Ranking All The Pixar Sequels From Worst To Best

7. Cars 2

Easily the nadir of Pixar's filmography, Cars 2 is a bit of a mess.

The first Cars was a decent if not exactly groundbreaking film that was all about hot-shot Lightning McQueen learning the value of slowing down every once and a while to treasure the little things. So logically, the follow-up would reduce McQueen to a supporting role, boost Larry the Cable Guy's Mater up to the protagonist position, and have the plot of a knock-off James Bond movie, right?

From the concept to execution, every artistic choice made for Cars 2 is baffling. If making a spy film that just so happened to feature talking cars wasn't strange enough, then having Mater fill the 007-lite role certainly was. Mr. the Cable Guy's tow truck was tolerable in the first film precisely because he was a supporting character, but being the lead means that the emotional weight of the film falls upon his shoulders, and he is thoroughly incapable of carrying it.

John Lasseter infamously turned down the opportunity to direct the final installment of the Toy Story trilogy he started, because he was so in love with the story of Cars 2. Hindsight being 20/20, that may not have been the best choice.