DreamWorks Animation Studios Ranked

Ranking DreamWorks Animation is something that I’ve been intending on doing for many years now. After ranking Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, the next logical step in my brain was to dive into DreamWorks, the next big animation studio after those two. It’s been five years since I posted my initial Disney ranking, but we’re finally here!

The motivation to finally get this done came from my Disney tournament group on Facebook. We’ve done lots of various movie-related polls and March-madness style tournaments since I started the group May of last year. This month our big tournament was DreamWorks. So I’ve been using that tournament as a means to figure out exactly what my favorite DreamWorks movies are so I can finally get this list out into the world. However, I’ll be honest upfront and say that DreamWorks is a bit of a chore. The big reason why this has taken so long is because a large percentage of DreamWorks’ filmography ranges from bad to forgettable. I’ve thought about starting a marathon many times, and even began once or twice, but never completed it.

Because of that latter point, this list is going to be a tad bit different. I don’t have a solid ranking from top to bottom, like I usually do. But I did put a lot of effort into revisiting the movies that I know I enjoy in order to create a solid top 10. So I will give you that top 10 and a brief explanation of each choice. But then below that the rest will be divided into tiers. And yes, one of those tiers is the movies I have not yet seen. It feels wrong to post a list like this without having seen every movie, but I’ll explain that below.

Final note, the three Aardman movies that DreamWorks helped co-produce (“Chicken Run,” “Wallace & Grommit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit,” and “Flushed Away”) I decided not to include. They were included in our tournament, but on a personal note I consider them more Aardman and less DreamWorks. Aardman can get its own post one day. Because Aardman is great! Anyways, with that intro out of the way, let’s dive in!

 

10- Abominable (2019)

The first choice on this list is a more recent one. A movie that flew right under the radar. Not many chose to see this one in theaters. My theory behind that is that there was a strange phenomenon wherein three animated yeti movies from different studios were all released within a year. “Abominable” was the third, behind “Smallfoot” and “Missing Link.” And I’m sure that many skipped it because they weren’t interested in another yeti movie. Which is a shame because this movie is absolutely adorable. The yeti in this one is more like an animal than a humanoid and a lonely young girl stumbles upon it and befriends it. What ensues is a movie that has strong “E.T.” vibes, in a very good way, and makes you feel like you’re watching a Pixar movie at times rather than a DreamWorks movie. Because, yeah, this hits you with the feels. If you skipped this in 2019, then go back and fix that. You’ll be glad you did.

 

9- Madagascar (2005)

All hail the New York Giants! The Madagascar franchise fell off a cliff rather quick as “Madagascar 2” and “Penguins of Madagascar” are atrocious piles of dinosaur manure. And they both scarred me so bad that I never cared to see “Madagascar 3,” even though I hear it’s slightly better. But all of that is a shame because this first “Madagascar” is an insanely quotable gem. It has a large voice cast, all of whom are perfect for their characters. Ben Stiller as a lion, David Schwimmer as a giraffe, Chris Rock as a zebra, Jada Pinkett Smith as a sassy hippo, with Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, and Andy Richter as the lemurs this group of zoo animals stumble upon. All of them are a hoot. And even though the penguins were awful in their solo movie, I still quote them from this movie on a regular basis. And if the song “I Like to Move It” doesn’t make you want to get up and dance, you might not be human. Sure, it might not hit the emotional highs of others, but this movie is wildly entertaining.  

 

8- How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

The clear fan favorite here. It won our tournament. And for good reason. In terms of pure animation, it doesn’t get much better across any animation studio than the “How to Train Your Dragon” franchise. Absolutely gorgeous animation followed by a captivating score in all three movies. Unfortunately I do require a movie to go along with my movie. I’m not grading based on technical achievements alone. Luckily for the first movie, it manages to give us what the second two films failed miserably at. A plot and characters worth caring about. Because, yeah, this first movie is a beautiful metaphor for what to do in the face of hatred and prejudice. Hiccup standing up against the ugly traditions of his friends and family, being brave enough to attempt to make a difference, is a beautiful lesson this movie teaches and has gotten even more relevant in the decade since its release. I don’t really have anything negative to say about. It’s a well-polished movie on most accounts. It just doesn’t soar quite as high for me compared to some of these others, but it still belongs here in the DreamWorks top 10.

 

7- Kung Fu Panda (2008)

The “Kung Fu Panda” franchise successfully does with the “Shrek,” “How to Train Your Dragon” and “Madagascar” franchises do not. Be consistently good across all films. DreamWorks has a very bad sequel problem, but they managed to stick the landing with all three “Kung Fu Panda” movies. No, I’m not ranking DreamWorks franchises here, but I did want to point that out since this first movie is the only one to represent the franchise in this top 10. I will also say that others are probably a bit higher on this movie than me. I don’t want to call this juvenile, but I do think this leans very heavily on the silly, slapstick humor. And in case you forget, the movie will continue to remind you that Poe is fat, out of shape, and loves gorging on food. But it’s also a fun movie that sticks the landing in a powerful way. The idea that there is no secret ingredient and that you have the power to control your life choices and make yourself great is a movie message that’s always been one of my favorites. It’s like in “Space Jam.” You had it in you all along. You just have to believe in yourself and you can do great things.

