It’s a big week for Pixar. Not only does tomorrow see the release of the studios’ sixteenth movie (and their second in five months) “The Good Dinosaur,” but Sunday marked twenty years since the release of their first, “Toy Story.” Since that first adventure of Woody, Buzz and co, the studio has, bar a couple of exceptions, become a byword for not just great family films, but great cinema altogether, earning two Best Picture nominations and winning seven Animated Feature Oscars. Oh, and Pixar has grossed nearly ten billion dollars worldwide, excluding video and merchandise sales.
The reasons for Pixar’s success are plentiful: the studio has an uncanny eye for what children, and their parents, actually want to see; it is unafraid to take risks and never panders; and it insists on a strong emphasis on story and state of the art CGI. But there’s one hallmark quality that shouldn’t be underestimated, and that’s Pixar’s terrific eye for casting. “Toy Story” was sold on big name voice actors —Tom Hanks and Tim Allen— but for the most, the studio has eschewed the A-list casting common to rivals DreamWorks and Illumination in favor of voices that are sometimes recognizable but are hardly marquee talent.
Voice acting isn’t written about enough, but it’s an absolutely crucial part of selling the reality of the story onscreen, and Pixar’s approach has paid off in spades countless times. So to pay tribute to twenty years of Pixar features, I’ve ranked the Playlist’s favorite thirty vocal performances in the studio’s movies. Take a look below and let us know your picks in the comments.
30. Kevin Spacey as Hopper in “A Bug’s Life” (1999)
Pixar’s second movie might number among its least-loved, mostly unfairly —while it’s not quite top tier, their insect-y spin on “The Three Amigos” by way of “The Magnificent Seven” has a lot to like about it, not least a delicious villainous performance by Spacey. His Hopper, a bullying grasshopper demanding endless supplies of grain from the heroic ants, might be Pixar’s most purely menacing villain —he’s part politician, part schoolyard thug, and Spacey has enormous fun with a growlier, gruffer take on the bad guy than he generally plays.
29. John Ratzenberger as Hamm in the “Toy Story” series (1995-2010)
Former “Cheers” regular Ratzenberger instantly became Pixar’s lucky charm after “Toy Story” —he’s voiced a character in every one of the studio’s movies, from a flea circus ringleader to a mole-person supervillain. But he’s never had a better showcase than Hamm, the piggy bank in the “Toy Story” franchise, and his turn the first movie is his best. He’s the sort of smart-ass of the group, but Ratzenberger gives the character something else beyond that: the kind of knee-jerk, jump-to-conclusions guy of the community, leading the pitchfork-and-torches mob against Woody before eventually showing his guilt for his role in it.
28. Billy Crystal as Mike Wazowski in “Monsters Inc” (2002)
Your love for eyeball-on-legs Mike Wazowski in “Monsters Inc” might vary depending on your tolerance for Billy Crystal —for some, he’s irritating, but for others, he’s one of Pixar’s most memorable comic creations. We’re firmly in the latter camp: Crystal plays his part of one of the company’s best duos like a blend of a Borscht Belt comedian and Burgess Meredith in “Rocky,” letting his stand-up talents loose while making sure that he’s still a distinct and cohesive character, and sprinkling a little Jack Lemmon-ish schlubby likability in there.
27. Michael Keaton as Ken in “Toy Story 3” (2010)
You can attribute the Keaton Komeback to “Spotlight,” or to “Birdman,” or to “The Other Guys” (probably not to “Need For Speed”), but in reality, it kicked off with his killer comedy turn in the third “Toy Story,” as Ken, the destined partner of Barbie (Jodi Benson, who also voiced Ariel in “The Little Mermaid”). Keaton makes him as vain as he is handsome and sprinkles in a little creepiness when he turns out to be in Lotso’s employ, but there’s a lovely note of loneliness that makes us forgive him when the time comes (well, that and his killer wardrobe).
