When I first heard the notion that Finding Nemo and One Battle After Another had very similar plots, I scoffed. How can a great Pixar movie about fish be similar to Paul Thomas Anderson’s film about a revolutionary and his daughter? Well, it actually turns out the two projects have a whole lot in common, and after I heard Tyriq Withers explain all this, I can’t unsee the parallels.

Before we dive into Withers’ explanation, the second he asked if the people in the room knew that “One Battle After Another follows the same storyline as Finding Nemo,” something clicked for me. I fully realized that both these movies are about frazzled overprotective dads who will go to the ends of the Earth (or the ocean) to find their lost child. However, they have more in common than that, as Withers (who is currently starring in Reminders of Him) told EW:

He’s so right. In both the movie that has many 2026 Oscar nominations and the animated film that took home an Oscar in 2004, Bob and Marlin, respectively, lose their wives right around the time their babies are born. Then, as single dads, they raise their children with an abundance of caution and paranoia. However, despite all that caution, their kids still disappear.

So, the dads set out on a journey to find their children. While the settings and action in each movie are very different (and you know, one is about humans and the other is about fish), when you break down these stories in general terms, they're actually very similar.

Withers continued to make that case as he pointed out another thing the movies have in common, saying:

Dude, he’s so right. Benicio del Toro’s Sensei Sergio St. Carlos is actually so similar to Crush. I mean, del Toro, who got an Oscar nomination for One Battle, even has a scene where he sends Leonardo DiCaprio’s Bob off on a wild dash that’s not dissimilar to the Finding Nemo moment where Crush sends Marlin and Dory off the EAC and "straight on through to Sydney."

Even the movie’s endings are similar, as both dads learn to let loose a little bit and let their kids live their own lives.

Overall, as our One Battle After Another review and Finding Nemo’s legacy illustrates, clearly, this tale is one people love. Or, in the words of Tyriq Withers:

He’s so right, and in the case of these two movies, when said art is about a dad who is trying to find their kids, you get a wickedly entertaining yet heartfelt story.

Now, if you want to go and see the similarities for yourself, you can stream One Battle After Another with an HBO Max subscription and Finding Nemo with a Disney+ subscription.

The bond between a parent and their child (or even between a person and their surrogate parental figure) is one of the most complex relationships there is. Hollywood certainly understands this, based on how many amazing parent-child duos have graced both the big and small screen for decades. The following are some of the world’s favorites.

Don Vito And Michael Corleone (The Godfather)

The entire Godfather saga is a tale of one man's rise to power as the leader of a ruthless mafia family, but the first of Francis Ford Coppola's Best Picture Oscar winners based on Mario Puzo's novel is, essentially, a father-son story. Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) never wanted his youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino), to take his place in the family business, but Michael's decision to avenge his father's attempted murder himself is what places him on this dark path.

Lorelai And Rory Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)

Creator Amy Sherman-Palladino's hit dramedy Gilmore Girls was one of the first series to introduce the idea of a parent and their child also being each other's best friends. In fact, single mother Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) and her daughter, Rory (Alexis Bledel), whom Lorelai had when she was a teenager, consider themselves best friends first and a mother and daughter second.

Atticus And Scout Finch (To Kill A Mockingbird)

The American Film Institute named Southern attorney Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck) from To Kill a Mockingbird cinema's all-time greatest hero for his refreshing empathy and undaunted sense of justice. What makes him a movie dad one would be proud to have is the way he passes his ideals onto his impressionable children, especially his daughter, Jean Louise, better known as "Scout" (Mary Badham), who bravely comes to her father's aid in his most challenging moments.

Fred And Lamont Sanford (Sanford & Son)

Not every person's relationship with their parent is perfect, and sometimes not even time can make it better. Take, for example, the bickering duo from the classic TV sitcom, Sanford & Son, in which the cantankerous Fred Sanford (Red Foxx) and his more conscientious son, Lamont (Demond Wilson), run a junk-dealing business together.

Anakin And Luke Skywalker (Return Of The Jedi)

There has never been a more awkward reunion between a parent and their long-lost child than in the beloved Star Wars movie, The Empire Strikes Back, when Darth Vader (née Anakin Skywalker), played by David Prowse and voiced by James Earl Jones, reveals to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) that he is his father. Luckily, at the end of Return of the Jedi, the Sith Lord comes to his son's rescue against Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), turning back to the light side of the Force before it is too late.

Jim Hopper And Eleven (Stranger Things)

More than the intense otherworldly phenomena like Demogorgons and Mind Flayers, what keeps fans invested in Stranger Things is the relationships between the characters, none of which are as strong and heartwarming as that of Jim Hopper (David Harbour) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). The Hawkins Police Chief, who previously lost a daughter to cancer, secretly takes in the psychic child as his own at the beginning of Season 2 and becomes her legal guardian by its end.

Goofy And Max Goof (A Goofy Movie)

Despite its initially poor critical reception and dismal box office returns, A Goofy Movie is now regarded as one of the best Disney animated films of all time. The secret is the complicated, but ultimately charming, relationship between the classic, eponymous animated character (voiced by Bill Farmer) and his teen son, Max (Jason Marsden), who he takes on a road trip that changes their lives forever.

Sophia Petrillo And Dorothy Zbornak (The Golden Girls)

The main Golden Girls cast was made up of four older women sharing a house in Miami, namely Dorothy (Bea Arthur), Rose (Betty White), Blanche (Rue McLanahan), and Dorothy's quick-witted mother, Sophia (Estelle Getty). Getty's Emmy-winning performance was so convincing, lending wonderfully to her and Dorothy's back-and-forth relationship, you would never guess the actor was actually one year younger than Arthur.

Dr. Henry Jones Sr. And Indiana Jones (Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade)

Even if it is not the absolute best Indiana Jones movie (most would agree that honor belongs to Raiders of the Lost Ark), 1989's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is easily the installment with the most heart. The key is seeing Harrison Ford's eponymous archaeologist team up with his estranged father, Dr. Henry Jones, Sr. (Sir Sean Connery), in a race against the Nazis to locate the Holy Grail.

Jack And Sydney Bristow (Alias)

Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) may have had a difficult relationship with her estranged father, Jack (Victor Garber). However, they prove to be a great team in the business of espionage after she discovers that they are both double agents serving the CIA on creator J.J. Abrams' hit, action-packed drama, Alias.

Mufasa And Simba (The Lion King)

Disney's 1994 hit The Lion King would not be such a devastating tragedy if not for the powerful father-son relationship at its core. Young Simba (voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas) falls under the impression that he caused the untimely death of his father, Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones), driving him to go into hiding and allow the true murderer, Scar (Jeremy Irons), to usurp the throne.

Endora And Samantha Stephens (Bewitched)

Bewitched exaggerated the common trope of the disapproving mother-in-law to uproarious, fantastic proportions by putting veteran witch Endora (Agnes Moorehead) at constant odds with her son-in-law, Darrin Stephens (Dick York and, later, Dick Sargent). Luckily, Darrin's wife and Endora's daughter, fellow spellcaster Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery), managed to keep her mother in check, for the most part.

Ellen Ripley And Newt (Aliens)

It may seem like a bit of a cheat to include Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley and Newt (Carrie Henn, a child star who walked away from Hollywood after this role) from Aliens, as they are not biologically related or even bonded by law. However, through the survivor's fierce bid to protect the orphaned child from the Xenomorphs, she effectively becomes that little girl's mother by the end of that 1986 sci-fi movie classic.

Joseph And Murphy Cooper (Interstellar)

While Interstellar is certainly an intriguing space movie, Christopher Nolan's 2014 sci-fi odyssey is an even more powerful father-daughter story. Forced to leave Earth to search for a more habitable alternative home, Joseph "Coop" Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) becomes estranged from his daughter, Murphy, or "Murph" for short (played at different ages by Mackenzie Foy, Jessica Chastain, and finally Ellen Burstyn), not only by miles but also by decades after traveling through a time-dilating black hole.

Man And Boy (The Road)

Director John Hillcoat's 2009 adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's The Road is a brutal post-apocalyptic thriller about a man (played by Viggo Mortensen) and child (played by Kodi Smit-McPhee) searching for sanctuary in a dystopian wasteland. However, by keeping the core duo nameless, the story of a father struggling to do what is best for his son despite insurmountable obstacles becomes a tale that any parent can identify with.

Georgia And Ginny Miller (Ginny & Georgia)

Netflix's Ginny & Georgia is a TV show often compared to Gilmore Girls for its plot involving a single mother (played by Brianne Howey) and her young adult daughter (played by Antonia Gentry) she had in her teens. However, creator Sarah Lampert's dramedy takes things in a much darker direction with distressing circumstances that tend to put the titular duo at odds with one another.

Marlin And Nemo (Finding Nemo)

The duo most people would more readily associate with Finding Nemo is the platonic pairing of Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Dory (Ellen DeGeneres). However, in the grand scheme of things, the Pixar movie favorite is really about the clownfish's search for his eponymous son (voiced by Alexander Gould) and the youngster's determination to reunite with his father.

Din Djarin And Grogu (The Mandalorian)

Before The Mandalorian premiered, Star Wars fans did not know what to expect from the now-acclaimed Disney+ original TV show, other than an adventure following a tough galactic bounty hunter. The moment the series and the character of Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) truly won over audiences was when the show exposed his soft spot as he defied his orders and became a surrogate father to an adorable, infantile Jedi eventually called Grogu (but initially referred to by fans as "Baby Yoda").

John And Ray Kinsella (Field Of Dreams)

Field of Dreams has been described as a classic baseball movie, a mystifying ghost story, and a profound, heartwarming fantasy, but that is the tip of the iceberg. In its purest, most essential form, the 1989 favorite is the story of a farmer named Ray (Kevin Costner) given the astonishing opportunity to reunite with his late father, John (Dwier Brown), for a game of catch.

M'Lynn Eatenton And Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie (Steel Magnolias)

The 1989 adaptation of Robert Harling's play, Steel Magnolias, is an ensemble piece following multiple, strong Louisiana women from various walks of life. However, the core storyline, and the most memorable, is that of Mary Lynn "M'Lynn" Eatenton (Sally Field), and her struggles to let go of her grown-up daughter, Shelby (Julia Roberts), when she gets married and to come to terms with the risks that come with her diabetic condition.

Frank And John Sullivan (Frequency)

One of the most unique time travel movies ever made is 1999's Frequency, starring Jim Caviezel as John Sullivan, a modern-day homicide detective inexplicably given the chance to speak to his long-dead father, Frank (played by Dennis Quaid), from 30 years in the past over HAM radio. However, when they accidentally alter the past in grim ways, they must work together to prevent a series of murders before they happen.

Bonnie And Christy Plunkett (Mom)

The hit CBS sitcom, Mom, stars Anna Faris as single mother Christy Plunkett, who has enough on her plate trying to raise two children, in addition to maintaining her sobriety. Not making things too much easier is her mother, Bonnie (Academy Award winner Allison Janney), who is a recovering alcoholic herself, but unlike her daughter, rarely holds back from speaking her mind.

Julius And David Levinson (Independence Day)

Director Roland Emmerich's sci-fi blockbuster Independence Day is an alien invasion movie and disaster thriller with a nearly unmatched sense of charm and heart. Much of that can be credited to the relationship between MIT grad David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) and his relationship with his father, Julius (a hilarious, scene-stealing Judd Hirsch).

Keith And Veronica Mars (Veronica Mars)

Veronica Mars was a trailblazer for coming-of-age TV shows in the way it offered more subversive and grounded takes on inter-character relationships, such as the title character's bond with her single father, who is a private investigator. While Keith (Enrico Colantoni) can be a bit overprotective of Veronica (Kristen Bell), they share a bond that almost better resembles close friends, strengthened by their mutual passion for justice.

Hal And Oliver Fields (Beginners)

Some people go their entire lives never fully getting to know their parents for who they truly are, but Oliver Fields (Ewan McGregor) gets the chance before it is too late in the 2010 dramedy, Beginners. Oliver becomes inspired to pursue a more spirited life and romance with Anna (Mélanie Laurent) following his strengthened relationship with his father, Hal (Christopher Plummer in an Oscar-winning performance), who reveals that he is gay at 75 years old after the death of his wife.

Richard And Alexis Castle (Castle)

If Richard Castle's (Nathan Fillion) professional and, eventually, romantic relationship with Det. Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) is the lifeblood of ABC's zesty crime procedural, Castle, then the heart and soul is his relationship with his daughter. The novelist-turned-police consultant has been called reckless and immature by some, but the proof that he is an exceptional father lies in the teenage Alexis (Molly C. Quinn).

Carl And Bud Fox (Wall Street)

One of the most iconic instances of a parent and child acting alongside each other is Martin and Charlie Sheen in Oliver Stone's Wall Street. Carl Fox (Martin) and his son, Bud (Charlie), are divided by their employment status (Carl being blue collar and Bud being white collar) and an ethical disagreement that nearly severs their relationship forever, but ultimately remain united by their mutual love and admiration.

Rocky And Jim Rockford (The Rockford Files)

No one made being a private investigator look cooler than James Garner as street-smart former convict Jim Rockford on The Rockford Files. Of course, the detective was lucky to be able to rely on his allies, the best being his own father, Joseph "Rocky" Rockford (Noah Beery Jr.).

Tess And Anna Coleman (Freaky Friday)

There may not be a parent-child duo on this list that understands each other better than Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Anna Coleman (Lindsay Lohan) from Disney's 2003 adaptation of Mary Rodgers' novel, Freaky Friday. How so? The psychiatrist and the teen musician have literally spent a day in each other's shoes, thanks to a magical fortune cookie, in the beloved body swap movie.

Calum And Sophie Patterson (Aftersun)

Writer and director Charlotte Wells' Aftersun is a heart-wrenching, but great, A24 movie starring Academy Award nominee Paul Mescal as a man trying to do right by his young daughter, Sophie (Frankie Corio), amid his struggles with depression and anxiety.

Max And Page Conners (Heartbreakers)

Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt star in Heartbreakers as a mother-daughter con artist duo. They specialize in cheating wealthy men out of their money by having Max (Weaver) marry the target, having Page (Hewitt) seduce them into being adulterous, and collecting the loot in the divorce settlement.

"Big" And "Little Edith" Bouvier Beale (Grey Gardens)

The acclaimed 1975 documentary Grey Gardens introduced the world to Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter, "Little Edith," who are the cousins of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore gave acclaimed performances as the reclusive eccentrics in a dramatized adaptation of the doc made for HBO in 2009.

Hollywood has conditioned audiences to expect two central characters of similar romantic preferences and with great chemistry to fall in love by the end of a film or at some point in a TV series’ run. Thus, it is typically more refreshing to see these protagonists remain compatible but without giving in to a forced will-they-won’t-they dynamic. In that spirit, here is a thankful tribute to pop culture’s best platonic couples.

Max And Furiosa (Mad Max: Fury Road)

For the fourth installment of his beloved franchise of post-apocalyptic thrillers, 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road, writer and director George Miller introduced a female hero to serve as the title character's equal in another road war. Not once is there a hint of any romantic connection between Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) and Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), and the modern action movie classic is beloved all the more for it.

Jerry And Elaine (Seinfeld)

One key way Seinfeld established itself early on as a groundbreaking comedy was doing away with any will-they-won't-they gimmick between Jerry Seinfeld (Jerry Seinfeld) and Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) by starting them off as a couple, breaking them up before the show even started, and seeing them remain friends through the run. While the beloved TV sitcom occasionally dropped hints at rekindling their romance for laughs (such as when they became friends with benefits or Jerry's impromptu marriage proposal), there is no doubt they are stronger as pals.

Marlin And Dory (Finding Nemo)

Finding Nemo could have easily incorporated the typical "widowed father finds love again" trope by seeing Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) fall into a charming interbreed romance during their search for his eponymous son (voiced by Alexander Gould). However, I think most would agree that making the clownfish and Blue Tang nothing but friends is an essential aspect of what makes the Oscar winner one of Pixar's best movies.

Leslie And Ron (Parks And Recreation)

At the Paley Center for Media, Parks and Recreation co-creator Michael Schur shared that Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson were initially conceived as the "mom and dad" of the Pawnee Parks Department office, but without any intention of giving them romantic chemistry. The closest the co-workers have ever come to being more than professional is when Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman pretend to make out for the sitcom's gag reel.

Harry And Hermione (The Harry Potter Movies)

The Harry Potter movies may be named after Daniel Radcliffe's "Boy Who Lived," but the young wizard would not be able to achieve what he does at Hogwarts without the help of his very best friends, Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson). In any other blockbuster franchise, the title character might end up with the girl in the end, but the thought never seems to cross their minds, and instead, Hermione and Ron come to develop feelings for each other.

Joey And Pheobe (Friends)

There always seemed to be romance in the air for the members of the Friends cast, from Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel's (Jennifer Aniston) rocky, on-again-off-again relationship to Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler's (Matthew Perry) marriage, and even Rachel and Joey's (Matt LeBlanc) attempt at being more than roommates. However, Joey and Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) were practically brother and sister, even though they did kiss when he thought she was her twin sister, Ursula, and he did offer to marry her when he thought she was pregnant. That is, thankfully, the closest they ever came.

Hawkeye And Black Widow (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Natasha "Black Widow" Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and Clint "Hawkeye" Barton (Jeremy Renner) share a deeper bond than most characters from the Marvel movies in order can claim, having known each other long before forming the Avengers together. The ultimate sign of their undying, platonic love for one another is in 2019's Avengers: Endgame when neither is willing to let the other sacrifice themselves to retrieve the Soul Stone, only for Clint to fall apart when he is forced to say goodbye to Nat.

Liz And Jack (30 Rock)

They may have gotten off on the wrong foot in the pilot for 30 Rock, but TV writer Liz Lemon (series creator Tina Fey) and her boss, Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), eventually come to form a respectable professional team. I cannot imagine anyone would have ever expected these characters to fall for one another, but it was the mere unlikelihood of their romance that made their bond one of the comedy's strongest elements.

Bob And Charlotte (Lost In Translation)

I honestly feel like I might be cheating by including Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson's characters from the 2000s-era movie classic, Lost in Translation, because the oft-discussed ending of Sofia Coppola's Oscar-winning dramedy suggests their bond evolves into something more. However, up until then, they share a friendship that each desperately needed and anyone would be lucky to have.

Mal And Zoë (Firefly)

One of the many issues that led to the premature cancellation of cult sci-fi series Firefly was creative demands from Fox executives, such as one note requesting that Zoë (Gina Torres) not be married to Wash (Alan Tudyk) to leave room for any romantic potential with Nathan Fillion's Captain Mal Reynolds. Thankfully, creator Joss Whedon stood his ground and adamantly refused, allowing the interplanetary outlaws to remain thick and thieves in the purest sense.

Ripley And Hicks (Aliens)

Writer and director James Cameron's second chapter of the Alien movies franchise introduced one of cinema's most revered platonic couples in the form of Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and Cpl. Dwayne Hicks (Michael Biehn). There are more than enough hints at the Xenomorph survivor and the marine sharing a romantic connection, but the sci-fi movie classic leaves their level of affection ambiguous instead of ending with a big, celebratory smooch like any other filmmaker might have pushed for.

Don And Peggy (Mad Men)

With how many women on the Mad Men cast Don Draper (Jon Hamm) had affairs with, one might have expected something to happen between him and his assistant/protege, Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss). Of course, that was never on the cards for them, as the 1960s ad executive saw her as more of a daughter, sharing with her many winning professional successes and tender personal moments throughout the hit AMC series' run.

Daisy And Hoke (Driving Miss Daisy)

Driving Miss Daisy from 1989 traces the longtime relationship between a grumpy older woman, Daisy Werthan (Jessica Tandy), and her chauffeur, Hoke Colburn (Morgan Freeman). Seeing their friendship survive racial and ageist adversaries in the mid-1900s South makes this Best Picture Oscar winner an enduring inspiration.

SpongeBob And Sandy (SpongeBob Squarepants)

As a marine biologist like SpongeBob Squarepants creator Stephen Hillenburg would know, sea sponges do not require mates to reproduce (which does make the inclusion of the title character's parents a bit nonsensical, admittedly). Nonetheless, nothing could have ever happened between SpongeBob (Tom Kenny) and his squirrely pal, Sandy Cheeks (Carolyn Lawrence), anyway, even if some adult viewers of Nickelodeon's beloved animated series have theorized their shared passion for martial arts was a form of foreplay.

Rey And Finn (The Star Wars Movies)

It took some time for the Star Wars movies to embrace the idea of purely platonic relationships between characters of the opposite gender, specifically when the franchise was revived in 2015. In Star Wars: The Force Awakens, loner Rey (Daisy Ridley) and reformed Stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega) become fast friends and remain allies in the fight against the First Order in the last of the sequel trilogy.

Will And Jack (Will & Grace)

During the revival seasons of Will & Grace, there were hints at Will Truman's (Eric McCormack) relationship with his friend, and fellow gay man, Jack McFarland (Sean Hayes), evolving into something more. However, that would have undermined the entire spirit of the sitcom because, as Will, the duo are meant to be "girlfriends, not boyfriends."

Jimmy And Dottie (A League of Their Own)

According to SlashFilm, director Penny Marshall shot a kissing scene between Tom Hanks as Jimmy Dugan and Geena Davis as catcher Dottie Hinson for the 1992 sports movie favorite, A League of Their Own. The scene was ultimately cut, maintaining the characters' strong bond as a baseball player and her coach.

Ted And Rebecca (Ted Lasso)

In the hit Apple TV+ original series, Ted Lasso, Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham) initially hires the eponymous American football coach (played by Jason Sudeikis), hoping that he will ruin the football team her ex-husband cherished. Instead, she comes to appreciate the good he does for the team on and off the field, and a trusting, loving friend in and out of the office develops.

Shang-Chi And Katy (Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings)

Succeeding Black Widow and Hawkeye as the definitive platonic couple of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is arguably Xu "Shaun" Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) and Katy (Awkwafina). In 2021's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, when Shaun tells his best friend/co-worker/karaoke partner that he has to leave town to help protect his younger sister, she insists on coming with him without a second's hesitation.

Jake And Rosa (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

Having come up at the police academy together, Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) and Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz) share one of the closest bonds among the Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast. Refreshingly, the New York detectives' relationship never evolves into anything beyond strict professionalism and deeply supportive friendship, as Jake eventually marries Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero) and Rosa goes through various relationships with both men and women, having come out as bi-sexual in Season 5.

Drax And Mantis (Guardians Of The Galaxy Movies)

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Drax (Dave Bautista) makes it abundantly clear that he has no romantic interest in Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and, in fact, is physically repulsed by the idea of being with her. In turn, the cosmic Marvel heroes prove to have a great brother-sister dynamic, especially when they team up to find Peter "Star-Lord" Quill (Chris Pratt) the perfect holiday gift in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.

Jack And Chloe (24)

No one had Jack Bauer's (Kiefer Sutherland) back like Chloe O'Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub) on 24. The CTU agent's relationship with the analyst was, essentially, one-sided at first before they became strong allies and even best friends.

Dredd And Anderson (Dredd)

To even describe Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) and Judge Anderson (Olivia Thirlby) from 2012's underrated comic book flick, Dredd, as friends would be far from accurate. However, as law enforcement officials, they could not be a better match as partners, evidenced by their impeccable compatibility while working to bring down the wonderfully over-the-top action villain, Ma-Ma (Lena Headey), and her drug operation.

Joan And Sherlock (Elementary)

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson make up one of the most iconic and influential partnerships in pop culture history. A modernized, gender-swapped reinterpretation of the characters in CBS's Elementary, starring Johnny Lee Miller as Holmes and Lucy Liu as Joan Watson, has also been recognized as a pairing for the ages.

Arthur And Iris (The Holiday)

In the acclaimed rom-com, The Holiday, Iris Simpkins' (Kate Winslet) love interest is Jack Black's L.A. film score composer Miles Dumon. However, the visiting Brit spends most of her time in the States with elderly former screenwriter Arthur Abbott (Eli Wallach), which quickly becomes the most charming relationship in Nancy Meyers' 2006 holiday season favorite.

Lexi And Stefan (The Vampire Diaries)

In his many, many years as an ageless creature of the night, Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley) took many lovers throughout the years, but there was one female The Vampire Diaries character he called one of his best friends. Arielle Kebbel plays fellow bloodsucker Lexi Branson, who, essentially, serves as Stefan's moral compass and bonds with him over the shared passion for the music of Bon Jovi.

Edgin And Holga (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves)

What made 2023's Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves such a blast, especially for experienced players of its namesake role-playing game, was the strong sense of unity and teamwork among its cast of heroes. No characters in the fantasy adventure represent those qualities better than Edgin (Chris Pine) and Holga (Michelle Rodriguez), who are endlessly loyal to one another from the start.

Veronica And Wallace (Veronica Mars)

Kristen Bell's title hero from the teen mystery drama Veronica Mars first met Wallace Fennel (Percy Daggs III) when she saw him duct-taped to a flagpole and came to his rescue. This marked the beginning of a friendship that few high schoolers can claim.

Charly And Mitch (The Long Kiss Goodnight)

In The Long Kiss Goodnight, amnesiac mother Samantha Caine (Geena Davis) discovers, with help from private eye Mitch Henessey (Samuel L. Jackson), her past as a deadly top agent. From then on, the 1996 thriller from director Renny Harlin becomes a fun buddy action flick as "Samantha" embraces her true identity as Charly Baltimore.

Maddie And Simon (School Spirits)

The acclaimed Paramount+ original series School Spirits is a ghost story from the perspective of a ghost, namely 17-year-old Maddie Nears (Peyton List), who is unable to interact with the living... except for one person. Her unbreakable bond with her best friend, Simon Elroy (Kristian Ventura), allows him to see her, making him the only one who can help solve the mystery of her death, which she has no memory of.

Preston And Denise (Can't Hardly Wait)

Any other fun party movie would have the nerdy teen protagonist pining for the popular girl end up with his female best friend instead. However, in Can't Hardly Wait, Preston (Ethan Embry) does end up with his dream girl, Amanda (Jennifer Love Hewitt), while his best friend, Denise (Lauren Ambrose), forms an unexpected connection with Kenny (Seth Green) after getting locked in a bathroom together.

Meredith And Alex (Grey's Anatomy)

On a medical drama in which most people seemed to be getting into bed with each other, it was refreshing to see two characters from the Grey's Anatomy cast, namely Justin Chambers' Alex Karev and Ellen Pompeo's Meredith Grey, sharing a relationship that was purely friendly.

If you know me, you'd know I like Disney. In fact, I'd say I'm a pretty big Disney lover in general, from the Disney Renaissance movies to the CGI films of the 2010s. But you want to know what Disney is also fearless in doing? To get dark, super dark, and today, we're going to talk about the times when Disney dared to walk down that path.

When Lampwick Turned Into A Donkey (Pinocchio)

Oh, you knew that I would put this scene on here. Pinocchio is a pretty dark movie in a lot of different parts. Still, I literally had nightmares as a kid when I watched Lampwick turn into a donkey in front of Pinocchio on Pleasure Island. I still don't like to think about it.

When Alex's Family Completely Forgot Who She Is (The Wizards Of Waverly Place Movie)

I'll be the first to say that Wizards of Waverly Place stands up even as an adult, and the hilarious Disney Channel series is beloved by most. Still, the fact that Alex's family basically forgot who she was at the very end of the Wizards of Waverly Place movie really sat with me. I mean, it was her own doing for the spell she cast, but it still hurts that the film went that far.

When Mufasa Is Dropped Into A Stampede (The Lion King)

I'm pretty sure that, as kids, we all had nightmares after Scar betrayed his brother. While it's based on Shakespeare's real works, I think we all emotionally connected more with a brother betraying a brother, and Mufasa getting dropped into a stampede in the middle of Africa will always not sit right with me.

When Phineas And Ferb Are Sent Off To Reform School (Phineas And Ferb)

Phineas and Ferb is a great kids show to watch on Disney+ but the darkest it ever got was when Phineas and Ferb actually got busted and sent to reform school. Now, I know, on the surface, that doesn't seem that bad, but it's the fact that they were literally brainwashed in this episode. When would Disney Channel go that far?

When Tod Is Attacked By A Bear (The Fox And The Hound)

The Fox and the Hound start cute enough, but obviously, as Tod and Copper get older, they end up becoming enemies because of the natural order of things. But the darkest moment of this kid's movie is watching Tod get chased down by a bear and attacked. Like, oh my goodness, I did not need to see this as a child.

When Bambi's Mother Was Killed (Bambi)

We have to put Bambi here somewhere. The way Bambi's mother dies is a sad reality of life and hunting, and it is really only a matter of time. But that doesn't make the moment any less tragic when we see Bambi calling out for his mother, but she's not there.

When Wendy Is Literally Almost Dragged Into The Water(Peter Pan)

Peter Pan is a film with plenty of problematic elements, but one of the darkest moments features Wendy when the mermaids of Neverland tease her and then nearly drag her into the water. Like, this is a literal child. And she was almost harassed by mermaids, of all things.

When That Crazy Drunken Elephants Scene Happened (Dumbo)

Dumbo is honestly one of the most normal Disney movies out there because it features the story of circus animals. The only weird thing is Dumbo having big ears. But the film features this dark moment of Dumbo getting drunk and visualizing the most scary-looking elephants marching around in vibrant technicolor – look, if you watched the movie, you know what I'm talking about, you know it's scary.

When Tinker Bell Essentially Comes Close To Dying (Peter Pan 2: Return To Neverland)

A lot of people forget about the sequel to Peter Pan, which is expected since it was direct-to-DVD. However, when Wendy's daughter, Jane, doesn't believe in the magic of Neverland when she's taken there, Tinker Bell literally begins to lose her magic—so much so that she nearly dies. It's an unfortunate part of this film that still sticks with me to this day.

When Claude Frollo Sings "Hellfire" (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

When I talk about the best Disney villain songs, "Hellfire" ranks high on that list, but that doesn't make the moment any less dark. The song is essentially how Judge Claude Frollo is absolutely obsessed with Esmerelda and wants to be with her (if you catch my drift). Still, if she refuses his advances, then she will be burned at the stake for daring to be defiant against him. Like, dang, Disney.

When Flynn Takes A Knife To The Heart (Tangled)

In comparison to some of the moments on this list, Flynn getting stabbed in the heart in Tangled doesn't seem nearly as bad, but it's still a dark moment. The way he falls to the ground as Rapunzel cradles him always gets me – but at least they have their happy moment at the end.

When We All Sobbed During The First Ten Minutes Of Up (Up)

I don't even need to write a whole paragraph about this. You know what I'm talking about. The rise and fall of Carl and Ellie will sit with us for the rest of our lives, from miscarriages to death alike. I am already getting sad thinking about it.

When We Saw All Those Dead Rats (Ratatouille)

Ratatouille is an underrated gem and one of the best Pixar films. But a part of me sometimes forgets this super dark moment when Remy's father decides to bring him to a shop to show him rat poisoning and traps – where dead rats hang in the window. Granted, it was to try and convince Remy to give up on his dream of being a cook with the humans, but it's still a very dark scene.

When It's Revealed What Really Happened To Hector In Coco (Coco)

Coco is a film that connects me to my Spanish heritage in more ways than one. One of those instances that made me realize how special this film was is that it wasn't afraid to take a risk. This twist, where we know that Ernesto de la Cruz actually poisoned Hector so he could take credit for all his songs, is bonkers and will make any first-time viewer's mouth drop in shock.

When Tadashi Was Exploded (Big Hero 6)

I mean, yeah, I had to put Tadashi on here. Hiro had already lost his parents earlier in life and now his big brother is suddenly taken from him in this giant lab explosion that was caused out of pure selfishness (as we find out later in the film from the villain). It's so sad.

When Mulan Suddenly Stops It's Songs When It Reaches The Destroyed Village (Mulan)

Mulan is one of those movies that, when you watch it for the first time, will stick with you for the rest of your life. The film is filled with catchy songs for the first fifty minutes or so, and then "A Girl Worth Fighting For" suddenly cuts off at the very end as the army stumbles upon a destroyed village. It's chilling and perfectly well done but still so dark.

When The Literal Apocalypse Happened In The Finale (Gravity Falls)

I'll be honest and say that Gravity Falls was a show that was after my time of loving Disney Channel. Still, I had to put this moment – that the end of a Disney Channel animated series literally has the finale going through the apocalypse. I'm sorry, what? This is Disney, right?

When Jafar Was Blatently Attracted To A 15-Year-Old Girl (Aladdin)

We sometimes forget that a lot of the Disney princesses are literal teenagers in most of these movies because they're so mature half the time, but Jafar and Jasmine in Aladdin are the worst. Jafar is blatantly attracted to Jasmine in the film and wants to marry her for power, but she is actually fifteen. Someone call the police, please.

When The Toys Were About To Get Burned To Death (Toy Story 3)

Toy Story 3 was initially created as a cap to the Toy Story movies before the fourth film was conceived, so having this scene was wild. The toys, who are in a garbage plant thanks to Lotso, are nearly burned alive by an incinerator. They are all holding hands and waiting for their demise. Thankfully, at the last moment, the little green aliens come in and save them with the giant claw that picks up trash, but god, that was a close one, huh?

When Hades Wanted To Kill A Child (Hercules)

Look, Hercules is underrated in so many ways, and Hades is a hilarious villain, but there's a reason why he is a villain in this movie. He wants to kill Hercules at the beginning and gets his minions to do so by using a vial of poison, but Hercules ends up only drinking most of it, not all, so he just loses his godlike immortality.

When Belle Was Chased By Wolves (Beauty And The Beast)

We all glamorize Beauty and the Beast a little too much because there were plenty of dark moments in that movie, and one of the biggest was when wolves chased Belle. I know, in the grand scheme of things, that it’s not super dark, but it's still scary for a kid to watch a Disney princess get chased down by wolves and nearly die.

When We Saw All Of Sid's Horrifying Creations (Toy Story)

Toy Story featured probably some of the most disgusting creations I had ever seen when we first noticed Sid's fascination with destroying toys and molding them into new ones. As the movie continues, we do see that even these strange concoctions have souls of their own, but man, they are still freaky as heck.

When Dr. Facilier Was Dragged To Hell By Demons (The Princess And The Frog)

There's a lot that I love about The Princess and the Frog, including Tiana being the best Disney princess, but I think we sometimes forget just how dark Dr. Facilier was. This man works with the literal souls of the underworld to gain power, and when he falls flat on his deal, he is dragged through a grave down to hell. Yup, it can't really get darker than that.

When Gaston Fell To His Death (Beauty And The Beast)

There are plenty of great villain deaths in the world of Disney, but Gaston's is honestly one that is pretty dark. We don't necessarily see his head hit the pavement, but we do see Gaston fall to his death when he and the Beast are facing off.

When Esteban Gets Possessed (The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody)

The Suite Life of Zack and Cody is a great series overall, but even I'll admit that this episode, where Esteban (a hotel bellboy) and the twins are trying to contact the dead, is scary as hell and dark for Disney. They do so well in contacting the dead that a spirit takes over Esteban. What? That never happens.

When Wall-E Nearly Forgot Who Everyone Was (Wall-E)

Wall-E is a film that feels a little too real nowadays with how global warming has changed our world, and the movie itself can be super dark if you look at it. But to me, the darkest moment was at the very end when I thought Wall-E was reset to his factory settings and forgot all about Eve and everything that happened. Thankfully, her spark brings back his memory, so it all works out, but man, that was a close one!

When An Evil Force Begins To Take Over And Turn Everyone Into Monsters (Halloweentown)

Halloweentown is my favorite non-scary Halloween movie because it's so homey and rings in the season in a great way. Still, there's no denying that the idea of an evil force – not even just a spirit, but a malevolent force – taking over an entire town is dark for Disney Channel DCOM standards.

When Clayton Accidentally Hangs Himself (Tarzan)

Tarzan is a film that I think a lot of us forget about (except for Phil Collins' great score), but let's not forget the dark moment when the villain, Clayton, literally accidentally kills himself. He's struggling with vines as he's in the final fight but falls to the ground, and ultimately, we see the vines wrapped around his neck and the shadow of his hanging body not that long after.

When Bing Bong Sacrificed Himself (Inside Out)

The world has never forgiven Pixar for sacrificing Bing Bong in Inside Out. I mean, look at him. He didn't deserve that. Bing Bong deserves his freedom, but he lets himself get erased in Riley's mind so Joy can get out and make Riley happy again. Gosh, I'm getting tears thinking about it.

When Scar Is Eaten By His Own Followers (The Lion King)

Scar is a dastardly villain, but his demise is even darker than what he has done. The hyenas who have followed him for the whole movie turn on the lion at the very end, and we see them tear him apart in the shadows, bit by bit, eaten because they are hungry now.

When The House Turns Into A Prison (Smart House)

In a world where we live with Alexas and smart devices galore, the twist of Smart House feels all too real. The film itself was a Disney Channel film about a home with a robotic attendant who turns the house into a prison. I mean…not for nothing, but AI is scary, and this film feels a little too real.

When Marlan's Wife Was Killed In The Opening Minutes Of Finding Nemo (Finding Nemo)

I think everyone who saw Finding Nemo as a kid was shocked to death when they watched the first minutes. We don't actually see Marlan's wife getting eaten, but we know she's gone in the moments after, when there's just one egg left and Marlan is all alone.

These are just some of the dark moments I instantly think of when it comes to Disney – but trust me, there are plenty more. I think it's time for a Disney marathon – and for me to enjoy every second of it while also getting creeped out at these dark moments.

While It Ends With Us is a faithful adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel, like any book-to-screen adaptation, change is inevitable. All the details from the novel couldn’t be put in the movie, and that meant taking out things like Lily’s journals and her and Atals’ love for Finding Nemo. However, when I spoke to the film’s director Justin Baldoni about It Ends With Us’ release on the 2024 movie schedule, I asked him about the Easter eggs in it, and he told me about a meaningful nod to the book's love of the Pixar movie.

My favorite Easter egg in this movie is easily the Finding Nemo poster, because the animated film is a favorite of mine. Taking out Lily and Atlas’ love for it was a big difference in It Ends With Us, however, they didn’t totally leave it behind. Baldoni told me during an interview for CinemaBlend that he wanted to “find a way to just sprinkle in” as many Easter eggs as possible, and that included a fun little Dory poster in Atlas’ restaurant as he explained:

He’s right, if you look very closely when Atlas and Lily meet up again at his restaurant Root, you can see a poster of a blue tang fish in the background, and there’s a quote about swimming forward. It’s not verbatim “just keep swimming,” but the sentiment is there. That was intentional to not be too spot on with it, as Baldoni told me:

In the book, the animated film is a beacon of hope for Lily and Atlas, because they both had difficult childhoods, and they always remind each other to, as Dory says, “just keep swimming.” The director and Ryle actor told me that he wanted to recognize that, and he figured it was a little hint “die-hard fans” of the book would “notice and hopefully appreciate.” And as a fan of the book myself, I did.

Along with the Finding Nemo poster, there’s also a little Nemo plushie in Lily’s nursery too, showing there's still a lot of love for the Pixar project in this film, even though it's not a major plot point.

Plus, while there were changes that “jarred” author Colleen Hoover, this was not one of them. She adored this thoughtful Easter egg. During my It Ends With Us interviews for CinemaBelnd, she told me how she reacted to the sweet Finding Nemo nod, saying:

As I stated in my review of It Ends With Us, this film is a faithful adaptation of the book. While changes are made, yes, its story overall is the same, and there are so many little Easter eggs and hints that allude to the source material, including this sweet one about Finding Nemo.

To go and see the film for yourself and find all the Easter eggs, you can catch It Ends With Us in theaters now.

To have a father in your life whom you can trust and look up to is a blessing that should not be taken for granted. You can find more than enough men like this in some of our favorite movies and TV shows. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most honorable dads in pop culture and why we love them.

Chris Gardner (The Pursuit Of Happyness)

One of Will Smith’s best performances comes from 2006’s The Pursuit of Happyness, which is inspired by real-life entrepreneur Chris Gardner’s experiences single-handedly raising a child (played by Smith’s real-life son, Jaden Smith) while struggling with poverty in 1980s San Francisco. In addition to the hard work he puts through to provide for his son, also named Christopher, he also guides him with moving words of wisdom, such as refusing to be told he cannot achieve his dreams.

Mike Brady (The Brady Bunch)

One of the most iconic sitcoms of all time is the story of a man named Brady — architect Mike Brady (Robert Reed) — who married the lovely Carol (Florence Henderson) and became the father to three young step-daughters, in addition to his three biological sons. While The Brady Bunch never offered a particularly grounded depiction of life in the 1970s, a man willing to accept the responsibility of six children (seven, if you count the later casting shake-up of Robbie Rist as Cousin Oliver) was refreshing for the time and remains as such today.

Atticus Finch (To Kill A Mockingbird)

Some of the most valuable lessons that a parent can teach their children are the importance of empathy and the evils of prejudice, which Atticus Finch explains to young Scout in Harper Lee’s influential novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. It is no wonder that Gregory Peck’s portrayal of the widowed Southern Lawyer — who comes to the defense of a Black man wrongfully convicted of assault — in the 1962 adaptation was named cinema’s greatest hero by AFI in 2003.

Philip Banks (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)

While he often seemed irritated by his nephew’s antics, Judge Philip Banks (James Avery) clearly loved Will Smith (Will Smith), as evident by his willingness to let the Philadelphia-raised teen live with his family in California after a dangerous run-in. It is especially clear, however, in one of the most tender scenes from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (and one of the most heartbreaking serious sitcom moments ever) when Uncle Phil confronts Will’s real father after learning he plans to abandon him again.

Gil Buckman (Parenthood)

A major theme of Ron Howard’s Parenthood is the insecurities that parents often face when raising children, and no character from the 1989 comedy better represents that than Gil Buckman (Steve Martin). However, there is no doubt that the St. Louis ad executive is an exceptional father when he dons a cowboy outfit to fill in as the entertainment for his son’s birthday party.

Dan Conner (Roseanne)

Few TV shows represent the blue-collar lifestyle as authentically as Roseanne did in its original run and one of the crucial elements was John Goodman’s performance as Dan Conner. Roseanne’s husband was everything a middle-class family could ask for in a patriarch — a hard-working, optimistic, and lovingly supportive father who was also never afraid to tell it like it is.

Bob Ivanovich (My Life)

In the 1993 tearjerker, My Life, Academy Award nominee Michael Keaton plays Bob Ivanovich — a Los Angeles public relations firm manager who is expecting his first child with his wife, Gail (Nicole Kidman), when he is given a terminal diagnosis. Yet, he is not going to let his impending death prevent him from being there for his son, giving him the idea to film a series of videos in which he explains how to shave, how to cook, how to drive more valuable lessons every parent should be the first to teach their children.

Jason Seaver (Growing Pains)

With a job career in psychology, it seems like raising four children would be impossible to keep up with. However, Alan Thicke’s Dr. Jason Seaver on Growing Pains achieved a decent balance between his professional and personal life beautifully by always keeping his family as the highest priority.

Gomez Addams (The Addams Family)

To the average, everyday individual, Gomez Addams — portrayed by the likes of John Astin in the 1960s-era The Addams Family series and Raul Julia in Barry Sonnenfeld’s ‘90s movies — does not seem like an ideal role model. However, when you consider his creepy and cooky home life, he and Morticia really do seem to be pushing their daughter Wednesday and son Pugsley in a decent direction at the end of the day.

Danny Tanner (Full House)

Following the sudden death of his wife, Danny Tanner (the late Bob Saget) enlists the help of his brother-in-law, Jesse (John Stamos), and best friend, Joey (Dave Coulier), to help him raise his three daughters on Full House. Yet, if not for his job as a TV personality, we imagine the tidy and tenderhearted dad could have handled the job all by himself.

