I’ve decided to take a break from watching all the Academy Award Best Picture nominees to talk about an animation studio I should have talked about a while ago: DreamWorks Animation. Like a lot of people my age and younger, I grew up with a lot of their early work and had sometimes dabbled into their later entries just to see how they were doing. Unlike Disney, Pixar, and Studio Ghibli, who have mostly put out great works of art, DreamWorks has always been seen as the bastard child of these bigger animation studios. That’s not to say DreamWorks has made mostly garbage, because they certainly have not as there are much worse animation studios out there (I’m looking at you Illumination). But I can’t deny they have made a lot of shit. But the films that are good stand up there with some of the best animated films of recent memory. I have been working on this list for a while because I wanted to give up so many times thanks to “some” of their movies, but I stuck it out because I know this studio can create great works of art when they want to. Let’s see which films are the best and which films are the absolute worst.
46.Boss Baby (2017):
This movie was a legitimate nightmare to sit through. I couldn’t believe I was watching this abomination and I constantly had to ask myself “Why am I torturing myself with this”? This is the most joyless, unfunny, confusing as shit animated movie I have ever seen. Not even the Direct-to-DVD Disney movies I reviewed were as bad as this thing. The film stresses you out in the first 10 minutes with it’s insane logic and creepy visuals that I can’t see any child or adult not get nightmares from. The pop cultural references, which are prevalent in almost all DreamWorks movies, are insufferable. The funny moments are cringy and the emotional moments are unintentionally funny. Alec Baldwin plays the Boss Baby himself which is creepy in retrospect. There is nothing to like about this movie even in an ironic way. It’s just one of the worst pieces of filmmaking I have ever witnessed. And keep in mind, the pain does not end with just this one film. DreamWorks has a long history of awful films like this. But at least those films try to be, you know, real films and not whatever this visual vomit was.
45.The Boss Baby: Family Business (2021):
This sequel has all the same problems as the first one. It’s not as crazy as the first, but that also means it’s more boring. Everything still sucks like in the first one, but I knew what to expect going into it as it is a Boss Baby sequel. Everything I said about the first one applies here, but on a much smaller scale.
44.Shark Tale (2004):
I thought for damn sure this was going to be the worst movie on this list, but the Boss Baby movies showed me what Hell looks like so by comparison Shark Tale is mildly terrible. It’s a disgusting looking movie with terrible characters, a main character that I want to kill because I hate him so much, awful fish puns, so many pop cultural references, it ends up being racist and homophobic, and is just a terrible rip-off of Finding Nemo (2003); early DreamWorks was notorious for copying the same movies as Pixar did in the early 2000s and fortunately they don’t do that anymore. This is just a miserable film to experience.
43.Shrek the Third (2007):
I can’t think of a more useless third movie than Shrek the Third. The later movies don’t acknowledge it, no one even remembers what happens in the plot, and it’s just a bad movie all together. It’s filler between Shrek 2 (2004) and Shrek Forever After (2010). No new lessons are learned, the new characters suck, the old characters have nothing to do, the only thing that happens is that at the end Fiona gives birth to Shrek’s kids. The rest of the movie is filler and not very good filler at that. You will not miss a thing by skipping this one and going on the the 4th Shrek movie.
42.Turbo (2013):
I completely forgot this movie existed until I had to write about it. It’s a film about a snail that goes fast. Do I need to say anymore? Are you excited about snails racing? Because I’m not. This is a movie you put on the background for babies who are playing on their iPads.
41.Trolls Band Together (2023):
I hate the Trolls franchise. I hate the characters, the nonexistent stories, and especially the music covers. These are just shitty jukebox musicals with pretty colors to entertain 3-year-olds. This one has the most annoying story as it’s about getting a boy band back together and it has the worst use of music in the entire franchise. It’s not funny, not cute, it just plain sucks.
