Since the release of Toy Story in 1995, Pixar has been the gold standard in movie animation. Originally a subsidiary of Disney, who bought the company outright in a blockbuster $7.4 billion deal in 20o6, Pixar's brand has become synonymous with quality.

RELATED: Pixar: The 10 Most Underrated Characters, Ranked

Pixar's films are all kid-friendly, but they have plenty to offer adult audiences as well. Their movies usually contain humor and thematic elements aimed at viewers of all ages, making their films "family entertainment" in the truest sense. Their characters often reflect the richness of their storytelling, from Woody and Buzz to Joe Gardner, the main character of their 2020 release, Soul.

Mike & Sulley - Monsters, Inc.

Mike and Sulley point and wave to the other monsters they work with

A quasi-subgenre of Pixar films involves the imagining of bureaucratic agencies that preside over and dictate certain parts of the human psyche. Inside Out is a more recent example, but 2001's Monsters, Inc. was the first to explore this dynamic.

RELATED: Pixar's First 10 Movies (Ranked By Metacritic)

Mike and Sulley, voiced by Billy Crystal and John Goodman, work for an energy company called Monster's Inc., which harvests the screams of frightened children in order to create its product. When a child infiltrates the factory, chaos ensues, and our "monstrous" heroes must return her home.

Remy - Ratatouille

Remy Ratatouille

Voiced by Patton Oswalt, Remy is the star of the acclaimed 2007 Pixar film, RatatouilleRemy is a rat who aspires to be a gourmet chef. He gets his big chance when he befriends a worker at Paris' esteemed Gusteau's Restaurant.

It takes a lot to get an audience to root for a rat, but Ratatouille's script is funny, fast-paced, and inspired by a love of both food and art, and Oswalt's spirited voiceover performance makes Remy a rodent for the ages.

Joe Gardner - Soul

Soul version of Joe in Soul

Pixar's Soul was released on Christmas Day in 2020. Jamie Foxx voices Joe Gardner, a middle school music teacher who gets hired to play in a professional jazz ensemble, only to fall down a manhole and enter an alternate dimension known as "The Great Before," where human souls are prepared for life on Earth.

Like Inside Out and Monsters, Inc., Soul creates a wonderfully imaginative world inspired by psychological and spiritual elements of the human condition and Joe's journey back to life is a wonder to behold.

Carl & Russell - Up

Carl and Russell meet Dug in Up

2009's Up was the first animated feature since 1991's Beauty and the Beast to be nominated for Best Picture. The film's beginning sequence chronicling Carl's relationship with his wife from their childhood friendship until her passing remains one of the most moving scenes in Pixar history.

RELATED: 10 Actors Who Look Just Like Their Animated Character

As an old man, Carl converts his home into a makeshift flying machine and sets out for Paradise Falls, where his late wife always wanted to live. Little does he know, there's a stowaway on board: an ambitious wilderness explorer named Russell. Their adventures together are full of humor and heartwarming moments, making Up one of Pixar's most beloved films to this day.

Miguel - Coco

Miguel stares at a bright light in Coco

After Toy Story 3's release in 2010, Pixar hit a bit of a slump. Aside from the brilliant Inside Out, their output included less memorable films like The Good Dinosaur, Braveand two underwhelming Cars sequels.

But 2017's Coco was celebrated as a triumphant return to form. At the heart of its success is its lovable hero, Miguel, determined to become a musician against his family's wishes. When he goes to steal his great-great-grandfather's guitar from his mausoleum, he unwittingly enters the "Land of the Dead," where he uncovers more secrets about his family history. Coco is a marvel of sight and sound, winning two Oscars for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song.

Nemo - Finding Nemo

Nemo and his father, Marlin, in Finding Nemo

2003's Finding Nemo is the story of a child clownfish named Nemo who gets separated from his overprotective father and must make his way back to him. Like most Pixar efforts, it's full of humor that appeals to both younger and older viewers and is a wonder to behold in terms of visuals.

But what makes this film particularly special is the remarkably human qualities of its anthropomorphic characters. Themes of family, grief, loss, and the psychological pressures that come with simply being alive, are all present throughout the film, and Nemo is the beating heart of the story who holds it all together.

The Incredibles - The Incredibles

The Incredibles

2004's The Incrediblesunlike most Pixar films, is the brainchild of one writer-director. Brad Bird, who made it big with 1999's wonderful cartoon feature The Iron Giant, conceived The Incredibles all on his own and brought it brilliantly to life with Pixar's creative team.

RELATED: The World's Most Popular Superhero, Every Year Since 2000

The title heroes are a family of superheroes living undercover in quiet, boring suburbia. When the patriarch of the family is summoned to battle a giant robot, his family must spring into action to assist in the mission.

WALL-E - WALL-E

Wall E SITTING ON TOP OF A PILE OF TRASH

In the third millennium, after Earth has been rendered uninhabitable by centuries of environmental degradation, WALL-E is a lonely robot who scours the planet compressing the trash left behind by the humans who destroyed, and then abandoned, its ecosystem.

Themes of consumerism and greed are right in the audience's face - the corporation WALL-E works for is called "Buy-n-Large" - but it's WALL-E's longing for emotional connection and his attraction to EVE, an "Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator," that gives the film its heart and soul.

Joy & Sadness - Inside Out

Joy in Inside Out

2015's Inside Out takes place inside the psyche of a young girl who is uprooted when her family moves from their midwestern home to San Francisco. At the control board within her brain are five emotions: joy, anger, fear, disgust, and sadness. The stress of Riley's situation causes joy and sadness to be separated from the group and banished to the depths of Riley's consciousness.

RELATED: 15 Most Memorable Quotes From Inside Out

Their journey back to the control board is endlessly creative, profound, and moving. Inside Out is a downright brilliant film that's ultimately about the necessity of honoring one's emotional truth, no matter the circumstances.

Woody & Buzz - Toy Story

Woody hugging Buzz in Toy Story

1995's Toy Story is the one that started it all, and so it simply must be said that Woody and Buzz Lightyear are the most iconic Pixar heroes of all time. Toy Story was groundbreaking in all sorts of ways, most notably, as the first feature-length computer-animated film. For this, it received a Special Achievement Academy Award, an honor only doled out under special circumstances.

Tom Hanks and Tim Allen voice these two heroes as they set aside their differences to reunite with Andy, their proud owner. Their journey is as memorable as they are, and their place in celluloid history is cemented along with Pixar's indelible legacy.

NEXT: 1o Things To Watch If You Love Toy Story