10. A Bug's LifeEveryone is entitled to their opinion of course, so allow me to share mine. Granted, the number one Disney animated feature of all time is The Jungle Book, which of course will never be surpassed. Nevertheless, Pixar rejuvenated the Disney movie brand, and so here is my ranking, top to bottom:
9. Monsters, Inc.
8. Ratatouille
7. Toy Story 2
6. Cars
5. Up
4. Finding Nemo
3. WALL-E
2. The Incredibles
1. Toy Story
1. The Incredibles
First of all, this movie features a fantastic soundtrack by Michael Giacchino. Besides the homage to the comic book & superhero genre, The Incredibles suggests that gifts and talents should not be suppressed for the sake of fitting in to whatever is normal. Rather, the uniqueness of gifting and talent should be cultivated for the good of others. Did I mention I love the soundtrack? Moderately quotable too. "We'll get there when we get there!" "What are you waiting for? ... Something amazing I guess." "That was totally wicked!"
2. Up
This one had to grow on me; at first I wasn't really sure how I felt about it. Over time however, I have come to deeply appreciate this story. I love the story of a love that doesn't end even when one passes away, but even more, I appreciate the insistence that as long as we live and breathe, we can continue to be an influence and make a difference in the lives of others - and in that journey, rediscover a joy and purpose in living no matter what our age. I can only hope and pray that I never stop living purposefully and productively. "Squirrel!"
3. Finding Nemo
I love this movie both for its story and the animation. I remember just being stunned at the ocean-life imagery on the big screen. Great combination of drama and comedy just makes this a fully enjoyable experience. I often go around quoting Crush, the great sea turtle, to the immense annoyance of my children. "Mr. Turtle is my fa-ther!" "Pschaw!" "To-tally!" "You made me ink!"
4. Toy Story
Classic movie, always enjoyable, and always quotable. The best part of the Toy Story movies is the all-star casting of voices. "You are a child's .. Plaything!" "Too infinity … " (you can finish the rest).
5. WALL-E
When I first saw this movie in the theater, I remember being fully enamored by the visual spacescapes. I confess though, I was somewhat put off by the environmentalist themes, although I get the fact that it was more of a prop than a preaching. The bigger statement, however, was illustrated in a society so beholden to online community that they nearly lost all sense of their humanity, until a sequence of events led to a simple human touch that in turn led to an awakening of sorts. A warning perhaps? Only quote that matters: "Waaa-llll-eeeeee."
At this point, I'll make note that while the order is different, my top 5 and that of ew.com contains the same movies. Hmm.
6. Monsters, Inc.
I love this movie for the gag comedy. It's just a great laugh, thanks to the efforts of Billy Crystal. "Put that thing back where it came from, or so help me, (BOM-bom-Bom-bom) …" "Mike Wazowski!" "I'm watching … always watching …"
7. Toy Story 2
I'm not a big fan of sequels in the Disney-verse. I thought Toy Story should have stood on its own. I did enjoy Toy Story 2, complete with the Star Wars spoofing. And again, great voice casting - especially Kelsey Grammer, Wayne Knight, and Wallace Shawn. "Buzz, Buzz! My backend's going to Baton Rouge!" "I'm Buzz Lightyear. No, I'm Buzz Lightyear!"
8. Ratatouille
In time, this one will move up the list. I do find myself enjoying it more each time I watch it. "Don't just hork it down!" is a favorite quote around our dinner table.
9. Cars
It may seem odd that I put this one down at number 9, but the reality is that numbers 6-9 are all pretty close. I enjoy them all. I did pass through a bit of Cars fatigue though, perhaps due to the over-marketing and the repetition (it was my boys' favorite for a while). Mater is most definitely one of the most enjoyable sidekicks around. "I don't need to know where I'm going, I just need to know where I've been." "Whoo-eee! I'm happier than a tornado in a trailer park!" "She just loves me for my bo-dy."
10. A Bug's Life
This one is my least favorite. I just never really could identify with it, and I probably won't bother to watch it again. "Ladies and gentlebugs! Larvae of all stages! Rub your legs together for the world's greatest bug circus!"
Well, there's my ranking. No doubt, Pixar makes great films. I can only hope that the other planned sequels for Cars and Monsters, Inc. are decent. I'm nervous that the rash of sequels is driven in part because of a dearth of new ideas. They certainly have set the bar high for themselves.
See you at the movies!
1 comments:
We thought you might like to know Miss Amber's "Top 10" since you are surrounded by the opinions of little boys...
10. Bugs Life
9. Up!
8. Wall E
7. Monsters Inc
6. Toy Story
5. Ratatouille
4. Finding Nemo
3. The Incredibles
2. Cars
1. Toy Story 2
and since Amber picked, here are Austin's picks...
10. Bugs Life
9. Ratatouille
8. Up!
7. Finding Nemo
6. Incredibles
5. Cars
4. Monsters
3. Wall E
2. Toy Story
1. Toys Story 2
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