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'Toy Story 4' Is a Masterpiece. Is It in Pixar's Top 5? | The Big Picture

June 21, 2019/ 52 min/ Sean Fennessy · Rob Harvilla

Sean Fennessy and Ringer colleague (and dad of two) Rob Harvilla review Toy Story 4, then each draft a personal Pixar top five.

11 films across 3 segments.

AI-generated This episode was transcribed and analyzed with AI models. The matches aren't perfect — expect the occasional misheard title or a link to the wrong film.

Toy Story 4review

Toy Story 4 poster

Toy Story 4 2019

Josh Cooley's directorial debut for Pixar. Both hosts found it funnier and less emotionally punishing than Inside Out or Toy Story 3, thanks to Forky's trash/not-trash identity crisis, Gabby Gabby, and the Key-and-Peele-voiced Ducky and Bunny. Sean flags the strange juxtaposition of the film's warmth with its behind-the-scenes story: Rashida Jones and Will McCormick left the writing process citing a lack of openness to new voices, and the story-by credits still list John Lasseter.

Rob Harvilla's Pixar Top Fivebest to worst

Coco poster
No. 1

Coco 2017

His favorite movie of 2017 outright: the 'Remember Me' ending got both him and his son, which almost never happens with these movies.

The Incredibles poster
No. 2

The Incredibles 2004

A sibling story before he had kids of his own, and a marriage story once Incredibles 2 arrived. The Elastigirl-in-the-lair door sequence is his favorite Pixar set piece.

Up poster
No. 3

Up 2009

The opening marriage-and-loss montage got him: the first Pixar movie he actively cried at, on a date with his now-wife.

Toy Story 3 poster
No. 4

Toy Story 3 2010

Lotso is his benchmark Pixar villain; the incinerator scene wrecked him before he even had kids.

WALL·E poster
No. 5

WALL·E 2008

The 'we can make a movie out of anything' pick, with long, near-silent stretches that felt more like Chaplin than a kids' movie.

Sean Fennessy's Pixar Top Fivebest to worst

Toy Story poster
No. 1

Toy Story 1995

Picked for the historical jolt as much as the story: a Technicolor-level leap for animation, and only 81 minutes.

Finding Nemo poster
No. 2

Finding Nemo 2003

Where the brand really solidified for him, with Albert Brooks and Randy Newman carrying the fear of losing a kid.

The Incredibles poster
No. 3

The Incredibles 2004

Reads it as a sibling story, and credits Brad Bird as one of the best action stagers working, animated or not.

Ratatouille poster
No. 4

Ratatouille 2007

About the tension between creation and criticism: Remy versus Anton Ego, who gets more empathy than critic characters usually do onscreen.

Inside Out poster
No. 5

Inside Out 2015

Grudging respect: the 'joyful kid becomes a sullen teenager' arc wrecked him while his own kid just thought Anger was funny.

Also mentioned raised along the way

In passing Incredibles 2Cars 3A Bug's LifeToy Story 2Monsters, Inc.Finding DoryMonsters UniversityThe Good DinosaurJohn CarterSoulStar WarsSherlock GnomesBeauty and the BeastLady in the WaterRock DogThe Emoji MovieTrollsAnnabelle Comes HomeGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3