15 Best DreamWorks Movies, Ranked

The best DreamWorks movies include many amazing animated films, but a select few rise to the top as the best. Often described as the jazz to Disney’s classical music, DreamWorks is by far one of the most impressive and well-known Western animation studios outside of Disney’s employ, telling more unorthodox stories compared to Mickey Mouse’s safer narratives. Coming a long way since the release of their first feature animation, Antz, in 1998, DreamWorks’ recent animated domination has added to its legacy of excellent movies.

Identifying the greatest hits among DreamWorks’ impressive catalog of films comes down mainly to taste. Still, tangible variables can help measure how the best of the studio’s offerings stack up. From the art style, critical response, and box office numbers of DreamWorks’ best films, a solid picture of which films have been the most iconic for the animation titan begins to develop. Whether it’s an original, genre-breaking trendsetter or a sequel that puts Disney’s direct-to-video animated spinoffs to shame, DreamWorks’ filmography is full of impressive contenders.

15

Monsters Vs Aliens (2009)

A Sci-Fi Comedy Adventure

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Monsters vs. Aliens

PG

Animation

Action

Sci-Fi

Adventure

Comedy

Fantasy

8/10

Release Date

March 27, 2009

Runtime

94 Minutes

Director

Rob Letterman, Conrad Vernon

Writers

Maya Forbes, Wallace Wolodarsky, Rob Letterman, Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger, Conrad Vernon

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Reese Witherspoon In The 49th AFI Life Achievement Award

    Reese Witherspoon

    Susan Murphy / Ginormica

  • Headshot Of Seth Rogen

    Seth Rogen

    B.O.B.

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While there are some DreamWorks movies that showcase truly heartfelt and special storytelling, Monsters vs Aliens is a reminder that some animated films can just be hugely entertaining romps that make for great family-friendly fun. The movie features an all-star voice cast that includes Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, and Hugh Laurie as a group of monsters locked away by the government, only to be promised their freedom if they help fight the invading alien army.

The movie was also a big enough hit and remained a favorite among enough fans to launch a mini-franchise of sorts, including two TV specials and a TV series.

Once again, the movie does not go too deep beyond the fun sci-fi comedy premise, but it still delivers exactly what fans would be looking for. The animation makes for a wild sci-fi story that is also filled with humor and colorful characters. The movie was also a big enough hit and remained a favorite among enough fans to launch a mini-franchise of sorts, including two TV specials and a TV series.

14

Antz (1998)

The More Mature Animated Bugs Movie

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Antz

PG

Adventure

Comedy

Release Date

October 2, 1998

Runtime

83 minutes

Director

Eric Darnell, Tim Johnson

Writers

Todd Alcott, Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz

Cast

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    Woody Allen

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    Sharon Stone

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    Jennifer Lopez

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    Sylvester Stallone

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The very first DreamWorks animated movie showcases a studio that was willing to be much different from Disney and other competitors. Antz is a comedy that follows a neurotic and lowly worker ant trying to find his place in the large community. However, when he is mistaken for one of the colony’s heroic soldiers, his life is changed and he is sent on a grand adventure.

Antz is mostly remembered as the other movie about ants that came out around the same time as A Bug’s Life. While Antz has long suffered from that comparison, it is a much different film that is not for the youngest moviegoers. There are some surprisingly intense scenes and crude humor that relate more to an older crowd. It also boasts a star-studded cast, including Woody Allen, Gene Hackman and Sylvester Stallone. It makes for a funny and exciting animated adventure with an admirably bold approach.

13

Wallace And Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit (2005)

The Iconic Duo’s Oscar-Winning Adventure

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Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

G

Animation

Adventure

Comedy

Release Date

October 7, 2005

Runtime

85 Minutes

Director

Nick Park, Steve Box

Writers

Nick Park, Steve Box, Mark Burton, Bob Baker

Cast

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  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Peter Sallis

  • Headshot Of Ralph Fiennes

    Ralph Fiennes

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    Helena Bonham Carter

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    Peter Kay

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The characters of Wallace and Gromit are beloved and they predate DreamWorks as a company. However, DreamWorks was responsible for producing one of their most acclaimed works. Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit was a production in collaboration with Aardman Animations which finds the titular duo in the midst of their own hilarious and fun horror movie as they must contend with a giant rabbit that is targeting the community’s vegetable gardens.

