This year, this will mark the 30th anniversary as to when DreamWorks Pictures and DreamWorks Animation was first founded.
If you were to take a guess on what other major studio out there acts as major competition towards Disney, the answer you would likely get more than not is DreamWorks. When comparing to two, it’s like comparing Marvel to DC. While the former have be more consistent in quality and have a lot more good movies under their belt, the latter on the other hand tends to have both higher highs and lower lows than their competition. However, when they nail a movie, they really, REALLY nail it!
There has been PLENTY of greatness to come from DreamWorks throughout their history. And I decided to make a top 10 list to celebrate that greatness even in a time of not so much greatness. First off, here’s some honorable mentions.
Honorable Mentions:
- Chicken Run
DreamWorks’s first ever stop-motion feature film is known more for it’s reputation as oppose to it’s quality but it’s quality is still quite good regardless. The animation, character, humor, and voice work are all good here if not a bit dated. Maybe it’s because it’s not a movie that I grew up with or have much nostalgia that’s holding it back from being in the main top 10 but Chicken Run is certainly worth a mention due to it being one of the first memorable works to come from DreamWorks Animation.
- Monsters vs Aliens
This film has people split down the middle but this still has enough laughs and great homages to carry it the whole way through. Monsters vs Aliens is just something that delivers exactly what it says on the box and nothing more than that. If that sounds good to you, you’ll like this movie. If you think it sounds stupid, then well….you’ll likely think it’s stupid.
- The Bad Guys
The DreamWorks equivalent of Zootopia and Suicide Squad. A fun, beautifully animated flick about the joys of being well the bad guys, with exciting and energetic set pieces to boot. It’s not as clever as subversive as other DreamWorks properties out there such as Megamind but it definitely makes for one entertaining watch. Also, Diane Foxington! Just Diane Foxington!
- Kung Fu Panda 3
Kung Fu Panda 3 is a film that is easy to dismiss when looking at it on the surface. From its familiar plot beats to its toned down humor, it almost feels as if it’s falling into the traps that the franchise has avoided up to this point and that it’s starting to become a shadow of it’s former self. However, with seeing how Po’s journey concludes by the end of the movie and at the end of this trilogy, there is something to chew upon greatly here. It really feels like Po has fully 100% lived up to the Dragon Warrior name, just as Oogway hoped he would the moment he chose him. It’s a step down from the first two but still solid overall.
- The Madagascar Trilogy
When it comes to comparing all the successful DreamWorks franchises out there, Madagascar is a series that sits comfortably in the middle-of-the-road for me, and I mean that in a respectful way. It doesn’t reach the highs with the likes of Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, and How To Train Your Dragon but it certainly no Boss Baby or Trolls. I just genuinely enjoy these wacky, funny movies that work comfortably as solid three out of four stars movies with no deviation from that quality whatsoever. Except for maybe The Penguins of Madagascar tv series, that is really great!
10.) Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
The second feature film from both Aardman and Nick Park, coming off the pretty good Chicken Run, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is proof that the duo could in fact make lightning strike twice. This is a hilarious stop-motion picture with unique animation, great jokes, and likable characters that are able to pull the hold thing through. Not to mention, Gromit might be the cutest and most wholesome dog in movie history.
The villain is quite flat and this isn’t necessarily one I go back to a ton, mainly because stop-motion flicks are not really my thing. However, looking at it objectively, there’s not much you can pick apart about Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. This vegetable caper is definitely entertaining and a cracking good film to watch whenever you need a good laugh.
9.) Captain Underpants: The Epic Movie
That’s right, I got Captain Underpants on here! Sue me! What might just be the most CRIMINALLY underrated/overlooked movie that DreamWorks has ever released, Captain Underpants: The Epic Movie is an absolute gem that is not just a perfect adaption of it’s source material but it’s a great animated film in it’s own right. It’s a bright, colorful, charming, and EXTREMELY silly movie about two troublemakers living out their childhood fantasies and facing the potential consequences for doing so. Kevin Hart and Thomas Middleditch have great chemistry with one another and helps make the film standout as a laugh out loud riot.
