When someone says “Pixar,” do you think of its many sequels? You certainly aren’t the only one. Ever since Pixar released Toy Story 2 in 1999, Pixar has been famous for its sequels. Unfortunately, not all the sequels have been great successes. Some suffered because they weren’t needed or wanted, and others were just plain lousy. Pixar has made many stellar films that don’t need sequels, and will hopefully never get them. Here are five that really don’t need sequels.
A Bug’s Life (1998)
Pixar’s second feature film, A Bug’s Life, was certainly a success. Part of that success was because it was an unofficial homage to the classic Akira Kurosawa film, Seven Samurai. Even though it isn’t quite as fantastic as the classic film, A Bug’s Life still holds a very dear place in many people’s hearts.
With a plot based on Seven Samurai, it would be hard to do a sequel based on completely new content. If they were to make a sequel, Pixar would have to come up with a new story that’s still in the same vein as the original. Plus, a sequel could potentially undermine the significance of both A Bug’s Life and Seven Samurai. We should all hope that Pixar realizes that there isn’t anything about the ants left to tell and won’t pursue a sequel.
Ratatouille (2007)
Pixar’s eighth film, Ratatouille, has got to be Pixar’s tastiest. While ordinarily, most people would feel nauseated at the sight of rats near food, Ratatouille proves that anyone can cook, even rodents.
While it would be fun to see Remy’s future adventures as a chef in a Parisian bistro, a sequel would prove problematic. The film showed that anyone can do anything when they set their minds to it, so the question is, where would a sequel take it? The film completed everything it started: Remy proved that he could cook, and Linguini carried on his father’s legacy as he matured as a person. Basically, there isn’t anything left to say that could fill a two-hour movie.
WALL-E (2008)
Anyone who has seen WALL-E knows that at its heart, this is a true love story. While some have berated the film for being an overzealous attempt to spread the word about humanity’s effect on the environment, many others believe that fundamentally, the movie is really just telling the story of two robots in love. Like many great love stories, WALL-E shares a heart-warming ending with its audience. All’s well that ends well; the humans make it back to Earth to fix humanity’s past mistakes with the two lovesick bots happily in tow.
If Marvel films have taught us anything, it’s to stick around until after the credits are over. If you’ve seen WALL-E ‘s end-credits, you will have noticed that the scenes in the background art are the only conclusion we need. We see the humans slowly lose weight, the robots help them rebuild society, and WALL-E and EVE spend the rest of their days together. What else could you want for a sequel?
UP (2009)
Known as one of Pixar’s most emotionally-stirring films, Up tells the story of an elderly man who goes to great lengths to keep his promise to his dearly departed wife. In the first 10 minutes, we see the evolution of Carl and Ellie’s relationship from when they first met as children to when Carl said his final goodbye to her on her deathbed. The whole award-winning film shows that love lasts well past death and that we do whatever it takes to keep our promises to our loved ones.
By the end of the film, Carl quite literally lets go of the load that is weighing him down after realizing that his life with Ellie was all the adventure they both needed. Obviously, there isn’t much more that can be done with Carl. And even if they were to focus on his future with Russell, there still isn’t much to delve into. Russell earned his “Assisting the Elderly” patch and helped Carl on his adventure. In the end, Up is a masterpiece that doesn’t need a sequel to cement its worth.
The Good Dinosaur (2015)
Pixar movies are famous for their strong friendships, and The Good Dinosaur is no exception. The special bond between Arlo and Spot is among the ranks of Woody and Buzz and Mike and Sulley. They go through a lot together during Arlo’s long trek home. It’s a great story that shows that, although sometimes painful, change is always necessary since nothing truly lasts forever.
To continue this story would undermine the significance of their journey. The whole point of the film was for Arlo to make it back to his family while coming to terms with the loss of his father. Also, the journey allows Spot to find a place where he truly belongs. The last few poignant minutes of the film show that both characters accomplish their respective journeys and bravely venture into their new lives without the added baggage of a sequel.
