Movies Gallery Pixar Hall of Fame: 11 Classics As the king of computer-animation releases its newest flick, ''Up,'' on DVD, we look at Pixar's path to awesome, from ''Toy Story'' to ''Wall-E'' and everything in between By Jeremy Medina Published on October 29, 2009 04:00PM EDT Close 1 UP (2009) Up features what is probably Pixar's oddest protagonist yet: the 78-year-old Carl Frederickson (voiced by Ed Asner). A recent widower in the sunset of his life, Carl decides to go on the adventure he never had. So, like any normal person would do, he ties thousands of balloons to his house and floats to South America. Problem is, a rambunctious preteen ''wilderness adventurer'' named Russell (Jordan Nagai) has stowed away. Together, they go on one of Pixar's most emotional journeys. 2 TOY STORY (1995) It sounds like a cliché now, but Toy Story really did take animation to infinity and beyond. The first-ever computer animated film, it introduced the company's two flagship characters: Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen). Their rivalry-turned-friendship took them face-to-face with one of Pixar's most menacing villains: Syd, the punk teen toy mutilator. 3 Everett Collection A BUG'S LIFE (1998) An accident-prone ant named Flik (voiced by Dave Foley) is sent to find a few good men, er, bugs to help protect his colony from the wrath of Hopper (Kevin Spacey), an evil grasshopper exploiting their food supply. Instead of warriors, though, Flik finds a band of misfit circus performers. Together, they prove that in a battle between brains and brawn, brains always prevail. A light and breezy take on Seven Samurai, A Bug's Life not only proved Pixar was no one-hit wonder, but it also showed that not all ladybugs are, in fact, ladies. 4 TOY STORY 2 (1999) To think, Toy Story 2 could have been just another notch on Disney's direct-to-video belt. Instead, the feature-length sequel brought Woody, Buzz, and the gang back together — just before cruelly separating them. After Woody is kidnapped by a conniving toy store owner, Buzz and a few brave soldiers leave domesticity behind to rescue him. Delightful and poignant (that ''When She Loved Me'' sequence is wrenching), it makes the wait for Toy Story 3 in 2010 seem unbearable. 5 MONSTERS, INC. (2001) One of Pixar's several strokes of genius for its imaginative fourth feature was to give each of its colorful cast of monsters regular, unmonstery names. Case in point: Mike Wazowski, the one-eyed motormouth voiced by Billy Crystal, and John Goodman's shaggy, sweet James ''Sully'' Sullivan. Another stroke of genius? Using the daughter of one of the animators to voice Boo, the cute-as-a-button toddler who befriends Mike and Sully. The final stroke of genius? The pitch-perfect, one-word ending: ''Kitty.'' Brilliant. 6 FINDING NEMO (2003) Epic in every sense, this nautical father-son tale became Pixar's highest-grossing film to date, with nearly $340 million at the box office. Albert Brooks provided the voice for Marlin, the clownfish who heroically traversed the ocean to rescue his beloved son. Finding Nemo also boasted one of the best Pixar characters ever: Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), the dimwitted fish afflicted with short-term memory loss. From her bizarre whale speak to her life-affirming ''just keep swimming'' mantra, Dory (and DeGeneres) steal the movie. 7 Everett Collection THE INCREDIBLES (2004) What if your entire family were superheroes? That's the idea behind The Incredibles, the frenetic, fast-paced adventure of one gifted family, led by Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) and Elastigirl (Holly Hunter). The film was Iron Giant director Brad Bird's first with the company. In fact, not only did he direct, but he voiced the movie's most delicious character: Edna Mode, the feisty fashionista. Quick note to Pixar: Sequel, please. 8 CARS (2006) Generally thought to be the one speed bump on Pixar's near-perfect record, Cars is nonetheless a jolly, big-hearted, old-fashioned tale set on the open highway — if that highway was inhabited solely by automobiles, that is. Slick speed racer Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) visits a ghost town populated by characters who instigate some much-needed soul-searching, including the father-figure Doc Hudson (voiced by the late, great Paul Newman). Cars was such a success, both at the box office and the toy store, a sequel was a no-brainer. It's due in 2011. 9 RATATOUILLE (2007) Director Brad Bird returns for a delectable, foodie romp through Paris from a gourmand rat's point of view. Ratatouille, named after the French vegetable stew-like dish, centers on Remy (Patton Oswalt) and his quest to fulfill his culinary destiny through an almost Cyrano de Bergerac scenario with a hapless upstart chef. This Oscar winner illuminates some of the most adult themes in a Pixar film yet — for example, the role of the critic in modern society. Anyone can cook, sure, but no one can make movies like this. Tres bon! 10 WALL-E (2008) Pixar's riskiest film yet. For the better part of Wall-E's first 40 minutes, there is no dialogue. Just the indecipherable noises made by one curious little robot, who meets a sleek machine named Eve and follows her across the galaxy. There, in a display of true wit and satire, he finds a human race that has enslaved itself to technology. Filled with wondrously eye-popping moments, Wall-E is that rare, beautiful thing: A film that packs both an emotional and satirical punch. 11 PIXAR SHORTS Like a throwback to the early Walt Disney days, a short film precedes every Pixar feature in theaters. (Most, like ''Mike's New Car'' and ''BURN-E'' appear on the DVDs, too.) They range from a flock of birds vying for supremacy on a power line (the aptly titled ''For the Birds''), to a battle of wits between a magician and his not-so subservient rabbit (''Presto''). Each short is so lovingly crafted, it's created one strict rule for the Pixar movie-going experience: Never be late.