40.Trolls (2016):
This one is only slightly better because it seemed like they actually tried with its story and characters. Since this was the first it feels like an honest attempt at making a good movie for babies. But it’s still a movie for babies that no adult or child over 5 will enjoy. The musical covers suck, the characters are flat, it’s not funny, it has too many pop cultural references, and it’s just annoying. All it has is pretty colors and animation.
39.Home (2015):
This one was just incredibly boring. There’s no plot, the main character and his human friend is annoying, the aliens themselves are generic looking, more pop culture references as well as bad toilet humor, and is also very forgettable. It’s slightly better than the Trolls movies as there are a few jokes that don’t rely on potty humor or pop culture jokes. And it has a sweet ending that feels earned rather then forced. But it’s still very dull and I would recommend skipping it.
38.Over the Hedge (2006):
Well this one did not hold up. I used to like this one as a kid. Now I find it dull and pretty annoying at parts. I like the humans reaction to the animals and the human villain is fun. But the jokes about how the animals see the human world as strange gets old real fast. Plus I think the voice cast isn’t that good. It has a huge cast of really good actors but they all sound weird coming out of these little animals mouths. Sorry if you think this one of the better DreamWorks films, but it really doesn’t hold up.
37.The Croods (2013):
How many adjectives are there for boring? The premise is dull, I don’t really like the characters, and… nope, that’s about it. Outside of the cool creature designs, this movie is probably the most boring of the DreamWorks movies I had to watch. I barely remember anything about it and I would say skip it and go on to the sequel (no, really).
36.Trolls World Tour (2020):
Out of all the Trolls movies, I think this is the best one. That’s not saying much as I still don’t like the characters or music choices. But I did find some of it funny as there are some jokes that work pretty well. Plus I think the villain is ok and the art style changes for the better. It expands upon the Trolls world in a good way and, while I think the new supporting characters suck, the plot is pretty ok for this movie for babies. It’s still not good, but it’s a lot better than either the first or third movie.
35.Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023):
Nothing interesting happens in this film. It’s a coming-of-age movie where turning into a Kraken is a metaphor for growing up. That’s it as far as story goes. The main character is ok, the villain is fine, the supporting characters are fine, this movie is just fine. Nothing great happens, but I didn’t outright hate it like the movies before it. It might hit with younger girls who are going through the same thing so, I can’t fault it for that. But for me, it does absolutely nothing.
34.Flushed Away (2006):
This movie is ugly looking! Ok, that out of the way, I also found this film to be annoying. I didn’t like any of the characters, the voice acting was off, the mouse world wasn’t interesting, and the cute slugs were so annoying I wanted to pour salt on them. I did like the villain though as I thought he was a lot of fun. I wasn’t a fan of his henchmen, but he himself was funny and I wish the film focused more on him. This was a definite miss by Aardaman Animations as I know they can do better (as we will see later).
33.Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (2012):
Oddly enough, I didn’t grow up with the Madagascar franchise. So this is my first time seeing them. This is the lesser of the three, but it’s honestly not that bad. It’s silly as hell but I think that’s the point. I love the main villain as she has no motivation outside of killing the main characters, which I like. I also think the animation and it’s unique art style carries some of the less than stellar story. It’s not bad, but I didn’t care for the new characters and I think some of the main characters didn’t get enough to do in this film. But I think the conclusion was good and the comedy was pretty on point. I’ll say it: the Madagascar movies are not that bad.
32.Spirit Untamed (2021):
I didn’t know Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002) got a CGI sequel. It doesn’t even feel like it’s in the same universe as the first and is more of a horse movie made for little girls that love horses. It’s fine for a little kids movie about horses and friendship. But as a sequel to one of the better DreamWorks films, it’s really weird and out of place. But if you didn’t know anything about the first movie and have small children who like horses, you can do a lot worse.
