Every Dreamworks Animation Movie Ranked
7. Shrek 2 (2004)
Budget: $150million
Worldwide Box Office: $919.8million
Starring: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Julie Andrews, Antonio Banderas, John Cleese, Rupert Everett, Jennifer Saunders
A worthy sequel if ever there was one, Shrek 2 embraced all of the odd-ball antics that made its predecessor so great and it expanded upon them to bring an even more meta and referential comedy than Dreamworks had touched upon before.
Perhaps not as original as Shrek 1 in terms of its fantasy elements, central story arc and investment in its characters, Shrek 2 managed to introduce a whole new vision of its universe with a cast of royal characters and wish granters adding an extra dimension to the relatively small cast of characters present in the first film.
With $919.8million earned at the box office, this is the most financially successful movie in the history of Dreamworks Animation, making it an iconic animated movie that doesn’t quite hit the top five in this list but is certainly an all-time Dreamworks Animation classic.
6. How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)
Budget: $145million
Worldwide Box Office: $621.5million
Starring: Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, TJ Miller, Kristen Wiig, Djimon Hounsou, Kit Harrington
How To Train Your Dragon 2 takes the honour of being the highest-ranking sequel in this list, and with good reason.
After the success of the original movie (which is still to come), fans demanded a sequel, and it came came within just four years. Thankfully, number 2 was every bit as engaging, original and charming as its predecessor.
It also introduced a selection of talented voices to the fray, with Cate Blanchett leading the additions that also included Djimon Hounsou and ‘Game of Thrones’ actor Kit Harrington.
Much like its predecessor, How To Train Your Dragon 2 was nominated for the Best Animated Feature Oscar, but unlike its predecessor, number 2 actually won the Golden Globe it was nominated for.
5. Chicken Run (2000)
Budget: $45million
Worldwide Box Office: $224.8million
Starring: Phil Daniels, Mel Gibson, Jane Horrocks, Miranda Richardson, Timothy Spall
“I don’t want to be a pie. I don’t like gravy!” – “All me life flashed before me eyes! It was really boring.”
Thanks to the team behind Wallace and Gromit (who else?), never before have chickens been so funny or had so much heart and ambition.
Here, the chickens try to escape inevitable slaughter, aiming to reach the flowing grassy hills of “outside the farm”. It’s a simple story played out in traditional claymation that has stood the test of time due to funny quotes and the simplicity and engage-ability of its story.
A mega-success in relation to its budget, this Dreamworks film is a sleeper classic that we don’t quite realise we miss until we read about it (you can thank us for reminding you about it later).
Recommended for you: Aardman Animation Movies Ranked
4. Kung Fu Panda (2008)
Budget: $130million
Worldwide Box Office: $631.7million
Starring: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Ian McShane, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, Michael Clarke Duncan
A creative concept like no other, Kung Fu Panda pretty much sums up its plot in its title.
For what it is – a children’s film about an adorable Panda trying the least Panda things possible – it is fantastic. The animation is beautiful, with the Chinese theming gifting the movie a unique aesthetic that is hard to rival. Similarly, the casting choices are close to perfect, with Jack Black’s lovable buffoon persona radiating out of the talking Panda throughout the entire movie, and the supporting talents of Angelina Jolie, Ian McShane, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, Michael Clarke Duncan and especially Dustin Hoffman each bringing their own star personas to the table to offer their characters a little more life than can be the case in some animated movies.
Sure the plot is a little basic, but Kung Fu Panda isn’t about giving you an existential crisis, it’s about family fun, and this film provides fun in spades.
Whilst I think The Road to El Dorado and Spirit should have been ranked higher (because those films are genius) I’m so glad The Prince of Egypt was ranked as number one! :)
Yeah man! Road to Eldorado deserves better than 28th!@
So under appreciated… 😞
Surely the cult status shoukd have boosted its ranking. Prince of Egypt does deserve top place tho
Definitely, Prince of Egypt has it all. And I’d agree, I always see posts and references to El Dorado online, particularly Tumblr :)
El Dorado is popular on Tumblr and with people our ages because we were conditioned to like it as kids (because of cheap VHS/DVD releases following how massively it bombed at the box office). The reality is that it wasn’t nearly as good as our nostalgia leads us to believe and it remains the only film in the studio’s history that LOST money.
Not to disrespect all the classics on here, but Dreamworls hasn’t half produced a load of shite
I actually disagree. I think a lot of these movies were fun. Apart from a few of the movies at the very bottom of the list, everything here is at least entertaining which is more than can be said for 9/10s of live-action films.
Jesus, i forgot Dustin Hoffman was in Kung-fu Panda 😂
I never even realised that Antz was the first feature length film. does this mean I’m older than Dreamworks??
Yeah it does! How crazy is that?! It’s a company that has lived fast and lived well, it would seem. Thanks for commenting!
Turbo needs to be higher. Malarkey