Also, Cars sucked.

What? No it didn't! It wasn't Pixar's best work and I'm confused as hell about why it needs a sequel, but in no way did it suck.

I have to agree with the sucking of Cars. I chuckled once or twice but I'm accustomed to being all 'awwwed' and charmed by anything Pixar. I get the audience appeal of the NASCAR niche, but it does nothing for me personally. Can't say I'd go see Cars 2 unless there was something truly remarkable about it.

Wall-E, on the other hand, I'm going to have to see.

I have yet to see Cars, so I have no opinion on its suckage.

re: Cars . . .

I loved the small Western town just off Route 66, in all its faded old-tourist glory. And Radiator Valley was wonderful.

I liked it.

What? No it didn't! It wasn't Pixar's best work and I'm confused as hell about why it needs a sequel, but in no way did it suck.

Yeah, it did. You know why? It had the same over used plot that every animated movie had that summer. Basically good but self-interested protagonist learns not to be an asshole and value others. I had to see all those movies with Emmett: Over the Hedge, Open Season, et al.

I've decided that this very common theme, second only to "Believe in Yourself" among animated plots, is a rebuttal to the Bush era values. (Conversely, Brad Bird is all Ayn Rand For Munchkins.)

Also, I really didn't want to spend time in that Cars universe the way I did in other Pixar films. That 50s Route 66 vibe has been so completely exhausted by an infinite number of 50s theme diners.

good but self-interested protagonist learns not to be an asshole and value others.

See also: Toy Story, The Incredibles, and Monsters, Inc.

I'll agree that it falls very low on the Pixar Scale (and gets massive fail points for worldbuilding, though it did lead to one of the more interesting post-movie discussions I've ever had, re: how do they reproduce?), but I'd take it in a heartbeat over just about anything Dreamworks has ever put out.

And Jessica explains my position far better than I have been able to (well, apart from that discussion. Mine was about waste of fossil fuels)

small-font: The Incredibles is my least-favorite Pixar film. Except for the baby who goes on fire.

Quick Poll.

Rank your favorite Pixar movies from top to bottom.

The Incredibles
Toy Story 2
Ratatouille
Toy Story
Finding Nemo
Monsters, Inc.
Cars

I didn't see A Bug's Life.

If I included non-Pixar animated features which have come out since Toy Story (1995) my list would look like this.

Spirited Away
Lilo and Stitch
The Incredibles
Toy Story 2
Howl's Moving Castle (I might like Howl better than Toy Story 2)
Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the WereRabbit (though Wrong Trousers and Close Shave are better still and rank near the top of this list for total pleasure)
Ratatouille
Toy Story
Triplets of Belleville (doesn't quite belong on this list since it's not so much a kid's movie)
The Emperor's New Groove (the genius comic duo of Patrick Warburton and Eartha Kitt)
Kung Fu Panda (might be slightly overrated since I saw it last night)
James and the Giant Peach
Chicken Run (seems like I should love it better but I just don't)
Finding Nemo
Monsters, Inc.
Cars

Hmmm. I think that's how I'd rank them. My list is probably cheating to include Miyazaki but not other anime movies, but I guess I'm thinking of wide distribution in the U.S.

Look at the lack of Disney on there. My favorites there are all pre-1995: Aladin, Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid. No wonder they let Lasseter take over their animation. After they lost Katzenberg they completely went off the rails. (Not that Prince of Egypt was going to make my list.)

List of Animated Features since 1995

Addendum, in 2005 there was a direct-to-DVD feature titled My Little Pony: A Very Minty Christmas.

That might be my new candidate for worst title ever.

I'm just going to randomly start wishing people a very minty Christmas. Starting 4th of July weekend.