 

6- Shrek 2 (2004)

As I said above, DreamWorks has a massive sequel problem. And in a funny twist of events, “Shrek 2” is probably responsible for that, even though it’s easily their best sequel by a wide margin. It did so insanely well at the box office, becoming the highest grossing animated movie ever at the domestic box office and holding that for over a decade, that DreamWorks got a little carried away and starting focusing more on pumping out endless sequels that regurgitated jokes and plot points than creating quality content. While “Shrek 2” suffers from that to some extent, it’s still an insanely fun and wild ride. The humor hits hard and the finale with “Holding Out for a Hero” is one of my favorite movie finales. The movie also has a lot of heart to it. Early into marriage, Shrek and Fiona discover some major differences. After sleeping it over, both commit to changing for the other one. But that happens a tad bit too late as Shrek has already gone down the rabbit hole with his plan. How it all wraps I think is a very important lesson that could be learned in all relationships and marriages.

 

5- Megamind (2010)

One of the most common things I hear from “Megamind” fans is how underrated they think this movie is. I disagree. I think “Megamind” is very properly rated. It’s a very popular movie that a lot of people love. And I’m on that train, too. I also don’t think people use the word “underrated” correctly, but that’s a discussion for another day. “Megamind” very cleverly takes the superhero genre and flips it on its head, giving us an unconventional superhero film that holds up very well a decade later after this massive wave of superhero movies that was sparked by the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The hero is done being a hero and retires while the villain becomes the new hero when a more villainous villain shows up, one that was supposed to be the new hero. This is all about your past not being the determining factor for what your future has in store. And it works so well. It also has Will Ferrell at the top of his game as the voice of Megamind. This and “Elf” prove to me that if you put a leash on him, that’s where he thrives the most. I mean, a lot of people don’t even know Will Ferrell is Megamind.

 

4- The Croods (2013)

While I don’t think “Megamind” is underrated, due to it being more popular than some give it credit for, “The Croods” is a movie that I personally think IS underrated. At least that’s the vibe that I’ve gotten. I’ve seen very few people share the exact amount of praise as I have. Even in our tournament, I was really the only one to give it a strong defense. The best I got from others was “It’s a fun family film.” And that it certainly is. It’s wonky and hilarious, with jokes that still make me laugh when I watch it. But it’s also a lot more than that to me. It’s a movie that is all about embracing change and accepting new opportunities rather than being stuck in the past. And using cavepeople to portray that is the perfect subject matter for this metaphor. Are we acting like cavepeople in our lives or are we willing to embrace the change? At the core of that message is a father/daughter relationship that feels so real. And when Emma Stone and Nic Cage’s characters reconcile at the end, I still tear up. In my opinion, very few movies from DreamWorks successfully balance the wonkiness and emotion as well as “The Croods.”

 

3- Shrek (2001)

When I think of DreamWorks, I think of “Shrek.” This movie is the movie that really put them on the map and gave them their identity. Its popularity also heavily contributed to transforming the animation genre as a whole, for better or for worse, by essentially putting a nail in the coffin of 2D animation. Regardless of impact, I think “Shrek” is a movie that was insanely hilarious at the time and is still insanely hilarious today. It throws so many fairytale IPs in a blender and dumps them on the screen, making you laugh and smile at all the references. But I don’t think it goes overboard with that. It uses the IP dump as a garnish to boost the story it’s telling. That being an unconventional fairy tale of its own where the beautiful princess is swept up by the ugly ogre. The beautiful princess is also an ugly ogre at night. And when they both realize their happily ever after, Fiona’s magical transformation keeps her as an ogre. A comedic, yet poignant message. It’s not the outside that matters, but what’s on the inside. But also, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Anyone can find love. Even an ugly ogre.

 

2- Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)

I learned with our DreamWorks tournament that “Spirit” actually does have a stronger base of support than I realized. I thought this would be my “Bambi” pick from my Disney list, one that seemingly came out of nowhere in the eyes of others to be insanely high. But I’m glad that I’m not alone on loving this movie. Yet this is also like “Bambi” in several other ways. Minimalistic dialogue with animals as the protagonists and man as the antagonists. Both movies heavily guided by the music of the film, almost as if they wrote the music first, then came up with a story to support it. Bryan Adams is in charge of the soundtrack while Hans Zimmer does the score. The two of them combine to send you on an incredible adventure with this horse, his union with a Native American boy named Little Creek, and both of them trying to escape the grasp of the U.S. Army in the Old West. When needed, Matt Damon provides some narration to gently guide us forward since these horses don’t talk. It’s an absolutely gorgeous film and if it’s one that managed to slip under your radar, you need to go give it a watch.