31.The Croods: A New Age (2020):
Like I said about The Croods, you can skip it and go straight to this one. It sums up the first movie in the first five minutes so you don’t have to bother with the first. This movie is actually pretty ok. It’s funny, has creative set pieces and animal designs, the new characters have way more personality than the original cast, and the original cast interacting with them gives them more of a personality. It’s still a very childish movie, but you can tell they tried harder with the story and characters. Plus the way the two families butt heads and end up coming together at the end was a nice ending. It’s not an amazing improvement, but it is an improvement.
30.Monsters vs. Aliens (2009):
This has a pretty cute story. The government captures a group of monsters to fight off an alien invasion. It’s pretty inventive with some good action, good voice acting, funny moments, and a nice story of misunderstood people coming together as a found family. The only thing that sucks about it are the out of place pop culture references and so-so villain that isn’t that much of a threat. But overall, this movie is pretty ok. It’s one of the more underrated DreamWorks movies and I think more people need to check it out at least once.
29.Abominable (2019):
This movie is pretty cute. The relationship the young girl and her friends have with the monster is well done. The monster itself is really cute and you want to see them succeed. It’s a nice little adventure film with creative set pieces. The only downside are the villains as they are dull and the twist villain is predictable. But other than that, this is a warm movie with cute moments.
28.Penguins of Madagascar (2014):
This is more of a spin-off to the Madagascar movies and it isn’t that bad. The Penguins themselves were always the funniest parts in the original franchise. But them having a movie to themselves means they have to have character arcs, which they didn’t need in the original movies. So the emotional moments they have with each other seem forced. Not to mention the new side characters are not that interesting and the villain isn’t much better. But what this movie is, is funny. Any time the Penguins are on screen they are the best part. While this isn’t a great film, it is a good comedy.
27.Antz (1998):
Antz doesn’t hold up animation wise, but this isn’t a bad film at all. You can tell it’s trying to ripoff A Bug’s Life (1998) that came out the same year, but the story is very different. It has interesting story beats, ok characters, pretty good voice acting (excluding Woody Allen), and I think it has a good sense of humor. It’s aimed more at adults than kids with its humor, which is weird considering there are some childish jokes thrown in as well. So I’m not sure if this was made for an older or younger audience. But with all of its flaws, this movie has held up pretty well.
26.Puss in Boots (2011):
After making his feature debut in Shrek 2, Puss got his own film. And it honestly isn’t that bad. This movie steps away from the Shrek style of humor and creates its own unique style. This is more of an adventure movie with comedic elements, rather than a straight up comedy like the Shrek movies. Puss does prove that he can carry his own film as he is charming, funny, and adventurous. The side characters themselves are pretty good too and so are the villains who are a lot of fun. The problem is the story itself as it feels like a pretty generic kids adventure movie. But the characters make up for the lackluster story. But this isn’t the last time I’ll be talking about Puss and his adventures on this list.
25.Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024):
I really like the Kung Fu Panda series a lot. This was the first series where DreamWorks stopped copying Pixar and Disney and decided to do their own thing. Unfortunately, this newest one is also the weakest by a long shot. It’s not as funny as the other three, the old characters have nothing to do, the new characters are nothing special, the villain is literally playing the part of the other, better villains from the previous films (which means to say she is so unoriginal), and Po himself isn’t as fun as he was in the other movies. But, despite all that, it is a good action/comedy. The animation is great, the action is fun, the comedy with Po’s dads are hilarious, and I really like the conclusion. I just hope this is the last one and we don’t get another sequel because you can’t go anywhere with this story anymore.
24.Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003):
This movie is not as bad as people make it out to be. While it’s the weakest out of the traditional 2D animated DreamWorks films, it’s still really creative and fun. I like the main character and his crew, I think the villain is one of the coolest looking in the DreamWorks catalog, and the animation is really good. Except for the CGI which is so bad that it will hurt your eyes. I’m also not a fan of the story. It’s just your typical fantasy adventure story with all the same tropes you’ve seen in other media. Other than the lackluster story and dodgy CGI, this movie is actually pretty entertaining.
