Continuing my countdown of every Pixar movie…
#18. A Bug’s Life (1998)
(up two spots from previous ranking)
When you talk about Pixar’s amazing early run, it’s easy to forget that their second film was actually pretty ordinary. A Bug’s Life certainly didn’t live up to Toy Story and was a let-down three years after that groundbreaking release.
It’s a sweet movie that feels like Pixar Lite. It’s not as laugh out loud funny or hold-your-breath exciting as its brethren, and it doesn’t have the thematic weight of the studio’s best films, but it does each of those things a little bit.
I like the animation in this one, especially how the filmmakers turn a clump of land in a small pond into a whole civilization.
#17. Monsters University (2013)
(up one spot from previous ranking)
The third straight so-so Pixar film (it followed Cars 2 and Brave), and the second unnecessary sequel, Monsters University suffers because it feels like confirmation of a downward trend for the studio.
It’s an enjoyable tale that gets some mileage out of its college setting but it doesn’t add a whole lot to the Monsters world.
That said, this is one of the most imaginative universes in the Pixar canon, and it’s fun to spend more time with Billy Crystal and John Goodman in roles they inhabit beautifully.
Was a bug, little bug, hardly there
How he felt, what he dreamed, who would care?
Without any evidence
(His flaws were many)
He was full of confidence
(Some people haven’t any)
Didn’t have much common sense
(It’s highly over-rated)
He just knew that he’d come through
[Chorus]
It’s the time of your life, so live it well
It’s the time of your life, so live it well
We may only go ’round one time
As far as I can tell
It’s the time of your life
It’s the time of your life
It’s the time of your life, so live it well
[Verse 2]
Like us all, he started small
Then he grew
When the time came he knew what to do
He knew in order to succeed
(They’d have to work together)
He turned a rock into a seed
(And they were changed forever)
Then they had the strength they’d need
(To get through stormy weather)
Do or die, you gotta try
[Chorus]
It’s the time of your life, so live it well
It’s the time of your life, so live it well
We may only go ’round one time
As far as I can tell (He could be wrong about that)
It’s the time of your life, so live it well
[Bridge]
Isn’t it a bit surprising
How our fortunes ebb and flow
And only to the enterprising
Does the magic fortune cookie go
Believe me
[Chorus]
It’s the time of your life, so live it well
It’s the time of your life, so live it well
We may only go ’round one time
As far as I can tell
It’s the time of your life
It’s the time of your life
It’s the time of your life, so live it well
Meet Me In Montauk 
While I’m generally on board with your lower tier rankings so far, I would probably move Brave higher than either Bug’s Life or Monsters University.
I definitely need to give both of these films a re-watch. It’s been a while. But I also think there’s a reason I go such long stretches without seeing them. I’ll stand by swapping these two into the lower tier.
Maddie’s point is a good one that there is probably a reason we haven’t rewatched some of these films as much as others. That said, I do remember laughing a lot at Monster’s University and agree that it is one of the most compelling and imaginative of the Pixar universes.
I rewatched Monsters University almost every other Friday night for a whole school year. This film doesn’t hold a special place in my heart. I’m not sure what it was about this one that resonated with me more than the original or other Pixar films. I agree it’s an incredibly imaginative world, I love the characters and the humor, and it’s one that I could always be in the mood to watch. However, I recognize that my relationship to the film isn’t everyone’s and I suppose I could respect your ranking although I disagree. There’s just so many good movies!
I’ve seen A Bugs Life maybe once. I don’t have any feelings on this film.
I rewatched Monsters University almost every other Friday night for a whole school year. This film doesn’t hold a special place in my heart. I’m not sure what it was about this one that resonated with me more than the original or other Pixar films. I agree it’s an incredibly imaginative world, I love the characters and the humor, and it’s one that I could always be in the mood to watch. However, I recognize that my relationship to the film isn’t everyone’s and I suppose I could respect your ranking although I disagree. There’s just so many good movies!
I’ve seen A Bugs Life maybe once. I don’t have any feelings on this film.