The movie is a great reminder of the kind of innovative and exciting sequences that can be presented in an animated project. It is an action-packed ride that is fun for all ages. The sheer fun of the movie helped it to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, becoming the first stop-motion animated picture to achieve this. It is also the kind of animated movie that remains a timeless gem to be enjoyed for years to come.

12

Over The Hedge (2006)

A Woodland Critters Heist Movie

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Over The Hedge

PG

Family

Comedy

Animation

9.5/10

Release Date

May 17, 2006

Runtime

83 minutes

Director

Karey Kirkpatrick

Writers

David Hoselton, Len Blum

Producers

Bill Damaschke, Bonnie Arnold, Jim Cox

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Bruce Willis In The Premiere of Motherless Brooklyn

    Bruce Willis

    RJ (voice)

  • Headshot OF Garry Shandling

    Garry Shandling

    Verne (voice)

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While there are so many animated movies that feature adorable critters as their ensemble, Over the Hedge forms a genuinely entertaining and funny movie around these characters. Bruce Willis leads the voice cast as RJ, a cunning raccoon who finds himself in a lot of trouble when he is caught stealing a hibernating bear’s supply of food and accidentally destroys it all. Needing to replace the supply before winter, RJ tricks a bunch of woodland critters into helping him invade the local suburbs for food.

Willis gives one of his most lively and charming performances as the con artist raccoon, bringing to mind his breakout role in Moonlighting. There are also some standout supporting players, including Garry Shandling, Nick Nolte, and Steve Carell. While the movie doesn’t go for the same heartfelt feelings as some of DreamWorks’ other offerings, it is a hilarious madcap adventure with some heist movie elements to it.

11

Megamind (2010)

An All-Star Cast Firing On All Cylinders

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Megamind

PG

Comedy

Family

ScreenRant logo

6/10

8.3/10

Release Date

November 11, 2010

Runtime

96minutes

Director

Tom McGrath

Writers

Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt

Cast

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    Will Ferrell

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    Ben Stiller

From Dreamworks Studios, Megamind follows the titular character, played by Will Ferrell, an alien supervillain who, after defeating his arch nemesis Metro Man (Brad Pitt), must do battle with the new superhero he created to replace Metro Man when his powers start to become out of control. Along the way, Megamind struggles to share his true self with Roxanne (Tina Fey), a reporter who has been dating in the disguise of a normal human. 

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Just as the superhero genre was beginning to establish its chokehold on Hollywood, Megamind came along to shatter audience expectations for the genre. Beyond the all-star cast of comedy actors at the top of their game (Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill) and the impressively aged animation, Megamind presents a poignant message about doing the right thing for the wrong reasons, and vice versa, that many viewers need to hear.

Even though the film echoes The Incredibles and Despicable Me, it’s a shame about the disappointing follow-ups without Will Ferrell. This included a sequel movie, Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate (which has a 9% Rotten Tomatoes score), and a TV series called Megamind Rules!, which premiered on Peacock but brought in none of the original movie’s voice cast.

Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate and all eight episodes of Megamind Rules! are now streaming on Peacock.

While the first movie won no awards, it was still a box-office success and an underappreciated animated movie. The talented voice cast, impressive animation style, and some legitimately funny laughs have helped it withstand the test of time and remain entertaining over a decade later.

10

The Prince Of Egypt (1998)

An Epic In The True Sense Of The Word

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The Prince of Egypt

PG

Adventure

Animation

Drama

Family

10/10

Release Date

December 18, 1998

Runtime

99 Minutes

Director

Simon Wells, Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner

Writers

Nicholas Meyer, Philip LaZebnik

Cast

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  • Headshot of Val Kilmer

    Val Kilmer

    Moses

  • Headshot Of Ralph Fiennes

    Ralph Fiennes

    Rameses

The Prince of Egypt, directed by Simon Wells, Brenda Chapman, and Steve Hickner, portrays the story of two brothers with conflicting destinies. Their once strong bond is tested as their paths diverge, leading to significant ramifications as they navigate their responsibilities.