Bryan Mills (Taken)

When his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace), is kidnapped while vacationing in Paris, retired CIA operative Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) travels to Europe and reignites his “particular set of skills” to find her. The role that made Neeson into a modern action movie icon — from co-writer and producer Luc Besson’s 2008 thriller, Taken — is the rare kind of father who would single-handedly take on an entire human trafficking ring to rescue his child.

Carl Winslow (Family Matters)

Reginald VelJohnson has played quite a few cops in his day, but none more iconic than Carl Winslow as part of the Family Matters cast for nine seasons. When he was not trying to keep society in line patrolling the streets of Chicago, the father of three did a wonderful job keeping his family in line with love and support that his neighbor, Steve Urkel (Jaleel White), must not have received at home, which might explain why he spent so much time at Winslow household.

Guido Orefice (Life Is Beautiful)

Writer and director Roberto Benigni also leads his Oscar-winning 1998 dramedy, Life is Beautiful, as a goofy Jewish-Italian man attempting to protect and shelter his young son (Giorgio Cantarini) from their treacherous surroundings while living at a Holocaust-era concentration camp. While one might say honesty is a more important parental quality, sometimes keeping your child smiling and laughing in the midst of tragedy is the one thing they need most.

Adam Braverman (Parenthood)

Peter Krause told TV Guide that what attracted him to joining the Parenthood cast as Adam Braverman was the character’s goal to be “the best father, the best husband, the best son, the best brother he could be.” Considering the immense dedication he showed for his children — especially toward Max (Max Burkholder), who is a young boy on the Autism spectrum — we would say he succeeded.

Jack Pearson (This Is Us)

There are few modern TV characters who cross off all the boxes of an admirable fatherly portrayal quite like Jack Pearson (Milo Ventimiglia) on This is Us, whose devotion to his wife and three children is stronger than many could claim. His wisdom and wit would even prove to be a large influence in his children’s lives long after his untimely passing.

Eric Taylor (Friday Night Lights)

In addition to being the real father of his teenage daughter, Julie (Aimee Teegarden), Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) acts as a devoted father figure to the Dillion High School Panthers football team he coaches on Friday Night Lights. Not to mention, what better advice could someone offer on or off the field than, “Clear eyes, full heart, can’t lose”?

Marlin (Finding Nemo)

In one of the saddest openings to a Pixar movie, tragedy makes clownfish Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks) a single father to a single son, Nemo (voiced by Alexander Gould), whom he coddles to a suffocating degree as he grows up. However, by the end of Finding Nemo, he learns to be a more trusting father, but only after facing his greatest fears searching the ocean for his son after he is taken by a scuba diver.

Burt Hummel (Glee)

Just about any teen on the LGBTQ+ spectrum has gone through the challenging decision to come out to their parents, but they might have found some helpful encouragement after seeing Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer) reveal his true self to his father, Burt (Mike O’Malley). Not only does the United States Congressman accept his son for who he is, but fights for his well-being against anyone who shows him adversity.

Johnathan Kent (Smallville)

Being the adoptive father of super-powered extra-terrestrial sounds like the toughest job imaginable, but John Schneider made it look easy with his portrayal of Johnathan Kent on Smallville. You could say that the farmer’s moral guidance is what led his son, Clark (Tom Welling), to become the crime fighter he needed to be when he accepted his destiny as Superman.

Louis Huang (Fresh Off the Boat)

Inspired by the childhood of celebrity chef Eddie Huang, Fresh Off the Boat follows the challenges of a Taiwanese family trying to make it in the States. The lovingly optimistic patriarch of the family, Louis Huang (Randall Park), is the embodiment of the American dream, working hard to ensure his children the life they deserve.

George Banks (Father Of The Bride)

In 1991’s Father of the Bride, George Banks (Steve Martin) struggles to let go when his daughter, Annie (Kimberly Williams-Paisley), becomes engaged to Bryan (George Newbern). The reaction is certainly a definitive trait of the typical over-protective father, but considering it comes from a place of great love for his daughter and a certain nostalgia for his early days as a parent, we cannot help but feel a heartwarming empathy for his “overreaction.”

Floyd Henderson (Smart Guy)

The underrated WB sitcom Smart Guy followed T.J. Henderson (Taj Mowry) — a young boy of above-average intelligence who still finds himself in need of the kind of guidance a child of his age typically requires. That is where his widowed father, Floyd (John Marshall Jones), would come in — answering his son’s complicated questions and even disciplining him without ever talking down to him, which even he understands would be a strange thing to do to someone with double his I.Q.

Man (The Road)

The 2009 adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road is one of the most frightening depictions of a post-apocalyptic society ever put to celluloid, but that is not what makes it a valuable entry to the genre. At its core, the film is a powerful story about an unnamed man (played by Viggo Mortensen) struggling to do the right thing for his son (played by Kodi Smit-McPhee), which is something any father in the real world can easily relate to.

Phillip Drummond (Diff’rent Strokes)

Before his former housekeeper suddenly passed away, widowed millionaire Phillip Drummond (Conrad Bain) promised to take care of her sons, Arnold (Gary Coleman) and Willis (Todd Bridges). That is the plot of Diff’rent Strokes — a hit sitcom that proved that family is defined by the devotion you have for each other and Mr. Drummond’s devotion to his adopted sons and his biological daughter, Kimberly (Dana Plato), was undeniable.

Mac MacGuff (Juno)

In another story about teen pregnancy, you might expect the father character to fly off the handle after learning his young daughter is with child, but that is not the case in 2007’s Oscar-winning dramedy, Juno. Mac MacGuff (J.K. Simmons) reacts to the news that his titular daughter (played by Elliot Page) is pregnant in a surprisingly calm demeanor and offers strong support to her through every step of the process.

Daniel Hillard (Mrs. Doubtfire)

We cannot deny that Daniel Hillard’s (Robin Williams) actions in the 1993 comedy favorite, Mrs. Doubtfire — posing as an elderly woman to act as his estranged family’s nanny after being denied custody — is a little messed up. However, there is no denying that his extreme decision came from a place of strong commitment for his children, who were actually delighted to learn their father was him in disguise.

Mr. Levenstein (American Pie)

Not too many teens actively seek advice about the more awkward moments of adolescence from their parents, but Jim Levenstein (Jason Biggs) would not have to seek such conversations in the American Pie movies. His father (played by Eugene Levy) had no trouble openly discussing the most uncomfortably “adult” topics with his son, but always had the wherewithal to make the discussions somewhat more comforting with the caveat that these were “perfectly normal things.”

Alan Matthews (Boy Meets World)

If you could not figure it out before, the title of Boy Meets World refers to Cory Matthews’ (Ben Savage) journey to figure out what life is all about, often with help from his teacher, Mr. Feeny (William Daniels). Of course, he also received more than enough guidance from his admirable humble, down-to-earth father, Alan (William Russ), who also served as a father figure to Cory’s best friend, Shawn (Rider Strong), whenever he needed it.

Ted Kramer (Kramer Vs. Kramer)

Director Robert Benton’s Best Picture Oscar winner, 1979’s Kramer vs. Kramer, depicts a marriage that falls apart when Joanna (Meryl Streep) leaves her husband, Ted (Dustin Hoffman), forcing him to finally learn what it really takes to be a parent. By the time Joanna returns to take their son, Billy (Justin Henry), with her, she realizes from the love and devotion he shows that he belongs with Ted after all.

Michael Kyle (My Wife And Kids)

We would consider Tisha Campbell’s Janet “Jay” Kyle from My Wife and Kids a TV wife who often put her husband in his place whenever his more childish and egotistical attributes came out. However, Michael Kyle (series co-creator Damon Wayans) is still a TV dad for the ages because of his unique approach to teaching lessons that sometimes even involve elaborate pranks at his kids’ expense.

Mason Evans Sr. (Boyhood)

When Ethan Hawke first appears as Mason Evans Sr. in 2014’s Boyhood, he seems like the stereotypical irresponsible estranged father you might see in most movies centered on divorced families. However, in retrospect, he offers young Mason (Ellar Coltrane) and his daughter, Samantha (Lorelai Linklater), some very profound advice even then and proves, that by the time Mason reaches manhood, he becomes the dad he was always destined to become, including to his child with his second wife, Olivia.

Sonny Kofax (Big Daddy)

Adam Sandler’s role in 1999’s Big Daddy, Sonny Kofax, is the one character her who is not actually a dad and, in fact, is very irresponsible. However, the love he shows for Julian (the illegitimate son of his friend, played by Dylan and Cole Sprouse) is worth a million fathers combined.

Hopefully, you have or had a father (or father figure) who can hold a candle to any of these movie and TV characters.

As the success of Inside Out 2 only grew this past weekend, Pixar is celebrating its first $1 billion movie since the 2019 release of Toy Story 4. With the numbers marking a clear trend for the animation studio and sequels, it’s no surprise that Pixar would be contemplating more theatrical follow-ups to continue the stories of pre-existing characters, including a third Finding Nemo movie. But how does the voice of Dory, Ellen DeGeneres, feel about reprising the role?

Ellen DeGeneres Comments On Potential Finding Nemo Return 

On Monday, Ellen DeGeneres performed a standup show in Santa Rosa, California, ahead of an upcoming Netflix special from the former daytime host. When Ellen opened up the show to a Q&A, one fan asked the comedians if she would be showing up in movies or Broadway after her The Ellen DeGeneres Show exit following allegations of a toxic work environment surfaced in 2020. DeGeneres said this (per SFGate):

The 66-year-old was an incredibly successful daytime talk show host for 19 years. Currently, DeGeneres is doing a small tour called “Ellen’s Last Stand…Up,” but she’s apparently not providing hope for additional work in show business. When a third Finding Nemo film came up, here’s how DeGeneres responded:

During the appearance, DeGeneres also spoke to her controversial few years, alleging that she “got kicked out of show business for being mean” before joking that she’ll be “kicked out” “next time” for being “old, gay and mean.” She also defended herself by saying that she is “many things” but “not mean.”

What Pixar Has Said About Finding Nemo 3

Ellen DeGeneres’ comments come about a month after Pixar Animation Studios president Jim Morris told Bloomberg that the creatives were brainstorming ideas for another Finding Nemo movie, along with a third Incredibles. Inside Out 2 director Pete Docter also said this:

Now, another Finding Nemo movie doesn’t automatically mean Ellen DeGeneres’ Dory would definitely be involved, although many would say that she is the most popular character in the franchise. Perhaps the studio would explore a completely new story or side of the ocean without the likes of the forgetful regal blue tang fish. In the 2016 sequel, Dory goes on a hunt for her parents in an aquarium. When the movie ends, she rejoins the reef with Marlin and Nemo.

Aside from the main characters that have been at the center of those movies, it’s not hard to imagine Pixar pivoting to focus on Crush, the sea turtle or the sharks, for example. As Docter shared, “The ocean’s a big place.” For now, we know that the next Pixar movies include an original called Elio coming next summer, and Toy Story 5 officially coming in 2026!

When it comes to making audiences cry over animated characters, Pixar Animation Studios deserves all the awards. The company's been doing it from the very beginning with Toy Story and will continue to tug on audiences’ heartstrings when the highly anticipated 2024 movie release Inside Out 2 hits theaters in June. While some fans might argue that Up’s opening montage is the saddest scene in the studio’s history, I’d argue that honor actually goes to the heartbreaking start in Finding Nemo.

Anyone who has ever seen the movie will remember the gut-wrenching sequence where Marlin watches his wife and nearly every one of his children get eaten by a big fish in the first five minutes of the movie. It was shocking to watch, but it helped set up the rest of the movie and explained why the clownfish was so overprotective when it came to his son, Nemo.

However, the opening sequence almost looked a lot different. In a recent interview with UNILAD, Pixar animator Jason Deamer opened up about what it was like working on the 2003 animated film which continued Pixar’s streak of iconic storytelling. While the heartbreaking sequence was always a part of the movie, the character artist explained that it happened much later in the movie:

It seems Finding Nemo almost made the same mistake I believe Disney's Encanto made when it came to Abuela’s story by not revealing the true motivation behind these overprotective characters. Thankfully, the Pixar team realized their mistake after a test screening that left them questioning if they had just made their “first bad movie.”

Deamer said that when they returned to the office, legendary Pixar animator Lee Unkirck rearranged the sequence of events so that the flashback became the start of the movie. While he empathizes with fans who find the opening scene hard to watch, he stands by the studio’s decision, saying:

It’s hard to imagine what Finding Nemo would have looked like if the movie started with the scene of Nemo being excited to go to school while Marlin grapples with his fears. Still, I think it’s safe to say that Deamer and the rest of the Pixar animators were right to assume that it would have skewed how viewers interact with Marlin. We wouldn’t have seen him as a caring father, but rather one who is trying to hold his son back for some unknown reason.

While the way fans watch movies might have changed a lot since 2003, Pixar isn’t ready to completely abandon the formula it has created; at least, not when it comes to the heartbreaking moments that have become synonymous with these movies. Deamer has a theory on why that is too, reassuring fans that they’re not “trying to hurt your feelings,” but rather:

As much as I hate crying when I watch movies, I will take the heartbreak if it means we get well-rounded, complex characters like Marlin. I’ll just make sure to always have tissues on hand when I’m getting ready to watch a Pixar movie.

With the iconic studio gearing up for a summer filled with Inside Out 2 promo, dozens of other movies are being celebrated as part of the months-long Pixar Fest over the Disneyland Resort. Not only can fans see new decorations and meet some of these beloved characters, but they can also enjoy themed foods and check out new entertainment options, like the Better Together parade and fireworks show that all celebrate these iconic characters.

If you can’t make it to the celebration, you can stream all of Pixar’s movies with an active Disney+ subscription. And don't forget to catch Inside Out 2 in theaters on June 14th.

Sometimes, it can be fun to take a deeper look at the movies you love and see if you can find any details that may or may not be hiding in plain sight. You must be careful, though, because this sort of speculation could forever change how you perceive the most beloved characters from cinema in bizarre, funny, or even unsettling ways. 

Now, we are not saying we are fully convinced by any of the following wild movie character fan theories we found online, but we also can’t deny they are fun to read. Therefore, the only cautionary warning we feel is truly necessary to give you before you read on is to be wary of spoilers.

Han Solo Is Force Sensitive (Star Wars Movies)

Could Han Solo’s unparalleled piloting skills, precise blaster aim, and survival during his Carbonite slumber in the Star Wars movies be the result of him actually being one with the very Force he once doubted was real? Reddit user sumojoe actually posited this idea about Harrison Ford’s scruffy nerfherder years before it could be further backed up by the reveal in Star Wars: The Force Awakens that he and Leia (Carrie Fisher) had a Force-sensitive son (Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren).

Jack Is A Time Traveler (Titanic)

Before 1997’s Titanic, James Cameron’s biggest hits were time travel movies — namely The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day — but could his Best Picture Oscar-winning historical fiction blockbuster also be part of the same genre? Redditor MarkHarris1989 believes that historical inaccuracies to his backstory and his “anachronistic attitude and haircut” suggest Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) could actually be a man out of time who may have even been sent back from the future to save Rose (Kate Winslet).

The Toys Are Possessed By A Delusional Entity (Toy Story)

It is still a mystery why Woody, Buzz, and the others come alive when humans are not around in Toy Story movies, but a theory by Inevitable_Cut_4670 (which has since been removed from the r/FanTheories subreddit) attempts to provide an explanation that casts a dark shadow over the Pixar classic. The user imagines that Andy’s toys became possessed by an otherworldly spirit that split itself between the different characters before developing a different personality for each and, ultimately, forgetting what it was initially.

Wonka's Tour Was A Planned Sacrifice (Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory)

What happens to the four other children invited into the eponymous facility from 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory has been subject to much eye-opening speculation, but what if the truth is even more horrifying? One now-deleted FanTheories subreddit post suggests that the Roald Dahl adaptation exists in the same universe as the horror-comedy favorite, The Cabin in the Woods, and the youngsters’ strange fates were all part of a sacrificial ritual the famous chocolatier (Gene Wilder) orchestrated to appease the Gods.

Tom Hardy's Max Is The Road Warrior's Feral Child (Mad Max: Fury Road)

For the fourth Mad Max movie, Tom Hardy succeeded to the role of the post-apocalyptic drifter from Mel Gibson, but the folks at Nerdist are not so sure that is the case. They theorize that the male protagonist of 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road is actually “The Feral Child” (originally played by Emil Minty in the second installment, 1981’s The Road Warrior) as a grown-up who has adopted the hero’s persona. This would explain why a lot of Hardy’s dialogue consists of grunts.

Ferris And Cameron Are The Same Person (Ferris Bueller's Day Off)

Have you ever considered the possibility that John Hughes’ 1986 high school movie classic, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, is actually a precursor to David Fincher’s adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s novel, Fight Club? A popular fan theory (via CBR) that echoes the twist from the 1999 cult favorite suggests Matthew Broderick’s mischievous title character is just an alternate persona the neurotic Cameron Fry (Alan Ruck) subconsciously developed to carry out his wildest fantasies.

Sandy Is Dead The Whole Time (Grease)

One of the more bizarre “they were dead the whole time” theory and one of the most bizarre examples comes from the unlikeliest of places: 1978’s Grease. A post on Imgur suggests that Danny Zuko (John Travolta) never actually saved Sandy Olsson (Olivia Newton-John) from drowning and the upbeat musical numbers we see are a symptom of her brain losing oxygen. To top it off, the famous flying car at the end is supposedly carrying her into the afterlife.

Kincade Is Sean Connery's Bond (Skyfall)

Similar to the famous theory that all James Bond actors are each portraying a different man using the same code name, a post in the James Bond subreddit questions if Kincade from 2012’s Skyfall is really Sean Connery’s iteration of 007. The theory is actually backed up by the fact that, according to The Huffington Post, Sam Mendes considered casting Connery in the role before it went to Albert Finney.

Chris' Horror Is All In Rod's Head (Get Out)

It was once suggested on Reddit that the horrifying things Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) endures at the Armitage Estate in 2017’s Get Out are actually an elaborate fantasy imagined by his best friend, Rod (Lil Rel Howery). In a video for Vanity Fair, writer and director Jordan Peele addressed and debunked this theory, but did praise its creativity.

Owen Grady Is The Kid Grant Freaks Out With His Raptor Speech (Jurassic Park)

Even before 2015’s Jurassic World came out, Redditor faceur318 had a feeling that the kid whom Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) tells to “have a little respect for raptors” in the 1993 original, Jurassic Park, would grow up to become Owen Grady. The actor who plays the raptor trainer, Chris Pratt, told Huffington Post that he does not believe it himself, but director Colin Trevorrow wouldn’t deny it.

Donkey Used To Be Human (Shrek)

One of the most convincing movie theories we have ever heard suggests Donkey (Eddie Murphy) from Shrek was once human until he visited Pleasure Island and was turned into his namesake animal — a fate many children also suffered in the classic fairytale, Pinocchio. A video by The Film Theorists provides astonishing evidence of this traumatizing idea, which tyoung000 also posted to the FanTheories subreddit with an added detail that Donkey is really Pinocchio’s talkative friend, Lampwick.

Possessing Karras Was Always Pazuzu's Intention (The Exorcist)

Redditor mysticaldensity believes that in 1973’s The Exorcist, Father Damien Karras’ (Jason Miller) bid to save Regan MacNeill (Linda Blair) by having Pazuzu possess him instead (before taking his own life) was part of the demon’s plan all along. According to the theory’s pretty solid evidence, the entity saw Karras — who had been wrestling with his faith following his mother’s death — as a perfect target with which to infiltrate the church, but would still need the priest’s permission to inhabit him, which is why it used an innocent 12-year-old as a vessel to taunt him with.

Patrick Bateman Is Really Bruce Wayne (American Psycho, The Dark Knight Trilogy)

If you ever found similarities between Christian Bale’s performances as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho and Bruce Wayne in the Dark Knight Trilogy, Redditor DragonfruitDisable believes that is not by coincidence and, in fact, the two are one in the same. The theory states Alfred Pennyworth put the famous young orphan through school under a different alias, which he continued to go when he started to have elaborate, homicidal fantasies. This bout of insanity would lead him down a path of self-discovery, which brings us to the start of Bateman Beg… or Batman Begins, we mean.

Django Actually Killed Sandy's Son (Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight)

It is no secret that most of Quentin Tarantino’s movies exist in the same universe, which QuantumBandit404 likely used as inspiration for a Reddit theory that states that, in The Hateful Eight, Marquis Warren’s (Samuel L. Jackson) lied about killing the son of Sandy Smithers (Bruce Dern), who was really a bounty for Django Freeman. It’s an intriguing concept, especially considering Warren’s deceptive skills, but what makes it more interesting is, according to DP/30 Podcast (via ScreenCrush), Tarantino originally wrote the role as an older version of Jamie Foxx’s titular bounty hunter from Django Unchained.

Nemo Is Imaginary (Finding Nemo)

Finding Nemo is already one of the saddest Pixar movies, but an op-ed by Søren Hough on Movie Fail makes it even more tragic if you believe what his theory suggests. He believes that Marlin (Albert Brooks) was the only true survivor of the 2003 family film’s tragic opening sequence and invented his son, Nemo (Alexander Gould), as an imaginary coping mechanism for his grief.

T-800 Was Preprogrammed Not To Kill (Terminator 2: Judgment Day)

In Terminator 2: Judgment Day, John Connor (Edward Furlong) urges his mechanical protector (Arnold Schwarzenegger) to not commit murder, but did he ever really have to? Based on the fact that the T-800 never kills anyone in the opening scene (despite causing bloodshed rather quickly in the first film), Redditor Potential_Gap3957 speculates that Connor’s adult self already programmed him with this command before sending him to 1995, but also asked him to stage a killing in front of young John as a way to build up his leadership skills.

Michael Myers Is A Vampire (Halloween)

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers attempted to explain the iconic horror movie villain’s supposed immortality as part of a curse given to him at birth by a deadly cult, but there is another theory that we think is far more amusing. According to ScreenRant, Michael is really a vampire — not the typical bloodsucking kind, but one that feeds on murderous acts — and his psychiatrist from the reboot trilogy, Dr. Ranbir Sartain (Haluk Bilginer), is his familiar, which might explain why he wanted to be like the slasher.

Pearl Is Maxine's Grandmother (X, Pearl)

Is it possible that the resemblance between young Maxine and the elderly Pearl (both played by Mia Goth in Ti West’s X) is more than just an example of the acclaimed A24 horror movie’s nuanced commentary on aging? On Reddit, Thabrianking speculates that Maxine’s televangelist father is Pearl’s son, who turned to religion after witnessing his mother’s homicidal tendencies, which were a main plot point in the prequel, Pearl.

Ned Ryerson Is The Devil (Groundhog Day)

There has never been a definitive explanation for how Phil (Bill Murray) relives February 2nd over and over in 1993’s Groundhog Day, but a Redditor named SuperConductiveRabbi believes it is the work of Ned Ryerson (Stephen Tobolowsky), who may even be the Devil himself. Evidence: the time loop begins after Phil insultingly refuses to buy insurance from Ned and stops when he gives in to the offer (symbolism for selling one’s soul) and finally treats him with respect.

Jar Jar Binks Was In Cahoots With The Sith (The Star Wars Movies)

While very few people would call Jar Jar Binks their favorite Star Wars character, some have warned that the seemingly harmless, motormouth Gungan was not to be underestimated. Before The Force Awakens was released, Lumpawarroo predicted that he would play a major role in the film, which would also reveal that he was not only a Sith Lord the entire time, but the true identity of Supreme Leader Snoke. The Sequel Trilogy may have debunked that last detail, but is still fun to imagine the rest being true.

Walter Never Served In Vietnam (The Big Lebowski)

In 1998’s The Big Lebowski, Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) finds any opportunity he can to bring up his tour of Vietnam, which is not typical behavior of a military veteran, as pointed out on a FanTheories subreddit post that suggests the avid bowler was never even in the service. Goodman himself once admitted in an interview with Today, for the 20th anniversary of the classic Coen Brother comedy, that he agrees with this theory.

Juror #8 Is A Reformed Criminal Who Coerced The Others Into Changing The Verdict (12 Angry Men)

Sidney Lumet’s 1957 courtroom drama, 12 Angry Men, is hailed as a powerful story of justice prevailing over a broken system, thanks to Juror #8 (Henry Fonda) pointing out flaws in the others’ initial “guilty” verdict, but is that truly the case? According to a theory by Redditor Agile-Confusion-626, Juror #8 actually did believe the poor, young defendant was guilty of murdering his father, but as someone who once fell prey to the criminal lifestyle in his own youth, wanted to give him a chance to redeem himself outside of prison. Thus, he conned the other jurors into changing their minds.

Dom And The Crew Are Super Soldiers (Fast And Furious Movies)

With how implausibly over-the-top the Fast and the Furious movies came to be over time, the best explanation is that Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew were made into super soldiers at some point. According to YeppImNaked on Reddit, not only is that exactly what happened, but the team actually exists in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and they were dosed with the same serum that turned Steve Rogers into Captain America by their true employers, S.H.I.E.L.D.

Ripley Is Genetically Suitable To Host A Queen Xenomorph (Alien Movies)

It seems that no matter what she does, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) cannot escape running into some horrifying situation involving the vicious creature from the Alien movies known as the Xenomorph, and that might actually be by design. As a theory by Redditor clutzyninja suggests, not just any human can be impregnated with a Queen Xenomorph and Ripley can, which is why she is considered a special asset to Weyland-Yutani.

Kevin's Dad Is In The Mob (Home Alone)

In Home Alone, the Wet Bandits consider the McCallister household to be the “Silver Tuna” of the Chicago suburb they target during the holidays, which begs the question, how exactly was Kevin’s (Macaulay Culkin) father, Peter (John Heard), able to afford such a lovely, expensive home with five children and a non-working wife (Catherine O’Hara)? Redditor cubanesis believes he may have mob connections, which would explain why he so quickly comes to the defense with Harry (Joe Pesci), disguised as a cop, asking to speak with him at the beginning.

The Predator Is In Exile (Predator)

On Reddit, Mister_E69 points out that, in 1987’s Predator, the titular extraterrestrial hunter’s technology is severely outdated to that of the Predator we see in 2022’s Prey, which takes place centuries earlier. For that reason, it could be possible that the creature from the original film has been exiled from his planet and forced to use a less reliable cloaking feature, blades of a stunted length, and glitch infrared vision. 

Cobb's Real Totem Is His Wedding Ring (Inception)

The ending of Inception has puzzled fans for years, but the answer to whether or not Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is awake at the conclusion of Christopher Nolan’s trippy masterpiece may lie in what one Redditor belies is his real totem: his wedding ring. We never see the thought-extractor wearing it when he is awake and, since it is not on his finger in the final scene, perhaps we can conclude that the long-awaited reunion with his children is real.

Tree Is Stuck In Purgatory (Happy Death Day)

The concept of time-loops being a form of purgatory serves as the basis for BingeWatcher_Fanatic’s theory that, in Christopher Landon’s Happy Death Day, Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) is actually dead and continuously reliving Monday the 18th as a way to repent for her sins. Even though this contradicts pretty much the entire plot of the sequel, Happy Death Day 2U, it offers an intriguing, deeper meaning to the fun slasher flick.

Jenny Is The Girl From The Tommy Tutone Song (Forrest Gump)

Apparently, Tom Hanks’ titular protagonist is not the only one from Forrest Gump who made an impression on American culture, if we are to believe paulvs88’s theory. The Reddit user speculates that Tommy Tutone’s 1981 one-hit-wonder “867-5309/Jenny” is, indeed, about Robin Wright’s character of the same name.

Ron Used Magic So Hermione Would Fall For Him (Harry Potter Movies)

Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Grainger (Emma Watson) initially seemed like a pretty unlikely match, which makes their romance in the Harry Potter movies so endearing. However, it is not so heartwarming if you believe EmperorDeathBunny’s theory on Reddit suggesting that he used the Imperius Curse — which is basically a manipulation spell — to enchant into falling in love with him.

Luca Is Atlantean (Luca)

The 2021 Pixar film, Luca, stars Jacob Tremblay as the voice of the titular sea monster who gets a taste of life on the surface with another creature of his kind (voiced by Jack Dylan Grazer) by disguising themselves as humans. As a fun way to expand on the lore, Redditor Drecon1984 posited a theory that the sea monsters are actually descendants from the lost city of Atlantis.

Wendy Imagined The Horror At The Overlook (The Shining)

There is an insane amount of conspiracy theories inspired by The Shining, but regarding the ones that actually focus on characters from the 1980 Stephen King adaptation, we like one we found on MovieWeb. It suggests that, instead of Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), it is really his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall), who is losing her mind while staying at The Overlook, where none of the bizarre and tragic things that take place are real, but exist her in imagination.

Movie fans have some wild imaginations, don’t they?

Sometimes things just don't work out. In the movie world, a lot of money is on the line, and that makes some decisions very difficult. On occasion, that means recasting a role for any number of reasons. Sometimes, it's as simple as everyone agreeing that things just aren't working artistically. Sometimes it's worse, like when an actor gets in trouble off-screen. Here is our list of notable times a movie role had to be recast. 

Marty McFly (Back To The Future)

One of the most famous incidents of a role being completely recast comes from the production of Back to the Future. The movie was originally being filmed with Eric Stoltz playing Marty McFly when they decided to pull the plug and reset with Michael J. Fox in the lead role. There is a belief that at least one shot with Stolz remains in the movie, but the other scenes shot with Stoltz had to be reshot when Fox took over the role. 

J. Paul Getty (All The Money In The World)

In one of the most infamous recasting situations in history, All The Money In The World had to do major reshoots for the movie after dismissing Kevin Spacey from the lead role of J. Paul Getty. Spacey was in a lot of trouble that doesn't need rehashing here, and the production brought in Christopher Plummer to fill the role. It affected not only the lead role but the supporting roles around it as well, so it had to be a very hard decision to make. 

Paddington (Paddington)

When Paddington was first announced, Colin Firth was to be the voice of the beloved bear. Unfortunately, things just didn't work and Firth and the production mutually agreed to part ways after principal photography had wrapped. Future James Bond star Ben Whishaw stepped in and re-recorded all of the voice parts for the bear. 

Corporal Dwayne Hicks (Aliens)

It's hard to image anyone but Michael Biehn as Hicks in Aliens, but he was not the first actor in the role. James Remar, of The Warriors and Dexter fame, was originally cast, but he was arrested during production and fired. Biehn stepped in and the rest is history.

The Predator (Predator)

Kevin Peter Hall, who stood 7'2", played the titular Predator in the first two movies of the Predator franchise, but originally, that role belonged to the "Muscles from Brussels" Jean-Claude Van Damme. Van Damme is said to have hated the suit and was unhappy with the role, so he left the production. 

Lenina Huxley (Demolition Man)

Just a few days into production, Lori Petty split from the cast of Demolition Man. Direct Joel Silver chalked it up to creative difference, though Petty has said that she and the film's star, Sylvester Stallone, simply weren't working well together. Petty was replaced with Sandra Bullock and it helped launch her to superstardom. 

Marlin (Finding Nemo)

William H. Macy was Disney's first choice for the role of Marlin in Finding Nemo. The veteran actor had, according to the DVD commentary, reportedly recorded almost all his dialog for the part when the studio decided to go a different direction, artistically and brought in Albert Brooks to take over. 

Marianne Peters (Army Of The Dead)

One of the more dramatic revamps came from Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead. Chris D’Elia was originally cast in the role that would eventually become Marianne Peters in the movie. D’Elia was fired from the production after facing serious accusations from women and Tig Notaro was hired to fill the role, completely changing the gender of the character. 

V (V For Vendetta)

James Purefoy was the first actor hired to play the masked V in V for Vendetta, but he reportedly wasn't happy about wearing the mask during production and left the film, though he has strongly disputed that and has explained that he left the production over creative difference. Hugo Weaving was hired to take over and the rest is history. 

Christof (The Truman Show)

Talk about a "what if", Dennis Hopper was originally in the role of Christof in The Truman Show. It's not exactly a total miscasting, but instead of the calm, calculating villain that Ed Harris played, it was sure to be a more unpredictable character, as Hopper was so good at playing. 

Captain Benjamin Willard (Apocalypse Now)

Apocalypse Now is one of the most notorious film shoots of all time. One part of that was the recasting of the lead role. Martin Sheen is brilliant as Capt. Willard, but Harvey Keitel was originally in the role. Director Francis Ford Coppola apparently wasn't happy with Keitel's performance and dismissed him a few days into filming. 

Captain Queenan (The Departed)

Martin Sheen was not the first actor hired for the role of Queenan in the The Departed. Director Martin Scorsese originally went with Irish actor Gerard McSorley in the role. Soon after filming began, though, the legendary director had a change of heart and laid McSorley off, bringing in Sheen. 

Eli Sunday (There Will Be Blood)

It is simply impossible to imagine anyone other than Paul Dano in the role of Eli Sunday in Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood. His performance is simply breathtaking. He wasn't the original actor to film for the part though, that was an actor named Kel O’Neill. O'Neill was let go after shooting began and Dano replaced him. 

Wolverine (X-Men)

Can you even believe that Hugh Jackman almost wasn't Wolverine in the X-Men franchise? It's unfathomable today, but it's true. The part was originally supposed to be played by Dougray Scott, but an accident on the set of Mission: Impossible 2 left him unavailable for the part and the rest is history. 

Dirty Harry (Dirty Harry)

Clint Eastwood's delivery of the line "do you feel lucky" has become one of the most iconic lines in cinema history, but that line almost went to Frank Sinatra, of all people. Sinatra was, according to Eastwood, the studio's choice for the role, but he turned it down because he reportedly couldn't hold a gun, for some reason. 

Tuffnut Thorston (How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World)

For the first two How To Train Your Dragon movies, T.J. Miller voiced Tuffnut Thorston. In the third, however, the voice role was done by impressionist Justin Rupple. Rupple was brought in to recreate the comedian's voice after Miller was fired off the movie due to a slew of legal accusations against him. 

Sabretooth (X-Men)

This is a case of an actor being replaced between films in a franchise, rather than on set. In the first X-Men film, Tyler Mane played Sabretooth, but he was recast in an artistic decision by Liev Schreiber, because, according to Mane, he was a better fit to play Wolverine's brother. 

Alex Magnussen (Next Goal Wins)

Next Goal Wins, by director Taika Waititi, is a delightful film that had to replace one of its stars for not-so-delightful reasons. The role of soccer executive Alex Magnussen was originally played by Armie Hammer, but due to numerous legal allegations, Waititi replaced Hammer with Will Arnett. 

Rachel Dawes (The Dark Knight Trilogy)

Katie Holmes' performance in Batman Begins was not everyone's favorite, though from what she's said in the past, it sounds like it was her choice not to return to the role. When it came time for the second film in the Dark Knight Trilogy, The Dark Knight, Holmes was replaced by Maggie Gyllenhaal in the role of Rachel Dawes. 

The Tin Man (The Wizard Of Oz)

One of the more famous examples of an actor being replaced in a film was that of the Tin Woodsman in The Wizard Of Oz. Future Beverly Hillbillies star Buddy Ebsen spent weeks on set, covered in the silver makeup for the role and, it turns out, the paint dust made him very sick and it landed him in the hospital. He was replaced by Jack Haley, but can still be heard singing in the movie at times. 

Patrick Bateman (American Psycho)

Christian Bale's performance as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho is perfect. How different would it have been had it been Leonardo DiCaprio? We almost found out. According to the film's writer, Guinevere Turner, DiCaprio backed away from the part after Gloria Steinem convinced him to turn down the violent role.  

Jack (Don't Worry Darling)

The details are murky over what happened with Shia LaBeouf leaving the production of Olivia Wilde's Don't Worry Darling. The director claims he was fired, but LaBeouf says he quit. Ultimately, it doesn't matter why, as the great Harry Styles replaced him. 

Samantha (Her)

Samantha Morton brought her name and her voice to the computer in Spike Jonze's Her, but in post-production, Jonze had a change of heart and recast the voice role, with Scarlett Johansson taking over. 

Shrek (Shrek)

In one of the more tragic recasting situations, the late Chris Farley, who had already recorded much of his part, died during the production of Shrek. Farley was replaced by a fellow SNL alum, Mike Myers, and his portrayal is brilliant. 

Meg Altman (Panic Room)

Director David Fincher's Panic Room originally starred Nicole Kidman as the protagonist Meg Altman alongside the character's daughter played by Kristen Stewart. Only a couple weeks into production, Kidman had to drop out after being injured on the set. She was replaced by the great Jodie Foster.

Zee (The Matrix Reloaded)

Zee in The Matrix Reloaded was originally played by Aaliyah, but tragically, the singer died in a plane crash before production was completed. Another singer Nona Gaye, stepped into the role and most of the part had to be re-shot. 

Victoria (Twilight)

In the first Twilight movie, Victoria was played by actress Rachelle Lefevre, but just as filming began for the second film in the series, according to Lefevre, she was unceremoniously dropped from the role. Production had even picked up her option for the role before production started. Bryce Dallas Howard replaced Lefevre in the role of Victoria. 

Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter Series)

Sometimes casting decisions aren't controlled by anything except fate. Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series is a sad example of that. The great Richard Harris played the role of the schoolmaster in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets, and intended to continue playing the part, but fate stepped in and Harris died before production began on the third film. The equally great Michael Gabon took over for the remainder of the series. 

Tony Shepard (The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus)

Heath Ledger died during the production of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, but he wasn't really replaced, per se. Instead, director Terry Gilliam hired three friends of the late actor to fill in as Tony in a kind of magical way within the confines of the story, having to rewrite it somewhat. Jude Law, Colin Farrell, and Johnny Depp stepped up to help complete the film and play the role of Tony. 

Jack Salmon (The Lovely Bones)

In a sentence that is hard to believe, Ryan Gosling was fired from The Lovely Bones because of his looks. According to Gosling, director Peter Jackson was unhappy that the actor had gained 60 pounds specifically for the role. Miscommunication in pre-production left both actor and director not knowing what the other had planned, so just as the film was supposed to start filming, Gosling was dropped and Mark Wahlberg stepped in. 

Chico Tyrell (The Lords Of Flatbush)

Sylvester Stallone and Richard Gere have one of the most infamous feuds in Hollywood history and it dates back to 1974 and the film The Lords Of Flatbush. According to Stallone, the feud began when they were working together on the film and Stallone asked Gere not to eat some chicken near him. Gere ignored Stallone, got some grease on the Rocky star's pants, and shortly after was fired from the film. Gere was replaced by Perry King.

Aragorn (Lord Of The Rings Series)

Actor Stuart Townsend pulls no punches when he talked about being fired from the set of the Lord Of The Rings movies to EW (via Irish Independent). Right before principal photography was to begin after he'd spent months preparing for the role, he was fired by the production and, according to him, wasn't paid for his work. He was replaced by Viggo Mortensen in the role of Aragorn. 

It's not easy to replace an actor at the last minute, or even well into the game, but sometimes it needs to be done. There are a lot of reasons why movies replace actors in roles, but in most cases, it seems to be for the best. 

Just as we could easily count numerous movies that performed modestly (or even poorly) at the box office among some of the best movies of the 2000s, not all of the movies that scored the biggest box office hauls during the 2000s were a hit with the critics. And that's exactly what we're here to explore. Up ahead, you'll find some of the biggest box office winners of the first decade of the century, as well as whether or not the critics liked them. 

For the box office totals, we're focusing on the worldwide box office total for films released between 2000 and 2009 (based on Box Office Mojo's numbers), and the review scores included for each film, as listed by Rotten Tomatoes. Here are 30+ box office winners from the 2000s (in no particular order).

Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End (2007)

Following up on the first two Pirates of the Caribbean films, At World’s End was one of the biggest box office winners of the 2000s, grossing more than $960 million worldwide. Alas, the critics weren’t so fond of it. While the audience score on Rotten Tomatoes has managed to squeak past 70%, the review score for the film is a rotten 44%. 

Avatar (2009)

It should come as no surprise that Avatar was among the top grossing films of the 2000s. As the decade drew to a close, James Cameron’s sci-fi epic starring Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington arrived and has amassed a global box office close to $3 billion (BoM has its worldwide box office at just over $2.9 billion). And in this case, the critics seemed to be mostly on board with the film, with a Rotten Tomatoes review score of 81%. 

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

As popular as the Harry Potter books were in 2001, the Wizarding World fandom was really only just starting to build steam when Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (aka Philosopher’s Stone) arrived in theaters. The first movie in the 8-film franchise would go on to surpass a billion dollars at the worldwide box office. Critics were, for the most part, happy with the adaptation as well, as the movie holds an 81% review score at Rotten Tomatoes. 

The Dark Knight (2008)

Why so serious? Perhaps it’s because the worldwide box office total for The Dark Knight is no joke. The second movie in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy has surpassed a billion dollars at the worldwide box office. This one was undoubtedly a hit with critics as well, as The Dark Knight earned itself a 94% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince (2009)

Harry Potter fans were still showing up for the film adaptations as the 2000s drew to a close, as evidenced by the sixth movie in the franchise, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,  which brought in just over $934 million at the worldwide box office. As for whether or not the critics liked it, with a review score on Rotten Tomatoes of 84%, it’s safe to say that most of them did. 

Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

Following up on the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, Gore Verbinksi’s sequel, Dead Man’s Chest, brought Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow back for another adventure with Orlando Bloom’s Will Turner and Keira Knightley’s Elizabeth Swann. The payoff for the film was a worldwide box office total that surpassed a billion dollars. Critics weren’t quite so into it, however, as the RT review score has it at a rotten 52%. 

The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

Those who were among the movie-going public in the early ‘00s surely remember what a huge deal it was when a new installment of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy arrived in theaters. So it should come as no surprise that the second film, The Two Towers, earned over $948 million at the worldwide box office. And the majority of critics gave it a thumbs up, as Rotten Tomatoes has the review score set at a fresh 95%. 

Shrek 2 (2004)

In 2004, Shrek returned and the audience showed up for it. The Mike Myers animated sequel from Dreamworks earned over $928 million at the global box office. 2004’s Shrek 2 was also popular among critics, as it holds a Rotten Tomato review rating of 89%.

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen (2009)

While Michael Bay’s 2009 Transformers sequel, Revenge of the Fallen scored big at the box office, earning more than $836 million worldwide, the film wasn’t nearly as successful at winning over the critics. Rotten Tomatoes has the review score for the Shia LaBeouf movie at 20%. If it’s any consolation, movie-goers are a bit more fond of it than critics were, as the audience score is 57%.

Spider-Man (2002)

The early 2000s were a fun time for superhero fans, thanks in large part to Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man swinging into theaters and introducing us to a live-action Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire). Fans were there to watch the webslinger’s origin story, as the 2002 movie brought in over $825 million at theaters around the world. And critics were clearly on board as well, as the movie has a RT review score of 90%!

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (2005)

Mike Newell’s adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire arrived in theaters in 2005, and fans of the boy who lived headed to theaters to see Harry face the Triwizard Tournament during his fourth year at Hogwarts. This Wizarding World movie brought in just under $900 million worldwide, and earned mostly positive reviews, with a respectable 88% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes.

2012 (2009)

The 2009 movie 2012 saw John Cusack’s character racing around the world in various vehicles averting a myriad of catastrophes while trying to secure safety for himself and his family during a world-ending event. 2012 is among the highest box office winners of the 2000s, thanks in large part to the international box office, which according to Box Office Mojo, accounts for 79% of its box office total. The Rolland Emmerich disaster film earned a total of more than $791 million worldwide. Alas, the review score on Rotten Tomatoes is rotten at 39%. 