26. Paul Newman as Doc Hudson in “Cars” (2006)
The “Cars” movies are generally, and correctly, held to be Pixar’s least satisfying features, but if they brought anything good into the world, it’s a lovely performance from Paul Newman, the final big-screen turn from one of the greatest actors we ever had. A weary old doctor and a 1951 Hudson Hornet who’s a sort of de facto leader of the Radiator Springs community, he’s tried to shut away his old racing days but comes to terms with his past thanks to the arrival of Owen Wilson’s brash racecar. Newman’s honeyed tones and wry humor give Hudson the perfect gravitas and authority, and the closing tribute to him serves not just as a love letter to a bygone age of racing, but to a screen legend.
25. Samuel L. Jackson as Frozone in “The Incredibles” (2004)
Few actors have more recognizable voices than Samuel L. Jackson, so it was almost inevitable that Pixar would make use of him at some point, the studio did so excellently. He doesn’t pop up as Frozone, Mr. Incredible’s best pal, as much as we might like (hopefully the upcoming sequel sees him back), but he’s a joy whenever he does appear, whether lamenting the dullness of middle-age family life, back in action in his sleek figure-skater look, or squabbling with his wife over his superheroics. It sometimes seems that Jackson, like Christopher Walken, plays himself more often than not these days, but “The Incredibles” is a reminder of both his star persona and his range.
24. Craig T. Nelson as Mr. Incredible in “The Incredibles” (2004)
The cuddly star of “Coach” might not sound like obvious casting as a superhero, but “The Incredibles” was another reminder of how the studio’s policy of often eschewing big names can pay off. Nelson’s utterly convincing in his superheroic prime, like the Superman you never knew you wanted, but he’s just as good as a slump-shouldered family man —Nelson’s voice sounds diminished, bored and simmering with anger at the grey world around him (though, crucially, never with his beloved family, however frustrated he gets), only sparking into life when danger turns up again.
23. Jeff Pidgeon & Debi Derryberry as the LIttle Green Men in the “Toy Story” films (1995-2010)
Imagine if the Minions hadn’t gone and got their own movie, and instead remained sparsely-used comic highlights of the “Despicable Me” franchise. That’s essentially the role that the squeezy toy aliens have in “Toy Story,” and they’re far more welcome as a result. Essentially an overly-attached cult who worship Buzz Lightyear, and voiced by Pixar animator Jeff Pidgeon and voice actress Debi Derryberry, their hilarity comes in their utterly unified approach, a seemingly one-note performance that borders on the disturbing, and thanks to the actors’ deadpan delivery, have remained utterly welcome every time they’ve appeared on screen.
22. Timothy Dalton as Mr. Pricklepants in “Toy Story 3” (2010)
“Toy Story 3” brought all kinds of delightful new creations to the franchise, from Ken (see above) to Kristen Schaal’s Trixie, but none are as endlessly watchable, despite relatively brief appearances, as Mr. Pricklepants. A hedgehog inexplicably dressed in lederhosen, made into a pretentious, improv-happy actor by ex-Bond and “Hot Fuzz” villain Dalton, he has barely a dozen lines, but Dalton’s Shakespearean voice, irritability and obvious glee at getting to perform makes each funny. We’re ambivalent about a fourth “Toy Story” after the seemingly perfect wrap-up of the last one, but we can certainly get on board if we get more Pricklepants.
21. Ed Asner as Carl Fredericksen in “Up” (2009)
He might look a little more like an older Martin Scorsese than the actor who played him, but it’s impossible to imagine the elderly hero of “Up” being brought to life better than by Asner. The veteran “Mary Tyler Moore Show” star and seven-time Emmy winner only enters the scene after the film’s already made you cry like a baby in its famous opening montage, and his cynical, crabby approach breaks your heart all over again once you meet him. But as the film goes on, the harsh exterior to Asner’s voice starts to melt away, and he actively sounds younger by the time he’s swinging from airships and swordfighting with his cane.