Granted, the film’s toilet and slapstick humor will certainly not appeal to everyone but then again, this is literally a movie called CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS for crying out loud! Even so, this one DreamWorks animated film I would love to see get more attention because I would genuinely love to see more films with these characters, worlds, and animation. If you never seen or heard of Captain Underpants: The Epic Movie, check it out as it’s pretty great.
8.) Megamind
Yes, the sequel that just came out was absolutely terrible. That does NOT change the fact that the original Megamind was just awesome. Able to subvert the standards and cliches of most superhero flicks to create something more interesting and layer, this is able to act as a massively entertaining destruction of the sub genre that has dominated Hollywood blockbusters for the majority of the 21st century. Will Ferrell is perfect as the title character and has great chemistry with David Cross’s Minion, Jonah Hill makes for a super fun bad guy, and Tina Fey is able to make Roxanne Ritchi stand out as one of the better superhero news report ladies out there. We also can’t forget the superb animation, awesome set pieces, and song choices and needle drops that all fit perfectly.
Do not let the awful sequel or recent tv series distract you from the fact that the original Megamind is one of the better and most creative DreamWorks animated movies they have ever made. It all really goes to show you that sometimes being the bad guy isn’t so bad and there is genuine fun for being what you are.
7.) How To Train Your Dragon 2
Fulfilling it’s role as the dark middle chapter of DreamWorks’s most critically acclaimed film series, How To Train Your Dragon 2 is a strong example as to why they can be counted on to deliver strong middle chapters for stories when they count the most. Taking the next level in terms of animation and technical achievements, this sequel is able to exceed for the same reasons that the very best sequels out there are able to do. It takes the characters to the next step of their development by putting them on a journey which makes them challenges who they are and why they do what they do. The voice work is also particularly strong here, especially with Cate Blanchett acting as Hiccup’s long lost mother. Not to mention, the surprising fate with one of the characters stands as one of the most bold moves that any DreamWorks film has every made.
While the antagonist himself is a weak line and it lacks the freshness and novelty the first film had, How To Train Your Dragon 2 is still a very impressive animated sequel that is worthy of praise. The fact this is only seventh on this list is more about how great the next six films on this list are and not so much of the actual quality of this great animated achievement.
6.) Shrek
Enter the iconic character that acts as DreamWorks most popular franchise, the original Shrek still holds up gracefully! Being able to bring together the traditional fairytale characters and tropes while also doing something incredibly fresh, funny, and subversive with them. Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz all fit their roles like a glove and help make their characters of Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona more iconic than they have any right to be. The song choices are inspired, the pop culture references actually work very well without it feeling too pandering or obnoxious, and it has an overall nice moral of never judging someone solely on their appearance.
It’s a shame that certain folks out there only recognize this movie for it’s memes and not for the actual top quality of this motion picture. Even when taking away the memes and self-aware jokes, Shrek is still a genuine classic that has stood the test of time as being one of DreamWorks’s greats. Regardless of if the nostalgia googles are on or off, I can still enjoy this movie greatly to this very day.
5.) How To Train Your Dragon
On paper, How To Train Your Dragon movie seems like every traditional heroes journey and human-animal bonding flick you have ever seen. However, not only does it do just about all of those traditions so well, it’s done in an extraordinary way that it feels like you are watching this story on fold for the very first time. Hiccup makes for a very likeable protagonist that’s easy to root for and his relationship between his pet dragon, Toothless, and his soon-to-be lover/partner in Astrid are so engaging, acting as the beating heart of the film. And don’t get me started on it’s stellar animation and flying sequences that blew my mind when seeing it in theaters and still blows my mind to this day.
How To Train Your Dragon is prove that just because you are telling a familiar story does NOT mean you have to tell it in a familiar way. If you add enough freshness and novelty to it where it feels like you are seeing this story being told for the first time ever, then you have succeeded entirely. This is often considered the best animated franchise from DreamWorks and it’s easy to see why. Also, I still can’t believe that Astrid in this series is voiced by the mother from Barbie. Try sleeping tonight knowing that fact!