Spider-Man 3 (2007)

While most probably wouldn’t call Spider-Man 3 the best Spider-Man movie of the Sam Raimi films, fans of Peter Parker did show up to see Tobey Maguire’s return to the franchise in 2007. Spider-Man 3 earned over $894 million at the worldwide box office. Based on its 63% fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, it seems critics weren’t entirely in agreement about whether or not this one worked. 

Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs (2009)

The Ice Age movies were still going strong at the box office by the end of the 2000s. The third movie – Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs – arrived in theaters in 2009 and earned a worldwide box office total of $886 million. Based on the Rotten Tomatoes review score for the movie, however, critics weren’t all in love with this one, as it’s set at a rotten 46%. 

The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001)

The first film in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy made a splash among fans and at the box office, with a worldwide gross of just under $900 million. It also started things off well in the reviews, as the 2001 movie holds a fresh 91% review score at Rotten Tomatoes. 

Shrek The Third (2007)

While the third movie in the Shrek franchise can celebrate having brought in just over $813 million at the worldwide box office, critics weren’t quite as enthusiastic about it in the reviews. The 2007 Dreamworks movie holds a rotten review score of 42% at Rotten Tomatoes (and the audience score isn’t much higher). 

Finding Nemo (2003)

Pixar’s Finding Nemo undoubtedly had cause to celebrate when it arrived in theaters in 2003. For one thing, the beloved movie earned over $941 million at the worldwide box office. What’s more, Finding Nemo was reviewed positively by almost all of the critics who rated it, at least based on its Rotten Tomatoes score, which is sitting at 99% fresh. 

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith (2005)

The third film among the Star Wars prequels arrived in theaters in 2005, and fans were there to see how Anakin Skywalker’s story left off. Revenge of the Sith took in more than $868 million at the worldwide box office. Its score on Rotten Tomatoes among reviewers is mostly positive, with a fresh rating of 79%. 

Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets (2002)

In 2002, Harry Potter returned to Hogwarts for his second year, and fans of the Wizarding World showed up to watch. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets brought in over $926 million at the worldwide box office. Meanwhile the majority of critics were in agreement about the Chris Columbus movie working, as its Rotten Tomatoes score is a fresh 82%. 

The Da Vinci Code (2006)

Given the popularity of Dan Brown’s novel, The Da Vinci Code, at the time, it’s no surprise that Ron Howard’s adaptation starring Tom Hanks would be among the decade’s box office winners. The 2006 movie earned more than $760 million worldwide. However, critics weren’t feeling especially positive about it, as it holds a rotten score of 25% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Transformers (2007)

Michael Bay wowed audiences in 2007 when he brought the Transformers to the big screen with a live-action film. The Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox franchise-starter earned over $709 million worldwide. The critical reaction was a bit mixed on the film, however, as it holds a rotten score of 57% on Rotten Tomatoes. (The audience score is much higher, at 85%). 

Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004)

In 2004, the third Harry Potter movie arrived in theaters, and unsurprisingly won big at the box office, bringing in more than $807 million worldwide. While many – myself included – consider Alfonso Cuarón’s film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, to be the best of the Harry Potter adaptations, the critics were also mostly in agreement that the movie worked, as it holds a Rotten Tomatoes score of 90%. 

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)

The tail end of the 2000s saw the rise of the Twilight movies, and while the first film in the vampire franchise performed well it didn’t earn enough worldwide to warrant a spot on this list. The feature adaptation of New Moon, however, earned more than $711 million worldwide at the box office. While that’s a big win for the Twilight Saga, the review score, however, is a rotten 29% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (2008)

In 2008, Harrison Ford returned to the role of Indiana Jones for Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Fans were eager to see the Steven Spielberg movie, and it showed in the worldwide box office, with a total of $790 million. Critics were also mostly positive on this one, with a Rotten Tomatoes review score of 77%. The audience score isn’t quite so high. 

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix (2007)

The fifth film in the Harry Potter franchise continued the trend of box office success, earning over $939 million worldwide. And while Order of the Phoenix doesn’t hold one of the highest review scores among the Harry Potter movies on Rotten Tomatoes – the top honor there goes to 2011’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 at 96% – the fifth movie did fairly well among critics, with a 78% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. 

The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

Keanu Reeves returned to the role of Neo in The Matrix Reloaded, the Wachowski’s sequel to the popular 1999 sci-fi action film, The Matrix. The action-packed followup brought in over $741 million at the worldwide box office, and earned a fresh review score of 74%. 

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack Of The Clones (2002)

In 2002, the second of the three Star Wars prequels arrived in theaters, earning more than $653 million at the worldwide box office. While critics weren’t in total agreement about Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones, the movie does hold a 65% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Spider-Man 2 (2004)

It should come as no surprise to see Spider-Man 2 on this list. The second of the Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies was a hit at the worldwide box office, bringing in more than $788 million. And the critics were mostly in agreement about the movie wording, as it holds a 93% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe (2005)

Andrew Adamson’s 2005 adaptation of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe was one of the big releases in 2005. The Chronicles of Narnia took in over $745 million at the worldwide box office. The critics, for the most part, appreciated the fantasy movie, as it has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 75%. 

Hancock (2008)

Will Smith took the lead in Peter Berg’s 2008 superhero drama Hancock, which brought in just over $629 million at the box office. Though the movie had potential, critics were mixed on whether or not it worked, which resulted in its rotten score of 42% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Up (2009)

Toward the end of the decade, Pixar had us all in tears in those first few minutes of Up. The animated film earned more than $735 million at the worldwide box office when all was said and done. And critics were into it as well, as the movie holds an impressive 98% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Ratatouille (2007)

In 2007, Pixar’s Ratatouille arrived in theaters and charmed audiences with its story of a rat with a gift for the culinary arts and the aspiring chef he befriends. Not only did the film win big with a worldwide box office total that surpassed $623 million, it also satisfied the taste buds of most critics, as it holds a 96% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. 

As we said, not all box office winners are a hit with the critics, but these movies certainly left an impression, for better or worse. And by the numbers, there's no denying that people showed up at the theaters in the U.S. and across the world to see them.

Here’s something wild to think about – those of us who were kids (or young teenagers) in the 2000s are now full-fledged adults with children, mortgages, and existential dread of our own. So, you may be wondering if all those ‘00s family movies many of us grew up watching are still any good after all this time or if we are just looking back on the past through rose-tinted glasses.

Upon looking over our recent lists about the best movies of the 2000s and kids films the whole family will love, something rather peculiar happened and I started to think about those family-friendly classics and how many of them stand up all these years later. That being said, here are 12 family movies from the ‘00s that are still fantastic…

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Though the franchise it kicked off would get darker with each subsequent release, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was a light-hearted, albeit slightly scary at times, introduction to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and its various staff and students, like the titular hero (Daniel Radcliffe). Chris Columbus’ fantasy adventure remains a delightful and magical experience more than 20 years after it started the Harry Potter film franchise.

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Holes (2003)

Featuring one of the best battles between kids and grown-ups, Andrew Davis’ 2003 adaptation of Louis Sachar’s Holes is just as much of a treat in 2023 as it was 20 years ago. The down-on-his-luck Stanley Yelnats IV (Shia LaBeouf) leading his fellow Camp Green Lake juvenile delinquents against the fearsome and cunning warden (Sigourney Weaver) is a journey that never gets old. Like the book, this movie still resonates.

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Cheaper By The Dozen (2003)

Another great movie based on a book, Shawn Levy’s Cheaper by the Dozen is also a movie the whole family can enjoy for one reason or another. In addition to featuring one of the funniest Steve Martin performances as college football coach Tom Baker, this 2003 comedy also stars the likes of Bonnie Hunt, Hilary Duff, Tom Welling, and nearly a dozen others. It’s relatable, hilarious, and has a charm that still holds up.

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The Incredibles (2004) 

It’s hard to believe, but The Incredibles, one of the best Pixar movies, is almost 20 years old. This exciting, and surprisingly heartwarming, animated adventure about a family of superheroes who team up to take on a dastardly villain is just as much fun today as it was in 2004. 

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Night At The Museum (2006) 

Another Shawn Levy movie on this list, 2006’s Night at the Museum is always going to be a hit with my kids, and it’s also something my wife and I will watch over and over again. The way Ben Stiller’s Larry Daley interacts with the various Museum of Natural History exhibits as they come alive at night never gets old, especially when it comes to Robin Williams’ lights-out portrayal of Teddy Roosevelt.

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Finding Nemo (2003)

You already knew the most popular movie of 2003 would be on this list, but you shouldn’t need a reminder to go back and watch the incredible Finding Nemo again. Seriously, this movie, with all its emotion, heightened drama, and masterful action is just as impactful 20 years later with its wonderful story about a clownfish going to great lengths to find his missing son. And, yeah, it’s still going to make you cry your eyes out.

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Zathura (2005) 

Before Jon Favreau kicked off the MCU and brought new life to the Star Wars universe, he gave the world a daring sci-fi film in 2005’s Zathura: A Space Adventure. A spinoff of the Jumanji franchise (both were based on the works of Chris Van Allsburg), this light-hearted movie about two brothers transported to outer space after starting a board game is full of danger, mystery, and some great lessons.

Rent/buy Zathura on Amazon.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

One of the best Wes Anderson movies, Fantastic Mr. Fox is an enchanting and unique adaptation of Roald Dahl’s children’s book of the same name, one that is just as fun to watch nearly a decade-and-a-half after its release. With a story about a crafty fox (George Clooney) coming out of retirement to pull off one last heist, mesmerising stop-motion animation, and a voice cast featuring many of Andreson’s go-to actors, this holds up really well.

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Spirited Away (2001)

When it comes to Studio Ghibli movies, you can’t go wrong with 2001’s Spirited Away. Written, directed, and animated by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, this fantastical journey about a young girl trying to free her parents (who have been turned into pigs) and herself from a spirit world is a unique experience that only gets better with time.

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Shrek (2001)

Before meta humor took over the world of animation, Shrek was one of the first major animated movies to go all out with the practice. The movie about an anti-social ogre (Mike Myers) becoming a hero alongside a donkey (Eddie Murphy) by saving a princess (Cameron Diaz) would be great on its own, but the addition of a “take no prisoners” comedic style with all its multi-layered jokes make this a classic funny family-friendly movie.

Stream Shrek on Peacock.
Rent/buy Shrek on Amazon.

August Rush (2007)

Released in 2007, August Rush is a movie about a young orphan named Evan Taylor (Freddie Highmore) who discovers that he’s a child prodigy on the guitar. The blending of coming-of-age elements with those of the uplifting family drama genre works in concert to create an emotional and inspirational story about redemption and new beginnings. 

Rent/buy August Rush on Amazon.

Elf (2003)

An all-time great Christmas movie, Jon Favreau’s 2003 holiday comedy, Elf, is a romp of a good time for all kinds of reasons. One of the funniest Will Ferrell characters, Buddy the Elf is so wholesome and lovable despite being supercharged on sugar and naivety. It has laughs, tender moments, and wonderful callbacks to classic holiday specials working together to make this a staple of movie marathons each December. 

Buy Elf on DVD on Amazon.

Each of these movies is still great in their own way, and are all worthy of a revisit, either for the first time in a couple of months or after years and years. They’ll make you laugh, they’ll have you crying, and most of all, they’ll help you remember why you fell in love with them back in the 2000s.

There’s no single CinemaBlend opinion on anything. Through countless arguments over the years, I’ve learned we’re not even on the same page about how to define the word best, from our choices for the top 100 '90s movies to our picks for the best horror movies of all time. What makes a movie the best is impossible to nail down from one person to the next, though it's perhaps easier to consider when thinking about a decade of movies that came and went and can't be added to anymore. But for the most part, it's all about what you like.

It’s because of those clashing perspectives that this Best Movies Of The 2000s list is unlike any list that a single person from our team could have crafted, taking into account both Oscar-worthiness and popcorn-friendliness. The list accounts for movies that have aired 5,000 times on cable, and movies that have been shared lovingly from generation to generation. It’s a retro-hodgepodge of what we loved then and then, from Adam Sandler's raunch to Daniel Day Lewis' aplomb.

This list is CinemaBlend’s collective celebration of the 2000s, in all its neon-hued glory, and we hope everyone will find plenty to love, though a few disagreements and good-natured debate never hurt anyone. Let the arguments begin…

100. Avatar (2009)

While it's the last on this list, there's no denying Avatar's impact on the film industry back in 2009. The movie is a sci-fi masterpiece that features incredible visuals, mainly following the tale of Jake Sully, a human who finds love and acceptance within the world of the Na'vi, the native people of Pandora.

The film takes the audience on a wild ride for two and a half hours. While the story of saving a planet from foreign invaders could be more groundbreaking, the unique visual effects that fans get to see are. And now, with a successful sequel out more than ten years later, it's the perfect chance to revisit the original.

99. Erin Brockovich (2000)

Julia Roberts had established herself as one of the most beloved actors in the world in the 1990s, and as calendars flipped over to the year 2000, she didn’t waste any time starring in yet another critically acclaimed box office hit. Hitting theaters in March 2000, Erin Brockovich tells the story of the titular lawyer who started a landmark case against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company for groundwater contamination, and it’s a stellar work that further cemented the clear talents of director Steven Soderbergh. It’s thrilling and dramatic, but also funny and fun – in large part due to Roberts’ charm and charisma.

98. The Hangover (2009)

The Hangover is part travelogue and part comedic shitshow. It races its characters through what feels like an entire TV season’s worth of odd locations and ridiculous scenarios, somehow finding time for hospital visits, naked gangsters, weddings, Blackjack heaters, stolen tigers, missing babies and stun gun demonstrations. It sounds like way too much plot for an hour and forty minute movie, but the key to a good comedy isn’t the situations the characters find themselves in, it’s the rapport and natural chemistry between the actors/characters going through those situations. And Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms are fantastic together. Their clashing vibes, energy levels and comedic sensibilities somehow blend into a perfect cocktail, and with Oscar-nominated director Todd Phillips stirring the drink, The Hangover is able to turn its B-movie premise into one of the funniest comedies of the 2000s.

97. Cloverfield (2008)

The first decade of the Aughts saw one word playing into many of its most cherished cinematic successes: reinvention. For director Matt Reeves’ Cloverfield, two different types of genre favorites were mashed together to create a wildly new, very mysterious product: monster movies like Godzilla and found footage pictures such as The Blair Witch Project. 

Amping up the scale of what a handheld camera could cover, Cloverfield’s ingenious marketing campaign kept audiences guessing about what its true intentions were. In the wake of a mysterious/title-free teaser, it was anyone’s guess what writer Drew Goddard’s movie was about. To live up to the hype after stoking such anticipation for an unknown quantity only cemented Cloverfield as a certified success. In a market where it felt like the trailers gave everything away, a major studio movie broke with the norm, all in the name of a monstrous triumph. 

96. National Treasure (2004)

The race to steal the Declaration of Independence was on in 2004 as Nicolas Cage and his team of treasure hunters went on a high stakes mission to find the greatest treasure. This story sweeps across American history, and is held together by Cage’s protagonist and his drive to find this great prize, and protect the Declaration of Independence by stealing it, of course.

This Disney staple is a family classic, and an action adventure bound to entertain just about anyone. It was such a success that a sequel soon followed, and maybe, someday, National Treasure 3 will happen. However, let us not forget the majesty that is the original National Treasure. 

95. The Notebook (2004)

There’s a reason that when one thinks of the genre “romance” The Notebook instantly comes to mind. The 2004 Nicholas Sparks adaptation is nothing short of a timeless classic that gracefully dances between being a forbidden and second-chance love story. It’s the movie that made Ryan Gosling a Hollywood hunk matched by a passionate yet grounding performance by Rachel McAdams. Together they are a firecracker of chemistry who left a generation longing to kiss in the rain. Cliché and mushy as The Notebook can be, when the music swells on the final scene, it never ceases to remind us why it’s one of the most endearing and cathartic love affairs we’ve ever seen. 

94. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

Though it's been nearly two decades since its release, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy still stands as one of Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s greatest collaborations. The 70s-set movie marked McKay’s directorial debut and, with it, he masterfully injects humor and social commentary into a satirical workplace comedy set within the world of broadcast news. His screenplay is funny and occasionally, downright hilarious, but the cast truly makes the movie shine. Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Steve Carrell and more are just flawless. And of course, it’s Ferrell’s portrayal of the titular character that really puts it over the top.

93. Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Anyone angling for a great sports drama that not only delivers sheer emotion but also captures the spirit of the pastime it’s tackling should check out Million Dollar Baby. Director Clint Eastwood’s Best Picture-winning film tells the story of an aspiring boxer (played by Hilary Swank), who teams up with a veteran trainer (Eastwood) in the hopes of achieving in-ring glory. The result is an emotionally affecting – and sometimes brutal – story about resilience and parental bonds. This boxing flick won Swank, Eastwood and co-star Morgan Freeman all Oscars and, when you see the movie, you’ll understand why.

92. Saw (2004)

2004's Saw revitalized the horror genre years ago, thanks to James Wan and Leigh Whannell, with its shocking twists and equally astonishing violence. But while the movie did include some truly grotesque “games” for Jigsaw’s victims, this was more than the mere “torture porn” that plagued the aughts. There was intention behind Jigsaw’s pain — making people think about the lives they’d led before forcing them to, “Live or die, make your choice.” 

The audience was along for the ride, trying to figure out why Adam (Whannell) and Dr. Gordon (Cary Elwes) were chained up in a bathroom and how they could escape before it was too late. Thanks to some brilliant misdirection, the ensuing plot twist was truly gasp-inducing. These days you might not be able to get away with that ending, but don’t say you saw it coming back in 2004.

91. Super Troopers (2001)

Super Troopers From a plotting and acting perspective, Super Troopers isn’t exactly The Departed. Its basic premise, and even many of its specific scenes, are just nimbly bimbly excuses for the cast to make raunchy jokes about the natural absurdities of being a cop. That works, though, because the movie understands what we want as an audience: non-stop jokes and shenanigans about liters of cola, littering and smokin’ the reefer. From cat game to syrup fights to biker confusion, Super Troopers has its own vibe and unique sense of humor. It’s just out there, doing its own thing, and that’s why, more than two decades later, fans are still pulling over to watch it… even if they’re already pulled over and they can’t pull over any further.

90. War of the Worlds (2005)

Steven Spielberg wouldn’t be the first to adapt H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds novel for the screen, nor would he be the last. But his modern-day take on the 19th Century sci-fi novel certainly made an impression. From the main characters — led by Tom Cruise as Ray Ferrier, father to Rachel (Dakota Fanning) and Robbie (Justin Chatwin) — to the various settings, to the unnerving sight (and sound) of the tripods emerging from below the ground to decimate or capture any humans in their path, War of the Worlds made its mark as an epic sci-fi action movie about survival and the choices a struggling parent has to make to protect his children from a worst-case-scenario. In true Spielberg fashion, the movie is thrilling and occasionally chilling, but also offers that added layer of a family element to keep us invested from beginning to end. 

89. Sin City (2005)

Most comic book adaptations aim to reimagine the characters and events of the source material in a way that more closely resembles reality. However, when director Robert Rodriguez teamed up with famed author and illustrator Frank Miller (acting as co-director) to bring his graphic novel series, Sin City, to the big screen, they did more than just adapt it. They brought it to life.

This anthology-style collection of three interconnected stories — all of which take place in the same hopelessly down-trodden, crime-ridden metropolis — is a masterclass in noirish storytelling (the razor sharp dialogue is straight out of a Raymond Chandler classic), astonishingly unique visual design (every beautifully grayscale frame resembles a comic book panel), and flawless acting from the entire Sin City cast, including Bruce Willis, Rosario Dawson, Mickey Rourke, and so many more amazing A-listers. When it comes to non-superhero-related comic book movies, this might be the best of them all.

88. Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

Anticipation for the feature adaptation of Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’s Diary — itself a reinterpretation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice — was high, to say the least, for those of us who adored the book, when it finally made its way into theaters in 2001. Renee Zellweger’s mix of charm, determination for romance and occasional awkwardness alone are reason enough to love the adaptation. Then factor in the excellent chemistry she shares with both love interests — Hugh Grant as Daniel Cleaver and Colin Firth as Mark Darcy — not to mention the fantastic supporting cast, well-timed bits of hilarity and genuinely heartfelt moments of romance and what’s not to love about Bridget Jones’s Diary? 

87. Taken (2008)

Taken isn’t the most emotionally complicated or the most realistic movie, but it has a really good sense of its own strengths and leverages that particular set of skills perfectly. Liam Neeson might not be the prototypical action star, but he’s an Oscar-nominated actor uniquely good at portraying single-mindedness and determination. Taken is able to harness the badass fatherly intensity of a desperate man searching for his daughter and pair it with ruthless action sequences that rely more on craftiness than brute strength. The result is one of the best and most rewatchable action movies of the 2000s, a tight 90 minutes that’s so much fun it produced two sequels, a TV series and an unexpected late career resurgence for Neeson.  

86. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Before Will Smith earned his third Oscar nomination for King Richard, and after his nomination for Ali, he received his second Academy Award nod for The Pursuit of Happyness. Based on the real story of Chris Gardner, the movie follows Gardner's struggle to find a job to provide for his son during a year when they are homeless. 

The movie is inspiring for anyone, featuring an uplifting and memorable story. That, paired with an incredible performance from Will Smith and his son, Jaden Smith – who made his acting debut in the film – makes this the perfect movie to watch on any given day. 

85. The Bourne Identity (2002)

Before Daniel Craig came along and ushered in a new era for the James Bond movie franchise a few years later, Doug Liman’s The Bourne Identity welcomed audiences to the 21st century with this fresh, unique, and action-packed spy thriller. Matt Damon, who had already shown a great deal of depth in movies like Good Will Hunting and The Talented Mr. Ripley a few years earlier, became a bonafide action star with his portrayal of Jason Bourne, a trained killer with no recollection of his dark past.

There are few early 2000s action sequences as memorable as the movie’s iconic car chase through the streets of Paris. Audiences, used to seeing spies and assassins whipping around in souped-up sports cars were in for the ride of their lives with Bourne behind the wheel of a weathered Mini Cooper.

84. Love Actually (2003)

Love Actually has become annual holiday viewing for many since its premiere in 2004. Renowned rom-com filmmaker Richard Curtis struck gold with an A-list cast, as ten loosely connected plotlines each portray a different kind of love. Everybody’s sure to have their favorite stories within the movie, but they all strike an emotional chord, albeit in different ways. 

As these characters navigate the holidays, Love Actually tackles themes of grief, infidelity, unrequited love, workplace romance and more, while never losing its charm and eliciting tons of laughs. Throw in infinitely quotable dialogue (“Let’s get the shit kicked out of us by love!”), an infuriatingly hilarious cameo by Rowan Atkinson, and one absolutely iconic dance from Hugh Grant, and you’ve got yourself a classic.

83. (500) Days of Summer (2009)

In a decade greatly defined by bubblegum romantic comedies where audiences can take comfort in the same three act structure often ending in wedding bells, (500) Days Of Summer flipped the genre on its head. Romance and love can be a tricky, complicated thing that not only may be finite, but clouded by one’s fantasies, projections of potential and manic pixie dream girls. Marc Webb’s indie rom-com announces up front that it is “not a love story” and cleverly plays with structure as Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Tom falls for Zooey Deschanel’s Summer. Between its stunningly memorable soundtrack, creative use of mixed media against its gorgeous L.A. backdrop, (500) Days Of Summer is a dark horse of a romantic comedy that tackles the expectations vs. reality of love with a sharp wit. 

82. Knocked Up (2007)

Most romantic comedies try a lot harder at one of those two things. They’re either romantic movies with a few solid laughs sprinkled in or they’re clearly comedies that shoehorn a romance in there as an afterthought. Knocked Up works so well because it tries really hard at both. It succeeds a little more as a comedy, given it has Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Jason Segel, Martin Starr, Craig Robinson, Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd, but it also takes a lot of time and care with its love story and has many thoughtful things to say about relationships and parenting. It never takes the easy way out or betrays itself for a cheap, inauthentic laugh, which lets the natural chemistry between Rogen and co-lead Katherine Heigl grow into a budding relationship you actually root for. 

81. Dawn Of The Dead (2004)

As proven decades ago by George A. Romero, slow zombies are quite scary – but in 2004, director Zack Snyder and screenwriter James Gunn teamed up to show us just how freaky fast zombies can be. Dawn Of The Dead is a movie that stays true to its source material, gathering a bunch of strangers in a shopping mall as the dead come back to life, but it has its own energy and no shortage of standout moments. The beginning is a terror, the ending is deeply unsettling (including the material in the end credits), but the baby is where this one hits its peak.

80. Remember the Titans (2000)

Remember the Titans will make you laugh, cry, cheer and feel a whole range of emotions as you go on a journey with newly integrated T.C. Williams football team to win the state championship. This incredible movie about bringing a football team together is led by Denzel Washington, and it’s not only regarded as one of his best movies, but it’s also widely known as one of the greatest sports films. 

Washington and Will Patton lead the stacked cast of Remember the Titans, which includes Wood Harris and Ryan Hurst as the team’s leaders. Along with them, the movie also features Donald Faison, Craig Kirkwood and Ethan Suplee as well as a very young Ryan Gosling and 10-year-old Hayden Panettiere, among many others. Overall, it’s an inspiring and moving movie about acceptance and determination. Let’s just say Remember the Titans always has us saying “We want some more!” 

79. Juno (2007)

While Elliot Page was an actor at a young age, Juno was the movie that made him into a household name. And for good measure, as Jason Reitman’s quirky 2007 flick delivers in both comedy and heartfelt, human moments. Page earned an Academy Award nomination at the time for his performance, which surely feels justified. 

2007's Juno centers around its title character, a teenage girl who accidentally gets pregnant. She decides to carry the baby to term, arranging an adoption with a married couple (played by Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman). After being filled with plenty of funny moments (and a killer soundtrack) the ending provides an emotional catharsis that puts Juno above many movies around its time.

78. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

It’s no wonder that Disney has been trying for 20 years to recapture the lightning in a bottle that was Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Inspired by a theme park attraction, but blazing its own trail, Pirates created one of modern cinema’s most iconic characters in Captain Jack Sparrow. But the rest of the cast, including Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, and a scene-stealing Geoffrey Rush, is no less compelling. From sword fights to ship battles, Black Pearl’s action is near perfect, with the Johnny Depp vs. Orlando Bloom duel a textbook example of how to tell a story with an action scene. It set a bar so high that even its own sequels were never going to clear it.

77. Ray (2004)

Cinema lovers have been graced with plenty of great biopics over the decades, and Ray certainly stands as one of the best. Directed by Taylor Hackford, the movie chronicles the life and career of the great Ray Charles. James L. White’s screenplay effectively tells Charles’ story, chronicling his professional and personal highs and lows in the process. And of course, the production is (appropriately) infused with incredible music. There are plenty of great performances on display, but it’s Jamie Foxx’s uncanny – and Oscar-winning – turn as the titular musician that really makes this period drama worth a watch or two.

76. Unbreakable (2000)

M. Night Shyamalan had an unenviable task in 2000 – following up his overnight sensation, The Sixth Sense. Was that movie a flash in the pan? Or would Shyamalan live up to the billing he was receiving in the press as, “The next Spielberg?” Remarkably, Shyamalan came up with a deeper, more meaningful film that also started the bandwagon for superhero-movie fascination, only with a meditative origin story for a strong man (Bruce Willis) who doesn’t recognize his invulnerability. Pulp Fiction co-star Samuel L. Jackson tapped into his fiendish side to play Willis’s nemesis, a man plagued with brittle bones who assumed that his opposite had to exist in the world. But it was Night’s ability to generate an intense mood that boosted Unbreakable. We rode a wave of increasingly suspenseful tension until the moment Willis donned his raincoat and embraced his destiny. Unbreakable started a trilogy, but also guaranteed that Shyamalan was here to stay as one of our most original and effective storytellers. 

75. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

Forgetting Sarah Marshall occasionally gets overlooked as being just another rom-com from the aughts – specifically the rom-com featuring the oddball pairing of Mila Kunis and Jason Segel, but I can’t imagine that anyone who’s lumping this movie into just another group of rom-coms has seen it recently because it is profoundly and consistently weird. 

Segel’s TV composer main character dreams of creating a Dracula musical featuring puppets called A Taste For Love. He also wants to get over his titular ex-girlfriend - hilariously played by Kristen Bell, who somehow ends up in the hotel room next to him having loud sex with her new rock star boyfriend. That messy journey of acceptance and moving on, amidst all its weirdness or maybe because of all its weirdness, never feels like a cliche. It’s consistently funny and has so many thoughtful things to say about relationships, break-ups and finding yourself. Don’t write it off.

74. School of Rock (2003)

Jack Black was many things in 2003, though many wouldn’t have considered his comedic stylings family-friendly until School Of Rock. Black’s musical abilities from his band Tenacious D paired with the wholesome story of teaching some kids how to rock, was fun for everyone and really skyrocketed him further into the mainstream and into more roles for younger audiences like Kung Fu Panda and Nacho Libre. Sure, he’d still do raunchier stuff like Tropic Thunder, but this movie was imperative to show the range he had as an actor. 

Let’s also not forget this movie boasted other celebrities who are notable talents in 2023, like Miranda Cosgrove and The White Lotus showrunner Mike White. Oh, and the music is still as great as it was then, even decades later. There’s a strong message here about the importance of teaching children about music and helping them follow their passion, and it’s that message that will keep this movie relevant for decades to come. 

73. Up (2009)

Pixar Animation Studios, a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, has always been known for its films that have reached a broad audience, starting with their debut full-feature film, Toy Story. However, in 2009, the studio released Up, the first Pixar film to receive a nomination for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Up is mainly about Carl, an older man living a lonely life, and to fulfill his promise to his late wife, he travels across the world in a floating house to South America – with the help of a local wilderness explorer who tags along for the ride. 

A lot can be said about Up, from its stunning animation to the beautiful soundtrack, but nothing beats the story. It's a tale of a found family and of finding love and compassion in places you would never expect. And you must always remember – the wilderness must be explored!

72. District 9 (2009)

Coming in at 72 on the list might just be an indicator of how underrated District 9 is, considering it’s one of the best science fiction movies of the 2000s. Neill Blomkamp’s feature walks the line between messaging about the various mistreatment marginalized groups are subjected to, to how humanity would respond if aliens were really discovered to be on Earth. Given recent reports at government hearings, it isn’t all that unbelievable that it wouldn’t take long for humanity to get back to normal after finding a bunch of alien refugees on Earth. 

Perhaps the best compliment to pay District 9 is that it’s a phenomenal standalone sci-fi movie with no sequels or prequels. This could be why it’s typically lower on the sci-fi lists as there may be a community of people that simply forgot about it as the years went on. Now is the time to revive the credit it deserves and maybe bump it up a few notches on future top lists. 

71. Shrek (2001)

Think of every DreamWorks Animation movie you can think of – I bet Shrek is one of the first that pops into your head. 

Shrek was a momentous occasion for DreamWorks Animation when it was released. It was a huge box office success, received rave reviews, and was even the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature winner. The movie mainly follows Shrek, an ogre whose swamp is suddenly overrun with fairytale creatures, and to get them out, he must save Princess Fiona from a tower guarded by a dragon on a mountain of lava and bring her to Lord Farquad. 

The DreamWorks Animation film created an empire of Shrek success. With numerous sequels and spinoff movies, Shrek is one of the most successful animated franchises ever. The first film featured some great CGI animation for 2001 but also had the hilarity of adult jokes that parents would get while their kids enjoyed the fantasy, animation, and love story. Besides, who wouldn't love listening to Eddie Murphy crack jokes as Donkey for an hour and a half? 

70. Mulholland Drive (2001)

There are two sides to David Lynch: the fairly normal filmmaker who wants to tell a linear story in a somewhat straightforward manner (examples include The Elephant Man and The Straight Story), and the absolute bonkers off-the-wall batshit fever dream of an avante-garde video artist (examples include Eraserhead and Inland Empire). What makes Mulholland Drive such a beautiful film, is that it’s the perfect balance of these two sides of the iconic writer/director. In fact, without spoiling anything, the film even has a pivotal moment where it completely changes tonally, effectively showing these two distinct sides of Lynch. Perhaps more importantly, this tonal switch is expertly pulled off by the film’s star Naomi Watts, who, between this and 2001’s 21 Grams, was at a point in her career where she was showing off her chops with an authenticity that was hard not to notice. Mulholland Drive will show you the full range of skill you need to see from both Watts, and the legendary auteur that is David Lynch. 

69. Watchmen (2009)

“Unadaptable” is a word that’s been used when approaching the most ambitious literary adaptations. Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ landmark graphic novel Watchmen was one such project, earning that brand after decades of potential adaptations failed to tackle the ambitious superhero narrative properly. 

Even in light of multiple cuts, and the ending being substantially altered from what was depicted in the 1985 source material, Watchmen is a miracle to behold. Somehow, the complicated narrative told through various mediums in that graphic novel was streamlined into a product that didn’t water down the full story. 

Only Zack Snyder’s third directorial effort, Watchmen is a powerful statement of the man’s developing skills in that point of his career. Arriving in the wake of Iron Man and The Dark Knight, it proved comic adaptations could be more than market-driving crowd pleasers. In the case of Watchmen, such movies could also be masterpieces.

68. Sideways (2004)

How the hell did Sideways, a dialogue-driven dramedy about a schoolteacher who loves wine, become such a mainstream pop-culture phenomenon? Try going wine-tasting without hearing a joke about drinking from the spit bucket, or somebody saying, “I am not drinking any fucking merlot!”

Sideways’ writer and director, Alexander Payne, has always told stories that are rather grounded in reality. Aside from Downsizing where he literally shrank Matt Damon, these are movies about common issues that most folks can relate to. The Descendants is about grief, About Schmidt is about aging, and Sideways is about letting go. With the script came Payne’s first Academy Award, a life-changing role for Paul Giamatti, and one of the best films of that decade. The bleak nature of the ending with just a dash of hope is a testament to real-life, and relatable for the average person. That is how a movie about a failed middle-aged writer with a drinking problem managed to cement its place in film history. 

67. Lost In Translation (2003)

Bob Harris (Bill Murray) is an American actor past his prime. Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) is a young, married, recent college graduate. Both are in Tokyo — Bob to shoot promos for a Japanese whiskey and Charlotte to follow her photographer husband (Giovanni Ribisi) on his latest assignment — and overcome with feelings of loneliness and disillusionment until a chance meeting at their hotel bar gives the unlikely duo a sense of fulfillment when they both need it most.

Lost in Translation is one of the first films produced by Focus Features and is still considered to be one of the production company’s best releases two decades later for the refreshingly unique — albeit, unlikely — love story that still manages to warm hearts from its unforgettable opening shot to its cryptic, much-debated final moment. The charming, invigoratingly honest dramedy also managed to be a major turning point for Murray (who earned his sole Academy Award nomination), Johansson (a breakthrough performance), and second-time writer and director Sophia Coppola, who earned a well-deserved Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

66. The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)

In the mid-2000s, big screen comedy underwent a titanic shift. Through the late ‘90s and the turn of the century, the genre was dominated by the so-called Frat Pack (Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jack Black, Owen Wilson and Luke Wilson)… but then along came The 40-Year-Old Virgin, the directorial debut from Judd Apatow. The film is hilarious and sweet, with a collection of wonderful characters exploring the high highs and low lows of sexuality and romance in the 21st century – and while not everything about it has aged perfectly, it does a tremendous job at leaning into the talents of its stars. And it’s a game-changer.

While it’s Steve Carell’s movie, a huge part of its legacy is featuring the breakout performance by Seth Rogen. In the wake of The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Rogen and Apatow became the biggest names in funny, with not just their own comedic voices becoming popular, but also their improvisation-heavy styles.

65. Hot Fuzz (2007)

Hot Fuzz is the kind of action movie where every second feels crafted by a team of action movie fans, as opposed to a cast and crew just going through the motions. Co-written by the A+ pair Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg, starring Pegg opposite frequent co-star Nick Front, Hot Fuzz is mostly set far from metropolitan skylines and endless high-rises, and its quaint Wicker Man-esque village makes for a wildly unique setting for any story filled with this many Point Break references.

As the second film in the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, Hot Fuzz built on Shaun of the Dead's already stellar cast with a host of UK legends such as Jim Broadbent, Timothy Dalton, Bill Nighy, Edward Woodward, Billie Whitelaw, Olivia Colman, Bill Bailey, and the list goes on and on. (When you have Cate Blanchett making uncredited appearances, you're doing something right.) Unlike the other two Cornetto films, though, Hot Fuzz probably deserves another straightforward sequel set in this universe, with a new killer crime for Nicholas Angel and Danny Butterman to get crackin’ on.

64. Walk The Line (2005)

Music biopics might feel like they’re a dime a dozen, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t gems to behold in the genre, and one of those is absolutely James Mangold’s Academy Award-winning drama, Walk the Line. In it, Joaquin Phoenix portrays country music legend Johnny Cash through his tumultuous rise to fame, which includes his relationship with eventual wife, June Carter (Reese Witherspoon).

Sure, on one hand, we’ve seen music’s superstars descend into alcoholism and drug addiction on the big screen time and time again, but it’s how all the pieces of Cash and Carter’s story are put together that make the film a must watch. As such, the performances of the leads are everything here, and seeing June attempt to staunch her feelings for her married co-performer, while also trying to knock some sense into him as she watches his addictions grow and Johnny become more erratic, are some of the best parts of the movie. Witherspoon didn’t win a Best Actress Oscar for nothing, and Phoenix is at his peak here, as well.

63. Lilo & Stitch (2002)

With Walt Disney Animation fresh out of its renaissance after the ‘90s, the 2000s were a particularly experimental period for the studio which, looking back, found inspiration from numerous science fiction classics. The best 2D animated movie from the House of Mouse of the decade is a lively spin on E.T., but this mysterious alien is an intergalactic fugitive with a bad temper who falls to the Hawaiian Islands, becomes best friends with a young orphaned girl who teaches him the gospel of Elvis Presley. 

Not only is Lilo & Stitch an incredibly quotable, fun, family adventure, it’s one of Disney’s most authentic and original films that speaks to finding one’s ohana in unexpected places amidst great loss. Few Walt Disney Animation movies have felt as simultaneously intimate and commercial as Lilo & Stitch. Experiment 626 remains a gem that made Disney’s growing pains of the 2000s worth the while. 

62. Monsters, INC (2001)

Before Up, The Incredibles and even Finding Nemo, there was Monsters, Inc. Pixar’s decision to make its fourth feature a story about a company that generates scream-based power in a world inhabited by ferocious creatures may have seemed odd at the time. However, it ultimately turned out to be an inspired (and very) lucrative decision. Set in the world of Monstropolis, the film centers on two pals – both employees of the titular corporation – who must return a human child to her world in order to keep her out of harm’s way. And the result is a hilarious and heartwarming romp about loyalty and tolerance.

Pete Docter – who’d go on to direct Up, Inside Out and more – really proved himself as a filmmaker with this directorial debut. The flick is beautifully animated and populated with plenty of lovable characters. Speaking of which, John Goodman’s James P. “Sully” Sullivan and Billy Crystal’s Mike Wasowski still stand as two of Pixar’s most popular creations. The interactions between the two sometimes mirror the interplay of some of cinema’s best comedic duos. Monsters, Inc. would spawn a sequel and TV spinoff, but it’s the 2001 movie that’s truly an eclectic piece of storytelling.

61. The Hurt Locker (2008)

Best Picture award, but the voters got it right when it came to the prize handed out at the end of the 21st century’s first decade. Director Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker is a heart-stopper that tears down the wall between film and audience: when Jeremy Renner’s Staff Sergeant William James is suited up and defusing bombs, you hold your breath in fear, terrified to feel the heat of the fiery explosion that will result with one false move by the protagonist.

Screenwriter Mark Boal’s work puts us directly in James’ mind – a soldier who is incapable of leaving the battlefield behind – and Jeremy Renner’s turn is a career best. In retrospect, it’s wholly understandable why Renner’s performance changed the trajectory of his career and turned him into the Marvel-bona fide star that he is today.

60. Moulin Rouge (2001)

On paper, Moulin Rouge is a movie that just should not exist. The premise alone, a modern jukebox musical set in 1890s Paris, creates a level of cognitive dissonance on its own that suspension of disbelief should be impossible. It’s the sort of thing that only a director like Baz Luhrmann would even try, but somehow, he not only makes it happen, he makes it work.

Everything about Moulin Rouge goes hard. The performances, the songs, the sets. It creates its unreality so perfectly that it’s near-impossible to avoid being swept up by it and brought along for the ride. And the absinthe-infused magic is so far removed from reality that even 20 years later Moulin Rouge feels just as fresh. Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor are perfect as the star-crossed lovers. We know how the story will end before it begins, but it doesn’t make any of it less heartbreaking. Luhrmann’s films can sometimes focus on style over substance, but there’s no lack of substance here. 

59. Elf (2003)

Elf is probably the most recent Christmas movie that became an instant classic. Jon Favreau crafted a delightful and bonkers story for the 2003 movie, with Will Ferrell offering one of his most iconic performances of all time. And it’s a movie that’s re-watched annually by countless families every Holiday Season… or other times in the year when you need a good laugh.

Elf’s concept is both ridiculous and simple; Buddy is a human raised by elves who eventually goes to New York City to find his birth father (played by Godfather icon James Caan). The juxtaposition between Buddy’s eternal optimism and the hard streets of the Big Apple is fodder for countless funny bits throughout its runtime. There’s also a touching story about family and the holiday spirit that makes Elf a true beloved Christmas movie. Plus, it’s got a pre-Game of Thrones appearance by Peter Dinklage. And of course, Santa (I know him!).

58. Good Night, and Good Luck (2005)

In the 1950s, few people were as outspoken about the threat of Communism than Wisconsin senator Joseph McCarthy, whose blacklisting of anyone he deemed suspicious was so notoriously frequent that “McCarthyism” — a term associated with fear mongering — was coined after him. One of the few people brave enough to take a stand against him was CBS reporter Edward R. Murrow, whose defiance of the politician and the Red Scare nearly cost him his career, but also made him into one of the most influential icons of his craft.

This monumental moment in journalism history is dramatized with nearly the same level of passion for truth and justice in Good Night, and Good Luck. — named after the famous concluding catchphrase of Murrow, portrayed here in an Academy Award-nominated performance by David Strathairn. George Clooney, who also plays Murrow’s producer, Fred Friendly, earned his first Oscar nominations as a director and co-writer for this riveting history lesson, made even better with Robert Elswit’s gorgeous cinematography and exquisite acting from the star-studded ensemble, which also includes Jeff Daniels, Patricia Arquette, Robert Downey Jr., and Frank Langella.

57. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Wes Anderson’s style is so distinct that it has become something of a joke in pop culture, frequently being parodied on shows like Saturday Night Live. When folks reference Wes Anderson, and the trademarks of a Wes Anderson film, they’re primarily lifting it from The Royal Tenenbaums. The point is, Tenenbaums is by far the most Wes Anderson-y film to ever Wes Anderson; absolutely jam-packed with quirkitude, a variety of eccentric characters and deadpan dialogue delivery. This is the quintessential hipster flick that helped to define a generation of indie millennial film buffs.

