Pixar Movie Marathon-Top 4 Pixar Films

[Karoht]

I was recently inspired to do a movie marathon of Pixar films, after having the sudden urge to watch the film Up, and that urge just sort of snowballed from there.

The where and when seem to be taken care of thus far. But the what?

I figure most people won't have it in them to watch more than 4 Pixar films, so for the moment we are down to picking 4. If we have time and inclination, we may watch the short films as a single compellation but that is scheduled for the end of the marathon.

So I'm trying to collect input on which 4 films we should watch. My friends are all being extremely slow to respond, so I thought I'd crowdsource this one and get some recommendations. As such, I would love to see people's recommendations for 4 pixar films we should watch.

So please list 4 films that you would want to watch, and preferably in the order in which you would like to watch them.
IE-If you feel that film X naturally dovetails into film Y, please ensure they are in a proper order to take advantage of that.

EDIT:
I should also note that we are merely after the works of Pixar themselves. While they have an excellent partnership with Studio Ghibli, those works are not on the table, as they may be a whole separate marathon themselves, and are entirely deserving of their own marathon.

[Brother Oni]

Up, followed by the Toy Story trilogy in order?

On a more serious note, Up, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Monsters Inc.


A Studio Ghibili marathon would depend much more on the target audience (Mononoke Hime is one of my favourites, but I wouldn't show it to children and Grave of the Fireflies I wouldn't include in any light-hearted entertainment programme).

[Karoht]

I think we want to keep it a smattering of Pixar, not really dominated by any one thing. Mind you, the Toy Story and then something suggestion has come up a few times now.
Finding Nemo. I loved that film, but I always forget about it for some reason. Weird.

[Mewtarthio]

It seems to me like it would sort of become a "Toy Story and some other stuff" marathon if you watched all three Toy Stories. I'd say pick one of them. For any other series, I'd tell you to stick with the first out of sheer nostalgia, but the Toy Story series is stuffed full of nostalgia no matter which one you pick. Even the third one. Especially the third one.

So, you've already got Up on the list, and there's no way you won't end up with at least one Toy Story. For the other two, I liked Finding Nemo and Wall-E. You might want to replace Wall-E with The Incredibles if you want something a little more fun.

[Karoht]

It seems to me like it would sort of become a "Toy Story and some other stuff" marathon if you watched all three Toy Stories. I'd say pick one of them. For any other series, I'd tell you to stick with the first out of sheer nostalgia, but the Toy Story series is stuffed full of nostalgia no matter which one you pick. Even the third one. Especially the third one.

So, you've already got Up on the list, and there's no way you won't end up with at least one Toy Story. For the other two, I liked Finding Nemo and Wall-E. You might want to replace Wall-E with The Incredibles if you want something a little more fun.

Great input.
Can you put that in an order of what you would want to watch if you were attending?

[John Cribati]

On a scale of 1-3: How much you want the audience to cry? Pick that Toy Story.

If only 4, including up, I'd go for the following order:

Up
Toy Story X
Finding Nemo
The Incredibles or WALL-E

[Dr.Epic]

1. The Incredibles
2. Up
3. any Toy Story film (I think it's unfair to do all three; this is a Pixar Movie Marathon, not a Toy Story Movie Marathon)
4. Monsters Inc.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

The Incredibles -- In my mind, Pixar's best movie. It's a fun little film with some of the greatest character development of any movie I've seen, and it manages to focus on every character to the point that it's really a movie about the family, which it does beautifully. Not their most visually impressive, but still, in my opinion, their best.

Up -- Not quite at the level of the Incredibles, but damn close. The first 10 minutes tell, without words, one of the best love stories I've seen in a movie...and then there's another story after it. What's not to love?

Toy Story 1, 2, or 3 -- All great, each in their own way. We all know this. Pick one.

Monsters, Inc -- I wasn't a big Finding Nemo fan (strange, I know), so I think this would be a good 4th film.


That said, I'd do the following order:

Up
Monsters, Inc
Toy Story
The Incredibles

You could switch the last two, but this starts off the a great film, segues into the weakest of the bunch (but still a great movie), then really hits home with, say, Toy Story 3, and finally ends in the frantic fun of the Incredibles.

[Ravens_cry]

Wall-E holds a special place in my heart as a triumph of (mostly) none vocal storytelling, something I have always loved about most of the shorts.
I personally feel it should be on the list.

[Dr.Epic]

SHOT! I forgot about Wall-E. It's about as good as Monster Inc. so either of those would have to now be my #4 pick.

[Mutant Sheep]

I'd say WALL-E. Wall-e over any others. Even Toy Story.