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The Prince of Egypt is a biblical saga on par with the likes of Ben-Hur in terms of scope, beauty, and sheer awe but in animated form. The film is, at its core, a tale of faith and family told through the lens of two brothers, torn apart by their allegiances and duty to a higher power.

Hans Zimmer’s euphoric score and the breathtaking imagery of Egypt’s wind-swept landscape make the saga a true marvel for the senses. That said, the film pushes the PG rating past its breaking point with some macabre divine fury straight out of the Old Testament.

The Prince of Egypt was only DreamWorks’ second animated film after Antz, long before it became a box office juggernaut with Shrek. Regardless, it was still a decent box office success thanks to the faith-based crowds, and it received two Oscar nominations, both for the music, one for the score, and the other for the song “When You Believe.”

9

Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

A Shockingly Thoughtful Follow-Up To The Original

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Kung Fu Panda 2

PG

Animation

Action

Adventure

Comedy

Family

Fantasy

ScreenRant logo

7/10

9/10

Release Date

May 26, 2011

Runtime

91 minutes

Director

Jennifer Yuh Nelson

Writers

Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger, Charlie Kaufman (consulting)

Sequel(s)

Kung Fu Panda 3

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Jack Black IN The Los Angeles premiere of 'Kung Fu Panda 4'

    Jack Black

  • instar53635214-1

    Angelina Jolie

In this heartwarming sequel, Po now faces his most daunting challenge yet. The emergence of a formidable villain, Lord Shen, who has a weapon so powerful it threatens the very existence of kung fu, propels Po on a journey across China. Alongside the Furious Five, he must confront his past and unlock the strength he needs to defeat his enemies. This animated adventure deepens the lore of Po’s world, blending humor, action, and emotional depth.

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As brilliant as the quality of Jack Black’s Kung Fu Panda was, few could’ve imagined a follow-up film would go on to nearly outdo its predecessor. Deepening Po’s backstory with some surprisingly tragic drama and developing his character with fundamental Eastern philosophy, Kung Fu Panda 2 let audiences know that the franchise wasn’t about to start pulling its punches.

It’s the rare case of a sequel living up to what the original put out and helped establish Kung Fu Panda as a major animated franchise. While it harbors some truly standout moments, the film struggles with pacing compared to the rest of the Kung Fu Panda films, holding it back from being in DreamWorks’ upper echelon of movies.

Despite this, it was still a massive success, bringing in $665 million on a $150 million budget (via Box Office Mojo), one of the highest-grossing movies ever directed by a woman (Jennifer Yuh Nelson). It also earned an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature and ensured the franchise’s future.

8

Chicken Run (2000)

An Understated Stop-Motion Masterpiece

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Chicken Run

G

Animation

Adventure

Comedy

Release Date

June 21, 2000

Director

Peter Lord, Nick Park

Writers

Peter Lord, Nick Park, Karey Kirkpatrick, Kelly Asbury, Mark Burton, Cody Cameron

Cast

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  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Phil Daniels

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Lynn Ferguson

  • Headshot Of Mel Gibson In The North America Rights Only

    Mel Gibson

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Tony Haygarth

In the hen house of an English farm in the 1950s, chickens do their job and live peacefully dreaming of a better life. One of them, Ginger, dreams of freedom and plans to fly away with her companions.

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Produced in partnership with legendary stop-motion studio Aardman Animations, Chicken Run was instrumental in reigniting moviegoers’ appreciation for the pain-staking art form one frame at a time. The quirky jailbreak story of the rebellious chickens on a small Yorkshire farm has an unmistakable charm, with understated British humor that ages like a fine wine and a genuine sense of terror sure to convert many viewers into veganism. Even if it isn’t the most groundbreaking story, Aardman’s first foray into feature filmmaking is a feather in DreamWorks’ cap.

The movie was a box office success, making $227.8 million on a $45 million budget (via Box Office Mojo). While it didn’t earn Oscar attention, it did win the Satellite Award for Best Motion Picture – Animated or Mixed Media and took home awards from various film critics’ associations across the country. It even spawned a sequel over 20 years later.

