Pixar released a large number of animated films in the past few decades, many of which are still considered to be beloved classics. Even some of their first films hold up to this day, which is an incredibly impressive feat.
Like any other animation studio, they have created films whose visuals, characters, or tropes were unable to withstand the test of time. Although this does not always mean that they are bad movies, they may not be able to connect to an audience the same way that they may have when they were first released.
10 Aged Well: Toy Story 2 Improved On The Characters
Toy Story 2 was the perfect continuation to the original. The characters maintained the growth they experienced in the first film, meaning Woody was much nicer and less selfish. It posed an interesting conflict of whether Woody should help out the other toys he meets or if he should stay with Andy, and explores what toys experience when their children grow up.
The visuals are also much better, and the film teaches a good lesson of how stealing from others never pays off.
9 Aged Poorly: Toy Story's Visuals Are Outdated
Toy Story came out in 1995, and although its visuals were groundbreaking at the time, the visuals of anything that isn't a toy do not hold up. The human characters, and even Sid's dog, are scary to look at.
Woody is also a terrible person in the film, making it difficult to like him. He tries to sabotage Buzz, and for the majority of the film, only seems to care about his position as Andy's favorite toy.
8 Aged Well: WALL-E's Message Is Still Largely Relevant
WALL-E shows a dystopian future, in which humanity accumulated so much trash that they were forced to leave the planet. This message is even more relevant today than it was when the film was released, as the Earth's environmental problems haven't gotten much better.
Later generations weren't able to enjoy what the Earth had to offer and discovered the importance of taking care of the Earth themselves, rather than leaving the work to others.
7 Aged Poorly: Monsters University Brings Nothing New To The Genre
Monsters University felt like an unnecessary prequel to Monsters, Inc.. No one expected the next film to be a college movie, accompanied by many of the usual college tropes.
Mike Wazowski and his friends are considered the underdogs on campus, who have to work to prove themselves as good as the other students. While the students are all monsters, this element doesn't change much of the core story.
6 Aged Well: Finding Nemo Has A Timeless Feel To It
Finding Nemo is a lot like SpongeBob SquarePants, in the sense that their unique underwater settings make them feel timeless. There isn't a focus on specific pop cultural references or technology as much as there is a focus on undersea life.
Marlin is forced to go on a quest to find his son, learning to feel more confident in both himself and Nemo, yet still treasuring him enough to make such a perilous journey.
5 Aged Poorly: BRAVE Is Every Princess Movie Released In The Past Decade
Many of the recent princess movies always take the time to emphasize how strong and independent the princess is, building them up to be positive role models. Typically, they realize that they don't want to meet the expectations of others, and want something more in life.
Rather than embarking on a grand adventure, Merida remains close to home the entire film, trying to undo a mistake that she made.
4 Aged Well: The Incredibles Is Both A Superhero And A Family Film
The Incredibles explored new territory in superhero films. The main characters were both heroes and a family in a world that rejected heroes. They tried to live normal lives, which was difficult thanks to their powers.
The family interacted with each other in believable ways, and each character was memorable. Even the villain was great, attempting to make supers irrelevant with his inventions.
3 Aged Poorly: The Incredibles 2 Utilizes The Surprise Villain Trope
The Incredibles 2 did not capture the magic of the original. It came out during a time when people were tired of seeing twist villains in every movie, and people are still burnt out on this trope.
It also ignored the events of the original, forcing the family to hide their powers again despite having such a successful team-up in the first. The family also forgot that Jack-Jack had powers, despite seeing him use them at the end of the film and their government handler receiving a report from their babysitter.
2 Aged Well: Ratatouille Has A Unique Concept
This film had a unique concept, in which a rat named Remy longed to cook. His dream seemed impossible at first, since rats are considered pests, but he is able to achieve his dream and even gets recognition from a food critic by working with a human named Linguini.
Remy hilariously puppets Linguini by pulling on his hair, and by working together they earn their place in the kitchen.
1 Aged Poorly: Cars 2 Is Still Considered One Of Pixar's Worst Films
Cars 2 is so different from the original Cars that many fans found the film jarring. The film focused its attention on Mater, and was a spy movie, despite the fact that Mater had none of the qualifications to be a spy.
The film's comedy is based mostly on misunderstandings and Mater's cluelessness, which can get tiring after a while. The film also had a terrible message about how people should accept their friends for who they are, regardless of how they act in public.