Can a Good Movie Top the Box Office? It Just Did! Is ‘Toy Story 3’ the Best Pixar Movie Ever?

The summer doldrums are over. Pixar’s animated miracle Toy Story 3, beloved by critics everywhere except for that sly contrarian Armond White of the New York Press, just had the biggest June debut in history, taking in a staggering $109 million. The original 1995 Toy Story opened to $39 million, and 1999’s Toy Story 2 debuted at $83 million four years later. An absence of over a decade has really made our hearts grow fonder. Toy Story 3 took in $8.4 million just from folks who saw it, like I did, in IMAX 3-D.

When something good makes money I always think the sky is falling. No worries. Hollywood will continue to churn out lucrative crap. But, for this week at least, let’s congratulate Pixar for turning quality into a money-making proposition.

Toy Story 3 reps Pixar’s 11th animated film to open at the top of the box office. Which brings me to today’s question: Which of these animated movies is Number One on your personal Pixar best — or at least in your top three? I’m going with:

1. The Incredibles
2. WALL-E
3. Toy Story 3

Toy Story (1995)

A Bug’s Life (1998)

Toy Story 2 (1999)

Monsters, Inc. (2001)
 
Finding Nemo (2003)

The Incredibles (2004)

Cars (2006)

Ratatouille (2007)

WALL-E (2008)

Up (2009)
 
Toy Story 3 (2010)