7

How To Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

A Worthy Return To A Magical World Of Dragons

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How to Train Your Dragon 2

PG

Action

Adventure

Animation

Comedy

Family

Fantasy

ScreenRant logo

9/10

7.8/10

Release Date

June 13, 2014

Runtime

105 Minutes

Director

Dean DeBlois

Writers

Dean DeBlois

Prequel(s)

How to Train Your Dragon

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Jonah Hill

    Jonah Hill

  • Headshot Of Cate Blanchett In The Giorgio Armani Prive Haute Couture Fall/Winter

    Cate Blanchett

How to Train Your Dragon 2 is an animated adventure comedy that follows up shortly after the first film. This second entry in the trilogy finds Hiccup and Toothless exploring new worlds and charting unmapped territories. When the two discover a secret cave filled with new dragons and a mysterious Dragon Rider, the two will have to join forces to defeat a ruthless dragon hunter – a cruel and dangerous foe who threatens the freedom and safety of all dragonkind. 

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DreamWork’s second expedition to the lands of Berk proved that the success of the first film was no flash-in-the-pan fluke, with returning director Dean DeBlois delivering another breathtaking vision of soaring above through the skies on the backs of dragons. The sequel expands on the lore of the Viking world while introducing new dragons and upping the stakes with the series’ first on-screen human death.

How To Train Your Dragon 2 was utterly snubbed at the 2015 Oscars when it lost out to Big Hero 6.

The movie was another box office success for DreamWorks, and it opened up the world by introducing Hiccup’s mother, who was long thought to be dead. It remained a smart animated movie and showed why the original was such a success. How To Train Your Dragon 2 was utterly snubbed at the 2015 Oscars when it lost out to Big Hero 6. If it wasn’t for the forgettable villain, How To Train Your Dragon 2 could’ve flown even higher.

6

The Wild Robot (2024)

The Oscar-Nominated Sci-Fi Movie With Heart

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The Wild Robot

PG

Animation

Drama

Sci-Fi

ScreenRant logo

8/10

92

9.3/10

Release Date

September 27, 2024

Runtime

101 Minutes

Director

Chris Sanders

Writers

Chris Sanders, Peter Brown

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Lupita Nyong’o

    Lupita Nyong’o

  • Headshot Of Pedro Pascal In The 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

    Pedro Pascal

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It may have missed out on winning the Oscar, but there are plenty of people who feel as though The Wild Robot is the best animated movie of 2024. Based on the children’s book of the same name, The Wild Robot featured the voice of Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o as Roz, a service robot who crash-lands in the forest on her way to being delivered. Going about her programmed nature to help, she eventually creates a pseudo-family out in the wilderness.

The movie is filled with exciting set pieces and beautiful animated sequences that showcase just how far DreamWorks movies have come over the years in terms of their production values. However, it is also a wonderful testament to the storytelling which mixes together comedy, adventure, and heart so effectively that it stands up with some of Pixar’s masterpieces.

5

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

The Premiere Modern Martial Arts Comedy

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Kung Fu Panda

PG

Animation

Action

Adventure

Comedy

Family

ScreenRant logo

8/10

9.5/10

Release Date

June 4, 2008

Runtime

95 minutes

Director

Mark Osborne, John Stevenson

Writers

Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Jack Black IN The Los Angeles premiere of 'Kung Fu Panda 4'

    Jack Black

  • Headshot Of Dustin Hoffman In The Los Angeles Premiere Of 'Kung Fu Panda 4'

    Dustin Hoffman

Kung Fu Panda is an animated martial arts comedy directed by Mark Osborne and John Stevenson. Set in ancient China, it follows Po, an overweight and clumsy panda voiced by Jack Black, who dreams of becoming a kung fu master. When an evil snow leopard named Tai Lung threatens the Valley of Peace, Po is unexpectedly chosen as the Dragon Warrior.

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Few could’ve guessed that the action comedy starring Jack Black as a food-loving Panda would be a movie of such genuine quality, but the first Kung Fu Panda blows away audience expectations.