Aside from The Royal Tenenbaums’ effect on pop culture, it truly exists as a wonderful, honest, hilarious, and heartbreaking film. Over twenty years ago when the film was released, there wasn’t a lot like it in mainstream American cinema, with the somewhat privileged (yet painfully relatable) themes it explores being limited to conversations had by those gathering to watch Jean-Luc Godard in their NYU dorm rooms. With his first Oscar nomination, The Royal Tenenbaums introduced much of the world to Wes Anderson, and many still consider it to be his finest work to date. 

56. Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Oftentimes sequels don’t measure up to their predecessor, but Spider-Man 2 is one of the exceptions. Director Sam Raimi and screenwriter Alvin Sargent kept the best elements from the first Spider-Man movie and improved upon them, with the follow-up doing an excellent job exploring how Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker handles the burden of heroism and trying to balance his web-sliding activities with his civilian life. However, Spider-Man 2’s MVP is Alfred Molina, whose more sympathetic take on Doctor Octopus quickly cemented him as one of the best superhero movie villains of all time. It’s no wonder we still have yet to see another actor play the tentacled antagonist in a live-action movie. As a bonus, I love how the movie recreated the panel from 1967’s The Amazing Spider-Man #50 of Peter Parker leaving his costume behind in the garbage. A touch like that is a great Easter egg for Marvel fans, but is also just a gorgeous shot for the casuals watching the tale unfold.

55. Ratatouille (2007)

Pixar Animation’s eighth feature film, Ratatouille, is as surprising as its premise. It came at a time when the studio was high on a winning streak, redefining how we looked at toys, bugs, monsters, cars, superheroes and fish. Sure, making an audience empathetic to rats feels like a stretch, but the 2007 movie had a fresh and quirky way in that kept Pixar at an all-time high. What if one rat was secretly a gourmet cook in Paris, France? The results are so charming. 

Fronted by a charismatic voice performance from Patton Oswalt as Remy, packed with decadent and often mouth-watering animation greatly displayed inside a top-tier French kitchen and beautifully underlined by an all-time great score from Michael Giacchino, Pixar told a hilarious underdog story with the creativity and wonder the studio remains beloved for. It’s one of those movies that has one doing a double take at every human and animal you encounter next time you walk outside in playful curiosity about the world thinking “Anyone Can Cook.” 

54. Superbad (2007)

Seth Rogen has touted himself as a “permanent teenager,” and never has that title been truer than in the 2007 teen buddy comedy Superbad. The movie — which he penned with Evan Goldberg and stars a number of the regular Judd Apatow players — carries the funky vibe of the 1970s throughout, but its story is timeless. The only thing more relatable than high-school seniors Seth and Evan (played perfectly by Jonah Hill and Michael Cera) trying to get to a party to impress some girls was their underlying anxiety over not knowing what would happen to their friendship after graduation.

The laughs come a mile a minute — some may say it’s the funniest movie of all time — with an impressive cast that also includes Bill Hader, Joe Lo Truglio, Emma Stone and, of course, Seth Rogen. But in the end it’s the friendship at the heart of the story that makes this one worth watching again and again. Superbad is also responsible for giving us “McLovin,” for which we should be forever grateful.

53. Catch Me If You Can (2002)

One of the most intriguing stories related to the crime of check fraud is that of Frank Abagnale Jr., who impersonated various professions, passed off millions of dollars worth of phony checks, and outran the FBI between the ages of 16 and 21. At least, that is what the fraud prevention consultant claimed in his memoir, Catch Me If You Can. The book inspired an excellent movie of the same name.

This 1960s-set crime drama stars future Academy Award winner Leonardo DiCaprio as the young, elusive con artist, who enters an intense, enduring game of cat-and-mouse with two-time Academy Award winner Tom Hanks as a veteran FBI agent who will stop at nothing to bring him to justice, even if he becomes friends with him in the process. Following Minority Report, director Steven Spielberg completed his one-two punch of masterfully entertaining films in 2002 with this dazzling, devilishly charming, and even heartwarming tale. 

52. Cast Away (2000)

Everybody scream “Wilson!” with me! Now, let’s all break into violent sobs as we remember Tom Hanks losing his best friend… a volleyball with a face painted on it. Cast Away is a miracle. It’s essentially a one-man show that you can’t pull your eyes off of, because you root so hard for Hanks and want to see how he’s going to get off the deserted island on which he is stranded. Director Robert Zemeckis places us in Hanks’ sandals, so we feel frustration as he fails to get a makeshift raft over the incoming tide, and elation when he figures out how to start a fire. Hanks already was viewed as one of our greatest actors before he single handedly carried this survival story, but the gripping performance earned him his fifth Oscar nomination. (He lost to Russell Crowe in Gladiator.) Listen to this remarkable stat: Zemeckis filmed Cast Away’s first half with a chunky Hanks, then had to pause production while his leading man lost enough weight and grew enough hair to play his marooned self in the movie’s second half. During that pause, Zemeckis filmed an entire feature: 2000’s marital thriller What Lies Beneath, with Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford.

51. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

One thing to know about Ang Lee is that he keeps audiences guessing when it comes to his projects. And given his body of work leading up to the 2000s, not too many people might’ve expected him to helm a wuxia martial arts epic with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Yet movie lovers should be so glad he did. His seventh directorial effort is a masterpiece featuring beautifully choreographed fight sequences, impeccable production design, imposing performances and more.

Based on Wang Dulu’s 1942 novel of the same name, the highly ambitious production centers on a seasoned warrior and his equally skilled ally (and love interest), who aim to hunt down the former’s fabled sword so it can be delivered for safekeeping. Their quest ultimately leads them down a path neither could’ve ever imagined. Ang Lee assembled a highly formidable ensemble of actors led by Chow Yun-fat, Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi, who all give career-best performances. The martial arts genre features a wide array of movies, but few can meet the standard set by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

50. Legally Blonde (2001)

“What? Like it’s hard” to be one of the top 50 movies of the 2000s? It’s not for Legally Blonde, that’s for sure. Casually going to law school at Harvard to win back your ex-boyfriend is a far-fetched idea, but Reese Witherspoon’s Elle Woods doesn't just pull it off, she succeeds in grand fashion, obviously.  

Elle Woods is such an icon, she’s funny, gorgeous, and hyper-intelligent, and seeing her harness all of that to succeed at Harvard was empowering. Reese Witherspoon and the cast of Legally Blonde are also on their A-games in this movie, creating a hilariously smart and unique story. From Jennifer Coolidge’s “bend and snap” moment with our leading lady to the adorable rom-com subplot between Elle and Luke Wilson’s Emmett, the film is packed with memorable stories from fabulous characters.

Since then, Withersoon’s lawyer’s story has expanded into a sequel and a Broadway musical, because a world with more Elle Woods in it is “So Much Better.” 

49. Tropic Thunder (2008)

Tropic Thunder is a relentless and vicious commentary on the motion picture industry and all the absurdities associated with it. For two unyielding hours, Ben Stiller’s satirical action comedy mercilessly skewers the executives, the actors, the directors, the writers, the agents and even an explosives coordinator, painting them as deeply flawed and emotionally unstable people who will do anything to stay relevant and protect their own fragile egos. From blackface to stolen valor to exploiting the mentally handicapped, there’s no line they won’t cross in pursuit of their next award, their next paycheck or their next high.

Tropic Thunder shouldn’t work. From one angle, it’s a big budget, big studio action comedy filled with explosions, fart jokes and Tom Cruise dancing to Flo Rida. From another angle, it’s a deeply clever satire that repeatedly and without apology seeks out complicated and problematic subject matter. It’s a movie within a movie disguised as another movie, but instead of a disorganized mess, it somehow all comes together thanks to a fantastic script, an Oscar-nominated Robert Downey Jr. performance and the greatest little kid reaction shot in the history of movies.

48. Gladiator (2000)

Russell Crowe went on an absolute tear in the 2000s with a number of memorable movies, so it’s no surprise that the one he won the Best Actor Oscar for is on this list. Gladiator is an absolute triumph from start to finish, with knockout performances led by the direction of Ridley Scott. Maximus is an immediately likable character brought down to the lowest point of his life. He keeps fighting and survives solely because of the revenge he hopes to deliver to Commodus. 

And while Joaquin Phoenix did not win an Oscar for his nominated performance as Commodus, Maximus’ journey isn’t quite as sweet without him being every bit as unlikable as he should be. When the big scene finally comes for Maximus and Commodus to square off, how can you not be on the edge of your seat? Without a doubt one of the best gladiator movies of all time.

47. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

While not strictly a love story, Danny Boyle’s Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire definitely owes a lot to the genre, as Jamal’s (Dev Patel) lifelong love for childhood friend Latika (Freida Pinto) drives much of what he does. The drama follows Jamal as he relays the events of his young life that have led him to correctly answering questions on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, after he’s arrested and tortured for cheating.

As Jamal takes us through the harrowing events of his childhood that led him not only to fall for Latika, but to compete on the show in an effort to find her again, we’re taken through an action-packed tale of survival under extreme circumstances, what a young man will go through to save the love of his life, and how we all probably know a lot more than we think we do. Definitely hard to watch at times, but inspirational nonetheless.

46. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

On one hand, Jonathan Daylon and Valerie Faris’ Little Miss Sunshine is one of the funniest movies of the 2000s, but on the other hand it’s one of the most tragic stories to come out of the decade. The “road trip from Hell” setup had been done countless times prior to the film’s 2006 release, but rarely had the subgenre been as effective, emotional, or laugh out loud funny.

Michael Arndt’s hilarious, heartbreaking, and nuanced screenplay, which earned him an Oscar, doesn’t play it safe by avoiding life’s tragedies (both major and minor), but instead faces them head-on, creating a cathartic experience for his characters and audience alike. Transformative performances by the late Alan Arkin (he also won an Academy Award), Abigail Breslin, Toni Collette and the rest of the Little Miss Sunshine cast make you feel their characters are family, which is the heart and soul of this outstanding film.

45. Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Keira Knightley’s Pride & Prejudice is hardly the first take on the novel of the same name, but the 2005 film arguably set the standard for modern Jane Austen movie adaptations. The love story between Elizabeth Bennet (Knightley) and Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen) is beautifully told, and made all the more memorable for the cinematography, soundtrack, and chemistry between the stars. In fact, the cast was stacked with stars who either already had or would become big names, including Donald Sutherland, Judi Dench, Rosamund Pike, Jena Malone, Carey Mulligan, and Kelly Reilly in addition to Knightley and Macfadyen. 

The world of the Bennet family in this Pride & Prejudice feels lived in and domestic in a way that adds a touch of modern realism to a Regency-era period drama and contrasts the more austere beauty of Mr. Darcy’s Pemberley estate. The film isn’t as faithful to the book as the beloved 1995 BBC miniseries, but it hits the important beats of the original Jane Austen story in just over two hours while also being completely accessible to viewers who haven’t read the book, with moments like the iconic hand flex of Mr. Darcy that fans far and wide know well. 

44. Adaptation (2002)

Adaptation is a book adaptation about the adaptation process. Understood? Wonderful. 

Nicolas Cage plays dual roles as the most neurotic possible version of screenwriter Charlie Kauffman, as well as his fictitious twin Donald Kauffman. Originally hired to write the film adaptation for Susan Orlean’s bestseller The Orchid Thief, Charlie Kauffman experiences a debilitating case of writer’s block, stemming from a slew of mental health issues including social anxiety, body dysmorphia and depression. This sends him on something of a tortured artist’s odyssey that leads him to write himself, and the experience, into his script. Thus, we get Adaptation, a hybrid of both the story of The Orchid Thief, and Kauffman’s experience adapting it.

These days, such a meta concept is somewhat commonplace, but over 20 years ago, this was the most bonkers script since Kauffman’s Being John Malkovich. Malkovich was even worked into Adaptation’s storyline, with John Cusack, Catherine Keener and the titular John Malkovich playing themselves. The point is, this film is WEIRD in the best of ways, yet still managed to grab Oscar nominations for Nicolas Cage and Meryl Streep, as well as a win for Chris Cooper. Adaptation is perhaps the greatest cinematic insight into the creative writing process, and the effect it has on one’s psyche, ever made.

43. Love & Basketball (2000)

The best romantic comedies might get a lot of attention from fans of lovey dovey stories, but romantic dramas deserve our eyeballs as well, and Love & Basketball is one that really should be praised. This romance (which is also a fantastic sports drama) tells the story of Monica (Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy (Omar Epps), two talented, basketball-obsessed kids who bond over their love of the sport, but have several trials as they attempt to take their relationship from friends to lovers in their high school and college years and, later, in their twenties.

Gina Prince-Bythewood’s feature-length directorial debut does an amazing job of showing how hard it can be for two people who are so dedicated to their craft to make time for one another, especially as the pressure to succeed in their sport pulls them in different directions. But, it goes much further than that, with each of their complicated family dynamics and emotional wounds taking this love story to the next level.

42. Minority Report (2002)

If you had the chance to predict and prevent a tragic crime, the choice sounds obvious, right? That is until you are faced with the possibility that the prediction is wrong and your arrestee was destined to be innocent. That provocative idea was the basis for a 1956 short story by prolific science-fiction writer Philip K. Dick, which was later adapted into one of director Steven Spielberg’s most exciting films of the decade, if not his full career.

Tom Cruise stars as John Anderton — the chief for a special police unit that uses a trio of clairvoyant siblings to detect future murders — who begins to question their seemingly “perfect” system when he makes the horrifying discovery that the potential perpetrator of his next case is himself, forcing him to go on the run. The truth behind this prediction revealed in the brilliant twist ending of Minority Report is one of the many fascinating and thought-provoking aspects of this astonishingly inventive sci-fi masterpiece that is not quite dystopian, but far from utopian either.

41. Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Over the past few years, there have been great strides for representation and diverse stories in Hollywood. But back in the early 2000s, this wasn’t exactly the case. Which is why Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain was such a groundbreaking movie upon its release. Hollywood simply wasn’t telling queer love stories through major blockbusters, let alone honoring them with major Awards Nominations.

While there’s been some backlash about straight actors playing LGBTQ+ roles, Brokeback likely only got produced because of its bankable (and yes straight) lead actors. For their part, both Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger offer moving and complicated performances that still stand up today. Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway also really deliver, which is par for the course for those talented actresses. This quartet of performers tell their characters’ stories through decades of time, and to devastating results. And the acclaimed film is still so beloved that it’s being adapted for the stage on the West End, starring Mike Faist and Lucas Hedges. 

40. American Psycho (2000)

Author Bret Easton Ellis’ novel American Psycho is a shocking literary experience. There are scenes in it that will make even the most seasoned horror fan blanche – and reading it, you can understand why it was deemed unadaptable for a time after its publication. When it did finally get brought to the big screen, co-adapted by screenwriter Guinevere Turner and director Mary Harron, the material was understandably pulled back a bit, but the movie still remains a scary and biting satire that takes aim at the hardcore capitalism in the 1980s.

Years before he became a big screen legend playing Batman, Christian Bale became a horror icon with his performance as Patrick Bateman – a white, rich sociopath who enjoys torturing and slaughtering women… but who nonetheless blends in with all the rest of New York’s white, rich sociopaths. It’s a rich cinematic experience that manages to be both satisfyingly scary and surprisingly funny.

39. 28 Days Later (2002)

Certain movies can be credited as causing shifts so powerful, an entire genre felt its influence. Director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland’s 28 Days Later is one such film, as this lo-fi British horror-thriller would go on to see interest in movies like Dawn of the Dead (2004) and Shaun of the Dead being boosted. 

Revitalizing the zombie genre, while not calling its own creatures by the Z-word, the normal rules didn’t apply in this horror masterpiece. In the world of the previously coma-ridden Jim (Cillian Murphy), the vicious “infected” could come from anywhere, with blazing speed. Survival, in some situations, could be measured in a heartbeat, with a drop of blood or saliva making the difference. 

Stocked with a who’s who of actors like Brendan Gleeson, Christopher Eccleston, and Naomie Harris, 28 Days Later did for zombies what Scream did for slasher films. Challenging the status quo with relentless energy, the film is all at once terrifying, heartbreaking, and hopeful. Danny Boyle and Alex Garland resurrected the undead genre with stunning results.

38. Amelie (2001)

One of the most delightful stories committed to film. French ingénue Audrey Tautou was perfectly cast as the title character Amelie, who is believed to have a delicate heart condition and so is overprotected by her doting parents. As a result of her gently-imposed isolation, Amelie develops an overactive imagination, which leads her on a series of whimsical adventures. Amelie director Jean-Pierre Jeunet embraces magical realism as a style, with Tautou basically gliding through this giddy fantasy as she works to make the lives of everyone around her happy, and possibly find love on her own in the process. Amelie seems to transmit joy, and if you aren’t uplifted by Tautou’s effervescent performance, you might want to check to ensure you still have a pulse. Now, go borrow someone else’s lawn gnome, photograph it in front of a celebrated vacation spot, and spread the joy of Amelie with anyone who hasn’t yet seen this delightful gem. 

37. Donnie Darko (2001)

There may not be a more aggressively strange and maddeningly perplexing movie on this list than Donnie Darko. Yet, its mysterious and nearly off-putting nature may be the reason why — despite nearly becoming a cable TV movie (if not for Christopher Nolan’s praise) and ultimately bombing at the box office — it remains an enduring cult hit.

At its core, writer and director Richard Kelly’s feature-length debut is the story of an emotionally troubled young man (Jake Gyllenhaal) whose struggle to navigate adolescence in the late 1980s is worsened by visions of an apocalyptic soothsayer in a horrifying rabbit suit, but it is much more than that. It is a sharp coming-of-age satire on par with some of John Hughes’ films, a classic time travel movie, and a pervasively grim fantasy tale that serves as a perfect Halloween tradition, among other things. Above all, however, Donnie Darko is unique enough to defy categorization, resulting in a one-of-a-kind experience. 

36. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

If we’re only including one adaptation of the Harry Potter series on this list, it has to be Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The source material has our lead trio entering into their teen years with more studies than ever and higher stakes all around. New characters are introduced, major reveals transpire and there’s also that twisty bit of time travel. Oh, and let’s not forget the bone-chilling Dementors, whose powers include dredging up a person’s darkest memories and fears. 

Those things on their own give Prisoner of Azkaban an edge over some of the other books, but Alfonso Cuarón’s adaptation does more than just bring one of the best installments of the series to life. New layers of the magical world emerge on the screen thanks to the cinematography, not to mention Cuarón’s vision and patient approach to the pacing, which gives us the chance to really soak in the surroundings in any given scene. Whether it’s showing the change of seasons at Hogwarts or the stunning sight of Harry soaring over the lake on the back of a Hippogriff, it’s more than enough to set the film above its predecessors and raise the bar firmly for the adaptations that would follow. 

35. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

The Devil Wears Prada is already a classic. While the film quality itself is high, the movie has also become part of the fabric of pop culture, thanks to its quotable lines and the unbelievable performance of one Meryl Streep. Anne Hathaway is regularly transformed into a meme thanks to the scene where Annie shows up to work post-makeover in Chanel Boots.

Aside from the pop culture of it all, The Devil Wears Prada is a delightful movie romp. The fashions are aspirational, and the cast is truly on top of their game. Special points to Emily Blunt, who became a household name following her performance as Emily. And considering how light and frothy even the movie’s drama is, the rewatchability of this book to movie adaptation cannot be understated. If you haven’t watched Devil Wears Prada recently, by all means move at a glacial pace. You know how that thrills me.

34. The Lord Of The Rings Movies (2001-2003)

There are very few fantasy movie franchises out there that have been great all the way through. They have their dips and slides, but if there’s one major fantasy franchise to rule them all, it has to be The Lord of the Rings movies. 

The film franchise mainly follows Frodo Baggins as he travels with the Fellowship on a quest to destroy the One Ring in order to take down the person who made it, Sauron. But don't take that premise at face value – there is so much more to this story than meets the eye. 

The Lord of the Rings movies are perfect in every shape and form. From the battle sequences to the visual effects to the acting, there is much to love and adore about these films. The Lord of the Rings delivers in ways fans can't even imagine. There's a reason why the franchise is so popular years later – and how spinoffs, such as The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, have been released in recent years. The love keeps pouring in. 

33. Casino Royale (2006)

When James Bond was given his iconic Walther PPK in Dr. No, Sean Connery’s initial incarnation is told the weapon has “a delivery like a brick through a plate glass window.” The same could be said for 2006’s Casino Royale, as the introduction to Daniel Craig’s James Bond movies wasn’t shy about changing things up, and surprising even the most experienced 007 fans with how it would depict Commander Bond’s exploits.

Director Martin Campbell’s franchise reboot was as lean and mean as they come. Casino Royale showed 007 getting his ass handed to him, and his heart broken. Such vulnerability didn’t weaken the character, but rather it humanized him and added a suspense that the Bond movies had lost for some time.

Daniel Craig stepped into the role of the modern James Bond as if it were a tuxedo perfectly tailored for his presence. Wryly funny, yet cold and calculating when he had to pull the trigger, Craig made the role his own from frame one. To see such an iconic series redefined so perfectly, after 20 movies and over four decades of history before it, is something that still astonishes as much now as it did upon initial viewing.

32. Batman Begins (2005)

One of the most notorious bombs in Hollywood history is 1997’s Batman & Robin — a movie that, despite having some fans, is so cartoonishly absurd and dismissive of the source material’s essential themes and tone that it would be the last we would see of one of DC Comics’ most important characters on the big screen for years. The Caped Crusader’s resurgence in cinema — and in modern pop culture — can be traced back to when director Christopher Nolan went back to basics and all the way back to the beginning of his war on crime in Batman Begins.

Christian Bale immediately asserted himself as one of the best actors to play Batman with his grounded and stoic performance as a Bruce Wayne desperate to rescue his beloved Gotham City — one of the most stunningly realistic and effectively grimy depictions of the burdened metropolis — from the cesspool of crime and corruption it has become. While it is not widely considered to be the absolute best of the live-action Batman movies so far (more on that one later), most would agree that Batman Begins is one of the best superhero movies in general for its refreshingly earnest and complex approach to comic book lore, exhilarating action sequences and technical mastery, and reinventing the Dark Knight for a new generation without losing sight of what made him an icon in the first place.

31. Children of Men (2006)

In a dystopian future, environmental malpractice has led to constant war, famine, and total human infertility. So imagine the surprise felt by former political activist Theo Faron (Clive Owen) when he learns that a young female refugee (Clare-Hope Ashitey) is pregnant, and is poised to deliver the first natural childbirth in eighteen years. 

Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron was coming off of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (considered by many to be the best film in that saga) when he unleashed his talents on Children of Men. His breathtaking approach to editing and cinematography propels the action forward at a feverish pitch, with Cuaron often choosing to stage his movements in long, eye-popping, unbroken shots that lure the audience to the edge of their seats. Cuaron says this is a movie about hope, but you have to endure a lot of credible despair to finally unearth it. It’s worth the effort.

30. Ocean's Eleven (2001)

As times change, what’s considered popular is as fluid as water itself. Sometimes a movie can be ahead of the curve in that respect, dictating a whole era of cool in its very existence. Director Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven did just that, as both an uber slick heist movie, and as a modernized remake of a pre-existing film. 

The 1960’s Rat Pack extravaganza about war veterans looking for one big score was turned into a gathering of thieves, assembled by one man (George Clooney) looking for something more than cash. While the stakes were changed, and the number spelled out in the title, this film nailed the breezy energy that made the original so lovely.

Be it an all-star cast including Bernie Mac, Carl Reiner, Andy Garcia, and Julia Roberts, the insanely slick soundtrack, or even just the way George Clooney could rock a suit without a tie, Ocean’s Eleven doesn’t telegraph its style. It presents it with great confidence, and allows you to decide if it’s worth your while. It’s a love letter to the past, while playing to the viewer of today; with a result as cool as that drink you just ordered at the bar.

29. Chicago (2002)

If you look at just about any list of the best musicals of the 21st century, it’s basically a guarantee that Chicago will be there. The adaptation of Bob Fosse’s long-running musical is one of few musical films to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Catherine Zeta-Jones took home a trophy as well for her stellar performance as the “All That Jazz” singer who killed her husband and sister, Velma Kelly. This film has intrigue, sex, murder, genius performances and a whole lot of jazz, and it's truly a masterful musical adaptation.

Rob Marshall ultimately made a musical that stays true to its stage roots, but also heightens the entire story through movie magic. Take “Cell Block Tango” for example, the majority of the song is performed on a stage, and the women singing about murdering their husbands are in black costumes similar to the wardrobe from Broadway. However, it’s bigger as a whole, and it flashes between the actual prison, and this staged dream-like sequence. By doing this for every number, the film both elevated and paid homage to its predecessor, which is just one of the many reasons it’s so incredible.

28. Iron Man (2008)

From being the first self-financed Marvel Studios production, executives initially being opposed to casting Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, and most of the dialogue being improvised since the script wasn’t finished when production began, there was a lot that could have gone wrong with Iron Man. And yet, the end result stands as a triumph in large part due to Downey’s performance as the genius/billionaire/playboy/philanthropist.

But of course, one can’t discuss Iron Man without addressing how it changed the film franchise game. Once Nick Fury emerged from the shadows and mentioned the Avengers Initiative in the post-credits scene, that was the first big tipoff that this movie was the first chapter in a shared universe, just like in the original Marvel comics. More than a decade later, the MCU still stands as a Hollywood powerhouse, and many franchises, both superhero and from other genres, have followed in its footsteps. 

27. Shaun Of The Dead (2004)

The slacker bastard child of George Romero's Dead films and Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later, Shaun of the Dead is a rarity in cinema, and not just for having the gall to sacrifice the soundtrack to 1989's Batman. It's a largely perfect amalgam of authenticity and parodical storytelling, anchored to the comedic whims and wiles of  director Edgar Wright, his co-writer Simon Pegg,  and Pegg’s co-star Nick Frost. As it goes with that trio’s other film on this list (see #65), Shaun’s biggest strength is its characters who feel real enough to legitimize the zombie apocalypse chaos, while also making viewers care about them even when the gory threats aren’t around the corner.

Shaun of the Dead may go down as the funniest horror movie to have ever existed, while also delivering some genuinely disturbing moments throughout that keep the adventure from falling too far into the funnies. Simon Pegg even transcends the dual genre description by spinning palpable emotion out of his struggle to prioritize the safety of his relationship, his BFF, and his mom. And if that wasn’t enough, it allowed moviegoers to spend some time in the Winchester, and that’s a slice of fried gold that makes everyone’s life better.

26. Moon (2009)

Whenever we sit down for a sci-fi film, especially one that takes place on a remote station somewhere away from our planet, we all know that we’re in for a twisty tale, and Moon certainly fulfills that promise. Duncan Jones’ 2009 directorial debut (he also came up with the story) focuses on Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell), the lone human working a mostly automated mining facility on the far side of the moon, who begins to have troubling hallucinations as he nears the end of his work contract.

What follows is surprising, as not only does the story take several intriguingly unexpected turns, but it also examines what it’s like to be isolated from others (including loved ones), holding on to a sense of community, and one’s willingness to sacrifice for the greater good. Throw in a creepy AI, which can’t quite be determined as a helper or a hindrance for a time, and you get science fiction gold.

25. The Incredibles (2004)

Released during the early years of the superhero movie’s surging popularity, The Incredibles still holds up tremendously after all this time, despite so many other offerings from Marvel, DC and other studios being delivered nearly two decades after its release. To be sure, Pixar’s sixth full-length feature does a spectacular job at both honoring classic superhero stories and tropes, as well as poking fun at them, including the hilarious ‘no capes’ gag. But The Incredibles’ greatest feat isn’t how it handles these larger-than-life elements, but rather how it makes these characters feel relatable and complex in the midst of the action.

From Bob and Helen Parr being concerned about their children’s welfare, whether they’re living everyday life in suburbia or fighting bad guys in costume, to understanding that Syndrome’s sinister motivations stem from the hurt he endured as an adolescent, The Incredibles never pushes aside its humanity in favor of spectacle; instead, they compliment each other quite nicely. Throw in outstanding vocal performances from actors like Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter, and Brad Bird excelling as both the director and screenwriter, this movie stands out not just as a superhero movie, but as one of the greatest entries in Pixar’s library.

24. Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Join Us In Creating Excellence. More powerful than any anti-drug ad, Requiem for a Dream hit theaters in 2000 and has stood the test of time as possibly the most affecting portrayal of addiction to date. Based on the Hubert Selby Jr. book of the same name, Darren Aronofsky’s film explores more than just the heroin addictions of Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly and Marlon Wayans’ characters. Ellen Burstyn’s obsession with being on television and fitting into her red dress is haunting, and there’s no questioning why the role earned her an Academy Award nomination.

The work behind the camera was equal to the all-around horrifying performances, as Darren Aronofsky and cinematographer Matthew Libatique added to the story in how every shot was framed, the choreography of the characters’ movements, and the use of sound effects and split screens. The score was worthy of praise all on its own, with "Lux Aeterna" — the song that played over the climax of the film — leaving such an impression that it has gone on to be re-orchestrated for several other movie and video game trailers. 

Combine all of this and add a little of Christopher McDonald’s Tappy Tibbons J.U.I.C.E., and you’ve got a real feel-bad movie that may never fully leave you.

23. Oldboy (2003)

Because many have such good storylines, South Korean films have become some of the biggest international movies.. A few examples could be Parasite and The Wailing. One movie in particular stands above many of them, and that's Oldboy. 

Directed by Park Chan-wook, the film is loosely based on the Japanese manga of the same name and focuses on Dae-su, a man imprisoned in a cell that looks like a hotel room, for fifteen years, without knowing who the person was behind his capture. But when he gets his chance at freedom, he makes it his mission to find out who committed the crime all those years ago – only to find out there is much more to his imprisonment than he thought. 

Oldboy is incredible. The action scenes are probably some of the best recorded on a movie screen and have been imitated many times – just the corridor fight scene itself is enough to satisfy any action-movie fan. The story is intriguing all the way until the end, which will blow the minds of first-time viewers. Truly, Oldboy is a staple of the South Korean film industry – and a fantastic movie of the 2000s. 

22. Collateral (2004)

Michael Mann had already cemented his legacy as one of the greatest directors in the world of crime thrillers, but he further made a case for himself with his 2004 thriller, Collateral. Clocking in at exactly two hours, this cool, violent, and ruthless neo-noir classic not only sees one of the best Jamie Foxx performances with his portrayal of cab driver Max (a role that should have earned him an Oscar), it also introduces one of Tom Cruise’s most unhinged characters: Vincent, a mysterious and deadly assassin.

Cruise, who was coming off movies like Minority Report and The Last Samurai, is incredibly refreshing as the film’s antagonist, and it shows a side of the star that audiences don’t get to see as much. Seeing the actor’s undeniable charm and big-screen energy used to breathe life into someone who is pure evil is quite the experience, and really messes with the viewers’ mindset. In addition to actors like Mark Ruffalo, Javier Bardem, and Jada Pinkett Smith, the movie also treats the city of Los Angeles less like a backdrop and more as another character, one that feels more alive as the story goes on, much like Mann’s 1995 heist film, Heat.

21. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Since the early days of moviemaking, Walt Disney’s viewpoint of the fairytale has had a stake in popular culture. It’s G-rated, soft and sweet, and there’s always a happy ending. Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth brings to life a fairytale that redefined what a fantasy movie can look like with its distinct and unforgettable vision. Set in 1944 Spain as the country picks up the pieces of the Spanish Civil War, the R-rated fantasy film follows a young girl named Ofelia as she faces the violent reality of the Francoist period and stumbles upon a dark wonderland in the shadows (or at least the shadows of her imagination). 

As del Toro was coming off two more commercial movies in Blade II and Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth is a breathtaking highlight in an all-time great filmmaker’s career. Across two hours, the Spanish-language movie brings to life an extraordinary vision that beautifully balances being twisted and innocent all at once with memorable horror, gore, mythical creations and a ton of gorgeous practical creature effects. How does he balance a magical quest with political drama? Some especially memorable words in Pan’s Labyrinth answers that question: If “door is locked,” one must “create your own.” In a landscape where fairytales can be predictable, del Toro opened a wonderfully defiant world of his own with Pan’s Labyrinth.

20. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) And Vol. 2 (2004)

After turning the heist movie on its head with 1992’s Reservoir Dogs, and changing the way audiences perceive movies in general (and winning a screenwriting Oscar) with 1994’s Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino very quickly made himself into one of the most unique and esteemed icons of the medium. However, after releasing his 1997 Elmore Leonard adaptation, Jackie Brown, we would not see him direct anything for another six years. Little did we know that he was planning to come back with something big — so big, that just one movie was not enough to tell the story. Based on a character Tarantino created with star Uma Thurman on the Pulp Fiction set, Kill Bill follows a deadly assassin initially known only as The Bride — one of the greatest female action heroes — who wakes up from a four-year coma with a furious urge to punish those who tried to put her to sleep permanently, with her former boss (David Carradine) being the primary target. 

For years, it was debated whether or not the stylistically disparate halves of the story — with Vol. 1 being an ode to ‘70s kung fu movies and Vol. 2 counting as Tarantino’s first western, essentially — should count as one film. Well, even if the director had never officially clarified that he does see Kill Bill as one movie, we still would have designated one spot for both volumes of this exquisitely crafted, gorgeously choreographed, visually and emotionally breathtaking epic on this list, because that is the only way to experience "the whole bloody affair.” 

• A Kill Bill Quote To Remember: “That's right. I killed your master. And now I'm gonna kill you too, with your own sword, no less, which in the very immediate future, will become... my sword.” (The Bride)

19. Training Day (2001)

In 100 years, when film historians look back to determine why Denzel Washington was considered one of the best actors of his generation, director Antoine Fuqua's Training Day should be at the top of any screening list. Detective Alonzo Harris is a special kind of monster, and Washington’s work offers incredible escalation and power. At first, he just seems like a hardened detective who has made some scary discoveries about how best to patrol the city of Los Angeles, but he becomes a whole different kind of beast by the end – one that King Kong ain’t got nothin’ on.

But while Training Day features an all-time great performance from one of the all-time great actors, not to be ignored is just how terrific the movie as a whole is. Ethan Hawke is also at the top of his game as up-and-coming officer Jake Hoyt, who faces death and peril as he slowly understands the real game that Alonzo is playing, and David Ayer’s screenplay is special – packing the believable character arcs and growing stakes into a limited 24-hour time frame. Even on the tenth viewing it is successful at raising your pulse and getting you to invest in the protagonist’s peril, and that’s the mark of a truly great thriller.

• A Training Day Quote To Remember: “You gotta control your smiles and cries, because that's all you have and nobody can take that away from you.” (Jake Hoyt)

18. The Wrestler (2008)

Still considered one of the best movies of 2008 more than a decade later, Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler is a grueling battle royale of emotions that doesn’t pull any punches with its story about a broken-down professional wrestler looking for one last shot at redemption. Channeling both the triumph and tragedy, and the agony and ecstasy of putting one’s life on the line day-in and day-out for decades, Mickey Rourke gave audiences the performance of a lifetime with his portrayal of washed-up wrestler, Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a one-time larger-than-life titan caught somewhere between his past and uncertain future.

There are a lot of parallels between the character and Rouke’s own journey in this semi-autobiographical drama, which adds a tremendous amount of depth to not only his performance, but also the movie in general. Though wrestling is often considered a fake sport, Rourke’s performance and Aronofsky’s commitment to portraying the industry in an honest and genuine light is incredibly real. The physical, mental, and emotional pain can be felt in each of Randy’s movements, heard in his voice, and seen in his eyes as the former champ wrestles in high school gyms and attempts to make ends meet by taking on shifts at a local grocery store deli. Then there are the religious allegories that are explored through Randy’s character, as well as Marisa Tomei’s Cassidy, which make it all even more potent.

• A The Wrestler Quote To Remember: “I'll tell you somethin', I hate the fuckin' 90's.” (Randy Robinson)

17. Finding Nemo (2003)

Pixar has created some of the greatest animated films of all time, and Finding Nemo may be the studio’s true crowning achievement. It is as beautifully animated as it is emotionally powerful. The undersea world of Nemo is gorgeous simply to look at, and that’s just as true today as it was when the film was released. 

2003's Finding Nemo’s voice casting is second to none. Nobody does neurotic like Albert Brooks. Nobody can play clueless like Ellen DeGeneres. Nobody plays a tough guy of questionable sanity like Willem Dafoe. These are the actors you would cast if you were telling this story in live-action, and they bring it all to the voice performances in a way that truly brings these characters to life.

And Finding Nemo is able to balance its emotional extremes perfectly. We’re used to Pixar movies making us cry but years before Up, Finding Nemo opened with an incredibly heartbreaking moment. But after that, it’s able to be hilarious, scary, and even exciting. Finally, it concludes with the sort of resolution that stands the test of time, as young children will see the film and relate with Nemo, then grow up, and begin to understand Marlin in a new way.  Nemo does it all, not bad for a clownfish with a bad fin. 

• A Finding Nemo Quote To Remember: “Of course I like you. It’s because I like you, I don’t want to be with you. It’s a complicated emotion.” (Marlin)

16. Inglourious Basterds (2009)

“I think this just might be my masterpiece.” That’s the final line in writer/director Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, and coming as it does at the end of 153 minutes of perfection, it’s hard not to read it as a message directly from the filmmaker to the audience. In 2009, Tarantino was coming off of a low point in his career with the disappointing theatrical release of Grindhouse, but his follow-up is a phenomenal World War II epic that only he could make: Nazi-killing action packaged in a love letter to cinema.

Two stories – the revenge of Mélanie Laurent's Shosanna Dreyfus and the mission of the titular troop – play out in parallel with equal captivating energy right up until they collide in the (literally) explosive finale. While there isn’t a star in the expansive ensemble who doesn’t deliver a memorable performance (from Brad Pitt to Michael Fassbender to even Mike Myers), there isn’t a person who can watch the film and not walk away mesmerized by the work done by Christoph Waltz in his star-making turn as Hans Landa. It’s not an easy thing to blend a vibe of dastardly evil with sharp charisma, but Waltz is a force in the role, and it remains the best thing he has done in his career.

• An Inglourious Basterds Quote To Remember: “Well, you don't got to be Stonewall Jackson to know you don't want to fight in a basement.” (Lt. Aldo Raine)

15. Spirited Away (2001)

Studio Ghibli is one of the world's most-known anime film studios. Co-founded by legendary anime director Hayao Miyazaki, the studio has created some of the best anime films of all time, one of which is Spirited Away – which Hayao Miyazaki directed. 

Spirited Away is about a journey into the spirit world following the young Chihiro. Taking place in Japan, we follow the little girl, who happens to be moving to a new neighborhood with her family. When her parents decide to take a shortcut to their new home and explore what looks to be an abandoned amusement park, Chihiro is forced to go along. However, there's magic everywhere, and her mom and dad turn into pigs against their will for eating a gluttonous feast. For her to get them back, she must work for the spirits in the bathhouse, so they can return to the human world. 

The premise itself sounds like a lot at first, but it's become Studio Ghibli’s – and Hayao Miyazaki's – highest-grossing film. It’s also the only anime film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and the only hand-drawn film (so far) to accomplish the task. The movie features themes about love and learning to grow up and be brave. It's the perfect gateway movie into the anime film – indeed, one of the best movies of the 2000s. 

• A Spirited Away Quote To Remember: “I don't need any help; this place is full of soot.” (Kamaji)

14. The Prestige (2006)

The Prestige is a battle of wills between two talented and irreparably flawed magicians, who can’t stay out of each other’s lives. Their differing roles in a shared tragedy push them apart and then repeatedly back together, as their initial determination to succeed steadily gives way to an obsession for vengeance. That obsession drives them to sacrifice and abandon everything healthy about their lives until they’re each left with only a singular drive to sabotage the other.

Based on that description, The Prestige sounds like a really dark movie. In many ways, it is, but in director Christopher Nolan’s hands, it’s also often really fun. It has a sense of wonder and mystery about it, as it not only dives into the idiosyncrasies of magic but also the exciting possibilities of science in the 1890s and early 1900s. It was a time and place in which anything felt possible, and you really feel that hopeful uncertainty thanks to a timeline that jumps to and fro and fantastic performances from Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall and a perfectly cast David Bowie as Nikola Tesla. Like a great magic trick, the first time you watch The Prestige, you’re fascinated by the spectacle and simply along for the ride. Then every time you rewatch it afterwards, you’re blown away by all the subtle skill required to pull it off.

• A The Prestige Quote To Remember: “Nobody cares about the man in the box.” (Robert Angier)

13. There Will Be Blood (2007)

Looking back, 2007 was one of the best movie years in recent memory, considering classics like No Country For Old Men, Zodiac, and Superbad all premiered on the big screen. But one of the biggest, baddest, and most arresting of those releases was Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood. An epic period drama about oilman Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) doing everything in his power and stepping on anyone in his way in his quest for wealth in the early 20th-century oil boom, the movie is a deep and vast exploration of a man’s psyche and desire to become the biggest player in the game.

While Day-Lewis’s performance is tremendous and more than deserving of the Oscar he received, it’s made even better thanks to his character’s conflict with Eli Sunday (Paul Dano), a religious zealot who is just as tenacious and hungry for power as his counterpart. Several of the movie’s most iconic scenes (like the oil-town baptism and shocking ending sequence) are the result of the actor’s tremendous chemistry and ability to play off each other’s words. The pair, who get along like oil and holy water, create a dynamic that’s not quite a battle between good and evil, but instead something much deeper than that, which adds another level to this incredible cinematic achievement.

• A There Will Be Blood Quote To Remember: “You're an orphan from a basket in the middle of the desert, and I took you for no other reason than I needed a sweet face to buy land.” (Daniel)

12. In Bruges (2008)

Prior to 2008, Martin McDonagh was established as a talented and popular playwright, but he had ambitions to make his way into movies. In 2004, he directed the incredible short film Six Shooter (which won an Academy Award), and then he moved to features. He made his debut with In Bruges, and anyone who saw it instantly recognized McDonagh’s potential to become one of the best filmmakers working today (potential he has made good on with the genius of Seven Psychopaths, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and The Banshees of Inisherin).

In Bruges takes a high concept premise – two hitman hide out in Belgium waiting for instructions after a job goes bad – and weaves a remarkable meditation on life and death. It’s a dark comedy (and a hilarious one at that), but it has a beautiful blend of tones that radiate from the genius work of stars Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes. Farrell and Gleeson have a unique chemistry that works on both comedic and dramatic levels (it’s far from a mystery why McDonagh reunited them for The Banshees of Inisherin) and the bizarrely rage and logic-filled energy that Fiennes brings in the third act is icing on the cake.

• An In Bruges Quote To Remember: “I kinda like hearing people having sex. Means at least somebody around here's happy.” (Ray)

11. Almost Famous (2000)

If a 15-year-old going on tour with a raucous rock band wasn’t enough of a hook, Almost Famous also happens to have one of the most memorable posters/ DVD box covers of all time. It focuses on the enigmatic Penny Lane, the heroine of Cameron Crowe’s film, whom everyone loves to love and admire and most don’t bother to understand. With distinct shades and tendrils of blonde hair, she draws you into her world of Humble Pie and heartbreak, and in between commentary on what made the ’70s the ’70s and a slick soundtrack including Led Zeppelin, The Who and of course Elton John, she helps turn the film into one of the best of the 2000s.