23.Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008):
While not being as funny as the first, I think the story works a little better. All the main characters get a lot to do and their interactions with the new characters adds a lot to depth to them. Not to say that the movie isn’t funny, as I did laugh a lot at the intended jokes. But the villain isn’t special and the plot beats towards the middle and end were too predicable. I want some unpredictability in my Madagascar movie, since I think this franchise is at its best when it goes batshit crazy. But this is a pretty good sequel with effort put into it.
22.Shrek Forever After (2010):
This is the real third movie to the Shrek franchise. And it’s a pretty good sendoff of the movies. It asks the question of what would happen if Shrek never met any of his friends? Well, they would all be miserable and the world would be in chaos. In particular, his relationship with Fiona is put to the test as she became a hardened ogre warrior and she has had to live alone like this for years. It’s really cool seeing characters we’ve known for so long become totally different people and Shrek having to fix them is an interesting way for his character to grow. While it isn’t as funny as the first and second film, it’s clear a lot of thought was put into the story and characters. The animation team wanted to end the Shrek movies on a solid note and I think they succeeded.
21.Madagascar (2005):
Who knew I would like the Madagascar franchise as much as I did? The first movie, while relying on some pop cultural references and other bad jokes, is actually funny. The visual gags and several of the jokes work thanks to the voice acting and bizarre character animation. I also think the story works pretty well and the conclusion for the story and main characters works. I was shocked at how funny I thought this movie was. And I was shocked how much I enjoyed the franchise as a whole. While it’s not a franchise for everyone, the Madagascar films are charming and funny as hell.
20.Bee Movie (2007):
This movie is insane in every way. It’s plot, characters, and comedy are all completely nuts. And I kind of really liked it for that reason. I like when a comedy like this goes balls to the wall with its insane premise. It’s funny, the voice acting is on point, and it is the most insane animated movie I think I’ve ever seen. This movie needs to be seen to be believed as to how crazy this is so I won’t spoil anything for those of you who haven’t seen it.
19.Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016):
I think this movie is the best way to end this franchise. I know it wasn’t the end, but I can wish can’t I? Anyway, this movie is a lot of fun. It’s funny, the panda village is cute and creative, Po’s character arc goes in an interesting direction, the action is good, I love both of Po’s dads, and the conclusion is solid. It’s not a great film though as the side characters have nothing to do and the villain is pretty weak. But overall, this is a pretty good conclusion to a really good franchise.
18.Chicken Run (2000):
Aardman films have unique animation and story concepts that you can’t help but like them. This movie is just The Great Escape (1963), but with chickens. I like the characters, story, animation, voice acting, villain, and overall tone. It takes itself seriously in some parts, yet when it needs to be, it’s really funny. This is a solid film that I don’t think anyone can hate.
17.Megamind (2010):
Without its main character, Megamind would not be as endearing as it is. He’s funny, sympathetic, Will Ferrell’s voice is perfect, and has a great character arc. I also like the side characters and the villain is a great subversion of your typical superhero villain. While it relies on some pop cultural references, most of the comedy is character based so it works. This is another movie that I think more people should check out as it has a mixture of good characters, story, and comedy.
16.The Bad Guys (2022):
I really like the art and main characters in this film. All the main characters are a lot of fun as they play up their “bad guy” personas in order to basically be the best thieves ever. Yet, they all have close connections with each other that work. The art has they perfect meld of 2D and 3D animation that I really like in newer animated movies. The only downside to this movie is the villain who isn’t all that interesting and I would say the climax has too much going on in it. But I like the characters and the story itself is good too. This one was a surprise win for me.
15. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019):
I really like the How to Train Your Dragon movies as they feel so unique as kids films. Much like Kung Fu Panda and it’s sequels, these movies are so telling of the effort that the animators and storytellers put into this franchise. And I think the final instalment is a great way to end the series. It has a perfect ending that fits the characters and story in a sad, yet necessary way. I think all the main characters and, especially, villain, who is so evil and works so well as a legitimate threat to the story, all work really well. While I don’t think the story is my favorite of the trilogy, as some story beats are rushed, I still think this works as a great conclusion to the series.
14.Shrek 2 (2004):
I know most people would have this movie much closer to the top. But the humor is a sore sticking point for me. There are way too many pop cultural references and toilet humor that the film relies to heavily on for its jokes. Some of these jokes work, but most feel dated and are unfunny. However, I think the story and characters are way better in this film than the first. The characters have more depth to them and their character arcs for this film go above and beyond the first. And the story is a lot more creative than the first as it introduces new concepts, characters, and villains in fun ways. While the comedy fails, the story and characters soar.
13.Rise of the Guardians (2012):
It’s ashamed no one really talks about this movie anymore because it has one of the most unique stories DreamWorks has ever told. I love the world building of these holiday icons and their characters as well. I really like Jack Frost and his entire character arc as he could carry this film very easily without the other characters. I even think the villain is threatening as he wants to basically become the only children’s icon in the world. This is a creative world with great characters and really pretty animation. I would like it if more people would rediscover this one for the classic holiday movie it is.
12.Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017):
This movie is so immature that I love it. I grew up with the Captain Underpants books so I can say they nailed the story, humor, characters, and even art style down. I love how they took the original illustrations and essentially brought them to life. The main and side characters are so much fun. The villain is one of the funniest villains in the DreamWorks catalog thanks to Nick Kroll’s voice acting. If you are a fan of the books, this is a must watch. If you like stupid humor executed so well, you will also like this. You cannot hate this movie as it is comedy gold.
11.Mr. Peabody &Sherman (2014):
This movie is charming as hell. Mr. Peabody is a charming, smart, and entertaining dog, while his boy Sherman is cute, honest, and joyful. But the two of them together in a funny time travel scenario with lots of historical jokes, and you have yourself a certified classic of a DreamWorks film. Everything from the animation, art style, voice acting, and writing all come together in this cute, charming movie that anyone can take a liking to.
10.How to Trian Your Dragon 2 (2014):
A lot story and character wise happens in this movie that is full of spoilers so I won’t go into too much detail. But this is a very emotional film with really good character writing for the lead and his family. I really like the villain as he is so intimidating and scary. I love the new dragon designs and their powers. The comedy works, the voice acting is even better in this one, the flying scenes are intense and thrilling, it’s just a really good sequel. While it isn’t as consistent in its story like the first one, it makes up for in great character writing and constant twists throughout.
9.Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011):
Now this is how you do a sequel. The story is a lot deeper and it’s messaging about being yourself and finding inner peace is so well realized. Po goes through a lot of shit throughout this movie physically and emotionally as the villain challenges him in both ways. Lord Shen is the most evil of the DreamWorks villains and is the most compelling when it comes to his character and his connection with Po. Any time these two are on screen it is great. The comedy is just as good to as, while it is more serious, it still doesn’t forget its comedic roots. And this was the only DreamWorks movie to make me cry; dead serious. I do hate how the supporting cast has nothing to do this time, but given this is a more Po centered story, more than the first really, it makes sense to keep them to the side. This is a great sequel in so many ways, but it is not the best sequel DreamWorks has made.
8.Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022):
This is the best DreamWorks sequel by far. It improves on the first movie in so many ways. From the animation, voice acting, story, and especially characters are all improved by leaps and bounds. Puss is more fun, flawed, and interesting in this film than he was in the first. He has a great character arc and with the help of old and new friends, he learns to overcome his fears and becomes a better person. All the new villains are a lot of fun and my favorite, Death, is one of the most menacing and scary villains in any animated kids movie. There is a lot that is so much better here that I might want to do a review of it way down the line. But just know, this is a perfect sequel.
