Though Pixar has released lots of solid animated features during its over 20-year lifetime, no decade was quite as iconic for the company as the 2000s. During this time, the film studio launched many of its most popular franchises including Monsters, Inc., Cars, and The Incredibles. It also created many memorable stand-alone films with legacies that continue to live on today. Because of this, we’re here to see how all the films during this era stack up. To do so, we’ll be turning to the stats on IMDb. Every single Pixar film has been assigned a star rating on the popular movie and TV website. This rating is based on the votes of registered users on a scale of 1 to 10, and it’s what we’ll be using to score each film.
Additionally, it’s worth mention that though the 2000s is traditionally defined as the decade between 2000 and 2009, we’ll be looping in the Pixar film released in 2010 as well (Toy Story 3). With the logistics out of the way, it’s time to grab some popcorn and head to the movies; Here are the best Pixar films from the 2000s, according to IMDb.
Cars (7.1)
This 2006 road-comedy tells of an all-star rookie racer named Lightning McQueen who hopes to redeem himself at the Piston Cup in California. Though he’s thrilled about the race, he soon becomes stranded in the desert town of Radiator Springs where he accidentally damages the road and gets arrested.
The racer is told that he’ll be let go after he repaves the main road, much to his dismay. Though Lightning is at first reluctant, he soon finds himself getting to know the townsfolk including a friendly tow truck, a sweet lawyer, and a forgotten racing legend. This eventually has him evaluating what really matters most to him in life as he continues to work toward the gold trophy.
Monsters, Inc. (8.0)
Next in line is the 2001 hit set in the bustling city of Monstropolis. Here, co-workers (and best buds) Mike and Sulley work at a factory to scare human children by entering their bedrooms via doors. The monsters do this to collect screams, which are turned into energy and used to power the city.
Though life is grand for the successful duo, things take a turn for the worst after a little human girl they call “Boo” escapes her bedroom and enters the monster world. It’s up to Mike and Sulley to get her back before their lives and careers become compromised.
Ratatouille (8.0)
Set against the backdrop of Paris, France, this 2007 comedy tells of an intelligent rat with a knack for cooking named Remy. Though he hopes to become a chef, the rest of his colony knows better; Rats aren’t made to create fine foods.
This all changes, however, after Remy gets mixed up with a talentless garbage boy, Alfredo Linguini. After Linguini learns that he is the son of a famous chef, it’s up to Remy to help him cook and keep up an act that is too crazy for words.
The Incredibles (8.0)
Though Incredibles 2 received high acclaim in 2018, this couldn’t have happened without the original Incredibles getting a round of applause in 2004.
This superhero film tells of a family living in an alternate version of the ‘60s that are forced to hide their powers from the world. When the once-great Mr. Incredible is given the opportunity to fight an evil robot on a private island, he jumps at the chance to resume his hero work. It’s not long before he gets tricked into a villain’s scheme, however, and it’s up to Mrs. Incredible to chase after him. Of course, the kids come along for the journey.
Finding Nemo (8.1)
Swimming into theaters in 2003, Finding Nemo tells the story of a neurotic clownfish named Marlin who teams up with a forgetful regal blue tang, Dory, in order to search out his son who has gone missing.
Though the young Nemo had hoped to enjoy a fun field trip alongside his classmates, he is soon captured by divers and brought to a dentist's office aquarium in Australia. It’s up to Marlin and Dory to face the colorful creatures of the ocean, from blood-thirsty sharks to bouncy jellyfish, in order to track down Nemo before it’s too late.
Up (8.2)
This computer-animated comedy floated into theaters in 2009. It tells of an elderly man named Carl who decides to fulfill his late wife’s dream of visiting Paradise Falls after he accidentally injures a man and becomes required to move to a nursing home.
In order to escape this fate, Carl lifts his house off the ground by blowing up helium balloons and attempting to steer it to South America. Though he’s excited for a long, relaxing journey at takeoff, he is interrupted by a young Wilderness Explorer who was on his doorstep at the time of his departure. It’s not long before he’s also joined by a crazy bird and a talking dog. His priorities are forced to readjust.
Toy Story 3 (8.3)
The third installment in the Toy Story series, which hit theaters in 2010, sees the heroes of the previous films collecting dust in Andy’s room as he grows older.
Right before the teenager heads off to college, Andy’s mother mistakenly donates the toys to Sunnyside Daycare. Though they’re excited to be played with again, they’re also terrified of the chaotic little kids who want to use them. Though Woody hopes to get the gang home to where they belong, this proves to be a challenge when a student named Bonnie brings him home. Meanwhile, the other toys are pulled into the schemes of a revenge-driven teddy bear.
Wall-E (8.4)
Topping off the list as the highest-rated Pixar film of the 2000s is Wall-E. This romantic outer space adventure tells of the lonely titular robot who has been left to clean up a trash-covered Earth in the 29th century.
One day, Wall-E’s world is rocked upside-down after a futuristic robot named Eve comes to visit from the Axiom spaceship. Her goal? To find a sign of life on earth. After Wall-E shows her a plant, it’s not long before Eve is sent back to the ship to let the people know it’s safe to return home. However, as it turns out, the other robots onboard the Axiom have ideas of their own and the future of humanity is not as clear-cut as it seems.