It feels overdone to the regular ranking of Pixar's many films, because I feel there's often only a few films that stand at the head of the pack. The Toy Story trilogy seems to be in their own individual class, more outstanding as a whole than in their separate pieces. Cars and A Bugs Life instantly land at the back of the pack, and Cars 2 looks to set a new standard as the worst of Pixar's catalog. For me, WALL-E, Ratatouile, and Finding Nemo are the biggest true winners. However, as Cars 2 seems to be the Pixar film most lacking in well rounded characters, I feel it's worth looking over the best of those.
Pixar is less known for outstanding films than they are for outstanding characters, and it's the cling to those characters that make the films so effective. Quite obviously enough, no characters from A Bug's Life and Cars make it in. On the other hand, neither did The Incredibles, but that's ensemble a piece with Pixar as you can get. True, they could've rounded those characters a little better than just the simple family dynamic. However, as I started to give certain characters passes on to the top ten, I couldn't help but notice some rather big ones being left out.
First of all, Buzz from the Toy Story franchise was left out of the pot, despite having such a compelling arc in the first film. There were also a few smaller characters that didn't make it in because they didn't have enough screentime. I love Ken in Toy Story 3, but he barely missed the cut, and for the sake of specificity, Ellie of Up is more of a driving force than a character. Remy from Ratatouille was the closest to a number 11 pick as I could find, but he would have never been so wonderful without Patton Oswalt's surprisingly strong performance. So now I give you my picks for the top ten Pixar characters, after the jump!
10. Lotso (Toy Story 3)
There's nothing more sinister or awesome than an evil teddy bear, and never mind the fact that this is coming from the guy who had nightmares of that Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal that winks at the camera at the end of one of those films. For Toy Story 3, they needed a truly intimidating villain for the toys, better than the short-but-sweet Stinky Pete of the second film. They were delivered Lotso, whose tattered fur appropriately reflects the psychological state of the character. Nearly every second on screen, Lotso commands intrigue and fear, and will gladly dispatch with a few rotten toys along the way.
9. Carl Fredrickson (Up)
How do you draw interest in a kids film where the protagonist is an old man? This was the potential marketing problem for Pixar's tenth film. In truth, there isn't much that separates Carl from any other old man, but that's not such a bad thing. Carl did live a truly rewarding life, with more happiness than most could hope for. He starts the adventure as a shell of a man, clinging to the memory of his deceased wife. The entire film is him trying to discover who he is without her, and now that the only meaningful thing in his life is gone, what's left for him to do? It's one hell of an emotional journey
8. Marlin (Finding Nemo)
7. Anton Ego (Ratatouille)
Not quite a villain, but still one hell of a character, the critic is given wondrous voice by Peter O'Toole. Not quite an empathetic character, but an understandable one is the famed food critic Anton Ego. Jaded and cynical, the man seems hell bent on the decimation of Gusteau's restaurant, but like any critic he is limited by lack of foresight for his subject's next move. Just as you can't define a director until five or six films into career, so it is with restaurants. At the end of the film, Ego is given a sort of context for Gusteau's legacy, and gains a full appreciation of it. A fully rounded arc for a fully rounded character.
6. Jessie (Toy Story 2)
Chastise me all you want, but I am still in complete adoration of this character introduced in the second of the Toy Story saga. It's the perfect conduit for Woody's central story, with a sense of foresight at the inevitable future. A country girl from the same collection as Woody, they are nonetheless two separate entities. Jessie goes from being a fearful pessimist to an optimist over the course of the film, and as with the best films, it doesn't avoid cynicism, but take it head on. Still, the part of the film that consolidates my affection for her is the weighty origin story set to "When Somebody Loved Me". You don't shed a tear, you're a horrific monster.
5. Colette Tatou (Ratatouille)
Another one of those characters you don't entirely think about being such a standout, but then you think about. The core of what makes Paris so beautiful is found in this character. At the start vicious example of determination against all odds, and one who holds true to the credo of the former owner of the restaurant. Collette eventually proves quite beautiful and daring in her own way, even though the chef's gown doesn't quite become her. She's sophisticated, lovely, and vibrantly turns on a dime. Everything the city of Paris is best known for.
4. Mike Wazowski (Monster's Inc.)
I had to dig down deep to find the characters that really struck me as original, and I was surprised by how delighted I was with this particular one. With the unmistakable and unforgettable voice of Billy Crystal behind the character, Mike is as much of an idealist as you're going to find in the Pixar catalog. Committed to his best friend to the point of insanity and turmoil, he's almost constantly trying to look for an easy way out of the pickle he's in. He'd like to think he's on top of things. He's not. He's the voice of logic and realism in a world gone mad. A mixture of sarcasm and intelligence get him by, and it makes for the one of the most abundantly enjoyable of Pixar's characters.
3. Woody (Toy Story Trilogy)
Sue me that I don't have him placed at the number one spot, but don't accuse me of not caring. The constant core and central focus of the entire trilogy is absolutely amazing the more you think about the series. He's loyal to the end to Andy, but just as loyal to his friends. He's not without the arrogant foils and flaws of any headstrong leader. He uses optimism to hide the fear cradled deep inside. Most of all, though, is his relationship with Andy. Ever wonder where Andy's dad was? Whenever there's an absent father, you can assume he's dead. If you look at Woody through the lens that he's the realization of Andy's absent father, it adds an entire layer of nostalgia and heartache to the entire series, most especially the third installment. It's a subtle move, and it's actually the most subtle and brilliant thing Pixar has ever done.
2. WALL-E (WALL-E)
Some things are better said with silence, and the Pixar's most endearing protagonist has not a single influential line of dialog in his respective film, nor does he need one. Everything that you need to know about his character is in his eyes, which are never just hunks of metal. They don't rest in stillness and silence, but are almost always in movements so slight and emotive. He's partially the spirit of Charley Chaplin himself, amusingly getting himself caught up in all sorts of antics. Ultimately, he's the epitome of what it is to live. All that's lost in humanity is in him, a long lost relic and a diamond in the rough. Those who don't love be shunned, for not a single moment with him is dull or dumb.
1. Dori (Finding Nemo)
And who should hold the top place on Pixar hall of fame other than Ellen Degeneres' endearing lunatic Dori? Yes, she's built around the idea of a person with short-term memory loss, which can be irritant to any helpless fish. Still, director Andrew Stanton never milks it till it's dry, using it sparingly and to good effect. In any case, it's not the only trick up Dori's sleeve. Like the best of 'em, she's joyful and optimistic, and there's a subtle romance between her and Marlin. It's never pushed to the point where she says, "You want to make out now?" It's subtle and inferred, and you can feel it as emotionally palpable in Ellen's voice. It's a wonderful performance, fully worthy of an Oscar nod, but ignored like all gems.
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