It’s a career-defining performance for Kate Hudson, and she’s not the only one who delivers. Jason Lee grows a mustache and long hair to fall into his hilarious lead singer role while Billy Crudup is similarly unrecognizable as the talented and moody Russell Hammond. Patrick Fugit plays William Miller, younger than most but wiser than some, and he finds a terrific foil in Philip Seymour Hoffman, who plays famed music writer Lester Bangs. Throw in great work from Frances McDormand, Zooey Deschanel and even Jimmy Fallon and it’s a masterclass of terrific performances. If it’s been a while since you’ve revisited the movie, maybe throw on some purple-tinted sunglasses and kick back to the tune of Simon & Garfunkel’s “America.” Settle in, you’re almost home.

• An Almost Famous Quote To Remember: “If you never take it seriously, you never get hurt. If you never get hurt, you always have fun. And if you ever get lonely, you just go to the record store and visit your friends.” (Penny Lane)

10. No Country For Old Men (2007)

No matter what kind of film genre is up for discussion, the power and breadth of the Coen Brothers' filmography is worthy of inclusion, and they don't make 'em much better than 2007's No Country for Old Men. An adaptation of Carmac McCarthy’s 2005 novel that’s every bit as faithful as it is chilling, the film meticulously dips its toes most heavily into the cinematic waters of crime thrillers and westerns. That said, Javier Bardem’s unflinching hitman, Anton Chigurh, would be at home in any horror narrative, with his Two-Face-esque coin flips and an unstoppable drive that rivals Jason Voorhees or Michael Meyers. At least if a big ol’ stack of cash was also their end goal.

Despite being one of Joel and Ethan Coen’s driest films regarding their signature screwball humor, the movie is an exercise in tension that thrives on its lack of levity, though it’s hard not to smile whenever Woody Harrelson is on the screen in any capacity. With a stellar cast including Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt and more, No Country for Old Men is, to date, the only Coen brothers masterpiece to win them the Oscars for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Picture, with Bardem taking the gold for Best Supporting Actor. It’s not the awards that best signify its impact, however, but the bolt pistol gripped in Chigurh’s ever-steady hand.

• A No Country For Old Men Quote To Remember: “Well all the time ya spend trying to get back what's been took from ya, more is going out the door. After a while you just have to try to get a tourniquet on it.” (Ellis)

9. Memento (2000)

Talk about a movie that you definitely need to watch without your phone in your hand. Christopher Nolan’s Memento is a mind-bending combination of different angles that demands and deserves your entire attention. The story is told backward, broken up by clips of a black and white, forward-moving montage of a mysterious one-sided phone call in a hotel, led by Guy Pearce, whose character Leonard, also happens to have anterograde (or short-term) amnesia, stopping our protagonist from creating new memories as he looks for his wife’s killer, who also gave him this debilitating injury.

As mentioned, Nolan basically begins at the end and works his way back, for the most part. The juxtaposition of the timelines bring the audience into the obvious confusion that Leonard lives with every day. "Even if you get revenge, you're not going to remember it," he's told by his new friend Teddy (played by Joe Pantoliano) but his reply shows just how far his love and determination will go, stating "My wife deserves revenge whether or not I remember it."  Toss in Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss) to add some confusing sympathy (or treachery) and you will probably want a second viewing just to wrap your mind around what you might have initially dismissed as unimportant plot points from this Nolan classic. You’ll notice that Nolan has popped up numerous times on this list (and rightfully so) and he has also once again recently hit it out of the park with 2023’s Oppenheimer.  

• A Memento Quote To Remember: “So you lie to yourself to be happy. There’s nothing wrong with that. We all do it.” (Teddy G.)

8. Wall-E (2008)

Do you know who is a genius? Sound designer Ben Burtt. You might not know his name, but you certainly know the movies he contributed to over the years, including Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and 2009’s Star Trek. Burtt designed the “vocals” for R2-D2, Darth Vader’s heavy breathing, and the “voice” of E.T. But, his work truly soared when he lent dialogue to the adorable Waste Allocation Load Lifter assigned to an abandoned Earth. MIraculously, the first half of Pixar’s ingenious WALL-E works as a silent film, following our main character as it goes about its daily routine with a pet cockroach in tow. WALL-E’s life is upended when another robot named EVE arrives, searching for any sign of life. 

From there, the fate of humanity starts to be revealed, and it’s rather grim. Director Andrew Stanton’s animation for the film ranks as some of Pixar’s most magnificent, embracing the scorched orange of a deserted Earth and then painting with vivid colors for WALL-E’s eventual outer-space adventure. The environmental messages of the film are important without ever being preachy. And, the eventual romance felt and shared by WALL-E and EVE will lift every single heart, with the lovers sharing hardly any words. 

• A Wall-E Quote To Remember: “I see the ship's log is showing that today is the 700th anniversary of our five year cruise. Well, I'm sure our forefathers would be proud to know that 700 years later we'd be... doing the exact same thing they were doing.” (Captain B. McCrea)

7. The Departed (2006)

There are crime films and then there are Martin Scorsese crime films, and when it comes to The Departed, the director doesn’t let us down. A remake of the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs, the 2006 movie gives us a range of characters to root for, root against or simply watch just to see what they’ll do or say next. That includes Leonardo DiCaprio’s undercover cop character Billy Costigan, Matt Damon’s sneaky, spying Colin Sullivan, Jack Nicholson’s mob boss character Frank Costello, and Vera Farmiga’s well-meaning therapist Dr. Madolyn Madden. To say that things get complicated might be understating it, but it’s the complexity of the characters and their roles in this story that makes The Departed such a fantastic and gripping movie from beginning to end. 

In a way, it’s all business for everyone involved, but it’s also personal for each character on some level or another. It’s impossible not to feel anxious for DiCaprio’s character as he attempts to navigate the criminal world without being caught for who he really is, just as it’s impossible not to grow increasingly frustrated by Matt Damon’s character for posing as an upstanding law enforcer who’s actually up to no good. It’s thrilling, stressful, riveting and ultimately satisfying, and that’s not even factoring in Mark Wahlberg’s character every time he has something to say (that’s just a bonus). 

• A The Departed Quote To Remember: “You know what I like about restaurants? . . . You can learn a lot, watching things eat.” (Frank Costello)

6. Best In Show (2000)

Nobody does mockumentaries like Christopher Guest, and 2000’s Best in Show is an absolute masterclass. The mundane musings of everyday conversation combine with outlandish characters and awkward situations to deliver one of the best movies of the decade. The dog show is the event that brings these unique and individually brilliant characters under one roof, but it’s no Maguffin. As bonkers as each dog-lover’s trip is to get to the show, everything is turned up to 11, if you will, when they all come together, and the event itself is perfectly colored by Fred Willard’s commentary.

There’s a reason this phenomenal cast has stuck together to appear in other projects. The chemistry between Eugene Levy’s Gerry and Catherine O’Hara’s Cookie (with her “hundreds” of boyfriends) left people begging for more, which they got in A Mighty Wind. Jennifer Coolidge was excellent in her attempts to substantiate her marriage to her ancient sugar daddy husband by saying they bonded over a love of soup and the ability to “not talk or talk forever.” The genius casting of John Michael Higgins and Michael McKean gave audiences the married couple they never knew they needed. 

Best in Show exploits the banal in some situations while heightening reality in others, to where Harlan Pepper naming nuts and the couple describing how they met at Starbucks (but two different Starbucks) land laughs just as hard as Gerry’s literal two left feet or Cookie walking with her knee out of socket.

• A Best In Show Quote To Remember: “Why don’t they put the bloodhound — put on one of those Sherlock Holmes hats and put a little pipe in his mouth? Are they ever allowed to do anything like that? Dress up the dog in a funny way? It would really get the crowd going. You know what I mean? The Sherlock Holmes hat with a pipe. I don’t know if you could make it look like smoke is coming out of the pipe.” (Buck Laughlin)

5. Zodiac (2007)

David Fincher’s greatest accomplishment, and that’s saying a lot. The director has spent countless hours analyzing the compulsion that drives people to seek the truth – be it lawyers parsing through statements to figure out who invented Facebook (The Social Network), or detectives tracking a serial killer who is inspired by the Seven Deadly Sins (Seven). But Zodiac is Fincher’s magnum opus, an engrossing true-crime thriller based on the books of Robert Graysmith tracking the diligent work of three men consumed by the search for the identity of the Zodiac Killer. 

Jake Gyllanhaal serves as the ideal audience surrogate, a puzzle designer for the San Francisco Chronicle who gets swept up in the mystery of the serial killer, who antagonized the police and the media as he committed vicious murders around San Francisco in the 1970s, Fincher painstakingly recreates the time period with breathtaking visuals and top-notch costuming and set design. His emphasis on the bustle of a newsroom is particularly spot on. The film also lingers in the haze of fear, anxiety, and suspense that comes from a killer on the loose. But it’s the supporting roles of Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo, as well as an inability to truly deliver a concrete ending, that makes Zodiac such a rewatchable movie, and a captivating masterpiece.

• A Zodiac Quote To Remember: “I am not the Zodiac. And if I was, I certainly wouldn't tell you.” (Arthur Leigh Allen)

4. Mean Girls (2004)

From wearing pink on Wednesdays to shouting “You go Glen Coco” it’s undeniable that Mean Girls has seriously influenced pop culture over the last (almost) two decades. So, “get in loser,” it’s time to appreciate this beloved coming-of-age comedy from Tina Fey.

This movie is a classic teenage tale about a girl who moves from Africa to the United States where she experiences the rude awakening that is high school by way of The Plastics. While it’s your typical coming-of-age story, it’s infused with the signature sense of humor from Fey – who was in the midst of her legendary run at Saturday Night Live – and it shows the high school experience in a totally unique way with a cast of characters played by actors who have since become icons. 

Not only did the film solidify Lindsay Lohan as an early 2000s star, it also simultaneously jumpstarted the careers of many in the Mean Girls cast, including little known actresses like Rachel McAdams and Amanda Seyfried. On top of that, its legacy has lived on, as it was adapted into a Broadway musical, and is eventually coming back to the screen with an adaptation of said stage production. To say this film is a quintessential 2000s classic almost feels like an understatement because of the lasting impact it has managed to have on people of all ages since its release in 2004. 

• A Mean Girls Quote To Remember: "She doesn't even go here!" (Damian)

3. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)

You could argue that Jim Carrey makes much better dramatic movies than he does comedic features. And that opinion is coming from someone who adores Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, as well as Dumb & Dumber. But when you factor in the dramatic detours he embarked on for The Truman Show, Man on the Moon, and this incredible romance, you begin to wonder how many Oscars Carrey might have if he got the industry to treat him seriously, instead of talking out of his ass (literally). 

Carrey and Kate Winslet are magnificent as Joel and Clementine, two soul mates who undergo a radical procedure to have their memories of each other erased after a bitter argument. Only screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation) could keep such a twisty premise from flying off the rails. And while the side-mission actions of the memory technicians can get a little silly, we remain wholly invested in Joel and Clementine’s complicated journey because of the heartbroken and beautiful chemistry shared between Carrey and Winslet. It’s a real challenge presented to these stars, as we’re not supposed to know whether Joel and Clementine are better off together or apart. But the satisfying resolution says as much about fate as it does about the existence of true love, so long as we remember how and when to look for it.

• An Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind Quote To Remember: “Constantly talking isn’t necessarily communicating.” (Joel Barish)

2. The Dark Knight (2008)

It’s been said before, but it’ll be said again – The Dark Knight is one of the greatest superhero films (and one of the greatest movies) ever made. Christopher Nolan’s ambition as a filmmaker has been well-noted, but even he outdid himself with his 2008 follow-up to 2005’s Batman Begins. The second chapter in the journey of Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne sees the iconic DC Comics hero going up against the dangerous and unpredictable Joker. All the while, the Caped Crusader and his allies must also contend with mob bosses and Harvey Dent, Gotham City’s honorable district attorney who becomes the deformed Two-Face.

Where does one even start when it comes to singing this movie’s praises? There’s the impeccable screenplay, massive set pieces, engrossing score and much more. Yet I suppose what stands out the most are the performances, especially that of the late Heath Ledger. The actor, who posthumously won an Oscar for his work, fully committed to his role as the Clown Prince of Crime and is absolutely mesmerizing. His villainous turn is just one of the many reasons why Nolan’s film is a thrilling and compelling piece of work that’s still incredibly entertaining now, over a decade later.

• A The Dark Knight Quote To Remember: “Do I really look like a guy with a plan? You know what I am? I'm a dog chasing cars. I wouldn't know what to do with one if I caught it! You know, I just...do things.” (The Joker)

1. City Of God (2002)

Making its Brazil and festival run in 2002 and eventually hitting theaters in the U.S. and elsewhere  in the year that followed, Fernando Meirelles’ City of God, based on Paulo Lins’ semi-autobiographical novel of the same name, served as an inflection point in the world of cinema and served as a preview of what the the next few years would look like. Told through the eyes of young photographer Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues), the movie explores the life of street kids in the Cidade de Deus (City of God) favela in Rio de Janeiro, an expansive slum filled with endless supplies of drugs, ruthless gangsters, and corrupt cops who allow the madness to continue. One of the most violent movies of the 2000s, City of God is a lesson in brutality, especially whenever depicting the exploits of Li’l Dice (Douglas Silva), a ruthless and sociopathic young criminal who stops at nothing in his quest for complete control. Oddly enough, the older version of the character known as Li’l Ze (Leandro Firmino) never comes off as cold blooded as his younger self, which further illustrates the movie’s point about youth and violence. 

At the same time, City of God is also one of the most beautiful movies of the 2000s, and not just on an aesthetic level (though César Charlone’s cinematography is out of this world). The endearing spirit of those who wish to escape a life of crime, ranging from Rocket to the ill-fated drug dealer Benny (Phellipe Haagensen), adds a level of heart and soul one may not expect from a two-hour crime drama about young criminals with short fuses and, in many cases, tragically  shorter lifespans. 

• A City Of God Quote To Remember: “You need more than guts to be a good gangster; you need ideas.” (Rocket)

How we put this list together

Using a combination of internal recommendations and other best of lists, we compiled a spreadsheet of all the movies from the 2000s that we considered to be culturally relevant and/or critically well-reviewed. We pushed together some multi-part movies like Kill Bill and Lord Of The Rings and then had our staff of almost 30 go through and assign a score for each movie they’ve seen based on their own personal opinions. We disqualified any movies that didn’t get a minimum number of ratings and dropped the lowest score for each, as if we were judging a figure skating competition. We then ordered the top 100 based on average score and had someone who gave that movie a particularly high score write up a paragraph explaining what’s so great about it. This rigorous scientific process resulted in Idiocracy being slotted at 101, an omission I’m still furious about.

Pixar has been delivering feature films for almost thirty years at this point, giving us story after story. There have been some truly amazing movies that have come from the studio, which created characters that have lived on for years. I’m talking about Mike and Sully from Monsters Inc., Nemo from Finding Nemo, or even Woody and Buzz from the amazing Toy Story franchise. 

But, what about the underrated Pixar characters that we never get to talk about? In partnership with AMC Theatres, we are going to discuss the studio’s best underrated characters today, in honor of Pixar’s latest movie, Elemental, releasing in theaters on June 16th, which you can buy tickets to now. Before the movie arrives to heat up our summer, here are some of our picks for the most underrated Pixar characters. 

Violet – The Incredibles 

The Incredibles is truly a story full of incredible people – as you would presume. But how come no one ever talks about Violet? I see people online discuss Mrs. Incredible, Mr. Incredible, heck, even Dash more than Violet, and I’m not sure why, because to me, she’s the coolest out of all the Incredibles. 

Not only does she have a sick power in turning invisible – imagine everything you could do with that kind of power – she’s one of the most relatable characters of the movies. She’s a teenager just trying to fit in and struggling to do so, but slowly coming into her own and gaining the confidence she needs. That’s a great character, and honestly one of the best underrated Pixar ones I can think of. 

Art – Monsters University 

I feel like no one ever brings up Monsters University and I’m not sure why, because I really love the movie. It gave me that college feeling that I wanted as a high school freshman, while still being colorful enough to appeal to my kid side, and one of the characters I loved from the movie was Art. 

This long-legged creature was one of the funniest characters that Pixar had at the time, and created some moments in the movie that honestly made me laugh my butt off. And, the fact that Charlie Day, who is known for his hilarious comedic delivery, voiced him, made it all the better. 

Jessie – Toy Story Franchise

I’m pretty sure that Jessie was my first girl crush as a kid, not going to lie, because I thought she was so badass. Sure, we can talk about Woody and Buzz and how awesome they are as partners, but let’s talk about the real cowgirl here and pay attention to Jessie. 

Even though she was abandoned by her child, she leaves with Woody to go on a new adventure and ends up becoming as close with him as everyone else. Not only that, but she’s smart and knows her way around a lasso or two and has very clever ideas. You can’t help but love every time she yodels – Jessie is the first girl in a Pixar movie that truly had me smiling. 

Mr. Ray – Finding Nemo

Finding Nemo is such a great movie (which turned twenty in 2023, and it’s hard for me to even believe), but the one character that I need to talk about is Mr. Ray. 

We don’t see him for that long during the movie, only when he’s with the children of the fish, but every time I see his scenes whenever I’ve rewatch the movie, I feel a genuine smile come over my face. Mr. Ray reminds me of that one teacher you had back in elementary school who you’ll always hold dear to your heart because they did everything they could to make your lives at school that much more fun. 

Mr. Ray was always a sweetheart, and I will forever love him, which is why it’s sad no one ever really talks about him. 

Giulia – Luca

Giulia is me. I am Giulia. When I first watched Luca, I fell in love with this character. Yes, the friendship between Luca and Alberto is strong and honestly one of the best relationships that Pixar has shown in its new era of movies, but Giulia was the third person that really brought the whole dynamic together. 

She was kind, spunky, and had a heart of gold. She almost reminded me of the young version of Ellie from Up, because she had that same sense for adventure and exploring. She deserves to be talked about way more. 

Colette – Ratatouille 

She taught Linguine how to cook – that alone makes her deserve a spot on this list. I could never.

But, genuinely, Colette is a real one. Not only did she put up with the fact that Linguine was hired because of nepotism – because that’s exactly what happened – she helped him learn how to cook, grew feelings for him, and then somehow stayed with him when he revealed a whole kitchen full of rats cooking. 

She still left for a little bit when Linguine lied to her, but she ended up coming back and working with him after. That takes a strong woman to do that, and I have to give her props. So underrated. 

Captain B. McCrea – WALL-E

While I know that Captain B. McCrea didn’t really save humankind, just because if they kept sailing in space they would have probably turned out just fine, you have to give him props for taking on AUTO and barely being able to move his legs. 

While the humans are not the story in WALL-E, he was one human I could stand seeing more of, and I really adored his goofy nature before he put that away to become a real captain and take over the ship. 

Anger – Inside Out

Inside Out is one of those movies that comes once in a lifetime. It’s really unlike any other experience, and while everyone speaks about Joy and Sadness and how they both have to survive for the other to thrive, no one ever talks about Anger. 

Not only is Anger hilarious in the movie – as voiced by Lewis Black – but including Anger with Riley’s emotions is important to show that even as we get older, our anger can sometimes get the best of us – but often, we need to feel that anger to heal, which is what Riley does in combination with Sadness, Joy, and every other emotion towards the end of the film. We need to talk about those feelings more and he was a great example of that. 

Laurel – Onward 

Onward came out at quite possibly the worst time – at the very start of the COVID-19 pandemic – so it didn’t get the proper attention it deserved. However, Laurel is arguably one of the best Pixar mothers, even in 2023.

Not only was she there for her children in many ways after losing the love of her life, she faces her fears later on in the movie and is able to distract a whole dragon so her sons can finish their quest. Talk about a mighty warrior. 

Merida – Brave

She’s underrated in her own movie. I literally never see anyone talk about Brave. I know, I get it, it’s not the absolute best Pixar film. There are moments that could be improved upon. But Merida is the best part of that film. 

Not only is she a skilled archer and royalty, she’s fiercely independent, has a quirky attitude, and makes mistakes like all of us. She’s loyal to her family and her country, and deep down, does have a heart of gold and good intentions. She’s one of the best modern-day Disney princesses and I will stand by that. 

With Elemental releasing on June 16, 2023, who knows what characters we might want to add to this list in the future. Only time will tell… In the meantime, tickets for Elemental are now on sale. 

Being the highest grossing movie of all time — an honor still held to this day, domestically, by 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens — is, undoubtedly, something to be proud about. However, an achievement that does not get quite as much attention, but should, is being the highest grossing movie in a certain year. 

With help from TheNumbers.com, we were able to look at the North American (U.S.A. and Canada) box office data from 1970 to the present and discover what film proved to be the most financially successful of each year. Some of the results may surprise you.

1970: Love Story

These days, romantic dramas rarely amount to blockbuster levels of success, but this Oscar-nominated adaptation of Erich Segal’s bestselling novel proved that love really could conquer all in 1970. Starring Ryan O’Neal and Ali MacGraw as a modern Romeo and Juliet, Love Story raked in $106,397,186, which is especially impressive by that year’s standards.

1971: Billy Jack

Co-writer and director Tom Laughlin debuted as half-Navajo former Green Beret Billy Jack in 1967’s Born Losers, but it was the self-titled 1971 follow-up that made the character an icon, especially at the box office. Despite mixed reviews, according Rotten Tomatoes, audiences were drawn to Billy Jack’s message of peace and thrilling action sequences, resulting a $98 million win overall.

1972: The Godfather

Francis Ford Coppola was on top of the world in 1972. Not only would the first half of his adaptation of Mario Puzo’s The Godfather go on to become a Best Picture Oscar winner, but it was also the biggest hit of that year with more than $133.7 million in returns.

1973: The Exorcist

William Friedkin’s fact-based thriller about demonic possession, The Exorcist, has been plagued for years by rumors of being “cursed.” If that were true, it might not have become one of the greatest horror movies of all time or been 1973’s most successful movie with $193 million at the box office.

1974: Blazing Saddles

Mel Brooks’ iconic spoof movie targeting Westerns, Blazing Saddles, is jam-packed with so much offensive/politically incorrect material that it probably would never get made today. Yet, an unapologetically silly, boundary-pushing story like this one — in which a Black man (Cleavon Little) is suddenly appointed sheriff of a bigoted town in the late 1800s — must have been exactly what audiences were looking for in 1974, considering its $119.5 million gross.

1975: Jaws

The film credited as the very first blockbuster is one of the scariest Steven Spielberg movies, Jaws. The seminal creature feature achieved that honor by raking in $260 million and becoming the highest grossing movie of 1975, let alone of all time… for a little while, at least.

1976: Rocky

Sylvester Stallone’s breakthrough (as both star and writer of the first of the Rocky movies), was literally, a one-two punch. The iconic boxing drama beat out the competition at the box office in 1976 with more than $117.2 million and went on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

1977: Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope

The film that first surpassed Jaws as the highest-grossing movie of all time was George Lucas’ Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope, with — according to Box Office Mojo — a grand total of $460.9 million domestically. Yet, it only took an initial draw of $195.7 million for the movie that first launched the enduring Star Wars franchise to become the top movie of 1977.

1978: Grease

Grease was, indeed, the word in the mouths of the many moviegoers who went out to see the big, bright musical classic in 1978. Starring John Travolta and the late Olivia Newton-John as teen lovers in the 1950s, it sped to the top the year’s box office with more than $153 million.

1979: Superman

In 1979, people around the country flocked to the theater to see a man fly on the big screen. That man was Christopher Reeve as Superman — the title character of director Richard Donner’s classic superhero movie that flew to the top of the year’s box office by making more than $93.3 million dollars.

1980: Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back

It is probably no surprise that the second chapter of Lucas’ epic outer space saga — also widely considered the best Star Wars movie — became the highest grossing movie of 1980 with $181.4 million. Not only did The Empire Strikes Back outweigh the competition by roughly $80 million, it was also one of only two films to surpass $100 million that year (the other being the Richard Pryor/Gene Wilder-led Stir Crazy).

1981: Raiders Of The Lost Ark

The movie that solidified Harrison Ford — a man with many interesting facts to his name — as a box office king, saw his debut as globe-trotting, daredevil archeologist, Indiana Jones. Itself a tribute to the movies, Raiders of the Lost Ark was cinema’s biggest sensation in 1981, grossing $168.4 million.

1982: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial 

Years after his friend, George Lucas, took away his box office crown with Star Wars, Spielberg reclaimed the honor when his sci-fi family drama, E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, became the highest grossing movie of all time (and of 1982) with $321.8 million. 

1983: Star Wars: Episode VI — Return Of The Jedi

Out of the franchise’s original trilogy, Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi grossed the highest amount in the year it was first released. Not to mention, the epic "finale" was the highest grossing movie of 1983 after raking in more than $249.3 million.

1984: Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom

Ford’s adventurous fortune hunter returned bigger (and certainly scarier) with Spielberg’s first follow-up to Raiders. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom whipped the competition away in 1984 by earning $220.7 million.

1985: Back To The Future

I bet if Doc Brown’s Delorean existed, moviegoers would have used it to see one of the greatest time travel movies ever, Back to the Future, repeatedly, without having to buy subsequent tickets. However, they did have to buy additional tickets, which may have helped it become the top movie of 1985 with $193.1 million.

1986: Top Gun

For years, the most successful of Tom Cruise’s action movies was director Tony Scott’s Top Gun. The thrilling popcorn flick was also the most successful movie of 1986, having grossed $171.8 million that year.

1987: Beverly Hills Cop II

Tony Scott became the most financially successful director two years in a row when he helmed the 1987 sequel to one of Eddie Murphy’s best movies. Beverly Hills Cop II was the year’s biggest hit with $153.7 million.

1988: Rain Man

Dustin Hoffman gives one of his best performances (earning him an Oscar) as a man with autism and savant syndrome alongside Tom Cruise as his long-lost brother in Rain Man. Barry Levinson’s charming drama also won Best Picture after winning the box office in 1988 with $151.7 million.

1989: Batman

When it was first announced that Michael Keaton was cast to play the title role of Tim Burton’s Batman, fans immediately rejected the idea. However, they seemed to change their minds about him pretty soon, making one of the best live-action Batman movies ever the biggest hit of 1989 with a $251.2 million gross.

1990: Ghost

Ghost proved that by combining two successful, yet deeply contradicting, genres like romance and horror, you may have a big hit on your hands. Led by Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, and Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg, the moving drama knocked other 1990 movies dead with its earnings of $217.6 million.

1991: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Fans of James Cameron’s technophobic franchise of time-travel thrillers agree that Arnold Schwarzenegger came “back” better than ever with Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The acclaimed sequel was also a much bigger hit than its predecessor and the biggest hit of 1991 with $201.9 million.

1992: Batman Returns

Despite inciting controversy for its wicked tone and falling short of its predecessor’s success, Batman Returns still proved to be nothing short of a hit. Tim Burton’s second Michael Keaton-led DC comics adaptation topped the 1992 box office with $162.8 million.

1993: Jurassic Park

Spielberg would, again, prove that whatever he touches turns to gold with his stunning adaptation of Michael Crichton's inventive sci-fi thriller, Jurassic Park. It was likely the revolutionary special effects that helped it become the top-grossing movie of 1993 (and of all time, for a while) with $338.7 million.

1994: The Lion King

One of the all-time greatest animated Disney movies, The Lion King, is also one of the studio’s biggest money-makers. The film proved to be box office royalty, winning 1994 with $300.4 million.

1995: Batman Forever

Even without Michael Keaton or Burton, the Batman franchise was still on fire with Batman Forever. By raking in more than $184 million, the Joel Schumacher-helmed, Val Kilmer-led DC spectacle became the number one movie of 1995.

1996: Independence Day

The spaceships in 1996’s Independence Day are not the only reason it is one of the biggest and best alien invasion movies of all time. Audiences who made a $306.2 million hit out of the Roland Emmerich-helmed disaster flick also made Will Smith into a leading box office draw.

1997: Men In Black

Despite being one of Will Smith’s best movies, it may seem odd that Men in Black is the top-grossing movie of 1997, given that Titanic came out that same year. The inventive sci-fi comedy came out in the summer and ended its run with $250.7 million dollars, whereas James Cameron’s historical epic, which released in December, made only $157.5 million by the end of year.

1998: Titanic

While Titanic was released in 1997, it still managed to make more money than any film released the following year, raking in more than $488.1 million. The romantic, Oscar-winning, historical tragedy would, of course, go on to top the all-time box office charts for years with an overall domestic total of more than $600.7 million, according to Box Office Mojo.

1999: Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace

While the Star Wars prequels have experienced a bit of resurgence in more recent years, the trilogy — including The Phantom Menace — was initially met with backlash from die-hard fans. However, you wouldn't know that by looking at its impressive $430.4 million returns, which resulted in a towering box office win for 1999.

2000: How The Grinch Stole Christmas

The loot that Jim Carrey’s mean, green, holiday-hating recluse snatched in How the Grinch Stole Christmas didn't include $253.4 million. No, Ron Howard’s live-action Dr. Seuss movie earned that money at the box office fair and square, becoming the top-grossing movie of 2000 less than two months after its release.

2001: Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone

The year 2001 saw the beginning of one of the most extraordinarily popular movie franchises of all time. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone — adapted from the first book in J.K. Rowling’s young adult fantasy series — also became the most popular movie of that year, casting a $300.4 million spell.

2002: Spider-Man

Director Sam Raimi came a long way from making low budget horror films by bringing a beloved superhero to the big screen in one of the best non-MCU Marvel movies ever. The Tobey Maguire-led Spider-Man cast a huge web on the 2002 box office, raking in more than $403.7 million.

2003: Finding Nemo

People already had their choices of the best Pixar movie before the animation studio became a real box office juggernaut with Finding Nemo. Grossing more than $339.7 million, the story of a clown fish searching for his son was the number one movie of 2003.

2004: Shrek 2

A way to understand how impactful the Oscar-winning, animated fantasy send-up Shrek was is by looking at the box office of its sequel. Believed to be the best of the Shrek movies by some, Shrek 2 was the highest grossing movie of 2004 with $441.2 million.

2005: Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge Of The Sith

While considered by many to be best of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Revenge of the Sith fell several million short of The Phantom Menace. However, it still managed to top the 2005 box office with more than $380.3 million.

2006: Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Johnny Depp helped make swashbuckling cool again with Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean movies. The second chapter of the theme park attraction-inspired franchise, Dead Man’s Chest, brought in a lot of booty and conquered the 2006 box office with $423.3 million.

2007: Spider-Man 3

For a few different reasons — including an infamous dance scene — Spider-Man 3 is one of the webslinger’s least beloved films. Regardless, it ruled the box office in 2007, bringing in $336.5 million.

2008: The Dark Knight

Most people agree that Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight is the greatest live-action Batman movie ever made, mostly for Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning Joker portrayal. If you disagree, at least you cannot deny its financial success, winning the 2008 box office with a staggering $531 million.

2009: Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen

Fans of Michael Bay’s live-action reinvention of a popular toy line were excited to see what came next in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which topped the 2009 box office with $402.1 million, despite coming out the same year as James Cameron’s Avatar. The latter would go on to top the all-time charts with $785,221,649 — according to Box Office Mojo — but only made over $352 million of that in 2009, coming in second behind the alien robot sequel.

2010: Toy Story 3

Despite making $408.4. million in 2010, the ludicrously successful Avatar still fell short of topping that year’s box office chart overall and came in second to Toy Story 3. Pixar’s acclaimed tearjerker of a sequel raked in $415 million.

2011: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2

The year 2011 saw the end of one of the most popular franchises of all time. Fans brought the final installment of the Harry Potter movies (Deathly Hallows: Part 2) to a $381 million gross, making it the big winner for that year.

2012: The Avengers

Just four years after The Dark Knight shattered box office records, Marvel swooped in to bring things to new heights with a $623.4 million gross. The Avengers was already a monumental occasion by teaming up several iconic comic book characters in one film before it topped the 2012 box office.

2013: Iron Man 3

For years, the heart and soul of the MCU was Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, which totally makes sense of Iron Man 3 becoming the number one movie of 2013. Many fans expressed their disappointment over it, but it still made a tremendous $408.9 million.

2014: Guardians Of The Galaxy

The moment that convinced the world that Marvel could make a successful flick out of anything was when Guardians of the Galaxy became the highest-grossing movie of 2014. The comic book movie starring obscure cosmic characters also played a part in making Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, and Bradley Cooper some of the highest-grossing actors of all time.

2015: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Within just a few week after its release, the 2007 box office was officially conquered by Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which made $742.2 million that year. According to Box Office Mojo, J.J. Abrams’ fun revitalization of the beloved franchise would go on to become the highest grossing of all time with a domestic total of $936.7 million.

2016: Finding Dory

More than a decade after Nemo was found, fans grew excited to see Ellen DeGeneres’ Blue Tang find her parents… and herself in Finding Dory. The long-awaited sequel topped a lot of fierce competition in 2016 with a $486.3 million gross.

2017: Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Rian Johnson’s contribution to the Star Wars saga, The Last Jedi, did not quite match the success of The Force Awakens in a few different ways — only making $517.2 within nearly three weeks after its December release, for instance. However, that was enough to make it the top movie of 2017.

2018: Black Panther

Black Panther is a landmark for the MCU (and comic book movies in general) for starring one of the first Black superheroes as the lead, receiving a Best Picture Oscar nomination (and winning three statuettes), and making an incredible amount of money. Released in February, it still managed to beat Avengers: Infinity War as 2018’s biggest movie with a $700 million gross.

2019: Avengers: Endgame

Most fans agree that the greatest MCU movie ever is the epic finale to the Infinity Saga, Avengers: Endgame. A great indication of just how much fans love the film is its astonishing financial returns of $858.4 million, easily becoming the top movie of 2019.

2020: Bad Boys For Life

The year 2020 was not a good one for the box office (or anybody) due to Covid-19 causing a complete shutdown of the theater industry for a long time. This standstill allowed the January release of Bad Boys For Life to thrive as the Number One movie of the year with a $204.4 million gross.

2021: Spider-Man: No Way Home

Theaters came back in a big way with what many might consider to be the greatest live-action Spider-Man movie ever: Spider-Man: No Way Home. Because Andrew Garfield, Tom Holland, and Tobey Maguire could not convince fans that they would not be appearing in this multiverse-spanning film together, audiences made sure they would head to theater to see it, resulting in a 2021 chart-topping win with $572.9 million.

2022: Top Gun: Maverick

The person often credited with saving Hollywood in 2022 is Tom Cruise, with his return to one of his most iconic roles in Top Gun: Maverick. It was one of the best reviewed films of the year, earned several Academy Award nominations, and topped the year’s box office at $718.7 million.

Those were top-grossing movies of every year from 1970 to now!

2026 marks the 40th anniversary of Pixar Animation Studios. In that time, it has put together a slate of 30 movies that contains some of the best animated movies and some of the best movies the world has ever seen. When Pixar is at its best, few are any better.

Naming a “best Pixar movie” is arguably an impossible task, and a lot of people would have very different, and perfectly valid, answers to that question. We have our own opinion as well, of course. So here’s the rundown of every Pixar movie from the (obvious) bottom to the (perhaps not so obvious) top. .

30. Cars 2

Cars 2 is frequently cited as the worst of the Pixar flock, and while I would argue that the film isn’t actually as bad as the general consensus, it still qualifies for the bottom of the list. While a Pixar spy movie isn't a terrible idea by any means, it's not clear why anybody thought Cars was the right world to place it in. Following the release of Cars 3, the first sequel looks even more out of place, with its over-the-top storyline and focus on Mater, a character who works well as a sidekick, but is not movie star material.

29. The Good Dinosaur

There's nothing inherently wrong with The Good Dinosaur; the fact is that there just isn't a lot to recommend in it, either. The Pixar Dinosaur movie went through a much wilder production than nearly anything else Pixar has done, seeing the original version of the film entirely scrapped and complete character performances re-recorded by new actors. The result was just a mess of different ideas that told a decent enough story but lacked the magic that Pixar usually brings. It's saved from the bottom of the list for being one of Pixar's most technically impressive productions. It is truly visually stunning, but that's all the movie has going for it.

28. Monsters University

Monsters University has a unique message among animated films. Namely, the idea that just because you have a dream, it doesn't mean you're going to achieve it. Considering this is coming from the same parent company as "When You Wish Upon A Star," that's more than a little subversive, and I can support that. Unfortunately, the good part of the film that gives you this message is at the end, and the movie that builds to it takes too long to get there. Overall, as a complete movie, this sequel isn't anywhere near the level of its predecessor. The heart that put the original Monsters Inc. much higher on this list is completely missing until the finale, making it difficult to even want to get there.

27. A Bug's Life

Until you saw the picture above, you might have forgotten that A Bug's Life had ever happened. Pixar's second feature isn't bad, but while Toy Story resonated with viewers in a remarkable way, spawning an iconic franchise, A Bug's Life just didn't. It's an entertaining enough story, and a significant step in Pixar's animation skills from the first film, but in the grand scheme of things, this movie has been largely forgotten, and even removed from Disney’s theme parks.

26. Onward

​​Onward is a good movie. Let's get that out there right at the start. There's nothing about Onward that is bad. It's got a great setting, a suburban fantasy world where centaurs are cops, elves go to high school, and Manticores run themed entertainment restaurants, which is glorious. It's got solid characters, great voice acting, and exactly the sort of heartwarming emotional finale that you would expect from Pixar. But that's maybe the problem. Onward gives us what we expect, and not very much more. It felt like going through the motions more than most Pixar films.

25. Brave

It breaks my heart a little bit to put Brave so low on the list, as the movie does so many unique things that are worthy of note. It's got a female protagonist to start, the first Pixar film to do that. However, while Merida is a fantastic original character, the story that her movie tells is less so. The strongest character arc belongs to the protagonist’s mother, who spends most of the movie as a bear. It makes the story less satisfying for the audience.

24. Cars 3

Cars 3 was something of a return to form for the franchise. While it may not have been the surprise that the original film was, the newest entry in the Cars franchise from Pixar brought the story back to its core strengths, focusing on the relationship between Lightning McQueen and Doc Hudson and expanding on that story while starting Lightning down a new path with new friends. It's also a solid sports movie, a genre Pixar had never really touched before, but the studio shows admirable skill in dealing with the intricacies of racing. While not as good as its original entry, it's a vast improvement over the previous sequel.

23. Lightyear

While Lightyear may have been a story about a character whose name we knew, it was otherwise completely unique. The film’s premise was so odd that it required an on-screen explanation. It was not the story of the Buzz Lightyear toy that we knew from the Toy Story movies, but the movie that inspired the toy in the first place. It was Pixar’s first attempt at a more traditional science fiction action movie, and while not all audiences were on board with Lightyear, it should be given credit for trying something so different with something so familiar.

22. Incredibles 2

Of the various sequels to Pixar movies that we've seen over the years, the one that seemed the most obvious was also the one that took the longest to come along. If The Incredibles was a simple superhero story, then what makes more sense for a superhero franchise than a sequel? And Incredibles 2 mostly delivers. Picking up right where the last one left off, the sequel follows Elastigirl as she becomes the new face of superheroes, and Mr. Incredible is left to try to do all the stuff Mom used to handle. It's a simple and obvious enough premise, but it's pulled off with near clockwork precision. The finale may leave a bit to be desired, but it's one of the best Pixar sequels not called Toy Story.

21. Up

If we were ranking Pixar movies based on the first 10 minutes, Up would be at the top of this list. However, Up ultimately suffers from the opposite problem as Monsters University. While Up has one of the best openings in film history, the rest of the movie doesn't quite live up to where it begins. The love story that drives Carl gets a bit lost in the adventure, and while the adventure isn't without fun or heart, the entire movie isn't as good as the only part you actually remember. Still, that opening though. Damn.

20. Elio

Elio is another Pixar film that appeared to go through a lot of changes in development, including its director. The result is a movie that is clearly trying to find itself, but ultimately is still able to fight through its flaws to tug on the heartstrings thanks to a likeable protagonist and even better B-plot starring Zoe Saldana as Elio’s aunt.

19. Toy Story 4

Following Toy Story 3, fans assumed we were done with the adventures of Woody, Buzz, and the rest. Throughout the production of Toy Story 4, fans wondered why this was a movie that needed to be made. And maybe it didn't need to be made, but without question, Pixar and director Josh Cooley found a new story to tell worthy of the franchise. It reminded us that Toy Story is ultimately about Woody's journey, and that journey didn't end when Andy left for college.

18. Luca

While Pixar movies often have fantastical plots taking place in imaginative worlds, they are at their best when the core of the story is about the relationship between people. While Luca and Alberto may be sea monsters from beneath the waves, the story of Luca is one of deep friendship, or perhaps something more, and that’s why it struck such a chord with so many during its original pandemic release.

17. Finding Dory

Pixar took a chance with Finding Dory. Similar to what the studio did with Cars 2, it took a popular supporting character and built an entirely new movie around them. However, in this case, they did a much better job. Finding Dory makes a hero out of a character with a disability, something millions can relate to, but that rarely gets any attention on a movie screen. Dory is as emotionally touching as anything produced by Pixar. The film truly finds something new to say with this sequel, and it should be worthy of being in the top 10. If only there weren't so many other great Pixar movies.

16. Cars

While the lead characters of the Cars films may be the least human when compared to anything else Pixar has created, there is something about the world they inhabit that is the most real. Somehow, the inner humanity of the characters comes through in a story about finding oneself and learning what is truly important, even though the characters are machines. Also, it's got the best music of any film Pixar has made. There's a reason this franchise has endured as well as Toy Story, and this film is it.

15. Inside Out 2

The biggest knock against Inside Out 2 may be that, being a sequel to the absolutely amazing Inside Out, its near-perfection wasn’t a surprise. It takes the story of emotions in a logical direction, looking at how puberty affects us and the way it can radically change us. The new emotions, led by Maya Hawke’s Anxiety, are perfect foils and perfect complements to the existing cast. It’s a story all of us can relate to, or will be able to one day. Which explains Inside Out 2’s box office success.

14. Turning Red

A little Pixar short called Bao was one of the most unique pieces of storytelling that we had seen from the studio in quite some time, so when its director, Domee Shi, was given the reins of her own feature, we knew we were going to get something special. Turning Red found inspiration in boy bands and anime, not exactly typical Pixar material, but that’s why it works.. It was a breath of fresh air, but one that still retained the emotional core we expect from Pixar.

13. Elemental

Pixar is certainly no stranger to love stories, but Elemental was on another level. A true character drama that was entirely about two people and their relationship. Watching Ember and Wade fall in love was as beautiful as it has ever been for two human characters on film. Combined with some of the most complex animation we’ve ever seen from Pixar, Elemental is beautiful on every level.

12. Monsters Inc.

What else can be said about a movie with a relationship so powerful it spawned the unified theory of the Pixar universe? While the relationship between Sully and Boo is the emotional core of Monsters Inc, the friendship between Sully and Mike can't be overlooked, either. It may exceed the Woody/Buzz dynamic as Pixar's top friendship. These two are as close as brothers, and it was their relationship that eventually spawned a sequel. It also succeeds where many Pixar movies tend to stumble, in the villain department. With Randall, the movie has a foil that many Pixar movies either do without or tend to do poorly.

11. Toy Story

Make no mistake, Toy Story isn’t just one of the best ‘90s movies; it’s one of the most important films ever made. When Pixar first released a movie that was entirely computer-animated, nobody was quite sure how well it would work. While the movie has begun to show its age from a technical standpoint (take a look at the animation for Andy today), the fact is that without Toy Story, the rest of this list wouldn't even be here. It's a remarkable achievement in the history of filmmaking and will always be remembered as one of the best for that reason alone. But also, it's a really good movie about friendship and acceptance.