4.) Kung Fu Panda
If there is one movie out there that is basically the textbook definition of “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover!”, that would be Kung Fu Panda. On paper, this sounds like the dumbest idea ever. A big fat panda voiced by Jack Black learning Kung Fu?! That feels like an idea that came from the same person that thought The Emoji Movie would be a great hit! However, once the movie came out during the summer of 2008, we all could not have been wrong about Kung Fu Panda. This is a movie that is greater, smarter, and more interesting than it has any right to be.
It’s able to use that “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover” mindset that not only acts what most folks thought of Kung Fu Panda when watching it but use that as the central theme throughout the film. And it’s that theme that makes for the perfect way to tell the story of the main character of Po, the titled panda that learns kung fu. We also got terrific animation, superb fight sequences, a wonderful supporting cast of characters, a riveting musical score and amazing character development all the way through. It’s those exact reasons and much more that makes Kung Fu Panda as good as it is and one that stands strongly as one of DreamWorks’s absolute best.
3.) Shrek 2
If you want to talk about the perfect sequel, look no further than Shrek 2, along with the other sequels on this list of course. The story is more engaging, the characters are more lovable and charming, the animation is more gorgeous, the voice work is more stellar, the set pieces are more creative, the fairytale/pop culture references are even better utilized, and the humor is much more funny this time around. Add in the wonderful presence of Antonino Bandera’s Puss in Boots, the Fairy Godmother as the main villain, and one of the best climaxes arguably in film history with an AMAZING usage of I Need A Hero and you got one beautifully done animated sequel.
There are a handful of logic issues (Like how it takes forever for Shrek and company to get to Far Far Away but only takes Gingy, Pinnochio, and others like a couple of hours to get there) but when a sequel is this well-made, heartfelt, and absolutely HILARIOUS (The C.O.P.S. gag gets me EVERY time!), it’s impossible to care. It’s so whole and satisfying that the Shrek franchise could have stopped here and I would have been perfectly fine with it. Great comedy sequels are really hard to come by and Shrek 2 stands out as one of the very best in that regard!
2.) Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Acting as perhaps the most surprising film that DreamWorks has ever done, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is an exciting, triumphing Part Two to go along with the other great Part Twos that DreamWorks animation has created with their filmography. The animation is spectacular, the characters are engaging, the set pieces are fun and inventive, the story goes into dark places you wouldn’t think a simple “kids” movie would go, and it teaches a very valuable lesson on how we should live our life to the fullest with the ones we love before it’s too late. This also has perhaps the funniest bad guy in DreamWorks with Jack Horner and the most scary and intimating villain in possibly all of DreamWorks with The Killer Wolf, A.K.A. Death.
I think I speak for most folks out there that Puss in Boots: The Last Wish had ZERO right for being as good as it was. For a sequel that no one was really asking for, this acted as a near perfect animated film with phenomenal animation, writing, and voice acting to back that up completely. Never in a million years would I guess that it would be frigging Puss in Boots of all characters that could be in the conversation of best DreamWorks Animation film ever made but I guess anything is possible. Bring on Puss in Boots 3 and/or Shrek 5!
1.) Kung Fu Panda 2
Was there every any doubt? Kung Fu Panda 2 is not only as good as the original Kung Fu Panda, it’s even better. It does EVERYTHING you want a sequel to do. It takes the characters into exciting and new directions, it expands upon it’s story and lore in the most logically way possible, the action and animation are taken to the next level, the villain of Lord Shen is given more focus and is used perfectly, and it’s able to act as the best possible next step for the journey of Po as oppose to do just retreating steps from his first go around. Also, the scene where Po discovers inner peace is the series true definite moment up to this point!
As much as folks were doubtful that the first film could work at all given it’s bizarre premise, I believe there was even more doubt that a sequel could work in any way, shape, or form. Clearly the first movie have to be a magical fluke and there’s no way DreamWorks could make lightning strike twice, right?! Right?! Welp, you would be wrong once again! Kung Fu Panda 2 is not only the best Kung Fu Panda movie thus far but it’s arguably the best DreamWorks movie to date and possibly one of the best film sequels ever made period. It’s so good that there’s a good argument to be made that this is where the series officially peaked.
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