Not only is Black’s comedic timing as sharp as ever but the film’s perfect hero’s journey and intricately choreographed fight sequences elevate it from a passing family movie to a spectacle of animation prowess. Some of the dialogue does drag the film down at times, with Po’s cringeworthy lines putting a blemish on the film’s otherwise mirror polish, but the martial arts film still holds up today.

Jack Black as Po, Jackie Chan as Monkey, Lucy Liu as Viper, Angelina Jolie as Tigress, David Cross as Crane, and Seth Rogen as Mantis in Kung Fu Panda

Related

Kung Fu Panda 4: Release Date, Cast, Story, Trailer & Everything We Know

Kung Fu Panda 4 is confirmed and has a March 2024 release date. Here’s all that’s known about Dreamworks’ new Kung Fu Panda movie so far.

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The movie was a box office success, making $631 million on a $130 million budget (via Box Office Mojo). It also earned an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Film (losing out to Pixar’s Wall-E). However, it beat the Pixar film at the Annie Awards while bringing home 10 awards from the prestigious animation ceremony. It also launched a franchise that turned into three sequels and a TV series.

4

Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

Put The Feline Fencer On Par With Shrek

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Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

PG

Adventure

Animation

Comedy

ScreenRant logo

5/10

11

9.5/10

Release Date

December 21, 2022

Runtime

102 minutes

Director

Joel Crawford

Writers

Paul Fisher

Prequel(s)

Puss in Boots

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Antonio Banderas

    Antonio Banderas

  • Headshot Of Salma Hayek Pinault

    Salma Hayek Pinault

In Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Puss learns he has reached the end of his nine lives. To restore his lives and continue his journeys, he will set forth on a quest to the Black Forest to find a Wishing Star that can bring them all back. To succeed, he enlists help from his former partner/rival, Kitty Softpaws, and a chatty canine friend, Perrito. Unfortunately, they’re in a race against many other fairytale characters and villains, including the bounty hunter looking to collect on Puss, The Big Bad Wolf.

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After the lukewarm reception of Puss in Boots’ first solo film within the Shrek universe, DreamWorks created a dazzlingly animated sequel that manages to be thoughtful, funny, and heartwarming all at once.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish uses its jaw-dropping, painting-like animation to expertly weave a narrative that manages to juggle three memorable antagonists across the perilous journey of everyone’s favorite fearless hero. Although the inspiration from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse isn’t exactly subtle, The Last Wish is undoubtedly one of DreamWorks’ heaviest hitters, balancing action, comedy, romance, and fear on the tip of a sword.

The movie was a decent box office hit in the post-pandemic era of Hollywood, a sleeper hit with long legs in theaters. It also earned an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Film, losing to Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. The sequel was seen as a huge improvement over the original in everything from the visuals to the story.

3

How To Train Your Dragon (2010)

A High-Flying Smash Hit

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How to Train Your Dragon

PG

Fantasy

Adventure

Animation

Family

ScreenRant logo

9/10

24

9.1/10

Release Date

March 18, 2010

Runtime

98 Minutes

Director

Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders

Writers

Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois, William Davies

Cast

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  • Headshot of Jay Baruchel

    Jay Baruchel

  • Headshot Of Gerard Butler

    Gerard Butler

How to Train Your Dragon is a 2010 animated film set in the Viking world of Berk, where Hiccup, the son of Stoick the Vast, befriends a dragon and defies the village’s traditional dragon-slaying ways, leading to a reevaluation of the Viking-dragon conflict.

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Loosely based on the children’s book of the same name, How to Train Your Dragon presents a heartwarming tale of the bond between man and beast, emphasizing the importance of questioning the status quo and sticking up for friends. Toothless’ wide eyes and playful grin greet viewers like an old friend before taking them soaring through the clouds with some of the most impressive 3D flying sequences ever created, bearing a distinctly “live-action” feel.

Toothless’ wide eyes and playful grin greets viewers like an old friend before taking them soaring through the clouds.

The poignant performances and effortlessly adorable bond between the downtrodden Hiccup and his faithful mount can’t be overlooked as one of DreamWorks’ strongest features. It wasn’t as big of a box office success as later Dreamworks movies, but it was still successful enough to warrant sequels and TV shows linking the movies together. It also earned an Oscar nomination but lost to the Pixar masterpiece, Toy Story 3.