10. Hoppers

Every Pixar movie technically qualifies as a comedy, but none are as laugh-out-loud funny as Pixar’s newest film. Hoppers. Is truly hilarious, with its cast of incredible animal characters and equally ridiculous humans. What really makes Hoppers great, however, is that the movie's humor is never at the expense of its heart. You will fall in love with all of these hilarious characters as much as you have with any Pixar heroes.

9. Finding Nemo

Just start crying at the beginning and don't quit until the movie is over. Finding Nemo is the movie that showed us what an emotional punch Pixar was capable of delivering, and they've rarely done it better since. A character is faced with his child being taken from him, the most terrible thing a father could endure, and he goes to the ends of his earth to get him back. It's an adventure and a quest worthy of Joseph Campbell. Seeing the father and son reunited in the end is one of Pixar's great emotional rollercoasters.

8. Toy Story 2

The middle child of the Toy Story franchise. Toy Story 2 doesn't have the benefit of being the surprising first installment or the emotionally cathartic end to the trilogy, that yes, is still going. Still, it's a significant step forward for the franchise, and it worked as proof that Pixar could do sequels right. Everything from the animation to the story is taken to the next level. Also, we got introduced to Jessie (Joan Cusack), and her story, a much darker view of what it means to be a toy, is the main reason the movie is so good.

7. Coco

Pixar is great at creating magical worlds, but they're usually inhabited by equally magical characters. Coco, while it's still full of magic and wonder, is the most human story the studio has yet to tell. While the focus is on a culture that will be foreign to many, the themes of the importance of family are universal. Miguel feels so real and is the most relatable protagonist Pixar has ever created. Coco is a movie that celebrates a particular culture, but it’s a movie that can be enjoyed by all. The Land of the Dead is a visual treat throughout, and while it's not Pixar's first musical, it's proof Pixar could make one.

6. Ratatouille

The criminally underrated Pixar movie award, without a doubt, goes to Ratatouille. Patton Oswalt is fantastic as the rat Remy, who simply wants to cook. While many films are about chasing dreams while facing impossible odds, there is no better underdog story than this one. It's truly unique as a film, even among Pixar's eclectic mix, and shouldn't be overlooked by anybody. Everything about the movie, from its focus on cooking to its French location, is more than a little weird, but it all just plays into the fact that Pixar has never made a movie quite like this one.

5. Toy Story 3

For a generation that grew up with Pixar's Toy Story series, the end of the trilogy was a special experience. Toy Story 3 had a lot it needed to accomplish, but it did all of it nearly perfectly. It brought the characters full circle, wrapped up the story of Andy's childhood, created a solid villain for the movie to overcome, and did it all while still being funny. It also has one of the most truly chilling moments that Pixar has ever envisioned, a frightening moment that probably scarred a generation of children.

4. The Incredibles

Before superhero movies reached the absolutely explosive levels that they now have, Pixar showed Marvel and DC how to do it right with their own film in the genre. The Incredibles is a fantastic superhero movie and a beautiful family drama. Each member of the family is complete and fully realized, and while the film still has the emotional core that we expect from Pixar, it's also a fantastic action movie. Truly, it's still one of the best superhero movies yet made.

3. Inside Out

There are great movies, and then there are important ones. Inside Out is both. It should be shown to every growing child in school as they begin to mature and learn to deal with their own new emotions. An incredibly simple premise, giving personality to different emotions, as a young girl goes through the challenges of moving to a new city with her family, becomes so much deeper upon closer examination. It's a story that literally anybody can relate to and one that can't help but kick you right in the heart, even on repeat viewings. It's the pinnacle of not just what animation, but filmmaking, is capable of doing. It holds a mirror up to life and helps us understand ourselves just a little bit better.

2. Wall-E

You know you've done something special when you can tell an epic love story without saying a word. Up did it in the first 10 minutes of the movie, but Wall-E, one of the best movies of the 2000s, does it for the entire runtime of the story. There's barely a word of dialogue in the first half of the film, but that doesn't keep us from falling in love with Wall-E and Eve as they fall in love with each other. The animation has to tell the story, and it does so perfectly. A movie like this was a serious gamble, but it paid off big time with one of the best science fiction movies ever made.

1. Soul

Soul is the culmination of everything Pixar has done to date. Maybe, if Soul had arrived at a different time, it would have meant something different, but it arrived during a pandemic, and it asked its audience to do the most radical thing imaginable: appreciate being alive. A jazz soundtrack melds with the Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross score perfectly. Next-level animation creates the world of "The Great Before" in a way that feels perfectly ethereal. It's just a special film and the best we've seen from Pixar so far.

30 films down, Pixar’s track record is unparalleled. But the studio won’t be taking a victory lap anytime soon. Toy Story 5 is set to hit theaters later this year. And with a combination of original films, like Gatto, and sequels, including Coco 2 and Incredbles 3, it’s likely Pixar will continue producing great movies for everybody to enjoy.

Whenever the conversation of the best living actors and actresses starts up, one name that doesn’t come up enough is Allison Janney. Seriously, over the course of her career, the talented film, TV, and stage star has won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, seven Primetime Emmy Awards, dozens of other accolades, including two Tony nominations, and appears to be a genuinely amazing person.

Don’t believe me? Well, just take a look at some of the best Allison Janney movies and TV shows that show off everything she’s working with, whether it be comedy, drama, or one of the most respected series of all time (which she has referenced time and again). And just in case you want to check these out for yourself, we’ve included streaming links and other ways to give them a spin.

To Leslie (2022) 

Michael Morris’ grueling 2022 drama film, To Leslie, centers on Andrea Riseborough’s titular character after she wins nearly $200,000 in a West Texas lottery that could forever change the course of her life and bring an end to her lifelong downward spiral. But instead, the fortune is squandered, leaving Leslie, her son, James (Owen Teague), her mother, Nancy (Allison Janney), and everyone else in her orbit to pick up the pieces.

Riseborough’s incredible and incredibly heart-wrenching portrayal of a woman in crisis is astounding, as is the rest of the cast, including Janney. The Academy Award-winning actress shines in the role of a loving yet fed-up mother, and she provides the emotional anchor throughout stretches of the movie.

Rent/buy To Leslie on Amazon.

Lou (2022) 

The 2022 Netflix movie, Lou, sees Allison Janney try her hand in the world of action thrillers in a movie that sees her take on the role of a former CIA agent living on an island off the coast of Washington. When her tenant’s former lover, who was presumed dead, shows up in town and kidnaps his daughter, Janney’s Lou Adell becomes the young girl’s only chance.

Anna Foerster’s tense thriller is full of twists and turns, with major revelations being brought to the surface throughout its nearly two-hour runtime. Janney is especially convincing as a former field agent with secrets (and skills) she wishes to keep hidden.

Stream Lou on Netflix.

I, Tonya (2017)

Margot Robbie’s portrayal of Tonya Harding was at the center of the 2017 biographical drama, but it was Allison Janney who stole the show, and won her first Academy Award for her take on the infamous figure skater’s mother, LaVona Golden. How the actress played the abusive mother who pushed her daughter to greatness but also down a troubled path was nothing short of masterful.

What’s really impressive about Janney’s performance in Craig Gillespie’s shocking and wickedly funny sports drama, which also netted her a Golden Globe, is that there are times where it’s hard to tell if you’re watching the real LaVona Golden or an actress. And the mockumentary style of the picture also gives Janney’s character even more time to shine.

Stream I, Tonya on Hulu.
Buy/rent I, Tonya on Amazon.
Get it on Blu-ray on Amazon. 

The West Wing (1999 - 2006)

Over the years, there have been several great TV shows set in the White House, like Veep and House of Cards, but neither of those or others like them hold a candle to the greatness that was Aaron Sorkin’s landmark series, The West Wing. And who had a prominent role in the show’s expansive ensemble cast? None other than Allison Janney, whose character, C.J. Cregg, went from Press Secretary to Chief of Staff by series end. 

Janney won an impressive four Primetime Emmy Awards (twice as a Supporting Actress, twice for Lead Actress), four Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a whole slew of nominations and other accolades. I think the hardware speaks volumes about Janney and her breakout role. And don’t get me started on her walk and talk technique.

Stream The West Wing on HBO Max.
Buy The West Wing on Amazon.
Get it on DVD on Amazon. 

Juno (2007)

As far as movie moms go, there are few that are in the same category as Bren MacGuff (Allison Janney) in Jason Reitman’s 2007 coming-of-age comedy, Juno. When Juno MacGuff (Elliot Page) becomes pregnant at a young age and decides to go through with the pregnancy and give up the baby for adoption, her stepmom is right there beside her through it all and is supportive as can be, even though she is under no obligation to be so.

In a movie that is also filled with tremendous and heartfelt performances by the likes of J.K. Simmons (in one of his best roles), Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, and Michael Cera, Janney remains one of the most beloved and endearing throughout. Upon repeated viewings, it’s easy to catch subtle acts by the caring woman that show she is willing to sacrifice her own happiness and comfort for that of her child.

Stream Juno on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Juno on Amazon.
Get it on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon. 

Mom (2013 - 2021)

When talking about the best Allison Janney movies and TV shows, you can’t go too long before her long-running sitcom, Mom, is brought up. Over the course of eight seasons, Janney took on the role of Bonnie Plunkett, a recovering alcoholic who rekindled her relationship with her daughter, Christy (Anna Faris), who was also battling addiction.

Janney would end up taking home two more Primetime Emmy Awards for her role on the successful series, and she was more than deserving of both. The way Janney handled some delicate topics with grace, care, and most importantly, humor, was a breath of fresh air to the format. And, it doesn’t hurt that she and the rest of the cast had tremendous chemistry.

Stream Mom on Hulu.
Buy Mom on Amazon.
Get it on DVD on Amazon. 

American Beauty (1999)

A movie that made a surprisingly large amount of money at the box office, American Beauty largely centers on Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey), a middle-aged man in the midst of an existential crisis that wraps up not just his family but also his neighbors, coworkers, and his children’s friends as he begins losing touch with the world around him.

But the Burnhams aren’t the only family going through their own personal hells in American Beauty, as their new neighbors, the Fitts, also have a tremendous amount of pain and confusion in their home. This is best seen in the character of Barbara (Allison Janney), who is largely silent and despondent throughout the movie. And even though she only says a few words, Janney’s body language speaks volumes.

Stream American Beauty on Pluto.
Rent/Buy American Beauty on Amazon.
Get it on Blu-ray on Amazon. 

Finding Nemo (2003)

Although not the best Pixar movie, Finding Nemo is in that top tier of the studio’s body of work, and a lot of that can be attributed to the cast and the way they help flesh out the story about a clownfish going to great lengths to reunite with his missing son. And yeah, that includes Allison Janney’s character, Peach, the sea star who helps Nemo escape a fish tank.

One of the best examples of Janney’s brilliance in this role comes during a scene when the group of sea creatures living in the fish tank are supposed to escape, an attempt that is thwarted by a new filtration system. The way she goes from saying “Good morning” with so much glee to a state of panic is incredible, and adds a nice pop to the scene.

Stream Finding Nemo on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Finding Nemo on Amazon.
Get it on Blu-ray on Amazon. 

The Help (2011)

Tate Taylor’s 2011 hilarious and poignant comedy-drama, The Help, has its share of incredible characters played by Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer, and Jessica Chastain, but it would be impossible to discuss the movie about a young writer shedding light on the stories of the Black women who worked in prominent Jackson, Mississippi households without mentioning Allison Janney.

Sure, Janney’s character, Charlotte Phelan, doesn’t have the courage of her daughter, Skeeter (Stone), at least not initially, but she more than makes up for it in the latter part of the movie. Everyone loves a good story of someone coming around and seeing the flaws in their ways, which is very much the case here.

Stream The Help on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy The Help on Amazon.
Get it on DVD on Amazon.

Masters Of Sex (2013 - 2015)

The Showtime drama series, Masters of Sex, largely focused on the professional and personal lives of human sexuality researchers William Masters (Michael Sheen) and Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) in the mid-part of the 20th Century, but the show also featured a great number of guest stars, including Allison Janney.

Throughout parts of the series, Janney popped up as Margaret Scully, a close friend of Masters and Johnson who goes throughout a sexual reawakening thanks to their research and becomes a stronger, more independent, and happier woman in the process. And, it should be noted Janney won a Primetime Emmy Award for her portrayal.

Buy Masters of Sex on Amazon.
Get it on Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Way Way Back (2013)

The 2013 coming-of-age comedy, The Way Way Back, is a movie that doesn’t get nearly as much recognition as it deserves, which is a shame considering it tells a tremendous story about an awkward teen named Duncan (Liam James) who finds himself over the course of a summer spent at the seaside. 

It also doesn’t hurt that Nat Faxon and Jim Rash put together one hell of a cast that includes Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph, and Allison Janney, who plays Betty, Duncan’s neighbor for the summer. She’s direct, honest, and always with a drink in hand, making her one of the most electric and exciting characters of the bunch.

Stream The Way Way Back on Hulu.
Stream The Way Way Back on Freevee.
Rent/Buy The Way Way Back on Amazon.
Get it on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)

The 1999 dark comedy mockumentary, Drop Dead Gorgeous, follows a group of teenagers participating in a small town beauty pageant, but things take a turn when the contestants begin dying under rather suspicious circumstances. 

In addition to serving as one of Amy Adams’ first movies, Drop Dead Gorgeous also helped take other rising stars to the next level, including Kirsten Dunst, Denise Richards, and Allison Janney. Throughout the movie, Janney’s character, Loretta, is an absolute firecracker who gets the most out of every scene, even those where she’s in the background. You won’t find it streaming (for now), but it’s more than worth the DVD purchase to see Janey in action.

Get it on DVD on Amazon.

Bombshell (2019)

Bombshell, which followed several female Fox News employees in their attempt to expose Roger Ailes (John Lithgow) for unwanted sexual advances, is a wild ride from start to finish. In the middle of that storm is Susan Estrich (Allison Janney), a complicated character who provides Ailes with legal device.

Throughout each of her scenes, Janney does an incredible job of personifying the conflicted nature of her character. By the end, you don’t necessarily love the character or what she represents, but it’s impossible to not give the actress props for her approach to the role.

Rent/Buy Bombshell on Amazon.
Get it on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Hairspray (2007)

Hairspray, the 2007 remake of John Waters’ cult classic of the same name, tells the story of Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Bolonsky), a teenage girl with aspirations of earning a spot on The Corny Collins Show in hopes of bringing about radical change to the popular series and the city of Baltimore in general, while also having a lot of fun.

Allison Janney steps in as Prudence “Prudy” Pingleton, Tracy’s best friend’s racist, close-minded, fun-hating, nosy mother who fears change more than she fears God. Janney is remarkable in her portrayal of such an unlikable person in the musical comedy and stands out as one of the most detestable characters of the movie.

Stream Hairspray on HBO Max.
Stream Hairspray on Freevee.
Rent/Buy Hairspray on Amazon.
Get it on DVD on Amazon.

Expect this list to keep growing in the coming months, as Allison Janney is set to appear in True Love, Gareth Edwards star-studded sci-fi drama set to be released near the end of the 2023 movie schedule. Janney will also return to the small screen for the Apple TV+ period comedy series, Mrs. American Pie, which could very well end up being one of the biggest 2023 new shows.   

It has been more than a quarter of a century since Toy Story opened in theaters and completely changed the landscape of animated feature films. In that time, there have been several dozen beautifully written, animated, and acted Pixar movies (as well as countless titles from other studios who followed in their wake), introducing generations of moviegoers to imaginative worlds on ground, underwater, and in the heavens, enchanting them with unparalleled imagination and attention to detail. 

But, some of the stories from the making of the best Pixar movies, like Finding Nemo, Wall-E, and Inside Out, are just as fascinating as what ended up on the screen, and we’re going to explore those stories with these behind the scenes facts.

The Pixar Team Came Up With The Ideas Behind Four Of The Studio’s Biggest Films During A Lunch Meeting In 1994

Sometimes, writers, directors, and studios come up with some of their best ideas over the course of several years or even decades, but that was not the case for the braintrust at Pixar, who came up with several ideas that would later become successful films all during one lunch meeting. 

In the summer of 1994, when the team was still hard at work on their feature film debut, Toy Story, several of the members went out to lunch and came up with the basic premises and characters that would one day be brought to life in A Bug’s Life, Monsters Inc., and Finding Nemo, three of the most beloved titles from the studio’s early offering of movies. In a 2008 New York Times article about that fateful lunch, it was revealed that not only did the studio come up with three of its first five movies in a single meeting, they also drew up what would later become Wall-E, a project that wouldn’t see fruition until 14 years later.

The Toy Story Cast Had To Go Back And Record Every Bit Of Dialogue A Second Time

The Toy Story cast was one of the greatest group of voice actors ever assembled at the time of its November 1995 release, and is still remembered for the way in which they brought inanimate objects to life and gave them a wide range of emotions and actions never before seen. 

But, the work by the cast began many years earlier, in 1991, when they began recording the first version of the movie, a version that was later scrapped. In a 2019 interview with BBC Radio 1, Tom Hanks recalled the experience:

This decision to go back and record a new version of Toy Story was the result of the infamous “Black Friday” incident, in which Disney executives put the production on hold because they were not pleased with the tone of the film and depictions of certain characters, according to a 1995 EW story on the film’s tumultuous production. Basically, the movie wasn’t fun and Woody was a massive jerk, and changes needed to be made. 

Pixar Used A ‘Bugcam’ To Capture Research Footage While Designing A Bug’s Life

Pixar’s second feature film, A Bug’s Life, was a technological achievement in terms of animation and attention to detail upon its release in 1998 (and remains so 23 years later), and a lot of that has to do with countless hours of research the team conducted during the project’s development. 

In a documentary about A Bug’s Life that accompanied its home release, co-director John Lasseter revealed that the team of animators constructed a “Bugcam,” essentially a small camera on a set of wheels, that they then used to capture the world as insects and small animals see it. This footage, which featured close-up shots of various grasses, flowers, and other plants, influenced the look of the film and opened the animators’ eyes to the finer details of the microcosms.

Pixar Created A Hairball For Fur Tests In Monsters, Inc. And Pete Docter Liked Them So Much It Was Used For Background Characters

During the early planning stages for Monsters, Inc., the team at Pixar developed a technology that allowed them to create near-photorealistic hair that ended up being used to bring the various creatures to life in the final version of the movie. 

To test out this new technology, the team created a character dubbed “Hairball” that could simulate different types of hair and fur in an assortment of different situations. In the documentary Monsters, Inc. — CGI Making Of, Thomas Porter and Steve May revealed director Pete Docter became so attached to “Hairball” that the team ended up making different variations of the creature that were then inserted into the background throughout the movie.

Finding Nemo’s Director Completely Reworked The Dory Character Because Of An Episode Of Ellen

Dory will forever go down as one of the most beloved Pixar characters, but the iconic tang fish who helps Marlin relocate his missing son in Finding Nemo was originally something entirely else. During a 2020 conversation with the Los Angeles Times, writer-director Andrew Stanton admitted that he initially wrote the character as male,  but was having major writer’s block and just couldn’t get things to work out. Then, he overheard Ellen DeGeneres on a show his wife was watching, and it changed everything:

That random episode of Ellen not only changed the course of Finding Nemo, it also gave Pixar one of its most popular movies, and a spinoff based on Ellen DeGeneres’ character later on, with Finding Dory.

Toy Story 2 Was Almost Lost After Pixar Accidentally Deleted The Animation Files Prior To Its 1999 Release

For many, Toy Story 2 is the best entry in the franchise, but there was a point during production of the 1999 sequel where it looked like all was lost. According to The Independent, the animation files that would populate the movie were accidentally deleted when someone mistakenly ran a command that essentially deletes all the files in a specific system, meaning everything that the team had worked on up to that point was gone. 

When the first attempt to secure the files from the backup system failed (Pixar discovered that the backup program hadn’t been working for a month leading up to the mishap), it was discovered that supervising technical director Galyn Susman had the files on her home computer, because she had been working at home following the birth of her son. The team was able to secure the files and save Toy Story 2 from an unfortunate death.

The Original Version Of Cars Didn’t Focus On Lightning McQueen, But A Yellow Electric Vehicle

The 2006 Pixar film, Cars, introduced one of the studio’s most popular characters, Lightning McQueen, but the original plan for the movie called not for a cocky race car but a yellow electric vehicle who was to embark on a much different journey than Owen Wilson’s high-octane hero. 

In The Art of Cars, John Lasseter revealed that the movie grew out an idea (around the time of A Bug’s Life’s production) called The Yellow Car, which focused on an electric car living in a small town (like Radiator Springs in the final version) who was disliked by the other cars because of his differences. Ultimately, Lasseter said there wasn’t enough there to make a feature film. However, several concepts and characters from The Yellow Car found their way into Cars a decade later.

Pixar Animators Went On Field Trips To Dumps In Oakland, California, To Conduct Research For Wall-E

The post-apocalyptic and lonely world featured in Wall-E is at times one of the most disgusting settings featured in a Pixar movie and at others one of its most beautiful. To better imagine a planet long deserted by humans after the effects of pollution and mountains of trash made it beyond repair, the crew at Pixar went on a rather unique research trip. A 2008 Rotten Tomatoes piece breaking down the production of Wall-E revealed that artists visited multiple dumps in and around Oakland, California, where they studied the textures and colors of what they found to bring a sense of reality to their animated film.

The Emotional Opening Montage In Up Was Inspired By Random Home Videos The Pixar Crew Found On Ebay

The opening montage in Up remains one of the most emotional segments in any Pixar movie for the way it perfectly captured the ups and downs of the life shared by Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner) and his wife, Ellie. In a 2010 Los Angeles Times interview, director Pete Docter revealed that composer Michael Giacchino bought a random collection of home videos on eBay that they then went through to come up with ideas for the iconic sequence:

From there, the team at Pixar began piecing together the lives of these random people and eventually came up with the sequence of events that ended with one of the most emotional deaths the studio has ever created.

Inside Out Originally Had Many More Emotions Than Those Featured In The Final Movie

In 2015’s Inside Out, Pete Docter and his team at Pixar managed to turn five emotions — Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust — into meaningful, well-rounded characters, but nearly a couple of dozen other feelings didn’t make the cut. In a 2015 USA Today piece on the movie’s home release, Docter revealed that they had as many as 26 different emotions before he and his team started whittling them down. Some of these included schadenfreude, ennui, pride, and hope. In the end, the cuts were made so that Inside Out could have a more streamlined story, and the fact that the five main emotions already included so many of the other feelings.

Honestly, setting on just 10 behind-the-scenes facts from the making of Pixar movies was no easy task, and with the studio’s slate of upcoming projects, we’ll surely be making additions in the future. In the meantime, get all caught up on all the upcoming Disney movies.

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It is no surprise that whenever one of us starts any given Pixar movie we immediately hold it to a higher standard simply because of the studio’s proven track record of producing hit after hit for more than a quarter-century. That can be said for Luca, the studio’s latest animated adventure about a sea monster obsessed with humans who becomes the thing he admires and his parents fear. This transfixing and ambitious coming-of-age story made for one of the most enjoyable summer 2021 movies and allowed us to escape the hustle and bustle of our lives and go off to director Enrico Casarosa’s version of the Italian Riviera.

After watching the beautifully written and expertly executed story, you may be looking for other movies like Luca. The following list contains a few examples of Disney and Pixar’s partnership, several of Studio Ghibli’s best offerings, and a few live-action movies that capture some of the emotions and themes seen in Luca.

The Little Mermaid (1989)

Ariel (Jodi Benson), the rebellious 16-year-old daughter of King Triton (Kenneth Mars) is fascinated with life beyond the ocean floor and dreams of living her life on land. After falling in love with a human prince, Ariel will do anything to be with him, even if it means giving up everything she loves to make a deal with villainous Ursula (Pat Carroll)

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Luca**:** There are the on-the-surface comparisons between Luca and The Little Mermaid like how both start out underwater and feature main characters who are obsessed with all things human, but there are also a few more. One of the most striking similarities is the way in which both films are metaphors for the waning days of childhood and how children and their parents deal with the thought of growing up and breaking out.

Stream The Little Mermaid on Disney+.

Rent/Buy The Little Mermaid on Amazon.

Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)

Upon turning 13 years old, a young witch by the name of Kiki moves to a seaside town along with her talking cat, Jiji, to spend a year alone training, as per tradition. To hone her skills, make a little money, and make friends in her new home, Kiki begins a special delivery service, making the most out of her flying broom. The journey, however, isn’t all fun and games, especially when self-doubt sets in, potentially ruining everything.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Luca**:** The presence of the 1989 Studio Ghibli classic Kiki’s Delivery Service can be felt throughout Luca and is a perfect companion piece. Sure, there are the seaside town comparisons and main characters setting off on life-changing adventures, but there is also something more here. Both of these movies do a brilliant job of touching on the fear, isolation, and struggles of following your dreams as well as the triumph of victory.

Stream Kiki’s Delivery Service on HBO Max.

Buy Kiki’s Delivery Service on Amazon.

Up (2009)

When his wife falls ill and dies just before they are to set off on a journey they had been planning since childhood, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen (Edward Asner) equips his house with hundreds of balloons and sets off for Paradise Falls where a life-changing adventure awaits.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Luca**:** The 2009 Pixar instant-classic Up (which has one of the most heartbreaking openings in the studio’s history) does a great job of showing that it’s never too late to wreck the status quo and break out on your own on a meaningful adventure. Like Luca, this adventure film shows what great things can come when you leave your comfort zone and open up to the world around you.

Stream Up On Disney+.

Rent/Buy Up on Amazon.

Ponyo (2008)

When off on a journey to the world beyond the ocean, Ponyo, a goldfish princess, meets and strikes up an immediate friendship with a human boy named Sosuke. But as Ponyo begins to spend more time above the surface of the water, the more human-like she becomes, which troubles her stern and protective father. Upon escaping her father’s kingdom, the real fun and danger begin for Ponyo and everyone in the nearby village.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Luca**:** Like with Kiki’s Delivery Service, it’s easy to see the ways in which Luca’s director, Enrico Casarosa, drew from Studio Ghibli and Ponyo in terms of storytelling, themes, and animation. With shapeshifting sea creatures, characters wanting to find their place in the world, and parents trying their hardest to protect their young from the dangers of the world, the comparisons are endless.

Stream Ponyo on HBO Max.

Buy Ponyo on Amazon.

Pinocchio (1940)

When a lonely woodworker named Geppetto (Christian Rub) wishes that a recently finished puppet was a real boy, a fairy makes his dreams come true, resulting in the creation of Pinocchio. Although conscious, the wooden boy is naive and prone to the trickery of the cruel world beyond his creator’s wood shop, creating quite a dilemma.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Luca**:** Although it is never said outright in the movie where the events of Pinocchio take place, the 1883 fairytale on which it is based is set in a small seaside Italian village. Much like Luca, the 1940 Disney classic touches on how young and innocent characters deal with the unforgiving nature of the modern world and its most unsavory of characters. On top of that, both films do a great job of showing the lengths a parent will go to protect their children.

Stream Pinocchio on Disney+.

Rent/Buy Pinocchio on Amazon.

Coco (2017)

Miguel, a 12-year-old aspiring musician, wants to do one thing and one thing only: follow in the footsteps of his idol Ernesto de la Cruz. But there’s one major catch: his family has a generations-old ban on music. When Miguel sets off to prove himself as a guitarist he is transported to the colorful and magical Land of the Dead, where he uncovers a part of his family’s history that has long since been forgotten and could potentially be lost forever.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Luca**:** If you were taken away by the wonder of Luca’s visuals and great coming-of-age story, then Coco is perfect for you. Paying both tribute and respect to Mexican culture much like Luca did with the Italian Riviera, this beautifully animated journey brings with it wonderful messages about following your dreams, being true to yourself, and what it means to be family.

Stream Coco on Disney+.

Rent/Buy Coco on Amazon.

Castle In The Sky (1986)

When a young orphan by the name of Sheeta escapes the government agent taking her to a military prison and a group of pirates attempting to steal a mysterious crystal around her neck, the princess sets off on a magical journey with a young orphan during which they discover a mythical floating city with an abundance of treasure.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Luca**:** The 1986 Studio Ghibli film Castle in the Sky doesn’t seem like it has a lot in common with Luca on the surface, but both films feature main characters who form an unbreakable bond with newfound friends from a different way of life and evade persecution and exploitation by society.

Stream Castle in the Sky on HBO Max.

Buy Castle in the Sky on Amazon.

The Fox And The Hound (1981)

The childhood bond shared by Tod the fox (Mickey Rooney) and Copper the hound dog (Kurt Russell) is put to the ultimate test as they grow older and begin to fall in line with their natural instincts.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Luca**:** The heartbreaking 1981 Disney classic The Fox and the Hound, like Luca, tells a story that argues that despite our differences we should strive to come together for a better world. Both films also deal with being true to yourself, even if it means going against your very nature.

Stream The Fox and the Hound on Disney+.

Rent/Buy The Fox and the Hound on Amazon.

Finding Nemo (2003)

Marlin (Albert Brooks), an overly cautious clown fish goes through an experience no parent wants to think about: the abduction of a child. Together with a strong-willed blue reef fish named Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), who has the memory of a goldfish, Marlin sets out on an epic journey to track down his missing son, meeting all sorts of creatures and dangers along the way.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Luca**:** When looking Luca and Finding Nemo, it’s easy to see a comparison in terms of both movies taking place in or near the ocean, but there are also a few other things the two Pixar films have in common. First, both have a great pairing of anxious protagonists who break out of their shell because of new, strong-willed friends. And then there is the idea of parents doing anything and everything to find and protect their young, no matter what it takes.

Stream Finding Nemo on Disney+.

Rent/Buy Finding Nemo on Amazon.

La Luna (2012)

Enrico Casarosa’s 2012 animated short La Luna follows a young Italian boy named Bambino as he sets off on a boat trip with his father and grandfather, who can’t seem to agree on anything. When Bambino is tasked with climbing a ladder to reach the moon, he finds his own way to continue his family’s peculiar line of work.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Luca**:** Nearly a decade before he released Luca, Enrico Casarosa gave the world a glimpse at his bright future with this fantastical short film. There are numerous similarities shared by the two, with everything from character models to themes and locations. It’s short, clocking in at seven minutes, but La Luna is a true gem.

Stream La Luna on Disney+.

Buy La Luna on Amazon.

Roman Holiday (1953)

William Wyler’s classic romantic comedy Roman Holiday follows overwhelmed Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn) as she escapes her royal duties during a visit to Rome for a night of fun. But when a night on the town takes an unexpected turn, she ends up in the apartment of an American journalist named Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck) whose newspaper editor wants to take advantage of the situation.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Luca**:** One of the best movies on Amazon Prime, Roman Holiday has a lot of the Italian charm seen and felt in Luca. On one hand you have the presence of Vespas in both films as well as characters lose themselves in sights, sounds, culture, and people of an Italian city.

Stream Roman Holiday on Amazon.

Rent/Buy Roman Holiday on Amazon.

Call Me By Your Name (2017)

Luca Guadagnino’s 2017 romantic drama Call Me By Your Name tells the story 17-year-old Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet) who spends a summer falling in love with a small Italian village and Oliver (Armie Hammer), a doctoral student living with Elio’s family during break.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Luca**:** Even though Call Me By Your Name focuses on romance and Luca focuses solely on the friendship of Luca (Jacob Tremblay) and Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer) according to director Enrico Casarosa, there are still a great deal of similarities. First, both films share a similar aesthetic quality with their depiction of northern Italian seaside towns. On top of that, both deal with characters who find themselves on the fringes of society. It should be noted that Call Me By Your Name is rated R, just in case any parents were wondering.

Stream Call Me By Your Name on Starz.

Rent/Buy Call Me By Your Name on Amazon.

These are just a few of the films that you will probably enjoy if you liked Luca, as there are plenty more movies on Netflix and other streaming services, including some featuring the outstanding Luca cast.

If you've watched any of the new Disney+ documentary series, Into the Unknown: Making Frozen 2, then you have a good idea of just how strange and chaotic the life cycle of an animated movie can be. It's far from unusual to see massive changes to the core story while it is being actively animated. Sometimes a new idea is finally found, or a new song is written, which completely changes the direction of the story. In the case of Pixar's Finding Nemo, director Andrew Stanton has revealed that Ellen DeGeneres was the solution to one problem that movie was facing, when he realized that the role of Marlin's companion needed to be female.

In a recent conversation with the Los Angeles Times about Finding Nemo, Andrew Stanton explained that originally, the fish that Marlin met on his quest to save Nemo was named Gil, and that Gil was male. It seems Stanton felt that since the driving themes of the movie were fatherhood, Marlin needed a male character to help take him through that journey. According to Stanton...

It's perhaps understandable why Andrew Stanton felt that the character should be male. It's easy to see why that was the first place he went. At the same time, he realizes now that assumption was naive. It was clearly a knee-jerk reaction that he just didn't question initially. It turns out he should have. He might have found the answer that much sooner.

Something about the character wasn't working, but Andrew Stanton couldn't put his finger on what it was, until he was listening to his wife watching an episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the sitcom starring the comedian, which was in its final season at the time. He heard Ellen deliver a line in a way that changed Gil into Dory...

From that point on, Dory wasn't just female, she was Ellen. Andrew Stanton says he admitted to DeGeneres when he sent her the script that he was "screwed" if she didn't take the part, because he didn't have anybody else in mind. He had written the part for her.

Luckily, Ellen did take the role, and the rest is history. We not only got the classic Finding Nemo, but a solid sequel in Finding Dory. And Gil wasn't forgotten, he got to be in the fish tank.

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Who can help it if they have a glowing blue flame over their head and hilarious spitfire one liners? Even with Hercules’ good-guy charm and well… the fact that his name is literally the title of the Disney classic, when Hades comes on screen all bets are off. It’s suddenly the god of the dead’s movie and Hunk-ules can’t do a thing about it. And of course Hades is just one of many Disney characters who have pulled the spotlight away from a main character and stole the show instead.

Hades - Hercules

In the 1997 Disney flick James Woods’ Hades is the ruler of the underworld and brother to Herc’s dad Zeus. As Greek mythology goes, Hades isn’t fond of Zeus and Mount Olympus and spends the runtime of the animated film trying to kill his nephew and unleash the Titans. Hades is at his best when he’s blowing up at his minions Pain and Panic, especially during the scene when he bursts into flames over them donning Hercules merchandise. Hades is an A-list Disney villain and that’s the gospel truth!

Frozone - The Incredibles

It’s a well known fact that if you cast Samuel L. Jackson in a movie, chances are he’s going to steal the show. An animated role is no exception thanks to 2004’s The Incredibles. In Pixar’s own take on the superhero genre, Jackson plays an ice cool Frozone. Just like the Parr family, Frozone is trying to live a normal life and satisfy his itch to bust out his amazing powers for good too. His memorable moment is an exchange with his wife starting with “Where's my super suit?” It’s endlessly quotable and the best line of dialogue in the movie.

Kronk - Emperor’s New Groove

Disney’s 2000 Emperor’s New Groove translated Hans Christian Anderson’s story in a wacky way that features David Spade as an emperor turned llama who forms an unlikely friendship with John Goodman’s Pacha. The most unexpected highlight of the animated film is Yzma’s sidekick Kronk, who isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer but we love him for it. He has a breadth of scene-stealing moments, but the best one has to be when he hums his own “spy” music when executing Yzma’s evil plan.

Timon & Pumbaa - The Lion King

Hakuna Matata, it’s a wonderful phrase! And the pair who introduced young Simba to their lazy and relaxed lifestyle is just what the grieving cub needed. Timon and Pumbaa are some of the most iconic side characters in Disney’s library - so much so that an entire spinoff for their side of the story called The Lion King 1½ was made after the first film’s record-breaking success. The couple spiced up the 1994 Oscar-winner and it just wouldn’t be the same without them.

Genie - Aladdin

Stop and smell the hummus: without Genie, Aladdin doesn’t become the unforgettable Disney classic it is. Robin Williams’ performance is hilarious, heartfelt and it completely changed the voiceover game in Hollywood. Before the Genie got out of the bottle, animated productions didn’t really call on celebrities to voice characters. Williams’ translation of the material started the current trend of big names being behind voice roles. Genie’s rapid-fire dialogue is scene-stealing just about the whole movie, but his grand “Friend Like Me” entrance is especially impressive.

Forky - Toy Story 4

2019’s Toy Story 4 closed out 25 years of storytelling about Andy’s precious toys centering on Woody and Buzz. But the last installment didn’t top the emotional weight of Toy Story 3 for the key characters. However it did introduce an instant favorite with Tony Hale’s spork who is given googly-eyes and therefore a confused existence. When the flimsy toy keeps sacrificing himself to the trash, which oddly combines a fun gag with an examination of existentialism. Only Pixar could make us second-guess ourselves the next time we throw away plastic silverware. It has since inspired the Disney+ series Forky Asks A Question.

Mushu - Mulan

There’s a reason why fans turned into fire-breathing dragons on social media when they learned the upcoming live-action Mulan will not include Mushu. Eddie Murphy’s voice role is a greatly nostalgic element to the musical that defines the film to a lot of fans. Following the success of Aladdin, Disney enlisted SNL’s Murphy to add some comedy to the Chinese folktale by injecting his personality. Mushu isn’t as effective as Genie, but it’s always a joy to see the pocket-sized dragon interact with Mulan and Cri-Kee. The “dishonor on you” line is particularly memorable.

Thumper - Bambi

The original Disney scene-stealer was Thumper in 1942’s Bambi. The bunny befriends the young doe and accompanies him throughout the seasons up until adulthood. Sure it’s called Bambi, but if you rewatch the classic you’ll find yourself magnetized to Thumper’s fun-loving personality and overall adorableness while Bambi does a lot of clumsy walking and suffers from the sad happenings of the movie that caused trauma for a ton of children. Thumper is an encouraging friend, who also doesn’t mind poking fun at the deer in a way that’s entertaining.

Jumba and Pleakley - Lilo & Stitch

Lilo & Stitch gets a lot less credit than it deserves. Every character in the film is fleshed out and unbelievably interesting. Although Lilo and Stitch’s friendship is clearly the core of the 2002 flick, Jumba and Pleakley add some flair to the film that always sticks the landing. Pleakley is a one-eyed alien hired by the Galactic Federation who loves a fabulous disguise and he’s paired with Jumba, the maniacal creator of Stitch. The pair’s misadventures as they attempt to capture 626 is incredibly fun – especially when they play off each other. Pleakley handing Jumba his ‘90s ViewMaster to explain humanity never gets old.

Crush - Finding Nemo

Dude. Once we get to the Crush scene in Finding Nemo, it’s great every time! The calming vibes of the sea turtle as he meets the uptight Marlin and confused Dory amidst their journey to find young Nemo adds the needed tension to break the film needed. Crush is so beloved the character got his own attraction at Disney’s California Adventure called Turtle Talk. When Crush and his son (or little dude) Squirt is one of the most famous scenes in the 2003 Pixar film. As a kid, you walked out of that movie wanting a Crush stuffed animal before anything else.

The Disney Princesses - Ralph Breaks The Internet

After years of the stories of Disney Princesses being briefly stolen away by their adorable sidekicks, handsome princes or adversaries, 2018’s Ralph Breaks the Internet allowed them to take on the role instead. In the sequel to Wreck-It Ralph, Ralph and Vanellope find themselves on the internet to fix a broken part of Vanellope’s game. Along the way, she goes to the Disney section and finds all the princesses lounging around together. They embrace Sarah Silverman’s character and help her find her own song. Plus, they totally kick butt during the film’s final act. We need a spinoff now please!

You can visit these scene-stealing Disney characters over on Disney+. Sign up for your 7-day free trial here and stay here on CinemaBlend for more Disney news.

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There are a lot of us out there. I'm talking about parents stuck in self-isolation with a house full of young kids who are obsessed with one thing and one thing only: Frozen 2. Ever since the popular 2019 animated feature popped up on Disney+, millions of parents have been subjected to constant viewings as if Elsa and Anna are the only characters in the history of Disney. But we don't have to stand for it, we're the parents after all, and so I think it's about time we show our sons and daughters who's in charge and show them all the great movies on the streaming platform that everyone can watch as a family.

It's going to be hard, and we'll probably have to settle for watching Frozen 2 at least 20 more times, but in between viewings, now is the perfect time to open our kids' eyes and hearts to the wonder and magic of the extensive Disney catalogue that's available to stream on this impressive streaming service. With a little help from "The House Of Mouse," we'll get through this. I promise. Just be strong.

The Princess And The Frog (2009)

Long before my wife and I had children (actually before we were even married), she introduced me to The Princess And The Frog, Disney's 2009 reimagining of the classic Brothers Grimm story The Frog Prince. From that first viewing, I was transfixed by the beautiful imagery, engaging story, and those well-crafted songs. And while the Anika Noni Rose's performance as Tiana, and Burno Campos' take on Prince Naveen were great, it's Keith David's spin as the villainous Dr. Facilier that steals the show. I mean, who doesn't love "Friends On The Other Side" and all its demented magic. With elements of a classic love story, voodoo, and good Louisiana culture, The Princess And The Frog is a crowd pleaser for the whole family.

Stream It On Disney+ Here.

Tangled (2010)

What's not to love about a retelling of an old fairy tale that is shockingly relevant during modern times thanks to a quarantine? Tangled, Disney's retelling of the classic Rapunzel story is getting a lot of attention right now, so why not make the most of it and watch this instant classic? With a cast that includes Mandy Moore as Rapunzel, Zachary Levi as Flynn Rider, and Donna Murphy as the evil Mother Gothel, this 2010 animated film is one of the best on Disney+. There's a great story, superb animation, and some of the best Disney songs we've heard in ages, including "When Will My Life Begin," which is probably the best introductory song since Ariel sang "Part Of Their World" in The Little Mermaid.

Stream It On Disney+ Here.

101 Dalmatians (1961)

Full disclosure: 101 Dalmatians has been my favorite Disney movie for as long as I can remember. When I was a little kid, my grandmother broke her leg and asked me to call 911 for her. Instead of doing the right thing, I simply replied, "I can't right now, I'm watching 101 Dalmatians." So imagine how excited I was to show this beloved 1961 classic to my kids when Disney+ launched in late 2019. They might not be as enthusiastic about it as I was at their age, but they enjoy it nonetheless. And also, watching the high-definition version on the streaming platform is like watching 101 Dalmatians for the first time. It's amazing how beautiful the backgrounds look nearly 60 years later.

Stream It On Disney+ Here.

Honey, I Blew Up The Kid (1993)

I know what you're thinking — why is Honey, I Blew Up The Kid on this list instead of the 1989 family classic Honey, I Shrunk The Kids? Well, my daughter is the reason. She's obsessed with "Big Baby" as she calls it, and you know, she's not wrong. Sure, the special effects haven't aged well, and the story is preposterous, but this 1993 Rick Moranis-led family comedy is just as enjoyable as it was all those years ago. It has a fun concept for the kids and just enough familial love for the parents to make it a fixture of family movie night. And who doesn't love seeing a 50-foot toddler walking through the Las Vegas strip?

Stream It On Disney+ Here.

Inside Out (2015)

Pixar has produced some of the most technologically advanced yet emotionally driven animated films since the release of Toy Story in 1995. And over the past 25 years, many of us have grown up watching each and every one of Pixar's theatric releases, showing them to children of our own in the process. One of the best examples of this is the 2015 literal emotion thrill ride Inside Out. The film follows the life of Riley as the young girl's family moves across the country. From the point of view of Riley's personified emotions (highlighted by Amy Poehler as Joy and Phyllis Smith as Sadness), we see how young children deal with change. Thought not as lighthearted as other features on this list, Inside Out could be a great way to discuss what's going on in the world with your kids.