[Axolotl]

I'd say Wall-E, Up, The Incredibles and any Toy Story. I have to say I'm slightly surprised at the love for Monsters, Inc, I wasn't that big a fan of it (don't get me wrong it's great but I don't rank it as Pixar's best).

[Jahkaivah]

-Toy Story 3
-WALL-E
-Ratatouille
-Up

[John Cribati]

Monsters, Inc

Ratatouille

D'oh! I forgot about those.

Pixar makes too many good movies. It's such a frustration to choose favorites.

[Goosefeather]

That said, I'd do the following order:

Up
Monsters, Inc
Toy Story
The Incredibles

You could switch the last two, but this starts off the a great film, segues into the weakest of the bunch (but still a great movie), then really hits home with, say, Toy Story 3, and finally ends in the frantic fun of the Incredibles.

Seconded. Well, to be more precise, I recommend any two from WALL-E, Finding Nemo, Up and Monsters, Inc. for your first two, but finishing with Toy Story 3 and then The Incredibles sounds perfect

[thegurullamen]

Up
WALL-E
Incredibles
Toy Story X

[Dienekes]

Honestly I'd skip Wall-E. Blaspheme I know. But after the brilliantly done silent beginning I thought it dropped in quality a bit.
The Romance: didn't care for (fine that makes me heartless I don't care)
The villain: pretty bland
The supporting characters: forgettable
The message: ridiculously anvilicious

But that's just me.

My 4 would go:
The Incredibles: My personal favorite Pixar film. I think they got everything I was looking for right. The motivations are believable, the characters interesting, the world entertaining, and the villain was great.
Up: Personally I think it did the silent opening better than Wall-E (well not opening, but almost opening). And from that point it has a more interesting group of characters, still not that great a villain though.
Toy Story (1 or 3, 2 is still great but I thought the others were better): It's Toy Story.
Finding Nemo: The story of a parent trying to find their lost child is to me inherently more interesting than a remake of the Three Amigos with insects, and Monster's Scaring kids for electricity. Also I think it created an interesting adventure. The side characters were interesting and entertaining, I felt for Marlin, and hoped he'd find his son. Though I honestly think the character of Nemo himself was fairly generic.

[Haruki-kun]

Up
Wall-E
Finding Nemo
Ratatouille

I love those four. I love Toy Story, too, but if you're just gonna watch 4, I don't want to make three of them Toy Story.

[Forum Explorer]

I would say

WALL-E
Finding Nemo
Up
The Incredibles.

[Dr.Epic]

Has anyone mentioned Cars yet?

Yeah, that's what I thought.

[Dumbledore lives]

When we did one of these we planned to watch about six films, but after the Toy Stories and Wall-E we all just talked for like 2 hours, then went home. I'd say you want to start off with something exciting, so maybe the Incredibles, than something a little less, maybe Monsters Inc or Finding Nemo, then either Wall-E or Up depending on personal preferences, and I'd say end on Toy Story 3, yeah it will end on tears/almost tears, but they are joyous, not sad ones, and it really is the perfect ending.

[dehro]

I'm gonna go with
the incredibles
monsters Inc.
wall-e or ratatouille

in any order..as long as the incredibles is either at the beginning or the end (if you think you'll still be awake by the end)

[Sunken Valley]

I recommend the first Toy Story because, well ,it's the first.

Then Up, because it got an oscar nomination.

Then Finding Nemo, because it was a big hit.

Finally, your choice of either Wall-E or Monster's Inc.

I am shocked that nobody has mentioned bug's life .

Do not pick the incredibles or ratatouille. The latter because it's as boring as hell and has a downer ending. And the former because it produces a sick, twisted and corrupted message.

The film "claims" that society is opressing super powered people and that people who are stronger and better than us should command us. That may be true but it's not what I expect from a film as the aesop. I expect that from a morally grey film or one of those villain speeches where they are right all along (like moriarty in the new sherlock holmes film). Not as the happy ending.

The villain. He was sympathetic. They tried to make him a complete monster and failed miserably. I think redemption would have been better for him. Not murder. Plus, he was preaching the correct Aesop.

Then you take into account that the entire family (including a 10 year old) murders mook after mook laughing as they do it and we have an evil corrupt film. Still deserves best animated feature oscar 2004 though.

[John Cribati]

The film "claims" that society is opressing super powered people and that people who are stronger and better than us should command us. That may be true but it's not what I expect from a film as the aesop. I expect that from a morally grey film or one of those villain speeches where they are right all along (like moriarty in the new sherlock holmes film). Not as the happy ending.

The villain. He was sympathetic. They tried to make him a complete monster and failed miserably. I think redemption would have been better for him. Not murder. Plus, he was preaching the correct Aesop.

Then you take into account that the entire family (including a 10 year old) murders mook after mook laughing as they do it and we have an evil corrupt film. Still deserves best animated feature oscar 2004 though.

