2. Some might say I've ranked it too high, but this list is MY opinion and I say it does belong this high on the list.

Cars 3 is one of Pixar's best sequels and I'd also say it's the best Cars movie of the trilogy. And to think the thing that caught our interest with this movie was that damn teaser trailer! Seriously, you better believe a lot of people were yelling "HOLT S***!" that day. XD While the actual movie wasn't quite as dark as the trailer implied, Cars 3 still ended up proving itself to be a worthy sequel to the first movie that was a little more serious than its predecessor. I always find that a good sequel is one that grows with its audience, and Cars 3 definitely gave off that impression. The story is a little more serious and not quite as light-hearted as before (but it still is quite light-hearted for the most part) and McQueen's crash is portrayed as deathly serious and brutal with nothing comical about it. It also covers a subject matter that I imagine resonated with many adults in the audience: the moment when you may have to retire. We've all had that moment in our lives where we're passionate about something but then life gets in the way and we have to abandon that passion and in McQueen's case, he may have to retire from racing. It's a strong theme for the movie and felt like the next logical step in McQueen's story as he goes from seasoned veteran racer to a potential retiree. I also thought the conclusion to the movie was genius too with Cruz Ramierz becoming the next big racer and McQueen becomes her mentor. How appropriate it is that Lightning McQueen, the car mentored by Doc Hudson, is now a mentor himself training up the next racing sensation? Speaking of Doc, the movie pays a lovely tribute to the late, great Paul Newman with a greater focus on Doc's legacy and how the cast, especially Lightning, feel about his passing. It was so sweet of the movie to do that.

Oh and unlike Cars 2, this movie actually feels like a proper sequel to the first movie. Cars 2 felt more like a fun spin-off, but this feels like an actual follow-up with it carrying on the themes of the first movie and the focus being back on Lightning McQueen. And as a good sequel should do, it feels like things have evolved and grown since the first movie, made clear by how McQueen is a more mature character than before, he has a new rival and the racing world's beginning to change all around him. While I don't think Cars 3 needed to pretend Cars 2 didn't exist, it was ultimately for the best as nothing from Cars 2 really would've worked for this film's story. And of course, just like in the first movie, the racing scenes are the highlight of the movie with the final race being a tonne of fun to watch and feeling appropriately exciting and ultimately satisfying to watch with Cruz defeating Jackson Storm in the end.

Cars 3 does have a few issues that keep it from ranking any higher on the list, namely the fact that McQueen's crash is kinda glanced over after it happens and is never really brought up again, Jackson Storm was woefully underdeveloped as an antagonist and felt more like a plot device than an actual character and Sterling was kinda forced into being a last-minute antagonist...just because really. There was no reason for that to happen.

As is, Cars 3 zoomed around the track and performed a winning lap for the franchise that gave us a solid sequel and a worthy conclusion to the trilogy...provided they don't ruin it with a fourth movie that we don't need...

Number 3: Inside Out 2

This film only just came out, yet I rank it as high as third place. Goes to show what a good sequel it is. XD

Inside Out 2 was a movie we've ALL been wanting since the first movie ended, because let's face it, Inside Out absolutely opens the door for sequels with its fantastic concept that has limitless possibilities, and the sequel didn't disappoint with what we got. The story continued the clever and thoughtful world-building that made the first move fascinating to watch, as well as gave us some damn funny gags and clever puns that made for a very funny watch, the new emotions were a blast and added to the previous cast greatly with Anxiety being a particular standout, Anger, Fear and Disgust were given more screentime that allowed them to get more involved in the plot and have some fun dynamics with Joy and the emotional core of the story is as strong as last time, which is what we expected from an Inside Out sequel. The story is really relatable, especially to anyone who's either a teenager or has been through the high school life, and it's easy to imagine yourself in Riley's shoes throughout the movie since, well, we've all been there before. I know for a fact I related way too much with Riley when she had that panic attack during the climax...heck, I consider Anxiety my spirit...emotion I guess since she's not an animal? Anxiety was so relatable to me and I'm sure she was the same for everyone else.

As great as Inside Out 2 is though, it misses out from the top spot because of stiff competition from the top two and some problems it has hold it back. As mentioned in my review the other month, it felt too much of a rehash of the first movie at times to the point it outright mirrors certain scenes point-for-point and the pacing somehow feels a little rushed despite the movie being longer than last time. No I still don't know how that's possible, but that's the case here. And can we please spend more time outside of Riley's head instead of spending so much time in it for a change? Seriously, we don't need to know what's going on in her head literally all the time.

Still, Inside Out 2 gave me some great feelings and I had a positively emotional experience with this sequel that made the wait feel worth it. It was an enjoyable sequel inside and out and I wonder if we'll ever see a third movie in the future. Focusing on adult Riley would especially be interesting a subject matter for a second sequel...

Number 2: Toy Story 2

Pixar's third movie they made, and it was a sequel, and a DAMN good one at that!