 

1- The Prince of Egypt (1998) 

While not always the obvious top pick for me, in exploring all the top contenders in depth, “The Prince of Egypt” is the one that definitely stands head and shoulders above the rest. And it’s no coincidence it looks like it came directly from Disney. It did. Kinda. Jeffrey Katzenburg started DreamWorks in 1994 after leaving Disney. “The Prince of Egypt” was a movie that he pitched to Michael Eisner, but had it rejected. History lesson aside, the soundtrack for this musical does not miss. And it’s rather impressive that in just one attempt, DreamWorks created something that at least matches all the greatest Disney musicals. Yes, it has a very spiritual message to it, but it’s mostly a compelling tale about two brothers who were once very close, yet wind up on opposite sides of a great conflict. It’s an emotional, powerful, and mature tale that not only does justice to its Biblical source material, but also adds depth that no other adaptation of this story has matched. It is undoubtedly a majestic masterpiece that is not only unparalleled in the realm of DreamWorks, but is one of the greatest animated movies from any studio.

Honorable Mentions: 

These nine films from DreamWorks are movies that weren’t quite good enough to crack my top 10, but are ones that I enjoy. These are approximately in order, but I’m not committing to officially numbering them Nos. 11 through 19 because I didn’t put as much effort into getting them into an exact order. They’re fairly interchangeable, anyways.

- Puss in Boots (2011)
- Over the Hedge (2006)
- The Croods: A New Age (2020)
- Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)
- Joseph: King of Dreams (2000)
- Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017)
- Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014)
- Home (2015)
- Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)

 

Forgettable: 

Not bad. Not good. Movies that just kinda exist in the realm of DreamWorks. I wouldn’t hate my life if one of these was chosen as a movie night, but I also wouldn’t actively seek these out or watch them on my own. These are in alphabetical order.

 - Antz (1998)
- How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)
- Monsters vs. Aliens (2009)
- Rise of the Guardians (2012)
- Shrek Forever After (2010)
- Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)
- The Road to El Dorado (2000)
- Trolls (2016)
- Turbo (2013)

Bad:

 These are the six movies from DreamWorks that I will actively avoid and label as atrocities. I considered at one point doing a separate post, having a top 10 and a bottom 10 DreamWorks list. But I decided against that. Mostly because re-watching all of these to determine that exact order is not something I decided that I have a desire to do. Because of that, these are also in alphabetical order. 

- How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)
- Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa (2008)
- Penguins of Madagascar (2014)
- Shark Tale (2004)
- Shrek the Third (2007)
- The Boss Baby (2017)

 

Haven’t Seen: 

Embarrassingly enough, there are six DreamWorks movies that I have not seen yet. Here they are alphabetically. The explanations right below, if you’re curious.

- Bee Movie (2007)
- Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (2012)
- Spirit Untamed (2021)
- The Boss Baby: Family Business (2021)
- Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans (2021)
- Trolls World Tour (2020) 

“Madagascar 3” and “The Boss Baby 2” are sequels that I’ve avoided due to painful experiences with their direct predecessors. I’ve heard “Madagascar 3” is slightly better. I’ve heard “The Boss Baby 2” is not. Plus the latter came out just last month. “Spirit Untamed” is also a movie that’s just too recent. “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron,” my No. 2 movie, inspired a Netflix series that is very juvenile and directed at young kids. “Spirit Untamed” is a movie directly attached to that series, so it’s not one I desired to go out to the theaters for. “Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans,” another movie released last month, is a Netflix film. I could easily watch it, but I would feel obligated to first watch the “Trollhunters” series, which I have not done.

“Trolls World Tour” is one that I’ve been meaning to check out. Despite not caring for “Trolls,” the trailers were rather amusing and I’ve wanted to watch it. But COVID happened and Universal, who owns DreamWorks Animation, opted to send it straight to PVOD, skipping theaters. Paying $20 or $30 to watch it is not something I wanted to do. Then they put it on the premium tier of Peacock, which I don’t have. I only have the free tier. So it’s a movie that they’ve been dangling out on a string and I’ve not cared quite enough to take the bait.

And finally… “Bee Movie.” This is one bizarre creation that I’ve read and watched many things on. I have no good excuse as to why I haven’t seen it, even for the sake of curiosity. There’s just never been a day in the last 14 years where I said to myself, “Today is the day where I finally sit down and watch ‘Bee Movie’.” Maybe that day will come. Maybe it won’t. I don’t know.