Top 10 Worst Pixar Movies

As much as “Finding Nemo” fans loved Dory, does she really have the star power to carry an entire movie on her own? Pixar decided to find out when they made “Finding Dory” -which features the forgetful blue tang on a quest to find her family. While the film boasts a beautiful message about love and humanizing disability, the road there feels drawn out, like you’re just floating endlessly through the ocean waiting for the good stuff. Not to mention it feels like a retread of the first film with less emotion. While “Finding Dory” isn’t at all bad, it kind of feels unnecessary — like the original flick was enough.

Imagine, if you will, Pixar’s own take on “The Little Mermaid,” but without the heavy romance plot and starring two underwater creatures exploring the human world. We won’t be the first to say that’s essentially what you get with “Luca”. The imagery and scenery are stunning, and it feels like a simple, charming fairy tale… but maybe it’s a little TOO simple. While it has a compelling story idea about social acceptance, it feels rather safe compared to the studio’s other heavy hitters. Plus, things work out a little too conveniently. If you want a simple, sweet story, you’ll likely enjoy “Luca.” But if you want something groundbreaking or revolutionary, then you’re all washed up here.

In a modern-aged mythical land where magic has vanished, two elf brothers overcome their differences on a journey to see their late father one last time. The chemistry between the siblings is endearing and the story is unique. However, the premise doesn’t feel like it’s used to its full potential, and the heartwarming moments are overshadowed by a whole lot of bizarre ones. Plus, at one point, they introduce the studio’s first openly lesbian character, which is a HUGE step forward for Pixar… and yet they do NOTHING with her. The fact that this film came out as the pandemic hit and movie theaters were taking a big hit didn’t help at all.

We love Mike and Sulley’s dynamic in the original “Monsters, Inc.”, but did we really need to see an origin story? Apparently so, since “Monsters University” shows us how they met in college, and how they struggle to prove their worth to their classmates and strict Dean. It has good values and its heart is in the right place, but it also retcons much about what we know about the characters and wraps it up with a predictable story. Plus, without the heavy emotional moments, how can anyone be invested in Mike and Sulley’s foes-to-friends arc when we know it ends with them being besties?

We all know Disney reigns supreme in the Princess genre. However, in 2012, Pixar decided to throw its hat in the ring with “Brave.” This epic tale tells of Scottish warrior princess, Merida, and how she learns to make a better connection with her mother… who’s transformed into a bear for most of the film. While the flick has plenty of fun moments and a good message, it gets a little oversaturated at times. Plus, it barely takes advantage of its Scottish mythology, and the way the story is wrapped up doesn’t feel very satisfying. As sad as it sounds, we’re not sure Merida fits in with the other Disney Princesses - and neither is the studio itself.

2015 gave us one of Pixar’s very best with “Inside Out.” …wait a minute, wasn’t there ANOTHER Pixar flick released that year? Oh right, “The Good Dinosaur” also came out in 2015… and nobody really remembers it. That’s not because it’s horrible, it’s actually a charming flick with nice imagery, but the story doesn’t hold much weight to it. It has an interesting concept where the dinosaurs didn’t go extinct, and one befriends a human, but that’s about as far as it goes. It ended up doing poorly in theaters, so it’s understandable that this has become something of a forgotten chapter in the studio’s library.

When the trailer for “Elemental” first came out, the online response was mild at best. A lot of that might stem from poor marketing, but it was almost a box-office flop until more folks started giving it a chance. The animation -as usual- is universally praised… but the actual story has garnered a very divisive response. While it has a very heartfelt allegory for immigration and emotional balance, the romance plot feels like it’s been done to death. Add to it, the ending feels a little hastily resolved, and the elemental focus was unbalanced. The earth and air people are more like afterthoughts, with the fire and water people taking the spotlight.

Honestly, the “Cars” series has always been considered the black sheep of Pixar’s library. Thankfully, we can say “Cars 3” is a big improvement over its predecessor -we’ll get to that later. It’s a heartwarming tale that brings Lightning McQueen’s journey full circle. However, compared to more ground-breaking narratives, many have pointed out that it seems like another generic sports narrative of the old geezer passing the torch to the younger generation. It’s not made any better by the subpar antagonists and demolition derby scene that takes the story off-track. If you weren’t already invested in the “Cars” series, you probably won’t miss much if you skipped this one.

Remember “Buzz Lightyear of Star Command”? Don’t worry, it seems Pixar forgot about it too – or at least didn’t care about it – since they made a NEW Buzz Lightyear origin story. While it’s gorgeously animated as usual, we ADORE Sox the robotic cat, and Chris Evans does a good job as Buzz, the story feels very limited and takes itself too seriously. Not to mention they took the “Evil Emperor” out of Zurg and made him into a head-scratching paradox. And apparently, THIS is what inspired Andy’s love for Buzz Lightyear in the original movie? Honestly, we could’ve just stuck with the initial “Star Command” spin-off. At least you’re guaranteed to have more fun there.

“Cars 2” has been so universally panned that even the creators seemingly try to retcon its existence from the franchise, and we can’t say we blame them. For starters, Mater takes Lightning McQueen’s spot as the lead character; while he’s lovable in a supporting role, he doesn’t have enough star power to carry a whole film. What’s even worse is that it steers away from the studio’s smart storytelling and instead settles for an obvious toy commercial wrapped in a clumsy attempt at a spy thriller. Not to mention it raises way too many questions about how the world of “Cars” operates… like how can a tow truck EAT wasabi?