I think what Pixar was originally was a tech company with groundbreaking tech enabling them to make 3d movies in ways nobody else could. But writers and direct

I think what Pixar was originally was a tech company with groundbreaking tech enabling them to make 3d movies in ways nobody else could. But writers and directors aren't perfect. And it is important to note that there will be flops. The main "problem" is that the tech is so commoditized now, that pretty much every studio has excellent 3d animation tech and basically can do everything Pixar can do. So now it comes down to artists, writers, and the director to make the substance, and basically Pixar is just another company now... no longer are they groundbreaking. IMO this is fine. It just sneaks up on you, subtly, and then before you know it Pixar is just another company making animated movies of reasonably decent quality. Edit: To be honest, I think all of Pixar's movies (except maybe Cars) were above average in terms of quality.