With UP! already well on its way to being a blockbuster hit, Pixar is now 10 for 10 in producing films that are successful both critically and commercially. The fact that a studio unknown to the world just 14 years ago has found such great success without relying heavily on franchises and sequels is pretty impressive. With the exception of Toy Story, Pixar has produced blockbuster after blockbuster - all featuring original characters and memorable story-lines - a rarity in today's marketplace.
Don't get us wrong - we're a sucker for franchises as much as anyone. We'll be first in line for the next Star Trek movie, regardless of how many lens flares are in it. However, it is important to take note that Pixar is doing something different than everyone else out there. Below, we've created a graphic comparing the Emeryville-based studio to a few of Hollywood's greatest franchises. Taking into account total box office, box office average, and Rotten Tomatoes average, the graphic below shows how Pixar's films have stacked up against some of the biggest blockbusters of all time.
Note: A thumbs up denotes that an average is superior to that of Pixar's. A thumbs down denotes that it is worse.
WTF? "Up" Gets A Negative Review?! 