Ranking the Pixar movies, from Toy Story to Elemental

Let’s rank the Pixar movies, from 1995’s Toy Story to last year’s Elemental.

Pixar is one of the great film studios of our time, producing some of the best animated films the medium has ever seen.

The studio’s golden run (Toy Story through Toy Story 3) remains one of the most inspired stretches of production we’ve ever gotten in the history of film, and there have been some great movies to come out since that time, too.

While Pixar has lost its way at times after that impossibly perfect streak, the studio still finds moments where it reaches back into the past and remembers exactly what makes a great Pixar film such an unforgettable experience.

Please note, as we rank the studio’s 27 films through last year’s Elemental, that numbers begin to get arbitrary the higher up we go on this list. Particularly in the top 10, don’t focus on the order as much as appreciating the majesty of some of the great films we’ve ever gotten.

Personally, films one through nine in the rankings represent some of my favorites ever, so saying that a movie is tenth on this list is me saying it’s better than most of the movies out there. Context helps when you see X is here and Y is there, if you will.

Without further ado, let’s get into the rankings with help from the lamp.

ESPN will stream a live broadcast of an NFL game with Toy Story animation next month

You’ve got a friend in the NFL next month.

In what’s one of the most fascinating crossovers in recent memory, ESPN is bringing the NFL to the world of Toy Story for a live broadcast next month.

During the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars game in London on Oct. 1, ESPN will bring an alternate streaming broadcast to the table that will reportedly be animated in real time from “Andy’s room.”

That’s right, the central location of some of the Toy Story movies will be fielding an NFL game played by toys.

Similar to the animated hockey game that ESPN featured this past NHL season with the Disney show Big City Greens, the Falcons/Jaguars game will be brought to live in Pixar style and in the Toy Story universe.

It’s unquestionably the first NFL game in history to utilize this very specific alternate broadcast style using animation and Pixar characters.

The Toy Story Funday Football game will broadcast on both Disney+ and ESPN+. We can’t guarantee how this will go, but we can confirm Sid will likely be ejected by halftime.

A Pixar-themed mini-golf course keeps making the rounds — and it’s in Philadelphia next

Following stops in New York City, Houston and more, Pixar Putt opens in Philadelphia in July.

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If you’ve always dreamed of spending a summer day surrounded by your favorite Pixar pals, look no further than Pixar Putt, coming to Philadelphia this summer.

Are you a “Toy Story” fanatic? Is “Coco” one of your favorite animated movies? Did “Inside Out” make you sob uncontrollably in theaters?

If you gave a resounding yes to those questions, then Pixar Putt is the perfect day trip for you.

Following stops in New York City, Houston, San Antonio, Chicago, Denver and Fort Lauderdale, Pixar Putt is an 18-hole mini-golf course opening in the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia in July.

The open-air course, co-presented by Rockefeller Studios and TEG Life Like Touring, is filled with interactive, Instagram-worthy stops inspired by the stories of some of the most beloved Pixar Films.

Walk up to the tee on the iconic guitar from “Coco,” say ‘Hey’ to Woody and Buzz Lightyear from the “Toy Story” franchise, putt on the jazzy piano keys from “Soul” and check out the balloon house from “Up” as you make your way through the course.

Following stops in New York City, Houston, San Antonio, Chicago, Denver and Fort Lauderdale, Pixar Putt is coming to Philadelphia to take movie fans to infinity and beyond! The pop-up, open-air mini-golf experience will take over the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing, starting with previews on July 1st and the official grand opening on July 6. The course will run through Oct. 1, 2023. Provided By Rockefeller Sports & Events

Other Pixar easter eggs you can find scattered around the grounds include nods to:

“Turning Red.”
“Lightyear.”
“The Incredibles.”
“Monsters, Inc.”
“Finding Nemo.”
“A Bug’s Life.”
“Wall-E.”
“Inside Out.”
And many more!

The whimsical pop-up begins with previews on July 1 before holding a grand opening on July 6. It will run through Oct. 1.

The course will be open daily for all ages from noon to 10 p.m. (last entry at 8:30 p.m.). Pixar Putt After Dark is open for guests 18 years of age and older, Thursday through Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m.

Plus, who doesn’t want to spend a hole-in-one evening seeing the world of “Ratatouille” from Remy’s eyes?

Children tickets cost $24.75 to $26.75, adults’ tickets cost $29.75 to $31.75 and After Dark tickets cost $31.75. Family packs and military discounts are available. Booking in advance is recommended.

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5 films premiering at the Cannes Film Festival we can’t wait to see, including new Scorsese

This year’s Cannes Film Festival features a new film from Martin Scorsese, Pixar and Indiana Jones.

The 2023 Cannes Film Festival is officially underway, and there are a host of promising films set to premiere at the French-based soiree.