Stream It On Disney+ Here.

Toy Story 3 (2010)

Picking just one Toy Story movie to watch with your kids is not the easiest of tasks. With so many iconic scenes and memorable lessons from each of the four theatrical releases, this franchise is full of greatness. For the sake of brevity, however, I think Toy Story 3 is the right choice if you want a fun, yet thoughtful movie to watch with your kids while cooped in the home. It has a lot of eye candy for the younger kids (all those toys at Sunnyside Daycare), but it also has some great messages that parents and older children can enjoy. Bring the tissues, because you'll be crying by the end of this 2010 masterpiece.

Stream It On Disney+ Here.

Mary Poppins (1964)

It would be hard to find a better introduction to live-action musicals than the original Mary Poppins. Released in 1964, this musical fantasy blended an all-star cast including Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke with some of the best animation Disney had released up to that point. Following the magical nanny as she comes to save the Banks family in a time of great need, this beloved family-friendly classic has brought endless amounts of joy to families around the world over the past 55-plus years. I mean, where else will you hear songs as spellbinding as "A Spoonful Of Sugar," "Jolly Holiday," and "Chim Chim Cher-ee" in the same movie? The 2018 sequel is worth checking out as well.

Stream It On Disney+ Here.

Aladdin (2019)

I personally prefer the original 1992 animated Aladdin, but my kids are obsessed with Guy Ritchie's 2019 live-action version. Before it came out on Disney+, my daughter had me check it out at the local library multiple times (and multiple late fees), so it's safe to say she and her brother are crazy over this action-oriented adventure film. Despite some minor differences, this version of Aladdin is very similar to the one we all saw nearly 30 years ago, including the famous "A Whole New World" sequence. Also like the original, some scenes might be a little too scary for the younger kids, but that's what parents are for, right?

Stream It On Disney+ Here.

Finding Nemo (2003)

If you feel like you've spent way too much time around your kids since you entered quarantine, then I cannot recommend Finding Nemo enough. This 2003 Pixar animated dramatic comedy tells the story of Marlin (Albert Brooks), a clownfish looking for his missing son who has been captured. This tale of a father searching the depths of the ocean to save the only family he has left makes for a gut-wrenching yet adventurous story. With plenty of action and hilarious characters, including Ellen DeGeneres as the lovable Dory, the kids will surely be entertained as much as the adults, just as long as they aren't traumatized by the opening moments of the movie. You'll probably want to hold onto your kids tightly during this one. And hey, you might rethink the whole "I've been spending too much time with my kids" mentality.

Stream It On Disney+ Here.

Cinderella (1950)

To finish things off is another classic from Walt Disney Productions, the 1950 animated musical fantasy Cinderella. There's a good reason this groundbreaking film is still so highly regarded 60 years after its initial release. This adaptation of Charles Perrault's fairy tale of the same name is filled with so much wonder and joy as it tells the story of the poor girl who is forced to withstand the never ceasing torment of her evil stepmother and her disgusting daughters before a chance encounter with Prince Charming. If your children haven't seen Cinderella in a long time, or haven't seen it all, you should definitely turn it on while you're sheltering in place. And plus, Cinderella is one of the original Disney princesses, so why not show your kids just one of the inspirations for their favorite modern princesses.

Stream It On Disney+ Here.

Those are just 10 of the great movies on Disney+ (that aren't Frozen 2 or Frozen) that you can enjoy with the whole family, no matter how old or young you may be. However, we all know that all of our kids will probably want watch Elsa and Anna go off on their adventures for like the millionth time this week. And if you think there's something I left off the list, make sure to let me know; I'm always looking for something for my kids to watch over and over again until we can leave the house again.

Recently, Disney+ started streaming Frozen 2 a little earlier than expected. In the latest Frozen movie, Elsa (Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell) continue their adventures together and apart. The film gives fans more Elsa, Anna, Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), and Olaf (Josh Gad), and it introduces a handful of new Disney characters, including a lizard-like salamander named Bruni.

Bruni’s adorableness only graces our screen for a few minutes, which is unfortunate. Bruni is just one in a long line of Disney characters denied their spotlight. I say no more. It’s time to take these delightful creatures from the sidelines and make them the main attraction.

Bruni (Frozen II)

Bruni is a fire salamander who can turn his whole body into flames as well as shoot them out. He meets Elsa when he attacks the Enchanted Forest out of fear. She uses her ice powers to try to stop the spread of his fire. Once both learn that the other is harmless, they bond.

Bruni has a very small role in Frozen II. I was actually a little surprised with how little the film used this character, considering he was one of the new characters promoted during the marketing process. His backstory or origin also wasn’t introduced in Frozen II. Maybe Disney has plans to tell us more about Bruni in future spin-offs and movies, but for now, we want to learn much more about this fire spirit creature. Not just because he’s adorable, but because we’re sure he has many great stories to tell.

Gus (Cinderella)

Octavius, Gus for short, is one of Cinderella’s many trusted mouse friends. In Cinderella, she rescues Gus and introduces him to the other mice that keep her company. Gus becomes part of a duo with Jaq the mouse. The chubby little cheese lover often finds himself in danger from cats and other bigger creatures.

Gus is curious and spunky. Normally, I’m not a fan of mice (sorry Mickey) but this little dude is just so freaking cuddly. You want to put him in your hand and snuggle close, diseases be damned! Gus and Jaq appear quite a bit in Cinderella and many other Cinderella spin-offs. They also have a cameo in Ralph Breaks the Internet.Though there are plenty of Gus and Jaq appearances, we want more. I prefer Gus to Jaq, but seems like you can’t have one without the other, so I would love to see a full-feature about Gus and Jaq, even if it’s just about them outsmarting Lucifer the cat.

Pua (Moana)

In Moana, Pua has been one of Moana’s pets and friends since infancy. This adorable pig has been a loyal companion for Moana through her journeys on the island and beyond, but she excludes Pua from joining her on the boat. Pua is a pig of very few words, mainly being an actual pig and oinking.

This adorable Moana creature only makes a brief appearance in the film, but I wanted to see more of Pua, especially after the film established a close bond between her and Moana. I understand that taking Pua on the journey put the pig at risk of dying, and this was a journey Moana needed to take on her own, but I think we missed out on some great storytelling and moments with Pua. Heihei was fine, but we may have missed out on great comedic moments from the pair and just sweet moments between Moana and Pua.

Pascal (Tangled)

Tangled’s Pascal is a Rapunzel’s pet chameleon. He lives in isolation with her. Pascal is a little afraid of the outside world, but he is always by Rapunzel’s side to encourage and support her. Pascal doesn’t speak but he often expresses his emotions through his expressive personality and face. Once Rapunzel and him meet Flynn Ryder (Zachary Levi) and Maximus (the horse), the two creatures become an unlikely duo.

Pascal and Maximus become instant scene-stealers and comic reliefs. The two have appeared in many Tangled related shows, games, and had cameos in Ralph Breaks the Internet and Zootopia. Though they’ve had quite a bit of screen time, Pascal is such a fascinating, cute, and funny character that I would enjoy seeing more of him in any Disney content.

Squirt (Finding Nemo)

Squirt is the young child of Crush. He only appears briefly with his dad in a few scenes of Finding Nemo and Finding Dory. The adorable turtle has a baby voice, which makes him hard to understand, but adds to his cuteness. Squirt has a similar chill-vibe as his dad.

I just think the turtles’ world, especially involving Squirt and Crush could be an interesting storyline to explore. How does Squirt’s life differ from Nemo’s? Is it all fun all the time? Does Crush have any strict parenting bones in his body? I want to know more about the turtles family.

Ducky and Bunny (Toy Story 4)

Ducky and Bunny are two stuffed animals that were available to win during a carnival in Toy Story 4. Comedy duo Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele voice these adorable creatures, so they take a bit of a comedic duo persona in Toy Story 4.

One of the funniest scenes from Toy Story 4 involves Ducky and Bunny imagining different scenarios to get the key away from the antique shop owner. No spoilers, but these stuffed animals don’t have the warm and fuzzy imagination that one would expect. I would love to see more of that dark humor from this pair in more Toy Story 4 scenes or in a few Pixar shorts.

Flash (Zootopia)

In Zootopia, Flash is a sloth that works in the DMV with other sloths. As a sloth, he goes very slow, making getting anything done at the DMV nearly impossible.

Flash’s slowness seems to act as commentary on how slow things happen at the DMV. Flash isn’t the typical cute and cuddly animal from Disney, but his Zootopia scene is one of the funniest in the entire movie. I would love to watch the slowest animated film ever about the sloths that work at the DMV in Zootopia.

Baby Pegasus (Hercules)

Baby Pegasus is the baby version of Hercules’ trusted companion. The cute creature only appears at the very beginning of Hercules when he’s given to our hero as a baby. Hades (James Woods) steps in and separates baby Hercules from his family and Pegasus. Hercules and Pegasus reunite later as adults.

In a different world, the viewers would have gotten the chance to watch Hercules and Pegasus grow up together, which would have naturally allowed for more baby Pegasus scenes. Hades really robbed us all.

Chip (Beauty And The Beast)

In Beauty and the Beast, Chip is a boy turned into a chipped teacup by an enchanted curse brought to the Beast’s kingdom. He’s often seen with his mother Mrs. Potts.

Chip is cheerful, curious, and hopeful. He's also one of the leading figures hoping that the Beast and Belle fall in love and break the enchanted curse. Most people associate adorable Disney characters with Chip, because just look at that little cutie. Chip has also appeared in many different Disney productions and Beauty and the Beast sequels, but we can never get enough of Chip’s adorableness.

These are a few of my favorite adorable Disney characters. Now let us know in the comment section what cute Disney characters you think needs more screen time.

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With the release of last week’s new Disney/Pixar film Onward, it seems that, at least in the short term, the studio is sticking to its brand and following “the formula” to a tee. With the release of a new Soul trailer, and a look back at the history of the computer animation pioneer, its history suggests that this is more of an outlier than a shape of the things to come, as the studio has made a living off of beautifully defying “the formula.”

Built by the risks and chances that Pixar has taken over the decades of existence it’s occupied in the Hollywood animation game, those movements were, of course, a response to “the formula” that animated films from other studios had mapped out. Even Disney itself had that “formula” locked down, which made the pairing and acquisition of Pixar all the more vital.

And in those moments where Pixar defied the supposed laws of animation, pure magic sprung forth. It’s what put the company on the map, and it’s what we’re here to look at today, as the movies we’re discussing are examples of why Pixar has made such a lasting impression on the world.

Toy Story

You don’t even need to go far when starting at the beginning of the Pixar timeline, as Toy Story’s release in 1995 broke ground for Pixar from the word “go.” The very first CGI  feature-length animated film, it would have been easy to just lay down a simple story, with history already made. But with a top notch story, and characters as iconic as Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), and the rest of Andy’s toy box, it was able to stand out even more.

It was truly a debut that launched this company, and its landmark franchise, to infinity and beyond. The heart that went into this odd couple pairing of partners elevated what was a technical marvel into an enduring classic. It's something that would come in handy throughout the entire history of Pixar’s run as a company.

Finding Nemo

Years after establishing a beat in terms of what Pixar movies stood for, the studio shot for a new frontier: its first dramedy. While most of their films before Finding Nemo were “The Secret Life of X, Brought To Life!”, this touching movie showcased the love of a father (Albert Brooks) as he searched for his missing son (Alexander Gould).

There were still plenty of laughs and adventure in the mix, for sure. However, considering how deep and dour director Andrew Stanton’s film could get at times, this felt like Pixar’s first stab at telling stories that weren’t normally present in animation.

The Incredibles

What’s a studio to do when it has crossed the borders of sequels, genres and making other species and inanimate objects talk? If you’re Pixar, with the help of writer/director Brad Bird, you move the action into the human realm, just as The Incredibles had! As the first story that was entirely told with human characters in the Pixar canon, The Incredibles introduced a superpowered jolt of action and adventure in line with something you’d see in a live-action film.

Topped off with the drama and humor that the studio was honing on Finding Nemo, it was one hell of a surprise to see CGI characters like Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson), Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) and Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) saving the day in a way we’d only ever seen with real people doing the super stuff.

Ratatouille

It didn’t take terribly long for two of Pixar’s brightest creative stars, writers/directors Andrew Stanton and Brad Bird, to deliver rather impressive follow-ups to their previously impressive efforts. While helping Pixar push the envelope in terms of their storytelling abilities, Bird’s return to the director’s chair would yield Ratatouille, a whimsical journey, but with really grounded stakes.

Focusing on the high stakes world of haute cuisine, Pixar’s comedic tale of interspecies friendship breathed new life into exploring a “Secret Life” story. Rather than just telling a story where our narrator Remy (Patton Oswalt) could talk, we got to see our protagonist interact poignantly with the world of rats and humans. With an ending that was realistic, but most assuredly heart-warming, Ratatouille kept the spirit of Pixar sailing into a bright, progressive future.

Wall-E

As for Andrew Stanton’s second outing in the Pixar director’s chair, Wall-E, the challenge was a pretty exciting one that had been part of the first batch of originals dreamed up by the studio. A love story between two robots was certainly nothing new to audiences, be they adult or child in age. However, the big difference with Wall-E and Eve’s love story came from the fact that for almost the entire first act of the film, their love was silent.

While humans would come into the picture later on in the plot of Andrew Stanton’s dystopian romantic-comedy, Wall-E had to make an audience invest its attention in two robots that spoke very little snippets of actual dialogue. Sure enough, by time our hero is jetting off into space, in the name of his romantic partner and eventually the human race, we were already on board for whatever was to come next.

Up

When you’re making a movie for mass audience appeal, it’s important to set the tone effectively in your opening moments. Which makes director and co-writer Pete Docter’s decision to deliver the series of gut punches that the opening of Up contains all the more daring. Seeing the bittersweet love story of Carl (Ed Asner) and Ellie go through their entire life, from meeting as children to her passing in old age, certainly set a tone to be followed.

Of course, it was all the more interesting that Up then segued into an adventure comedy that threw flying dogs, a demented adventurer and a bird named Kevin at its audience for the bulk of the film. But it all tied back to those initial moments, with Carl fulfilling the dream he shared with his late wife, ultimately tying together those precious tears with the welcomed laughter throughout the rest of the movie.

Toy Story 4

If we really wanted to, we could have included every movie from the Toy Story series on this list. The second film proved that sometimes you can make a sequel so good, it’d be a crime to send it straight to video. The third film showed that sometimes, handing down the treats of the past to the next generation does pay off in a beautiful and loving way.

But the big lesson that Toy Story 4 proved was that even when it looks like your best days are behind you, there’s always the chance that you can pull out a win after all. As it introduced new characters, answered old questions and potentially concluded the saga of Woody and Buzz’s friendship with a satisfying end, the fourth film turned out to be the best of the bunch in my eyes. It was something that exceeded even the most jaded of expectations and delivered another solid record breaking hit in 2019.

While there are certainly ups, downs and complete disappearances (RIP Newt) with a studio like Pixar, it’s rarely ever over. So while Onward may feel like a return to formula to some, it doesn’t mean that the films of the future have to stay in that slump. Keep that in mind as you approach Pixar’s next film, Soul, as it tries to challenge the Pixar formula on June 19. Or, if you haven't checked out any of the Pixar titles mentioned above, you can get current through a 7-day free trial of Disney+!

See that man in the photo above? If you do not recognize his face, you should at least be able to recognize his voice, especially if you love Pixar. The man in question, John Ratzenberger, has voiced 15 characters in all 22 of the animation company's films, including its latest release, Onward.

After playing scene-stealing mailman Cliff on the hit sitcom Cheers for 11 seasons, John Ratzenberger got a job voicing a sentient piggy bank in Pixar's very first movie, Toy Story, in 1995, before being asked to voice a character in the next film, and the next, and the next. Soon, the actor would gain a reputation as the company's "good luck charm," earning a role in one of their movies, no matter how big or small.

If you are just now starting to realize that that voice you keep hearing in Pixar is this man and you wish to revisit the films to figure out where he pops up, look no future. The following list is a compilation of every Pixar character voiced by John Ratzenberger...

Construction Worker Fenwick (Onward)

When I saw Onward, Pixar’s most recent release set an a modern-day, urban fantasy world, one of my first feelings of anticipation was all about John Ratzenberger's appearance, but once the film was over, I had to scan the credits to figure out which character was his. I probably should have realized that he was one of the construction workers, considering this marks the third that the actor has played one in a Pixar movie.

In his brief appearance in Onward as the voice of Fenwick, John Ratzenberger struggles to keep Barley Lightfoot (Chris Pratt) away from a condemned fountain which the elvish fantasy enthusiast is convinced holds a few enchanted secrets. Like many of Ratzenberger’s characters, this construction worker is in for quite a surprise.

Hamm (Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Toy Story 3, Toy Story 4)

The beginning of John Ratzenberger’s collaboration with Pixar begins with the company’s first ever feature-length film, Toy Story. Ratzenberger provides the voice of Hamm, a plastic piggy bank who resides in Andy’s room with fellow playthings Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) to name a few.

John Ratzenberger would reprise the wisecracking character in three more feature-length sequels, most recently in 2019’s Toy Story 4, as well some made-for-TV half-hour specials. Technically, Ratzenberger has a dual role in the franchise as Hamm’s villainous alter ego, Evil Dr. Porkchop.

Underminer (The Incredibles, Incredibles 2)

Speaking of villainy, John Ratzenberger had a decidedly small role in writer and director Brad Bird's Oscar-winning 2004 superhero movie The Incredibles. However, it was big enough to get a video game named after him.

As the Underminer, a mole-like humanoid with mechanical hands who terrorizes the city with his giant drill, John Ratzenberger gets to close out The Incredibles and open its 2018 sequel, which picks up right where the 2004 original left off, with an epic battle against the titular family of costumed vigilantes. Unfortunately, the Incredibles fail to catch him, so perhaps this will not be the last we see of his “war on peace and happiness.”

Juan Ortodoncia (Coco)

Clearly, John Ratzenberger has had his fair share of brief roles in Pixar movies, but none have been smaller than his part in the 2017 tearjerker, Coco. For further context, he only has one word of dialogue: “Gracias.”

This expression of thanks, in Spanish nonetheless, comes after John Ratzenberger’s character, a brace-faced skeleton named Juan Ortodoncia, manages to cross over the bridge into the Land of the Living on Dia de los Muertos because his photo happens to be on his dentist’s ofrenda. Cleverly enough, Juan’s last name translates in English to “orthodontics.”

Mack (Cars, Cars 2, Cars 3)

John Ratzenberger’s second most frequently recurring Pixar character is Mack, from the Cars franchise. The 1980s-era Super-Liner semi appears in all three films taking place in a world overrun with sentient motor vehicles as the truck responsible for transporter race car Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) to his races. In fact, he has, arguably, the most important role in the film as his failure to stay awake on the road results in McQueen getting lost in Radiator Springs.

Mack is also one of John Ratzenberger’s most meta characters, serving up the funniest Easter Egg in the film. During the closing credits, as Mack is watching the Cars equivalent of various Pixar movies, he notices that the same voice actor is being used repeatedly in every film, prompting him to wonder out loud, “What kind of cut-rate production is this?”

Bill (Finding Dory)

For his second dive into Pixar’s franchise set in the Great Barrier Reef, instead of reprising his role from Finding Nemo (more on that later), John Ratzenberger took on a new kind of undersea species: a crustacean. In Finding Dory, he plays Bill, a hermit crab seen snipping grass with his bare claws right before Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) slips through a pipe that takes her to her aquarium home.

Finding Dory viewers might not have been able to spot John Ratzenberger in the role initially. His signature, unmistakable voice is hidden by some high-pitched re-tuning. It might have been the right move, given that his larger than life voice might not have the perfect fit for such a small animal.

Earl (The Good Dinosaur)

The Underminer is not the only villain that John Ratzenberger has voiced for Pixar. However, that mole man might not be the most threatening when compared to this raspy, hick-accented prehistoric antagonist.

In 2015’s The Good Dinosaur, John Ratzenberger plays Earl, a member of Bubbha’s (David Boat) gang of velociraptors who have it out for friendly Apatosaurus Arlo (Raymond Ochoa) and his human companion, Spot (Jack Bright). His one line of dialogue may be his cruelest quote in a Pixar film, as he angrily threatens to kill Arlo right as he is about to pounce. Fortunately, he and the other raptors get their tails handed to them by T-Rex’s.

Fritz (Inside Out)

Remember when I said that John Ratzenberger has played three construction workers for Pixar? Well, you might not have considered his Inside Out role, Fritz, as one considering he is a jellybean-looking, non-human character that lives within the mind of a young girl, but I think that his hard hat, utility belt, and mustache are firm evidence that it counts.

Fritz shows up at the end of the highly acclaimed 2015 hit, which follows the personified inner emotions of 12-year-old Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) struggling to help her adjust to a new life in San Francisco. The “Mind Worker” shows up to Headquarters to install an upgraded control console, which includes a button labeled “PUBERTY.” This means that Riley is in for a fun next couple of years.

Yeti (Monsters Inc., Monsters University)

It only made sense for Pixar to give the larger-than-life voice of John Ratzenberger to a larger-than-life character after previously casting him as a flea at one point (more on that later). In 2003, the actor was cast as Yeti, also known as The Abominable Snowman (a name he actually abhors), in Monsters Inc.

John Ratzenberger’s role comes into play when Waternoose (James Coburn) banishes James “Sulley” Sullivan (John Goodman) and Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) to the Himalayas, where they meet Yeti, who treats them to snow cones in his cave. We caught a glimpse at Yeti’s employment with Monsters Inc. at the end of the prequel, Monsters University, when he introduces Sulley and Mike to their new jobs as mail sorters. You can hear him hint at how he will eventually get himself banished in in his advisement to the duo to never peek at the mail.

Gordon (Brave)

Pixar loves to bring John Ratzenberger back over and over just to hear his charming voice spoken through a new character. However, sometimes they love to challenge him with a character that requires him to alter his voice a bit. It is difficult to recognize his character in Brave, a retelling of the Celtic folktale “The Bear and the Bow,” due to his Scottish accent.

John Ratzenberger provides the voice of Gordon, one of the spear-carrying guards who stand outside the castle at which aspiring heroine Princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald) resides. Gordon is also a man of action, despite proving unsuccessful in both assisting King Fergus (Billy Connolly) in killing a bear he is unaware is really Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson) and attacking demon bear Mor’du.

Construction Foreman Tom (Up)

And now we come to the final construction worker character on our list, and the first that John Ratzenberger has voiced for Pixar. He is also one of the few characters the actor has voiced that provides exposition for a film.

In Up, considered one of Pixar’s finest achievements, Tom (John Ratzenberger) is the foreman of a construction site surrounding the home of elderly widow Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner), who refuses to leave his house despite multiple monetary offers from Tom’s boss. This, of course, is what prompts Carl to rig his house with enough helium balloons to fly away to and sought after Paradise Falls.

John (WALL-E)

WALL-E, about a lonely robot tasked with cleaning up a desolate Earth who follows his mechanical love interest onto a spaceship where the remaining humans live a lazy, completely automated lifestyle, is one of Pixar’s most challenging, high-concept, satirical science fiction masterpieces. However, for what must have been his least challenging, lowbrow, and meta role yet, the animation company cast John Ratzenberger as a man named John.

It is actually through WALL-E’s (Ben Burtt) indirect, accidental assistance that John is able to break free of the Axiom’s distractions, fall in love with Mary (Kathy Najimy), and assist WALL-E, EVE (Elissa Knight), and the Captain (Jeff Garlin) in defying the ship’s computer (Sigourney Weaver) and returning humanity to Earth for the first time in centuries. John’s story is a hero’s journey hidden with the heroic journey of the titular robotic character that could have made for an entertaining film on its own.

Mustafa (Ratatouille)

In Ratatouille, Brad Bird’s follow-up to The Incredibles named after a French dish that also serves a rodent-like pun, John Ratzenberger plays Mustafa, one of the top waiters at Parisian restaurant Gusteau’s, In yet another example of Pixar trying to challenge their good luck charm, they had him play the character with a French accent.

After it is revealed that Linguini Alfredo (Lou Romano) is only posing as a chef and that a rat, Remy (Patton Oswalt), is the true food expert, Mustafa believes Linguini has gone mad and promptly leaves Gusteau’s with the rest of the staff following suit. There is no telling where he is now, but I imagine he must have been kicking himself after food critic Anton Ego (Peter O'Toole) ended up swooning over how the rodent prepared the titular dish.

Fish School (Finding Nemo)

Usually John Ratzenberger plays just one character per Pixar film. However, for Finding Nemo, starring Albert Brooks as a clownfish in the Australian Reef searching for his son (Alexander Gould) with the help of his new friend (Ellen DeGeneres), he played an entire school of characters, hence the name.

When Marlin (Brooks) and Dory (DeGeneres) need help with directions, they enlist the assistance of a school of moonfish passing by, who use their collective ability to form various shapes as visual aids in their descriptions of how to get to Sydney. It is one of John Ratzenberger's most dazzling voice roles and certainly a memorably funny moment from Finding Nemo, the first Pixar film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

P.T. Flea (A Bug’s Life)

John Ratzenberger returned for his sophomore Pixar film role in A Bug's Life. Similarly, the 1998 hit about a colony ants struggling to defy their evil grasshopper overlords, is the animation company's sophomore film.

John Ratzenberger lends his large, booming voice to the small speck of a creature, P.T. Flea, the selfish, greedy owner of a traveling bug circus who has more in common with circus pioneer P.T. Barnum than Hugh Jackman's portrayal in The Greatest Showman. After a show goes wrong, he fires his troupe, who then unwittingly take Flick's (Dave Foley) offer to help defend the colony from Hopper (Kevin Spacey).

In addition to clever humor and climactic tearjerkers, I always look forward to hearing who John Ratzenberger will be in the next Pixar movie. Check back for more updates on the next role for Pixar's good luck charm and the animation company's forthcoming releases here on CinemaBlend.

It's safe to say that Pixar has come up with and perfected the formula for creating strikingly beautiful animated features whose art direction is only outdone by the emotional storytelling found in each of the studio's movies. There is just something about Pixar movies that find a way to penetrate even the hardest and coldest of hearts and turn everyone into a blubbering mess by the time the credits roll. And it's no different in the studio's latest offering, Onward, which tells the heartbreaking story of two brothers who just want one final day with their long-dead father.

After watching Onward, I began to think about the best Pixar movies and the emotional elements that pulled on my heartstrings. With more than 20 movies to choose from, coming up with a list of the best 10 Pixar movies that made us cry was no easy task. It took a lot of strength, thought, and tissues. Lots and lots of tissues.

So, without any further ado, let's take a look at the 10 most emotional Pixar movies that made us cry. And just a heads up, this article contains spoilers from each of the selected movies, including Onward**.**

10. Wall-E (2008)

It's hard to believe, but Pixar found a way to create an animated movie about a lonely robot on an endless mission to clean up a deserted and polluted Earth that tugged at our emotions. The 2008 feature WALL-E, directed by Andrew Stanton, is one of the most enjoyable movies to be released by the studio, even when it doesn't feature any humans until halfway through its runtime (except for the Buy-N-Large advertisements).

We instantly feel an emotional connection to WALL-E as he traverses the infinite wasteland, searching for trash and companionship. It's heartbreaking to watch the lonely robot end each day by holding his own hand while watching a romantic movie, night after night. The emotions go into overdrive after WALL-E is brought back to life by EVE, only for him to have no recollection of the robot he was so obsessed with earlier in the film. The sorrow quickly turns to pure joy upon EVE's kiss, which restores WALL-E's memory and personality as robots and humans once again begin to populate the desolate planet.

9. Monsters, Inc. (2001)

On the surface, the 2001 Pixar film Monsters, Inc. is about two monsters, Sulley (John Goodman) and Mike (Billy Crystal), who are tasked with returning a child, Boo (Mary Gibbs), after she enters the monster's power plant through a portal in her closet. Dig a little deeper though and you will find a story about giving people (and monsters) a chance, no matter how different they may seem.

By letting go of their fear of things they don't understand, Sulley, Mike, and Boo all learn to love and care for each other, even though they originally saw one another as frightening and repulsive beings. And by the time Sulley and Mike return Boo back to her home and destroy the door that led from their world to hers, we've grown as close to the characters as they did with one another. The shot of Boo opening her closet door just to see her clothes remains just as heartbreaking as it was nearly 20 years ago.

8. Inside Out (2015)

Who knew a movie about emotions could be so emotional? That's exactly the case for Inside Out, a 2015 Pixar film about the five different personified emotions inside a young girl's brain and how they guide her through some pretty traumatic life changing events. The film mostly follows the misadventures of Joy (Amy Poehler) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith) as they try to restore Riley's (Kaitlyn Dias) core memories from her childhood.

Over the course of their journey through Riley's mind, Joy and Sadness are forced to work together and overcome their shortcomings if they are to save the girl they care so much about. One of the most memorable and emotional memories they come across is that of Riley's old imaginary friend Bing Bong (Richard Kind). After Joy and Bing Bong get trapped in the Memory Dump, Bing Bong sacrifices himself so that Joy could escape and get back to the headquarters and restore Riley's memories. The look on Bing Bong's face as he fades away from Riley's memory is about as emotionally gutting as it gets.

7. Toy Story 2 (1999)

Jessie's story, do I need to say more? Toy Story 2, the 1999 follow-up to Pixar's first animated feature gave us one of the saddest moments in the studio's short history at the time of its release. While we spent the entire first movie and about half of the second movie dealing with Woody (Tom Hanks) getting over himself, meeting a tragic character like Jessie (Joan Cusack) was a nice, yet heartbreaking addition.

The waterworks really start going into overdrive by the time Sarah McLachlan starts singing "When She Loved Me" as we're taken through scenes of when Jessie still had an owner. As we watch the passage of time through Jessie's eyes, we see her owner go from a toy-loving child to a teenage girl obsessed with makeup, teen heartthrobs, and friends. By the time Jessie is abandoned at a donation truck, we're already out of tears.

6. Onward (2020)

I will be the first to admit that I am a sucker when it comes to movies that have any trace of a father/son element. I can't watch Field Of Dreams, About Time, or Big Fish without turning into a blubbering mess and wanting to talk to my dad. Well, you can add Pixar's latest feature, Onward to that list.

Centered around Ian (Tom Holland) and Barley Lightfoot (Chris Pratt) on their quest to bring back their dead father for 24 hours, Onward takes the audience on emotional and sentimental quest as the two brothers learn the true meaning of family. I was full of emotion throughout the entire final act of this fantastical movie, especially the scene where Ian makes one of the biggest sacrifices we've seen in a Pixar movie. Sometimes it's hard to say goodbye.

5. Toy Story 4 (2019)

I have been lucky enough to see all four Toy Story movies in the theater. I was in the second grade when I saw the first film with my childhood best friend, with my older brother for the second installment, sitting among my college buddies for the third movie, and with my wife and oldest child for the fourth entry. All that being said, I had a suitcase of emotional baggage going into Toy Story 4, and I knew I was going to be a mess.

Over the years, I've lost touch with those friends, don't see my brother as much as I'd like, but watching Woody and Buzz Lightyear say "To infinity and beyond" as they go in two different directions allowed me to realize that sometimes people drift apart and that's okay. I still get misty eyed thinking about the adventures that Woody and Buzz had over the years, mostly because it allows me think about the good times I shared with the people I love.

4. Up (2009)

Up is one of those movies that is mostly remembered for its opening scene. Over the course of the film's first 10 minutes, we watch as a young Carl Fredericksen (Ed Asner) meets a girl named Ellie, falls in love with her, marries her, renovates their childhood clubhouse into a home of their own, and grow old together. And just before Carl and Ellie are about to fulfill their lifelong dream of visiting Paradise Falls, Ellie falls ill and dies.

The movie could have ended there and categorized as one of Pixar's phenomenal short films that play before the studio's animated features, but no, it continues to push forward like Carl to see his dream through and visit the mysterious Paradise Falls. The opening montage is an emotional rollercoaster that rips your heard in two, but by the time Carl reaches his dream, our worn and tattered hearts are sewn back together. In addition to making us cry from sadness, Up also gives us the opportunity to cry because we're happy for once.

3. Coco (2017)

I first saw Coco when I was still getting over the death of my dearly beloved grandmother, so I was a wreck once I realized what the movie was about. At first, I thought it was just going to be another fun and fantastical Pixar film, but as the story progressed, I realized that I was mistaken.

The film follows Miguel, a 12-year-old musician who has to hide his guitar from his family due to his family believing that his great-great-grandfather, a musician, abandoned his family many years ago. After being trapped in the Land Of The Dead, Miguel meets a spirit by the name of Héctor (Gael García Bernal) who wants to get back to the Land Of The Living. By the end of the film, Miguel learns that Héctor is his real great-great-grandfather and rushes back in time to play "Remember Me" for his dying great-grandmother Coco. The scene where Coco remembers her long-lost father gets me every single time.

2. Finding Nemo (2003)

Anyone who has lost their child in public can relate to Marlin (Albert Brooks) in the 2003 Pixar classic Finding Nemo. Centered around a single father on an epic underwater adventure to rescue his son who has been captured and taken as a pet, this film is all about the hell parents will go through in order to protect their children.

The scene where Marlin loses Nemo in the beginning is always harrowing, but their eventual reunion at the end of the movie just brings it out me with each viewing. But it really wasn't until I was a parent myself that I began to feel the pain of losing a child and the absolute joy of being reunited with them.

1. Toy Story 3 (2010)

Other movies on the list really pulled on my heartstrings, but nothing has ever affected me the way Toy Story 3 did when I first saw it opening night in 2010. I was in college and had slowly been letting go of pieces of my youth. Friendships, memories, and cherished belongings were all slowly being lost to the ages, much like is the case for Andy and his collection of childhood toys.

All of the Toy Story movies are about letting go of something, and this couldn't be more true with the third installment of the franchise. Through the movie, Andy and Woody both must let go of one another and come to the sad realization that over time, we begin to lose touch with the objects of affection from our childhood. It's just how life works. And once both characters come to terms with this truth, both have the strength to move on and let someone else have a turn. As a college student in his early 20s, this movie shook me to my core. And it still does.

Who would have thought that 10 animated movies would bring so much emotion out of us? Did any of these movies resonate with you? Did we forget your favorite Pixar movie? Let us know in the comments below.

Pixar is known for making emotional movies that tug at our heartstrings. It's also known for filling the backgrounds of those emotional stories with fun easter eggs for fans to go looking for. Finding a new easter egg after repeat viewings of a favorite Pixar film is always fun. It's one of the reasons fans watch the movies over and over again.

However, it seems that Pixar is no longer content with simply filling its movies with easter eggs. Now, Disney has taken things to the next level and filled real life with Pixar easter eggs, in a manner of speaking. Much of Walt Disney World is viewable through Google's Street View, and that includes the newest addition to Disney's Hollywood Studios, Toy Story Land. Recently, it was discovered that the Google cameras captured a number of Pixar references that were planted by Disney within the land itself specifically for Street View. Check them out below.

Toy Story's Sid

Sid is the "villain" of the original Toy Story, and is known for taking toys apart and putting them together in slightly disturbing ways. He's easily recognizable by his skull t-shirt, which also id's him as the garbage man seen briefly in Toy Story 3.

It seems that Sid has made his way to Andy's backyard, as near the massive Luxo Ball (another popular Pixar easter egg) a man can be seen wearing the same skull shirt.

Finding Nemo Backpack

In addition to being one of Pixar's most popular movies, Finding Nemo has also been an easter egg in other Pixar movies. Boo has a toy Nemo fish in Monsters Inc, and a board game starring the missing clownfish can be seen in Riley's memory in Inside Out.

Another Nemo easter egg can be found if you follow the path between the Toy Story Midway Mania attraction and the Woody's Lunchbox quick service eatery. There you'll find a woman standing alone looking at some of the cool decorations of Toy Story Land, and she has a little Nemo hanging from her backpack.

The Blue Umbrella

While most of the easter eggs hidden in Google Street view are references to Pixar features, one of them in a reference to a popular short. The Blue Umbrella followed the title character, an apparently sentient umbrella, being carried by somebody on a busy city street. He sees a red umbrella that he falls for and attempts to get closer to her. It's a beautiful, nearly silent tale of romance, and at Toy Story Land we see that the two umbrellas are still together.

The pair can be seen on one of the walkways overlooking the popular Slinky Dog Dash roller coaster.

A113

A113 is probably the single most popular easter egg in all of animation. It's a reference to a particular classroom at CalARTS, where many great animators learned their craft. Because so many have been through room A113 (not just those that worked for Disney), the reference can be found in many animated films, but since so many of Pixar's top talents went to school there, the number pops up frequently in Pixar movies.

The number can be found on the t-shirt of somebody who is posing for a picture. If you follow the same path where we found the Nemo easter egg behind Toy Story Midway Mania, you'll find this one.

Pizza Planet Truck

In the original Toy Story, Woody and Buzz find themselves on board a delivery truck for a place called Pizza Planet. While this would seem to be a minor plot detail, for whatever reason the Pizza Planet truck, in one form or another, has made in it into nearly every Pixar movie since.

It can also be found in Toy Story Land of course. While a place to actually buy pizza was apparently too easy, instead, you can find a mother holding a toy version of the Pizza Planet truck in front of an (apparently empty) stroller at one of the tables surrounding Woody's Lunchbox.

Coco Guitar

Pixar is the animation studio at Disney that is not known for its music. While Coco wasn't musical in the Disney tradition, it is a movie largely about music, and a very special guitar plays an important role in the film.

That guitar can be seen across from the Alien Swirling Saucers attraction, on the bench outside the restrooms. A young girl looks to be playing the guitar for a friend. We would have to assume the song being played is "Remember Me."

Buy N' Large

Buy N' Large is the massive corporation responsible for sending humanity into space in Wall-E, as well as the company mostly responsible for the waste that has required people to go to space in the first place. Since then, the company has shown up as an easter egg in other Pixar films, including as a race sponsor in Cars 3.

The logo is viewable on the back of a t-shirt being worn by a guest who is watching guests enjoy the Alien Swirling Saucers attraction.

Lightning McQueen's Number

Most major Pixar franchises have been represented here, but one of the most popular characters Pixar has ever created is Lightning McQueen. The race car has his own show elsewhere at Disney's Hollywood Studios, but he wasn't left out of Toy Story land, at least not on Google Street View.

You can find a person watching the Slinky Dog Dash roller coaster wearing a Lightning McQueen jersey complete with his name and racing number.

Moving through Toy Story Land in Google Street View is actually kind of fun if you're a fan of the park. But haven't been there in a while, it's a great way to remember your time there. The other Walt Disney World parks can also be visited.

I'm guessing they're not full of interesting easter eggs, as those would have been discovered by now, but when and if Google Street view visits Batuu when Disney's Hollywood Studios opens Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge next month, we'll have to check and see if we get a bunch of cool Star Wars easter eggs for that one.

There are 12 Disney theme parks around the world, but there is only one that Walt Disney himself stood inside. Disneyland isn't just a theme park, it's the theme park that all others are measured against.

But what is the best ride at Disneyland? And how does the newest addition to the park, Tiana's Bayou Adventure, stack up to the rest? These are largely impossible questions, but I'll try to answer them anyway. I've ridden every ride at Disneyland multiple times, and here's my list.

37. Autopia

Queue: 1
Theme: 1
Experience: 1
Average: 1

The greatest irony in all of Disneyland might be that a place called Tomorrowland houses an attraction where cars still run on gasoline. It feels like this attraction needs to be refitted with electric vehicles. That would at least make the air easier to breathe, which is an issue even when you’re just standing in line, which would go a long way to making this ride more enjoyable. And there’s really no story to speak of here. Also, if you've had to drive to Southern California to get to Disneyland, you're not likely to want to get behind the wheel of a car for a while.

36. Astro Orbiter

Queue: 1
Theme: 2
Experience: 3
Average: 2

Astro Orbiter sits at the front of Tomorrowland and lets you fly a small rocket ship around in a circle. It's a minor variation of the classic Dumbo Flying Elephants, but it doesn't bring the childhood nostalgia that ride has. I actually think it's slightly more fun, you can fly higher and cruise at a slant that makes things a bit more interesting, but ultimately, you're just going around in a circle for a couple minutes.

 35. Mad Tea Party 

Queue: 2
Theme: 3
Experience: 2
Average: 2.33

While the Mad Tea Party is a rite of passage for any Disneyland newbie, just to see if you’ll puke, once you've proven your cast iron stomach, or not, you can probably let this one go forever. If you somehow really love spinning around you might feel differently, but I’m not that guy. Standing in line at least is shaded, but you just hear the same music over and over again, so by the time you’re on the ride you might be sick of it. I’ll wait for you at the exit.

34. Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes 

Queue: 3
Theme: 3
Experience: 3
Average: 3

While the Explorer Canoes aren't really a "must ride" for me, I actually really enjoyed them the last time I rode them, slightly sore arms notwithstanding. It’s the one ride that you might actually leave more tired than when you started since it actually requires some exertion, which won’t be for everybody. It's a unique experience in the park, but not the sort of thing you're likely to remember the most.

 33. Casey Jr. Circus Train 

Queue: 2
Theme: 4
Experience: 5
Average: 3.66

There’s nothing inherently wrong with The Casey Jr. Circus Train, it's just that there's not much to it. It primarily takes you around the same area as the Storybook Canal Boats (more on those later) but much faster, meaning you have less time to enjoy the scenery. It's also only about a four-minute trip, so it's over before you know it. While riding in the lion cage is usually fun for kids, their parents are going to probably hurt themselves trying to join them. But the Casey Jr. song is a banger, and you’ll get the wind blowing in your hair a little, so there are worse ways to spend a few minutes.

32. King Arthur Carousel 

Queue: 3
Theme: 4
Experience: 5
Average: 4

It's a carousel. It's a nice one. It plays Disney music. Also, all the horses are white so nobody needs to fight over what color they get. But ultimately, it's a carousel. I can't really give it a low score because it doesn't do anything badly, but I can't really give it a high score either, because it doesn't do anything special. If you want to feel like a kid again at Disneyland, though, there may be no better way.

31. Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage 

Queue: 3
Theme: 4
Experience: 5
Average: 4

The Submarine Voyage has been around for a very long time, and while it has seen multiple themes over the years, the most recent iteration sees guests taken through a Finding Nemo story that follows Marlon and Dory as they go looking for Nemo. The ride itself isn't all that bad, but the mechanics of it mean that loading and unloading the submarines tends to take forever. This means the ride frequently has a long line, which would be ok if the experience was worth it, but it's just not. Also, the boats are crowded and tend to get hot, which is awful in a Southern California summer. Still, the feeling of being in a submarine is pretty great, even though the boat never actually submerges

 30. Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin 

Queue: 4
Theme: 6
Experience: 3
Average: 4.33

The attraction found at Mickey's Toontown is a dark ride that takes you through the basic story of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, which is a great movie worthy of revisiting. This one gives you the additional control of being able to spin your Benny the Cab ride vehicle around in a circle at your leisure, the added control is fun if spinning is your thing, but the ride is an absolute cacophony of noise and light that gets overwhelming.

29. Dumbo the Flying Elephant 

Queue: 3
Theme: 5
Experience: 5
Average: 4.33

For me, flying around in a circle is just flying around in a circle. However, Dumbo the Flying Elephant is the definition of a classic ride and those rides that have been around for decades deserve some credit for still being popular after all these years. It is the quintessential flying carousel.