2

Shrek (2001)

An Enduring Classic That Paved The Way For Others

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Shrek

PG

Animation

Comedy

Fantasy

Adventure

Family

ScreenRant logo

8/10

13

8.5/10

Release Date

May 18, 2001

Runtime

90 minutes

Director

Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson

Writers

J.M. Barrie, Carlo Collodi, William Steig, Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman, Ted Elliott, Roger S.H. Schulman

Producers

Aron Warner, David Lipman, Jeffrey Katzenberg, John H. Williams, Penney Finkelman Cox

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Mike Myers

    Mike Myers

    Shrek / Blind Mouse (voice)

  • Headshot Of Eddie Murphy In The Los Angeles premiere of Amazon Prime Video's 'Candy Cane Lane'

    Eddie Murphy

    Donkey (voice)

Shrek is a 2001 animated film featuring a solitary ogre named Shrek, voiced by Mike Myers, who embarks on a quest to rescue Princess Fiona, voiced by Cameron Diaz, from a dragon-guarded castle. Accompanied by Donkey, voiced by Eddie Murphy, Shrek sets out to fulfill a bargain with Lord Farquaad.

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Even though Shrek has become near-ubiquitous with his meme status in the present day, there’s a real beating sentiment behind pop culture’s less-than-ironic love for the grumpy green ogre. The original Shrek was groundbreaking for a reason, blending modern humor that toed the line of its PG rating with a fairytale world that broke the mold of Disney’s medieval fare by upsetting the status quo.

Despite the baggage of some dated animation and references, Shrek continues to be DreamWorks’ most beloved and iconic film series, thanks to the layered success of its first entry. The history-making film helped solidify Dreamworks as a serious player in the world of animated big screen adventures and it never looked back.

Shrek won the first-ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

The movie finished its box office run with $492.2 million on a smaller $60 million budget (via Box Office Mojo). It is also the landmark movie that won the very first-ever Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film, beating out Pixar’s Monster’s Inc. Its cultural impact is undeniable, with sequels, a spinoff series with Puss in Boots, and even a Broadway musical adaptation of the story.

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Shrek 2 (2004)

Evolved The Comedy Of Shrek To New Heights

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Shrek 2

PG

Adventure

Fantasy

Comedy

Family

Animation

Romance

ScreenRant logo

8/10

27

8.7/10

Release Date

May 19, 2004

Runtime

93 minutes

Director

Kelly Asbury, Andrew Adamson, Conrad Vernon

Writers

David N. Weiss, Joe Stillman, J. David Stem, Andrew Adamson

Prequel(s)

Shrek

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Eddie Murphy In The Los Angeles premiere of Amazon Prime Video's 'Candy Cane Lane'

    Eddie Murphy

  • Headshot Of Mike Myers

    Mike Myers

A sequel to the classic children’s animated film, Sherk 2 follows newlywed ogre couple Sherk and Fiona, whose marriage is tested by a visit to Fiona’s parents, the king and queen of Far Far Away. Distrustful of Shrek, the king begins working with Fiona’s Fairy Godmother to break up the couple in order for Fiona to wed Fairy Godmother’s son, Prince Charming. Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, and Eddie Murphy reprise their roles as Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey, with a further cast that includes John Cleese, Julie Andrews, Jennifer Saunders, and Antonio Banderas. 

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One of the rare instances in which a sequel managed to outdo the original, Shrek 2 took everything that made Shrek work and doubled down. They added to the number of jokes per minute, hilarious modern references, musical numbers and, most importantly, the core cast with the addition of Puss in Boots

Shrek 2 elevated the franchise from a mere standout comedy film to an absolute icon. The movie came close to the billion-dollar mark, with $935.5 million at the box office, and it earned an Oscar nomination, losing out to The Incredibles.

It was the last great Shrek movie, although the second Puss in Boots installment came close to its brilliance. Between the lively musical finale, endlessly entertaining additions to the roster of fairytale characters, and the infectious energy of its humor, Shrek 2 remains DreamWorks’ magnum opus to this day.