Woah, woah, woah... So much wrong with that.

First of all, society WAS oppressing super-powered people, full-stop. "Hey, I know some of you can totally use your powers to help people, but seeing as people are being total idiots and suing the government, you're gonna have to stop that."

Second, nowhere in the movie did the supers say anything about ruling\commanding the non-supers; all Bob wanted to do was save lives. Maybe it was a bit selfish in that he wanted the adrenaline rush of the glory days back, but nowhere did anyone, except Syndrome, talk about ruling over anyone else.

Second, a superhero declines to allow an eight-year-old boy to fight crime alongside him (You know, because an eight-year-old with jet boots is gonna be so useful against a dude with a gun. That eight-year-old boy then dedicates his life to making giant robots that kill off supers with the intent to do away with one of the greatest, after which he will set the robot on innocents so that he can swoop in and "save the day." That is a complete monster. There is no redemption from that.

And third, The family did not murder anyone. The mooks were totally evil and trying to kill them. Up-to and including chasing down a ten-year-old who was doing nothing but running away. There was also the scene where they throw a champagne party to watch and laugh as civilians were killed by a giant doomsday robot.

[Avilan the Grey]

The villain. He was sympathetic. They tried to make him a complete monster and failed miserably. I think redemption would have been better for him. Not murder. Plus, he was preaching the correct Aesop.

This is so SO wrong. The man is a mass murderer. As pointed out above he did all this, including killing tens of innocent people, because he wasn't allowed to be a sidekick when he was a kid.

Anyway

My list:

1. Wall-E
2. The Incredibles
3. Monsters Inc.
4. Finding Nemo

As you can tell I am not much of a Toy Story fan.
My absolute favorite moment in a Pixar movie though is the moment in Ratatouille when Ego remembers his mother. It is truly a crowning moment of tearjerker awesomeness.

[Cespenar]

Get Up. Watch the first twenty minutes. Pause. You have watched all the Up you need. Skip to the better Pixar movies.

Like Wall-E, Ratatouille, The Incredibles or (maybe) Toy Story.

Also: Watching Pixar movies one after another (aka, a marathon) is making them injustice. Because concentration really falls down after the first movie or so.

[Sunken Valley]

Get Up. Watch the first twenty minutes. Pause. You have watched all the Up you need. Skip to the better Pixar movies.

True, never thought of it that way. Then again I have always though Up was one of only two Pixar movies that did not deserve the Best animated Oscar (Up because Secret of Kells and Fantastic Mr Fox are genius and Ratatouille because it's rubbish and does not compare to Persepolis.)

[Haruki-kun]

Do not pick the incredibles or ratatouille. The latter because it's as boring as hell and has a downer ending.

....how is that a downer ending?

Spoiler

Show

The food critic turns into a guy who can actually enjoy the little things in life and he invests in their new restaurant, which they now operate quite happily, Colette and Linguini end up together, and Remi ends up doing what he always wanted to do with his life, which his father now approves of?

Heck, that's how I hope MY life ends.

[DiscipleofBob]

I'd skip Up and save that first twenty minutes for a "Most Depressing Movies Ever" marathon. Plus after that I spent the rest of the movie thinking of ways I'd like to see the fat kid get offed. Man, he was annoying.

Gotta admit, not a big fan of Toy Story, but that's probably just due to overexposure.

Wall-E
The Incredibles
Ratatouille
Cars lolno.
If you can find it, there's one that's just a collection of the various Pixar shorts, some of which are vastly superior to nearly the entirety of the Pixar library.

Also, looking forward to Brave and "The Untitled Pixar Movie About Dinosaurs" according to Wikipedia.

[Sunken Valley]

....how is that a downer ending?

Spoiler

Show

The food critic turns into a guy who can actually enjoy the little things in life and he invests in their new restaurant, which they now operate quite happily, Colette and Linguini end up together, and Remi ends up doing what he always wanted to do with his life, which his father now approves of?

Heck, that's how I hope MY life ends.

Spoiler

Show

The restaurant gets shut down, the villain gets a karma houdini, the critic loses his job, Linguni loses his father's legacy, all the other chef's think he's crazy and probably spread it around. Then there's the wacky stuff. The restaurant's future is uncertain due to the fact that everyone thinks Linguini's mad, the villain has nothing preventing the rise of his ready meal empire, Remi dies in 6 months due to his lifespan and worst of all the other rat's know of Remi's puppeteering. Meaning an invasion of rat's pulling our hair will occur enslaving us all.

I for one, welcome our vermin overlords. Do you?

This still doesn't change the fact that it is boring, lacking in imagination and did not deserve to win the animated feature oscar 2008. Persepolis for Oscar! Persepolis for Oscar!