7.Shrek (2001):
Shrek is still funny. That’s all I can really say about it. I know some people hate this movie in an ironic and unironic way now because that’s the cool thing to do. But no, this movie is still really funny. The jokes are great, the voice acting sells the writing, the writing itself is pretty perfect for a kids movie, it’s a great parody of Disney movies of the time, it has great, likeable characters, it’s nearly a perfect comedy. Some of the pop culture references don’t work, but there are not that many so I can excuse them. This is still an excellent comedy and the best of the Shrek movies.
6.Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005):
I never watched the Wallace & Gromit cartoons, but after seeing this movie, I should have. This is a cute, charming, and really funny movie with lots of heart and creativity pouring out of it. The animation is solid, I like both Wallace and Gromit as this very British comedy duo, the side characters are funny, the villain is great, the humor is crazy, and the premise of Wallace turning into a were-rabbit is so weird, yet really funny. It would be really hard to hate this very likeable movie and I think it needs more love.
5.How to Train Your Dragon (2010):
This movie and Kung Fu Panda were the first DreamWorks movies, in a very long time, that felt like they gave a shit about their stories and characters. The bond between Hiccup and Toothless is really special, the side characters are fun, the world is so inventive, and the story is perfect. Not to mention the animation is topnotch and the flying scenes still hold up to this day. This is just a perfect kids movie and one of the best movies DreamWorks has ever done. In a time of movies like Shark Tale (2004) and Shrek the Third (2007) were coming out, this movie broke the shit mold of DreamWorks and decided to care about its movies again.
4.Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002):
There are only two things wrong with this movie. One is the songs which all suck. And the other is Matt Damon as the voice of the horse. Both of these seem like afterthoughts after the film was made and executives couldn’t trust the audience to watch a movie about silent horses for 83 minutes. Other than these two bizarre things, this movie is pretty perfect. The animation and character designs are great, the voiceless horses convey a lot through their great facial animations, the story isn’t afraid to get dark, it has beautiful colors and backgrounds, the 3D animation in some parts works so well, while in others it’s pretty dated, and the idea that I would want to care about a horse and his struggle to get home to his heard is played out perfectly thanks to great storytelling. I always loved this movie as a kid, and I still love it to this day.
3.The Road to El Dorado (2000):
This movie is way better than I remember it being. It’s so funny. The jokes all land and its use of adult humor works where it failed in Antz (1998). The two leads are so much fun and their interactions with the other characters and villain are great. The music by Elton John is awesome and memorable. The animation is so good and even the 3D animation holds up pretty well. It works so well because it’s confident in it’s story and especially characters. It doesn’t hold your hand like a lot of kids movies and it isn’t afraid to get dark when it needs to be. This is a cult classic for sure and it needs your attention.
2.Kung Fu Panda (2008):
Yeah, this movie is the perfect kids film. Everything form it’s story, main characters, side characters, villain, comedy, animation, and action sequences all work extremely well. I was deeply involved in Po’s story and his interactions with his new friends. The ending is perfect for his character as well. The action is so creative and thrilling and is paired with expressive animation. I don’t think I can do this movie justice in this little paragraph so I might talk about this movie later. But just to let you know now, it’s the perfect kids animated movie. Yet, it’s not the best DreamWorks movie.
1.The Prince of Egypt (1998):
I reviewed this movie a while back so I won’t go too into detail on my thoughts. But this is hands down the best DreamWorks movie. The animation is beautiful, the voice acting is perfect, it balances drama and comedy so well, it has deep themes that adults and kids will understand thanks to the films storytelling and tone, and the music is top tear for a animated musical. It’s not afraid to get dark as the subject matter demands it. The character writing between the main character and the main villain are exceptionally well done. Everything is done so perfectly that this is not just a great kids film, but is one of the great animated films of all time.
Movies for 20 Somethings 