This was Pixar's first ever sequel they ever made, and needless to say they nailed it on the first try. Toy Story 2 stands as one of Pixar's best sequels ever, and also one of their best movies in general, thanks to multiple factors that go into making it a sequel like no other. The story was fantastic and evolved the characters in interesting new ways, the new characters were great new additions to the Toy Story world, the world-building was great with the revelation that Woody is a rare collector's item who once had his own franchise, the emotional core was so strong that there are people nowadays who still cry whenever they hear "When Somebody Loved Me" and it overall just felt like an amazing follow-up to an already amazing movie. Toy Story 2 did so much right and it's astounding that they pulled it off when you consider the insane production of this movie. Seriously, it's quite a story from how they had to rewrite the entire script in a single weekend and how they nearly lost the damn thing during production and the movie got saved thanks to an employee who was on maternity leave at the time! All that hell and near misses, and the sequel still came out as incredibly as it did! That's insane to think about!

Toy Story 2 was an important movie in Pixar's history because in their eyes, it defined who they were as a company and paved the way for their future going forward. I'd say they're right on that as Toy Story 2 has all the makings of what makes a fantastic Pixar movie: an engaging and creative story, a likeable cast of characters, a perfect voice cast, a strong emotional core and some beautiful computer animation to bring it all to life. Toy Story and A Bug's Life may have shown us they can make great movies, but Toy Story 2 was the final confirmation that they cannot just make great movies, but consistently make great movies. It's so easy to see how it managed it too with how cleverly the script was thought out and how engaging the story manages to be despite being about a bunch of toys and how creative it got with its visuals and set-pieces from the inside of an elevator shaft to the inside of an airport luggage terminal and much more. It's like this kind of story could only have been told with this movie, and it's what makes the story so memorable and such a stand-out to me.

I confess that nostalgia might be playing a part in how highly I rate this movie since I did grow up with Toy Story 2, and it's even a special movie to me for it was THE FIRST EVER movie I watched in cinemas, but I assure you that nostalgia has nothing to do with how highly I think of the movie. It really is that good of a sequel. So much so that I genuinely have no real criticisms about it. I feel like I need to resort to nitpicking to even find anything wrong with it, such as Emperor Zurg being rather pointless overall and seemingly existing just so they can make a Darth Vader joke with him. Seriously, resorting to nitpicking right there. XD

Toy Story 2 is one of those examples of a perfect sequel. It expanded the world, it evolved the characters, it introduced new ones that we could enjoy as much as the ones before, and it gave us a story that felt bigger and more emotional than before. It would've been number one on the list...if it wasn't for another Toy Story movie out there.

Number 1: Toy Story 3

No Pixar sequel will ever top this one in my eyes. This isn't just the best Pixar sequel in my opinion, but one of their best movies PERIOD.

Toy Story 3 is everything great about Toy Story 2 but amplified. The story is at its most emotional and tear-jerking, the prison break theme makes for an engaging and nail-biting watch, the characters are as enjoyable, complex and engaging as ever, the theme of growing up is strong and really tugs on the heartstrings, it, it...it's just such an awesome movie!!! This is one of those sequels that not only proves to be a worthy follow-up to the original, it surpasses it too, and in this case, it surpasses both its predecessors. All the Toy Story movies are great, but this one is undeniably the greatest of them all. I really enjoyed Toy Story 3 for its creative story in how it's essentially a prison break movie but with toys, the gorgeous visuals that are a huge upgrade from the previous Toy Story movies and what an emotional roller-coaster ride the movie can be at times. Of all the Pixar movies I've seen, this has come the closest to making me cry, and I have no shame in admitting that. I'm sure all you viewers who have cried at the movie have no shame in admitting that either.

This is one of those sequels where, like Cars 3, it feels like the franchise has grown up with its audience. Here we were starting out as kids when Toy Story first began and like Andy in Toy Story 3, we've grown up with these films and ended up going through the same things he's been doing here from moving on to college, outgrowing his toys and much more. This only made the movie feel insanely relatable, probably more so for the adults and teenagers watching the movie than the kids, and it also felt like the next logical step the Toy Story movies could take. It also helps that the second movie kind of foreshadowed it too with Stinky Pete asking Woody if he thinks Andy will take him to college. It all made for a cleverly thought-out story that felt like the most natural next chapter in these characters lives.

Once again, it feels like I'd have to resort to nitpicking just to find anything wrong with the movie, such as Lotso not redeeming himself and how the toys were saved at the end via deus ex machina. If those are the only complaints I can find with the movie, then that shows you how great it is. It's just too bad Toy Story 4 had to butt in and ruin the perfect ending this movie had, but hey, that doesn't detract from Toy Story 3 in any way.

Engaging, emotional, gripping, exciting, tear-jerking, relatable, thoughtful and well put together, it's no surprise whatsoever that Toy Story 3 ranks the highest of all the Pixar sequels...

And that's all the Pixar sequels ranked from worst to best. I hope you enjoyed the essay and I invite you all to share your thoughts down below. Do you agree with my rankings? How would you rank the Pixar sequels yourself? Do tell me.

Next week, me and my brother Captain Conroy are teaming up to review the Thomas the Tank Engine movie Hero of the Rails. See you then media fans!