From the years 1995 to roughly 2010, Pixar Animation Studios made some of the best films of all time. Not just animated films. Films, period. There’s Toy Story, Wall-E, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Up, and more. The 10 years after that were a little less even but are highlighted by a few stone-cold classics (Coco, Inside Out) that lived up to those originals. Then, in 2020, the covid-19 pandemic hit, and things took a turn. Or, at least, people think it did. Since the 2019 release of Toy Story 4, most people would agree that Pixar has slipped. It’s no longer as good as the Pixar of old. And we’re here to tell you that is 100% incorrect.
This week, Pixar’s latest film, Hoppers, is being released, and many (including myself) are calling it one of Pixar’s best ever. Or, at the very least, best in recent memory. And yet, since the release of Toy Story 4, Pixar has released nine films (including Hoppers), the vast majority of which are undeniably excellent. Heck, even the ones that aren’t “undeniably excellent” are still pretty good.
Pixar hasn’t slipped. It’s just still dealing with the unprecedented success of its teens and a few factors out of its control. Let’s break this down a bit.
© Pixar
When Pixar’s first post-Toy Story 4 film, Onward, was released on March 6, 2020, the world was literally days from shutting down. No one wanted to talk about a weird fantasy movie when thousands were dying in reality, and going to a public space meant you might be one of them. As a result, the film didn’t fare too well financially. But people who did see it loved it. Onward currently sits at 88% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and 95% from audiences.
The continuing pandemic then became an even bigger factor. The next three films—Soul, Luca, and Turning Red—all skipped traditional theatrical releases, instead being relegated to the Disney+ streaming service. In an instant, big, expensive, gorgeous Pixar movies meant to be seen on a big screen and treated as art were basically marked as “less than.” Debuting films on streaming, especially for Disney, has never been a great look, and so, for about two years, all this incredible work wasn’t given the credit it deserved.
But, again, let’s go to the reactions. Soul: 95% from critics and 88% from audiences. Luca: 91% from critics and 85% from audiences. And Turning Red: 95% from critics (and 67% from audiences, which is a whole other article). Basically, while these movies didn’t have the cultural impact of Pixar movies released in theaters, they are almost universally and undeniably great. Pixar wasn’t failing. The world was.
© Pixar
The biggest mark against this argument came in June 2022 with the release of Lightyear. In theory, Lightyear was a great idea. A fun way to give Pixar’s most famous franchise new life. And as such, it was the first Pixar movie to get a full theatrical release since 2019’s Toy Story 4. Unfortunately, the premise and marketing of the film were very confusing, and while the reviews were solid (74% from critics and 84% from audiences), its box office gross of about $226 million globally was Pixar’s lowest ever at the time for a non-pandemic release.
But I, for one, stand behind Lightyear. I think it’s a fun, big swing. Something Pixar can, and should, do more of. Plus, while it’s undeniably the low point of this era, it’s also pretty damn good all things considered.
Next up was Elemental in 2023, a film that, with a $29 million opening weekend, was presumed to continue that Lightyear narrative. Then something magical happened. People who saw the movie loved it. They told their friends. And eventually, it made almost $500 million with 73% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and 93% from audiences. Not bad.
© Pixar
Then, of course, came Inside Out 2, which became Pixar’s highest-grossing movie ever. And deservedly so. It’s fantastic, proved not just by the $1.7 billion in box office but also the 91% from critics and 94% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s not just success on par with the Pixar of old. It’s a success beyond what any movie studio would expect from any movie they release at all.
Unfortunately, that success was not quite matched by 2024’s Elio, a film that had a long, varied production and came out with as little hype around a Pixar movie as we can remember. It subsequently broke Lightyear’s record to become Pixar’s lowest-grossing (non-pandemic) release ever, with only $154 million globally. And yet, again, while most people didn’t see it, those who did generally liked it. Elio has 83% from critics and 89% from audiences. Critically, that’s a win.
And ultimately, that’s my point here. It’s undeniable that a few films—mainly Lightyear and Elio—as well as a global pandemic, have given many people the impression that Pixar is slipping. But when you look at the films themselves and what people who’ve seen them think of them, that is decidedly not the case. And that streak looks to continue with Hoppers. While it won’t get audience reaction for a while, it’s currently sitting at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing. That’s top tier. And next up? Toy Story 5. Are these movies as good as that original run? Maybe not. But it’s a pretty incredible streak and should be treated as such. Pixar isn’t back. It never left.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.