While most folks won’t get to see these films as they premiere at Cannes, it’s exciting enough to see the initial reactions to some of the year’s most anticipated titles.

From a new film by auteur Martin Scorsese to Pixar and the return of Indiana Jones, there are plenty of promising films upcoming for the festival.

The full list of films premiering at this year’s Cannes Film Festival features a wide array of world cinema’s best, and we’ve picked out five we can’t wait to see in theaters.

Lightyear is just another example of what Pixar does best

Buzz is back on the big screen, and Pixar’s latest is full of the heart and charm we’ve come to know and love.

WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS LIGHTYEAR SPOILERS! DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW PLOT DETAILS.

I now understand why Andy so desperately wanted that Buzz Lightyear action figure back in Toy Story.

Disney Pixar’s latest film, Lightyear, hit theaters Thursday, and it’s simply the studio doing what it does best. It doesn’t have the same heart that Coco has, nor does it absolutely devastate your soul like the first 10 minutes of Up or the entirety of Inside Out. But it takes you into a far away world and really makes you care about Buzz and co.

Not only does it warm the heart, but it’s also visually stunning. It one of Pixar’s more gorgeous movies, rife with beautiful space vistas, lava fields and more. At times, it looks more like a live action movie than an animated one.

Opening text informs the audience that Lightyear is the movie that Andy saw in Toy Story that made him want the action figure, clearing up a little bit of the mystery around how this flick would fit into the timeline or canon of the Toy Story series. Hunky superstar Chris Evans has taken over the voice role of Buzz, and he brings a perfect mix of Steve Rogers rule following and young exuberance to the character.

Buzz and his best friend and mentor, Alisha Hawthorne (voiced by Uzo Aduba), divert the course of their turnip-looking spaceship to investigate a new planet. That duo — plus rookie Featheringhamstan (if you though that was the voice of the incomparable Bill Hader, it was) — unsurprisingly run into problems in the form of giant vines and flying bugs. In trying to escape, Buzz refuses the help of the rook (he doesn’t like rookies), and he crashes the ship.

As a result, the entire crew of Space Rangers, scientists and more are now stuck on this new planet. Lightyear begins testing out different fuel mixes to try and find the right combo that will allow them to hit hyper-speed and resume their original mission, but they find out quickly that each four-minute trip off planet for Buzz equals four years for everyone on the ground.

Filled with a deep sense of regrets over his mistake and responsibility to come up with a solution, Lightyear continues to make test flights. He lets his life and friends pass him by — each return home shows us the life that Alisha has made with her new wife, son, granddaughter and eventual death — all while trying to right his perceived wrong.

Thanks to his emotional support robot cat, Sox, the appropriate fuel mixture is discovered. But by the time he returns to the planet, 22 years have passed, the Hawthorne suited up is granddaughter Izzy (not Alisha) and an ominous group of robots have invaded.

Buzz, Izzy (voiced by Keke Palmer), convicted felon and demolitions expert Darby Steel (Dale Soules) and the very nervous Mo Morrison (the impeccable Taika Waititi) band forces to attempt to reconnect with the rest of the members of the colony cut off by the robot forces. Oh, and Sox. You cannot forget Sox. Sox (Peter Sohn) is utterly wonderful and must be protected at all costs.

They run into several challenges, none bigger than a face-to-face meeting with the mysterious Zurg (James Brolin) that is way more than he seems. Along the way, Buzz must learn to cooperate, ask for help and realize that although life may not go as you planned, it doesn’t mean that it needs to be fixed.

Lightyear is a ton of fun and a very worthy entry into the Toy Story lineage. There’s just enough nostalgia that connects us to the Buzz of years past, plus plenty of new faces that will have viewers of all ages laughing, stressing and yes, crying (it is Pixar, after all). To infinity and beyond.

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Chris Evans hilariously explains that he’s not photoshopped into Lightyear pictures at Disneyland

Ok, but are we SURE that isn’t a photoshop.

Chris Evans is undeniably one of the world’s biggest movie stars. He brought Captain America to the big screen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and his Disney Pixar summer flick Lightyear is set to hit theaters June 17. The movie follows the adventures of Buzz Lightyear, the spaceman made famous through Pixar’s highly acclaimed Toy Story series.

To promote the film, Evans took to Disneyland’s Pixar Pier for some photos with some of Pixar’s most popular characters. When the pictures made it to the internet, however, some folks — including Evans himself — noticed something hilarious. Turns out that even the incredibly famous and handsome Evans doesn’t know how to stand for a photo without being awkward.

To his credit, he acknowledged the awkward and poked fun at his robotic stance, calling it a “very disciplined pose.”

I think we can all agree that his awkward is way less awkward than our awkward.

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