23. Cars 3
The third Cars movie feels like a more honest sequel to the original than the second one did. It gets back to the NASCAR-inspired roots that were the heart and soul of the first film, and instead of just cashing in on the love people have for Owen Wilson’s Lightning McQueen, it actually reckons with the often tragic end stages of being a professional athlete. Lightning is getting older, and at a certain point, you have to let go of your position at the top to make space for those you helped pave the way for. It’s still a pretty mid Pixar movie, as I don’t think even the best of these films manages to reach the highs of the team’s best work. But at least it had ideas beyond just riffing on the franchise’s bizarre premise of living cars. — KS