 28. Matterhorn Bobsleds 

Queue: 3
Theme: 5
Experience: 6
Average: 4.66

Roller coasters are always popular attractions at theme parks, and the line at the Matterhorn Bobsleds is proof that this one is no exception. However, for us jaded Disney fans who have ridden it so many times, this one just doesn't hold a candle to the other mountains in the park. The ride underwent a major renovation a few years back that changed the cars, for the poorer in my opinion, and the trip is just a bit too jarring for me, rather than being fast and exciting. Although, if you can time a ride perfectly to be on it when the fireworks are going off, you get one hell of a view.

27. Pinocchio's Daring Journey

Queue: 3
Theme: 5
Experience: 6
Average: 4.66

Pinocchio has the dubious distinction of being the lowest scoring of the numerous Fantasyland dark rides. It’s got a charming facade and queue, though like all the Fantasyland rides, the actual indoor queue is fairly small. The ride itself is everything you’ll want from a Pinocchio dark ride, but it simply doesn’t have any of the fun gimmicks or updated technology of its neighbors

26. Pixar Pals Playtime Party

Queue: 5
Theme: 5
Experience: 5
Average: 5

During Pixar Fest 2024, the Fantasyland theater is being used for the Pixar Pals Playtime Party. Unlike the shows that previously inhabited the space, however, there's no officially scheduled show. Instead, it's a drop-in and see what's happening sort of thing. Maybe you can sit and watch some Pixar shorts. Maybe you can get a picture with a character, or dance along with a live stage performance. It's a nice place to take a break and still have some Pixar fun.

25. Storybook Land Canal Boats

Queue: 4
Theme: 6
Experience: 5
Average: 5

The Storybook Land Canal Boats may feel like a children's ride, and the boat size is such that it certainly seems that way, but it's actually a special display of a particular love of one grown man. Walt Disney had a special passion for miniatures and it was his desire to make a miniature classic American town that led to the full-size creation of Main Street U.S.A. and Disneyland itself. It’s easy to overlook this one, but it’s worth riding at least once, or if you go often, once in a while.

 24. Alice in Wonderland 

Queue: 4
Theme: 6
Experience: 6
Average: 5.33

Alice in Wonderland is, by its very nature, a little weird, which makes the dark ride based on the film a little bit more interesting than most. While it still tells you the story of the movie, the generally psychedelic aspect of the movie comes through in the ride, making this one feel like a bit more of a trip than a ride.

 23. Disneyland Railroad 

Queue: 5
Theme: 6
Experience: 5
Average: 5.33

Is the Disneyland Railroad a ride or a mode of transportation? It's not the most efficient way of getting around the park, as it's not very fast, but it will get you where you need to go and let your feet rest, which is nice. While there is stuff to see beyond the park itself on board the railroad, and this is totally a ride you should take around the park at least once, after you've done it, you likely won't again unless your feet hurt.

 22. Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters 

Queue: 5
Theme: 6
Experience: 6
Average: 5.66

If you'd like your theme park attractions to have a bit more interactivity, then Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters is the ride. Go head-to-head with a friend and collect points as you fire away at targets throughout the ride with a toy blaster attached to the car. Competition can get fierce in this one, especially if one player starts messing with the steering to screw with the other player's aim.

 21. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh 

Queue: 4
Theme: 7
Experience: 6
Average: 5.66

While you might think that a ride based on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh to be as old as any other storybook dark ride. It actually only opened at Disneyland in 2003. However, while this means that it uses some newer animatronic technology available to Disney, it's also got what might be the most utterly bizarre segment to any Disney ride as the Heffalumps and Woozles portion is more of a mind trip than anything Alice in Wonderland can do.

 20. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride 

Queue: 4
Theme: 7
Experience: 6
Average: 5.66

There are a couple of dark rides that stand high above the others and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is one of them. It's hard to say why. It moves a little faster and has some fun twists and turns, but for what is ultimately a simple and brief ride based on an often overlooked Disney movie, it clearly has made an impact on people. Maybe it’s the dissonance that comes from being on a DIsney ride that sends you to literal hell.

 19. Mark Twain Riverboat 

Queue: 4
Theme: 6
Experience: 7
Average: 5.66

Sometimes you don't need a thrill ride. Sometimes what you need is a simple trip down a lazy river. The Mark Twain Riverboat is a time machine. Once it carries you past the Disneyland you know, you may truly feel like you've entered another time and place. It's a wonderful way to just slow down and appreciate Disneyland in a new way.

 18. Chip 'n' Dale's GADGETcoaster 

Queue: 4
Ride Theme: 7
Experience: 7
Average Score: 6

If you've got little ones who aren't quite ready to take on the Disney mountains but want a thrill ride experience, then Gadget's Go Coaster is perfect. This rollercoaster doesn't reach the speeds or have nearly the sharp turns or fast drops as the other coasters, which is not to say it isn't still exciting. It's also really short, which is good for those little kids, but makes it hard for me to rank it very high.

 17. Snow White's Enchanted Wish 

Queue: 4
Theme: 7
Experience: 7
Average: 6

Snow White's ride, like her movie, will always be in high demand, largely due to its place in history, and the attraction, previously called Snow White’s Scary Adventure, saw a significant update, during the pandemic that sees a lot of new technology brought in to tell the story, making the ride about Disney’s oldest movie feel like it’s one of the newest attractions.

 16. Peter Pan's Flight 

Queue: 5
Theme: 6
Experience: 7
Average: 6

If you go to Disneyland, one of the rides that is assured to always have a long wait time is Peter Pan's Flight. The attraction flips the standard dark ride upside down, literally, by suspending your pirate ship from above rather than being a track below you. This perspective shift, along with great miniature work, makes this a very popular ride for many as Never Never Land looks amazing as you float above it.

 15. Sailing Ship Columbia 

Queue: 4
Theme: 6
Experience: 8
Average: 6

The sailing ship Columbia fares better than its sister the Mark Twain Riverboat, It can actually be a hard boat to catch. It frequently only runs on weekends during much of the year. This makes the Columbia a bit of a more special ride because it’s less available. Also, nothing else will make you feel quite like an actual pirate.

 14. Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln 

Queue: 7
Theme: 6
Experience: 6
Average: 6.33

Watching Abraham Lincoln stand before you and speak on the great experiment that is the United States of America is remarkable, and the fact that the person talking is a robot may actually make the experience that much more impressive. While we'll never truly know what an Abraham Lincoln speech sounded like, Disney magic makes it feel like you're really sitting there with him and your day is always a little brighter after you leave. Its location inside The Disneyland Story building only adds to the magic as there is always one display or another to check out while you wait for the show to begin.

13. Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room 

Queue: 6
Theme: 7
Experience: 7
Average: 6.66

One of the longest-running shows at Disneyland has been Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room. It's run about every 10 minutes or so, every day since 1963. I think it's a great way to take a rest while enjoying an audio-animatronic show, plus, It's got a Dole Whip stand outside so you can grab a bite which you’re even allowed to eat during the show if you like. There’s also a fun little pre-show to watch before the doors open.

12. It's A Small World 

Queue: 5
Theme: 8
Experience: 7
Average: 6.66

I know we're all supposed to hate this ride. The song is supposed to be terrible and annoying, making the ride almost painful. I actually love the song. I think it's beautiful with a great message, so I don't mind hearing it over and over again as I view the intricate doll creations and notice something new buried in the background each time. Even waiting in line is fun because you get to watch the massive clock go off every 15 minutes on the front of one of the best show buildings in the park.

11. Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run 

Queue: 7
Theme: 8
Experience: 7
Average: 7.33

The first attraction at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge allowed Star Wars fans to live a dream by piloting the Millennium Falcon, and it has to be said, there’s nothing quite like pulling down on that lever and entering hyperspace for the first time. Smuggler’s Run is almost as much a video game as it is a theme park attraction, but it’s a lot of fun and it has a lot of different elements giving guests a reason to come back. And just being able to hang out while you sit around the holo-chess table is a Star Wars fan’s dream come true.

 10. Star Tours - The Adventure Continues 

Queue: 7
Theme: 7
Experience: 8
Average: 7.33

The original Star Tours was a great motion simulator ride, but the updated version takes everything to the next level. Randomized segments mean that you never get quite the same ride twice – though I almost always seem to get stuck pod racing for some reason -- and new sections have been added as the new episodes of the Star Wars trilogy have been released, making it worth riding again and again. Even with all the new Star Wars additions to the park thanks to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, this one is still worth riding. And even more new additions to Star Tours are on the way.

 9. Jungle Cruise 

Queue: 7
Theme: 7
Experience: 8
Average: 7.33

While the Jungle Cruise has been around since Day One of Disneyland, I always make a point to go on it on every trip. Yes, the jokes are utterly corny, but that's sort of the point. Also, every once in a while you get a skipper who comes up with a new one, and that is a treat unto itself. Jungle Cruise was recently updated and has new elements, which means new bad jokes. The queue is mostly covered, with some solid music and fun “radio announcements” to listen to while you move through it.

 8. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad 

Queue: 7
Theme: 7
Experience: 9
Average Score: 7.66

Big Thunder Mountain wasn’t the first thrill ride at Disneyland, and it’s not the newest, but it’s still one of the most popular rides in the park because it is quite simply fun. A beautifully designed attraction, including the mountain itself. A small western ghost town that houses the attraction’s loading area. Animatronics, as well as newer effects, and the fact that the ride feels significantly different during the day or at night, all combine to make this one great. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is, after all, "The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness."

 7. Pirates of the Caribbean 

Queue: 7
Theme: 8
Experience: 8
Average: 7.66

Pirates of the Caribbean is an absolute classic, no question. Not everybody loves the way the ride has come to emulate the movie which was designed to emulate the ride, with the addition of Captain Jack Sparrow. Pirates of the Caribbean has changed a lot over the years, but the core ride remains unchanged, the classic song “A Pirate’s Life For Me” is still there, and the animatronics are still timeless.

 6. Indiana Jones Adventure 

Queue: 8
Theme: 8
Experience: 8
Average: 8

Experiencing an Indiana Jones ride is a lot like experiencing a Star Wars ride. It's such a dream come true for fans, it's hard to have a bad time. It's hard to not feel like Indiana Jones when John Williams' classic march is playing. Plus, you get a special guest appearance from John Rhys-Davies as Salah. It has one of the most intricately designed show buildings in queues that we’ve ever seen complete with a fun series of newsreels to watch while you wait.

 5.. Space Mountain 

Queue: 7
Theme: 8
Experience: 9
Average: 8

Space Mountain is one of the absolutely iconic names in theme park attractions. It's a great roller coaster and the fact that it all takes place in the dark only adds to the fun for me. Throw in the Michael Giacchino soundtrack and Space Mountain becomes a work of art. Only the significant wait time keeps me from riding this one over and over again. But the long waits show just how popular Space Mountain still is. It’s also located in an equally iconic show building that does a fantastic job getting you excited for the ride you’re about to go on.

4. Tiana's Bayou Adventure

Queue: 8
Theme: 8
Experience: 9
Average: 8.33

When It was first announced that Splash Mountain would get a major retheme and transformation into a ride based on The Princess and the Frog, many were skeptical that the fan-favorite would live up to expectations. It has absolutely had. More than a simple re-theme, Tiana's Bayou Adventure feels like a new ride. And the Disneyland version is also the best of the two that have been built.

3. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Queue: 10
Theme: 8
Experience: 9
Average: 9

It’s incredible to realize that it took so long for Walt Disney’s most famous creation, Mickey Mouse, to get his own attraction at Disneyland, but when it happened, they went all out. The trackless dark ride, inspired by the hilarious modern Mickey Mouse shorts, is a lot of fun, and it’s full of so much detail you’ll want to ride it a lot to see it all. But Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway also includes one of the most creative queues we’ve ever seen full of all sorts of Mickey references to keep you entertained while you wait.

 2. Haunted Mansion 

Queue: 8
Theme: 9
Experience: 9
Average: 8.66

It's not a thrill ride, but the Haunted Mansion is still one of the best experiences one can have at Disneyland. It's got that classic nostalgia factor, some truly special effects, some real chills, at least the first time you ride it, and a theme song that you won't mind getting stuck in your head. The Haunted Mansion's history is the history of Disneyland itself. What's more, The Nightmare Before Christmas reskin changes things up often enough that neither version ever really gets old.

1.  Rise of the Resistance 

Queue: 10
Theme: 10
Experience: 10
Average: 10

Rise of the Resistance is, to put it simply, everything. It’s a top-of-the-line dark ride giving you a unique and creative Star Wars story using every available piece of technology. It’s got exciting thrill ride-like elements and even a small drop ride. It’s got a queue so creative that it’s difficult to determine where the line ends and the ride begins. This attraction is just the best of everything.

Walt Disney said that Disneyland would always be changing, so just as old rides sometimes close and new attractions arrive, this ranking will never be entirely stagnant. We’ll always be looking forward to whatever comes next at Disneyland. Laso be sure to check out our ranking of the best rides at Disney California Adventure.

The following contains spoilers for several Disney and Disney/Pixar movies. Many are old but others are more recent.

Disney movies are some of the best when it comes to creating deeply emotional stories that tug at the heartstrings. Sometimes, however, they go a step further than that, by actually killing off beloved characters. When this happens, they can honestly be some of the most terrible moments in film history. And especially since these movies get seen by young children, these can be film moments that stay with us for the rest of our lives.

When a villain dies at the end of a Disney movie, which happens often, it's not all that shocking or terrible. It's certainly not tragic. When we lose our heroes, however, it can be heartbreaking. Here are the Disney deaths that will stay with us.

Mufasa - The Lion King

Mufasa's death was terrible, at the hands of his own brother, but the thing that made it even more awful was that we witnessed it, right there on the screen. There's no cutaway or fade to black. Scar claws his brother and knocks him off the ledge into the animal stampede. What makes it all the more terrible is watching young Simba go to his father, not fully registering what has happened. While the characters in The Lion King may be talking animals, that doesn't make Mufasa's death any less relatable, or his son's grief any less palpable.

Coral and her Eggs - Finding Nemo

Finding Nemo doesn't even let us get comfortable in our seat before it hits us with a dramatic death. Marlin and Coral have found a home for their eggs when they're attacked by a terrible predator fish. Both of them attempt to fight off the fish and protect their babies, but Marlin is knocked unconscious in the fight. After a brief fade to black, we discover that Coral, as well as nearly every egg, is gone. It makes Marlin's overprotectiveness utterly understandable as the man has lost almost everything he cared about in this one moment.

Bambi's Mom - Bambi

We can't discuss tragic death in a Disney movie without a discussion of Bambi's mom. The moment likely scarred multiple generations of children since the early 1940s. It all takes place off screen, and all the audience hears is a single gunshot, but that's all it takes. From that moment, Bambi is left alone and lost. It's heartbreaking, no matter how many times you've seen it. It may be the earliest example of just how emotionally powerful animation can truly be. Grown men will tear up simply thinking about witnessing this moment as a child. It may have been the first time that many children ever even considered the concept of death.

Tadashi - Big Hero 6

Big Hero 6 is Disney's superhero story, and unfortunately, far too many superhero origin stories begin with the death of somebody close to the hero. Hiro's brother runs into a raging fire in an attempt to save lives, and doesn't make it out. His death becomes all the more tragic when we discover that the life he tried to save was the man who actually started the fire, who turns out to be the villain. Since this is a superhero movie, the audience hopes that somehow Tadashi may have somehow also survived, but alas, this is one of the few characters in a superhero movie who stays dead.

Hector - Coco

Coco is a movie in which almost all the characters are already dead, so the fact that they are isn't particularly noteworthy or emotional. However, in the movie, we get to witness the death of Hector via a flashback. It happens on screen and we see not only his death but the vicious man who committed a terrible murder. It's a jarring moment in an otherwise heartwarming movie and one of the most emotional moments from Pixar, who knows how to play with our emotions. It's as dark a moment as the death of Mufasa, possibly worse, since we had previously thought the murderer was our hero.

Ellie - Up

Like Finding Nemo, Up doesn't waste too much time exposing us to a character's death. However, in this case, the film makes sure we get to know her before she dies, which only makes it more terrible. In one of the most memorable film sequences ever, we get to know Ellie and Carl, their hopes and their dreams, all before Ellie is taken away. She doesn't die violently or in some horrific accident, but her death is no less tragic, as it still leaves a massive hole in the heart of Carl, as well as the audience, and none of us ever really recover.

Ever since Robin Williams voiced the Genie in Aladdin, Disney has been looking toward major celebrity names to voice characters in their animated films. While not every voice role is filled by a movie star, most major Disney Animation Studios releases will have at least one big name in it. However, just being a celebrity doesn't mean you'll get the job.

Several times in the past Disney has had some pretty big names in mind to join their voice cast family that simply haven't worked out. The reasons are as varied as the roles, but one thing is for sure, if these actors had been cast, the characters we know and love would have sounded very different. Here are 10 Disney characters who almost sounded very different.

Hades

Hades was the villain in Disney's Hercules and, while the movie isn't one of the studio's biggest hits, the villain is one of its most memorable elements. This is thanks to the performance of James Woods, but imagine what Hades would have sounded like if he'd been voiced by Jack Nicholson. Jack was a major inspiration for the character and some early concept art of Hades is clearly drawn with Nicholson in mind. The actor did meet with Disney to discuss the role, but he was apparently looking for a paycheck on par with his lead acting roles, something that Disney couldn't do.

Mushu

Before Eddie Murphy voiced Donkey in the Shrek movies, he added his voice to Mulan as the dragon sidekick Mushu. Joe Pesci was brought in to voice the character originally, but it was decided that the voice just wasn't working. Then, Disney had the idea to give the character two different personalities, with Pesci voicing one, and Richard Dreyfuss taking the other. This was apparently also scrapped. Eventually, Disney's head at the time Michael Eisner made the executive decision to bring in Murphy. It's unfortunate because Pesci has mostly retired from acting, which means we'll likely never hear him voice a Disney character.

Pacha

The Emperor's New Groove is one of Disney's oddest features. Part of the reason for this is that the film went through significant changes on the way to the screen. Originally, the plan was for the film to be called Kingdom of the Sun and the plot was going to be based on Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper. Owen Wilson was cast as Pacha to play opposite David Spade's lead, but when the movie went through the massive change into the idea it became, the studio decided Wilson was no longer right for the role, and brought in John Goodman.

Merida

Pixar's Brave was the studio's first film with a female protagonist. As such, they surely wanted the right voice behind the lead character of Merida. Originally, the studio had brought in Reese Witherspoon to voice the lead character, but it seems that she wasn't the right person for the job. Why not? By Witherspoon's own admission, her Scottish accent sucked. Pixar then went to actress Kelly Macdonald, who's actually from Scotland, so her accent worked out much better. Considering many of the other lead roles went to native Scots, this was for the best.

Rapunzel

Rapunzel found her voice in Tangled thanks to pop star and actress Mandy Moore. Prior to that, however, the girl with extra long hair could have sounded like a couple of other Disney princesses. Both Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel auditioned for the voice of Rapunzel. Luckily, neither was discouraged when they didn't get the part. They came back to audition for Frozen and were cast as the sisters Anna and Elsa. All three of them have become quite popular princesses, with Tangled getting a TV series and Frozen getting a big screen sequel. It looks like Disney made the right call all around.

Ursula

Ursula is one of Disney's great villains and Pat Carroll's performance in the role from The Little Mermaid is really the main reason for that. However, Carroll was only brought in after a pair of top contenders faltered. Facts of Life actress Charlotte Rae had many fans, but apparently, her vocal range didn't work for Howard Ashman's music. At that point, it looked like the role belonged to Broadway legend Elaine Stritch, but during her musical audition, she completely changed Ashman's song, messing with the tempo. Ashman apparently didn't take it well, and Stritch was out, too.

Marlin

The role of Marlin in Finding Nemo was originally given to William H. Macy. He apparently recorded a significant amount of the role, but the general feeling was that it just wasn't working. It's really not clear what the problem was. The performance was just missing a certain something. This led to Pixar eventually making the decision to scrap everything Macy had done and start over with Albert Brooks. While it's hard to imagine anybody other than Albert Brooks as the overprotective father in Finding Nemo, William H. Macy seems like somebody who could have done something great with the role.

Pretty Much Everybody In The Good Dinosaur

Voice acting is often done in the early stages of production of an animated feature. However, at Pixar, story ideas are always in flux and in the case of The Good Dinosaur, the story fluxed so much that the entire original concept was scrapped. This meant that complete performances from the likes of Neil Patrick Harris and Bill Hader were never used. We don't even know if their characters survived into the new version of the film. The role of Arlo's dad had belonged to John Lithgow, but in the final film, he was voiced by Jeffrey Wright.

Tiana

The Princess and the Frog was the last traditionally animated movie from Disney Animation Studios. It's also a unique film due to its use of jazz in the music. Disney found a solid voice in Anika Noni Rose to vice Tiana, but she wasn't the Dreamgirls cast member that the studio originally wanted. There were apparently talks with Beyonce at one point for the role, but the singer didn't want to have to audition. Apparently, even Beyonce has to earn the part in a Disney movie, so they looked elsewhere.

Prince Eric

This one is a little bit different as it wasn't a case of a major celebrity reading for a Disney role, but one who was about to become one. Jim Carrey actually read for the role of Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid. This was prior to his joining the cast of In Living Color, so he wasn't a name at the time, though he was on his way to becoming a huge star. One wonders how things might have been different if he'd been cast. It could have totally changed his image.

Over the weekend, an interesting tale that explained some details about the missing backstory of Toy Story surfaced, and while it's been debunked by Pixar, it still makes for a great fan theory. The story is as beautiful as it is depressing. This works because apparently, all Pixar fan theories have to be depressing. Lots of Pixar movies have apparent plot holes or missing details, and for some reason, every time a fan tries to fill in the gaps, it's with a story that's just as heartbreakingly beautiful and sad as the movies themselves.

Pixar movies seem to spawn more fan theories than many other franchises, and for some reason, none of them end with "happily ever after." Instead, they're all about people dying or other depressing things. Here are a few of our favorites that we love, even though they make us want to break out a half gallon of ice cream and one spoon.

Nemo Died At The Beginning Of The Movie

Finding Nemo starts with one of the saddest moments in all of Pixar, an attack that kills Marlon's wife and nearly every one of his children. Only one survives. Unless it didn't survive. This theory postulates that all of the eggs were actually eaten, and the movie takes place in Marlon's subconscious as he deals with the aftermath. The theory argues that the movie is actually about Marlon dealing with the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, despair, and acceptance. Marlon doesn't want Nemo to go to school, gets angry with him for swimming too far, believes he can rescue his son, sees him get flushed, and then finally, decides to let go and accept his son, or in this case, the loss of him.

Possibility? Slim

Boo Spends Her Entire Life Searching For Sully

The Pixar Theory is an all-encompassing fan theory that argues that all Pixar movies take place within the same universe on a single timeline. The central premise of the entire theory is that Boo, the little girl from Monsters Inc., and the witch from Brave, are actually the same person. The witch's magic shows that her power has a particular focus on doorways, an indication that Boo learned magic as a way to try to get back to Sully, the monster she loved. If we assume that this theory is true, it would seem to indicate that the girl has become an elderly witch, while still searching. Otherwise, why isn't she with Sully now, or at least back home?

Possibility? Stronger than most fan theories.

Andy's Mom Is Jessie's Original Owner

When we meet Jessie in Toy Story 2 she has a serious chip on her shoulder with regards to people. This is because she once had a girl who loved her, before growing up and leaving her behind. The scene where we learn Jessie's backstory is heartbreaking enough on its own. It gets worse when you consider that Andy's mom might actually be the girl who used to play with Jessie. When we first see Andy in the original Toy Story he's playing with Woody while wearing a red cowboy hat. It's the same hat we see on the bed of Jessie's owner during the flashback in Toy Story 2. Making the backstory any generic person is one thing, but bringing it home like that hurts.

Possibility? Probable. Has Pixar ever addressed this?

Carl Dies At The Beginning Of Up

You already thought that the beginning of Up was the most beautifully sad thing you've ever seen. Now, get ready for it to get worse. The famous opening 10 minutes is actually Carl's life flashing before his eyes as he dies. The rest of the movie is his journey through the afterlife in order to be reunited with his dear departed Ellie. Heaven looks like Paradise Falls, because of course it does, and Russell is actually an angel sent to escort Carl to the other side. Can Up be more depressing? Apparently, the answer is yes.

Possibility? Unlikely.

Humanity Is Doomed

Another element of the larger Pixar Theory states that movies like Cars take place in the far future where artificial intelligence has taken over the planet after all humans have left due to the destruction of Earth that we see in Wall-E. If that's not enough, by the time we get to the end of the timeline, Monsters Inc., humanity has evolved and merged with animals and machines to create a new dominant species, monsters. Whatever way you look at it, people have a finite life on this planet. We very nearly destroy Earth, and eventually, it out lives us.

Possibility? Inevitable. Yikes!

If you're a hardcore Pixar fan then you're probably used to looking for, and finding, references to other Pixar films inside each of their theatrical releases. However, a new Disney video shows off some easter eggs that even the most eagle-eyed viewer may have missed. Some of these are so obscure that it's almost unbelievable they were done on purpose, once you watch the video you won't really be able to argue. Check it out.

If you're a well-schooled fan of Pixar then you may already be aware of some of the standing easter eggs that Pixar places in all their films. The Pizza Planet delivery truck can be seen in nearly all Pixar movies, and this video wraps up with one of those references. The Luxo Ball, which was used in Pixar's very first short, can also be seen in most Pixar features. The video from Oh My Disney doesn't even make a reference to it, though the ball can be seen in a couple shots from Monsters Inc. The third consistent easter egg for Pixar is that each film they make references the next film they're going to release. Several of the easter eggs we see here fall into that category, though not all.

The video starts off with an Inside Out easter egg in Finding Dory, as it turns out that Riley visited the aquarium with her school class. From there, however, we move fairly consistently through time, showing how each Pixar film referenced the one that came before it. This includes things like a wooden block version of Lightning Mcqueen that's visible in Toy Story 3, a film that was followed by Cars 2.

One of the most obscure references is from the jump between Ratatouille and the movie that followed it, Wall-E. Apparently, the same scooter driven by Skinner in the former movie ends up on Wall-E's junk pile in the latter film. Did you actually catch that one?

There are some additional easter eggs here that make reference to Pixar movies a bit out of order, including a Cars 2 reference in Ratatouille as well as Monsters Inc. calling out to both the film that followed it (Finding Nemo) and the one that preceded it (Toy Story 2). Were you familiar with every easter egg in the video? There are a ton more that weren't even dealt with here. Let us know your favorite in the comments below.

Pixar has to know that they can never say "never" when it comes to a possible sequel. We're about to have a fourth Toy Story, a third Cars, and almost every other character -- from the Monsters to the Incredibles -- have a second movie in the can or on the way. So when our own Eric Eisenberg interviewed Finding Dory producer Lindsey Collins about Andrew Stanton's massively successful sequel, he probed about the possibility of a third chapter under the sea, and found out that information floated in Finding Dory might lead to a question that has to be answered. Are you ready for Finding Hank? Collins tells us:

Approaching a Finding Dory sequel from the perspective of a different character would fit the mold of Andrew Stanton's latest sequel. Though Nemo and Marlin were part of this new story, the point of view shifted to that of Ellen Degeneres' forgetful blue tang, Dory, and so you can see how -- years from now -- if Stanton wanted to return to this world, he could write a story filling in a lot of Hanks' background and make room for Dory and the rest of the Finding Dory crew.

When we last saw the Dory gang, they'd all returned to Nemo and Marlin's 'hood, where even Hank was fitting in. As Lindsey Collins notes, the main characters have reached a resolution. Hanks still has lingering issues, and they could intrigue Andrew Stanton down the line.

Collins also played the safe game of explaining that at Pixar, they really don't want to even approach the possibility of a sequel until they have an idea that can entertain them for an extended period of time. She told Eric Eisenberg:

And as you know, Pixar's open to sequels now, on a regular basis. Plus, Finding Dory is now Pixar's highest-grossing film domestically, proving that there's an audience for undersea adventures with this cast and crew. What do you think? Would you buy a ticket to Finding Hank in a few years? Let us know in the comments. And look for Finding Dory on DVD and Blu-ray on November 15.

When it comes to great characters, there's almost nobody who does it better than Pixar. The studio has produced dozens of memorable characters, from talking toys and fish to big-hearted robots and culinary-obsessed rats. Unfortunately, none of these characters get to interact with each other outside of Disney Infinity or your own imagination. That's why we've got such a treat today, because Tom Hanks and Ellen DeGeneres brought Woody and Dorey together for a Pixar-Off and it's really adorable. Check it out.

Tom Hanks appeared as a guest on Ellen and the two happen to share Pixar films on their resumes. Tom Hanks helped kick off the first Pixar film, Toy Story, as the voice of Woody, while Ellen voiced the forgetful fish Dory in Finding Nemo and her own spin-off, Finding Dory. As characters go, the two are pretty lovable, and Hanks and Ellen are no slouches in that department either. Hanks talked about how kids get excited around him because he plays Woody but they always end up a little disappointed because he isn't an actual cowboy doll. So, he tells them to close their eyes and imagine Woody while he does the voice. That's pretty sweet and it leads to Hanks telling the whole audience to close their eyes while he and Ellen do their Pixar character.

Honestly, that's probably how an interaction between Woody and Dory would go. It's a real "Who's on First" type situation. Whether this meeting is happening on land or by sea is up to our own imaginations. Another interesting bit from this video is that it basically turns into a straight-up conversation between Hanks and Ellen about Pixar recording sessions. As the two of them explain, voice work can be a lot harder than it looks and a recording session can go up 5 hours. An especially fun factoid is when they get called back to just do grunts and noises. Apparently, Ellen gets her own apples while she works, while Tom Hanks has done three (about to be four) of these movies and never got one apple.

While there's probably never going to be that big Pixar crossover film, the individual movies have always intersected in tiny ways. There's almost always an Easter egg that hints toward the next Pixar film, like seeing the shadow of Doug from Up in Ratatouille. You can also usually catch a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo of the Pizza Planet truck, which is kind of like the Stan Lee of Pixar. There are also in-depth fan theories that each Pixar movie is connected and taking place in the same universe.

Seeing Woody and Dory together on screen is a bit of a pipe dream, so you'll just have to look forward to the next Pixar film, Cars 3, which heading to theaters on June 16, 2017.

Finding Dory took a side character from an earlier film, Finding Nemo, and built an entirely new story around her. In doing so, Pixar made a movie that is now their second highest grossing film of all-time. It has even surpassed its story predecessor. If the sidekick from Finding Nemo can make an even more successful film, then it leads one to wonder, what could a sidekick from Finding Dory accomplish?

Finding Dory introduces an entire of school worth of new and interesting side characters, and there are several with whom we would all love to spend more time. Here are a few ideas for future spin-offs we'd love to see with the cast of Finding Dory.

Hank

Hank is the most obvious choice for a Finding Dory follow-up, for a number of reasons. First off, he's the primary sidekick character, as Dory was the last time around. Secondly, like Dory, his character was set up with something missing that he needs to find: his arm. We're not saying that he's going to actually go in search of his arm, but the missing arm creates questions a sequel could answer. Octopuses are normally capable of regrowing tentacles. So why didn't Hank do this? The circumstances surrounding his missing arm make us wonder about him as a character. What did he go through before we met him at the Marine Life Institute? We want to know more in Finding Hank.

Bailey and Destiny

While we're not sure that Bailey or Destiny are really in a position to hold a film on their own, as a pair we think they'd be magic. Even the screenwriter of Finding Dory wants to see more of them, and, as we know with Pixar, it's their desire to tell a story that gets movies made. What interests us about these two is the way they work together. Each has something of a disability, but the beluga whale and whale shark help each other to overcome them. This creates an opportunity not only for a heartfelt story about friends working together, but also some fantastic comedy as the two try to navigate the ocean together, surely ending up in one crazy situation after another. We'd title this one Finding Help.

Dory's Parents

This would be a departure for Pixar, but we're sure it's one they could handle. There would be very little comedy in a movie that followed Dory's parents in their attempt to rescue their daughter. What sort of life did these two live once they realized Dory was gone? Just how far do those trails of shells actually lead? There must have been moments when each lost faith that they'd ever see their daughter again. While we know that the story has a happy ending, this movie would have to end without any idea they'd ever see Dory again, so we're calling it Finding Closure.

Fluke and Rudder

Before Dominic West and Idris Elba were the voices of sea lions Fluke and Rudder, they both starred on HBO's hit series The Wire. This seems like an opportunity far too perfect to pass up. While having Fluke turn out to be a kingpin responsible for smuggling some sort of fish narcotic into the ocean is probably a bit too crazy, seeing these two work together on the right side of the law could be perfect, Elba was Luther too, after all. A fish is found floating at the surface of the water with no apparent cause of death. What happened? Fluke and Rudder are Finding The Guilty.

When Pixar makes a movie, it's never the first draft that winds up being converted into a feature film. Instead, all of the scripts go through an extremely rigorous build-up and break-down process that allows for a lot of input from creative voices and assures that the film being made is the best possible version. Finding Dory is yet another example of this, and as a result left a number of big ideas on the floor during the production process. One example of this is that Dory's parents were originally going to suffer from the same memory condition as their daughter -- but that idea was eventually abandoned for just being too annoying.

I had the pleasure of recently talking with director Andrew Stanton at length about his new film, and early in our conversation I asked about the aforementioned production process and the details that wound up not making it into the final cut of Finding Dory. The one that the filmmaker highlighted was the idea of short-term memory loss actually runs in the titular fish's family, as it was an idea that the creatives worked on for a long time -- but it was something they ultimately had to drop from their approach. Said Stanton,

Considering that some already complain that Dory's short-term memory shtick gets old in Finding Nemo, it's probably for the best that Andrew Stanton and his team didn't move forward with this idea. After all, it's pretty hard to move a scene forward when everyone involved completely loses track of what's going on about 10 seconds after certain decisions are made. At the end of the day, it seems like it was a good plot detail to cut.

That's obviously a very big example of something that changed while Finding Dory was in production, and there are surely many other plot and character details Andrew Stanton could have revealed as well. What the director also revealed to me, though, is that there were key elements that stuck around throughout the entire process. Specifically, he always knew he wanted the movie to be about Dory finding her parents, and he also felt it was important that she "resolve her feelings about herself."

What do you think? Do you believe that Dory's parents having short-term memory loss could have been a fun idea, or do you think it's best that it was abandoned? Hit the comments section with your thoughts, and see Finding Dory in theaters this Friday, June 17th!

The sequence doesn’t last very long, and it’s one of many in the Pixar library that can produce tears, but the opening scene of Andrew Stanton’s Finding Nemo is certainly amongst the saddest the studio has made. Before we even get to know any of the sweet, wonderful main characters, we watch a barracuda rip through the happy home of Marlin and Nemo, changing their lives forever. It’s a shocking moment that many will re-experience in the run up to the release of the upcoming Finding Dory, but it’s a creative decision that the director defends for two reasons: it effectively shows the real danger of the ocean, and helps the film create an even emotional playing field for everyone.

I had the pleasure of joining a small group of other journalists to talk with Andrew Stanton and producer Lindsay Collins at an early press day for Finding Dory a couple months back, and while we touched on many different subjects about the new movie, another point of discussion was the death of Nemo’s mom in the original. In explaining his approach to the moment in Finding Nemo, Stanton explained that it wasn’t so much a part of a Disney mandate of killing parent characters – as seen in Bambi or The Lion King - but instead something that the story needed in order for the stakes to remain high within the narrative being constructed. Said the director,

Those who have seen Finding Nemo know that the effect of the titular character’s mom dying is two-fold on the story. For starters, there is most definitely an increased sense of danger created throughout the entire movie, especially as Marlin and Dory head out to find the young titular clown fish and run into all kinds of terrifying creatures, like sharks and anglerfish. However, the event also essentially helps define the relationship between Marlin and Nemo, as it’s the mom’s death that turns the new dad into an overprotective worry-wart. Of course, as an audience we recognize that Marlin is doing a bit too much, but at the same time we understand exactly where he is coming from, and it makes Finding Nemo that much stronger. Or as Andrew Stanton put it,

It’s worth mentioning that Andrew Stanton’s Finding Dory doesn’t really seem to have an equivalent death in it, as both of Ellen DeGeneres eponymous characters’ parents are actually supposed to still be alive at the time the new story takes place – voiced by Eugene Levy and Diane Keaton. Of course, even without any kind of sad passing we still expect the new blockbuster to pull hard on the heart strings.

Finding Dory is now just a few weeks away from release, set to come out on June 17th, and be sure to stay tuned for more of our coverage about the movie!

If you claim to have never used an emoji, you’re definitely lying to yourself. They’re short, they’re useful and sometimes they can be downright adorable. As a matter of fact, they’re so adorable that they can even be used for the purpose of animation. A new video has just hit the web recreating the entirety of Finding Nemo with emojis, and it’s one of the cutest things you will see all day. Check it out below to see for yourself.

Like I previously said: the above video is nothing if not completely adorable. Using emoji avatars for the classic characters in Finding Nemo, the video hilariously summarizes the events of the iconic 2003 animated adventure in less than three minutes. All of the great scenes are represented: Nemo getting captured, Marlin meeting the always forgetful Dory, the scary encounter with the sharks and it all culminates in the happy family reunion that caps off the Disney classic. Even if you haven't seen the film, you could still probably get the jist of the overall narrative.

Of course, this video serves a far greater purpose than simply tugging at our collective heartstrings. With the imminent release of the long-awaited Finding Dory, it’s quite obvious that Disney wants to provide us with an adorable, yet succinct, reminder of the events of the first film, while also stoking our anticipation for the hilarious looking sequel.

These emoji-based shorts have become incredibly popular over the last few months, and Disney has begun to take notice. In addition to this Finding Nemo video, they also have produced hilarious shorts based on recent hits like Star Wars: The Force Awakens to great effect. As the use of emojis becomes more and more commonplace, we have a distinct feeling that Disney will standardize these videos for all major movie marketing campaigns in the near future.

The popularity of these videos is really a testament to the growing ubiquity of the shorthand emojis for everyday conversation. Not only have they become an accepted means of communication, but they have also taken on a life of their own in the grand scheme of pop culture. This popularity will seemingly culminate next year when The Emoji Movie finally hits theaters. Hey, I know it sounds like a ridiculous concept, but people said the same thing before The LEGO Movie hit theaters, and that animated feature has gone on to become a bona fide modern classic. Anything is possible in this day and age.

If you haven’t checked out the above video, do yourself a favor and check it out. It reminds us of why we fell in love with Finding Nemo in the first place, and has us more than excited to see the adventures of Nemo, Marlin and Dory continue when Finding Dory swims its way into theaters on June 17.

Sequels. A few years back, Pixar found themselves heavily involved in the sequels game. Toy Story 2 wasn’t the exception anymore. Cars begat Cars 2. Monsters Inc. gave way to Monsters University. A third and fourth Toy Story became realities. And now, Finding Nemo is getting a sequel.

Pixar’s summer release in 2016 will take audiences back into the water with everyone’s favorite forgetful fish. Finding Dory will reach theaters almost 13 years (!!) after 2003’s Finding Nemo introduced us to a nervous clown fish, his suffocated son, and the amnesic blue tang fish that helped them on their rescue mission. But what has changed between now and then? A lot, both on the screen, and off. Let’s dive in to Pixar’s latest sequel with our What We Know So Far guide to Pixar’s Finding Dory.

When Is Finding Dory Coming To Theaters?

Pixar’s latest arrives in theaters on June 17. This puts Finding Dory in direct competition with Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart’s Central Intelligence. But there are no other animated movies coming out in June, and The BFG doesn’t open until July 1, meaning Dory should be able to corner the family market for several weeks. This also happens to be one of those years where Pixar only has one movie in theaters (next year will bring both Cars 3 and Coco, for example), so audiences needing a Pixar fix will want to grab Dory tickets today.

What Is Finding Dory Rated?

Per Box Office Mojo, Finding Dory will be rated PG for "mild thematic elements." Over the years, Pixar films have either been G or PG (with movies like Brave, Up and last year’s Inside Out pushing the envelope ever so slightly to earn a PG rating), so a PG rating isn't a huge surprise. However, Finding Nemo was rated G, so parents with younger children might want to screen this one ahead of time, if they have concerns about whether or not the content is appropriate for their child.

What Is Finding Dory About?

So, what will the sequel be about? We learned a while back that the action for Finding Dory was shifting out of the ocean. That’s a drastic shift. Where can you go with a fish, if not the ocean? It’s since been confirmed that the bulk of the story will be set at the Marine Biology Institute of California, a rehabilitation complex for marine life that also has the nickname of "The Jewel Of Monterey, California." It’s here where Dory was born, and where we’ll meet most of the new characters. Dory will be separated from Marlin and Nemo for long stretches of this movie. The sequel will pick up just six months after the first movie, and its first scenes will see Dory joining Nemo on a class trip to watch manta rays migrate home. After being sucked into an undertow Dory is knocked unconscious. In this state Dory has a vision, and sometime later she has a flashback of her parents and growing up, and during her sleep she repeatedly tries to migrate away. Nemo convinces Marlin to allow Dory on her trek across the ocean from the Great Barrier Reef to California to try and learn about her past, as well as find her parents. The quest to find "home" powers the story.

Dory

When Pixar decided to go ahead with a Dory-centric sequel, as opposed to following Nemo or Marlin, it became very important to bring Ellen DeGeneres back into the fold. The comedian and daytime talk show host signed on then dotted line way back in August 2012, which we hope means that she was given time to help make her return to Pixar a bright and shining success. Of course, Ellen is still rather busy with her own talk-show empire to preside over, but it also seems like she was able to contribute her own ideas to the film as she has already spoken at length about how Finding Dory teaches the world that "we really need to protect" the ocean. The first trailer released in November proved that Dory will be front and centre in the follow-up, which is something that we probably could have all gathered from its title, while even teasing that Dory’s sleep-swimming will send her on her pursuit. In fact, its new poster did just that too, as it unveiled that Finding Dory’s tagline will be, "She just kept swimming …" Pixar have already confirmed that Dory decides to find her family after learning about migration instincts, and, of course, she decides to take Nemo and Marlin along too. Speaking of which …

Marlin

You can’t really do a sequel without bringing back some familiar characters, and Finding Dory will have the blue tang fish’s running – er, swimming partner, Marlin, voiced by Albert Brooks. This, also, is fantastic news. There’s a sense of "getting the band back together," and a Nemo continuation without Marlin would be lacking. It’s not exactly like doing a Toy Story film without Tom Hanks or Tim Allen… but it’s close. It’d be like if Larry The Cable Guy or Owen Wilson didn’t return for a Cars movie. You’d notice that the voice was missing. However, from what we hear about the sequel, Marlin might not be around for the duration of the film as once Dory enters the Monterey Marine Life Institute it’s believed that she will be separated from Nemo and his over-protective dad.

Nemo

Although it has taken Finding Dory 13 years to come to the big-screen it will actually only be set 6 months after the antics of Finding Nemo. Unfortunately, the ravages of time means that 21-year-old Alexander Gould, who voiced Nemo back in 2003, is now over-the-hill when it comes to voicing the character, and thus child actor Hayden Rolence has replaced him. The change wasn’t that noticeable in the trailer though, and shouldn’t derail Finding Dory in the slightest. When it comes to Nemo’s participation in Finding Dory it sounds as though he will be in for the ride alongside his father Marlin and Dory, and we can expect him to be much more independent than he was in the original. Escaping the evil clutches of an Aussie dentist’s office makes a clownfish grow up real fast.