DreamWorks Animation Films Ranked from Worst to Best

If you do not wish to read the entire post, here is the ranking as a tier list (made using TierMaker).

A+ (THE BEST): Chicken Run, Shrek 2

A/A- (EXCELLENT): How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Kung Fu Panda 2, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Kung Fu Panda, Flushed Away, How to Train Your Dragon

B+/B (SOLID): Kung Fu Panda 3, Antz, The Prince of Egypt, Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, Captain Underpants: The Epic First Movie, The Croods: A New Age, Rise of the Guardians, Megamind, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, Abominable, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

B-/C+ (FAIRLY DECENT): Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, Madagascar, Shrek Forever After, Over the Hedge, Puss in Boots

C/C- (MEDIOCRE): The Croods, The Road to El Dorado, Trolls, Penguins of Madagascar, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, Shrek the Third, Trolls: World Tour, Turbo, Monsters vs. Aliens

D+ (BAD): The Boss Baby, Bee Movie

D (AWFUL): Home, Shark Tale

Recommended Films to Watch First: Shrek, Chicken Run, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon, Megamind

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Wait, Wait! Before We Get Started…

ALRIGHT, so I initially sent out this ranking to my friends some months ago.

(For those of you who do not already know, I began watching movie marathons, ranking each film within them, during (and because of) the height of the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown.)

At that point, I had just completed watching all Pixar films (except Onward because it was not on Disney+ at the time), so I thought it would be a good idea to follow that marathon up with more animated films. Dozens of hours later, we have a DreamWorks marathon.

I haven’t seen any of these movies since creating this ranking, so everything you are about to read is my opinion as of May 2020.

Also, I’m keeping the original introduction because I don’t really want to revisit my thoughts on these films. I still stand by my ranking of Bee Movie.

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Ye Olde Introduction

Friends,

When I completed my Pixar marathon and shared with you all my rankings, I had a strong feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction, even in spite of disagreements that some of you have had with my choices (I’m not sorry, Ratatouille fans).  Unfortunately, that feeling was only temporary, and thus, I decided to start my next movie marathon.

I, for sure, was hoping to take a break from animated films, but most of the other marathon ideas I’ve had lacked something I wanted – variety in quality.  Most of Pixar’s films, for example, are excellent, and while that makes for a fine viewing experience, it makes the evaluation and ranking process very difficult.   Of all the ideas I had for a follow-up movie marathon, the DreamWorks Animation series was the best choice, as the studio is known for some of the best, worst, and most mediocre animated films of the last couple of decades. 

With that in mind, I entered into this marathon hoping to experience more emotions and reactions, which would ultimately lead to an easier ranking process.  This turned out to be true, and even though (spoilers) there were some films here that I hope never to see again, I grew more appreciative of DreamWorks.  At its best, the studio provides a sense of excitement, drama, brilliantly-written characters, and – most importantly – witty (and sometimes mature) humor that can appeal to all ages in ways that Pixar cannot.  Even in some of its worst films, DreamWorks also demonstrates that it is not afraid to take risks, from dabbling in traditional animation to making pure action-adventure stories with none of its trademark satire.

Of course, this variety is largely due to the work of several production companies and numerous writers, directors, and producers, which is also why, despite releasing its first film 3 years after Pixar’s first, DreamWorks released 38 39 feature films in 22 years.  I’ve watched every single one of them, from Antz (1998) to Trolls: World Tour The Croods: A New Age (2020), in what has become the most ambitious marathon I’ve done so far.  I assure you – if I do another marathon, it will not have this many movies.

Similar to the Pixar marathon, I will rank all the DreamWorks Animation films from worst to best, providing for each a “TL;DR” review, my personal letter grade for the film, its Rotten Tomatoes Score, and its Metacritic score.

If you are not interested in reading the entire list, here are the top and bottom 5 DreamWorks Animation films:

BOTTOM 5	TOP 5
35. Monsters vs. Aliens	5. How to Train Your Dragon 2
36. The Boss Baby	4. Shrek
37. Bee Movie	3. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
38. Home	2. Shrek 2
39. (THE WORST) Shark Tale	1. (THE BEST) Chicken Run

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Let’s Do This!

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39. (THE WORST) Shark Tale (2004)

38. Home (2015)

TL;DR Review: Home is unintentionally DreamWorks Animation’s first interactive film.  Whenever that annoying purple alien protagonist speaks, you react with a groan of frustration!

My Grade: D

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 50%

Metacritic Score: 55

37. Bee Movie (2007)

TL;DR Review:

Here’s an idea for a family movie night! 

1. Watch an episode of Seinfeld.
2. Watch Antz. 
3. Watch another episode of Seinfeld. 
4. Watch Ratatouille. 
5. Finally, end your night with an episode of Seinfeld. 

If you do all this, then you will have experienced a much better version of everything Bee Movie has to offer. 

Alternate TL;DR Review:

yOU LikE jAZz???

My Grade: D+

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 50%

Metacritic Score: 54

36. The Boss Baby (2017)

TL;DR Review: As an older brother myself, I can relate to how the protagonist feels about having to share his parents’ love with a younger sibling.  It’s truly a sad and lonely place, and getting over it definitely takes some time and hard work.  With that being said, this movie still sucks.

My Grade: D+

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 52%

Metacritic Score: 50

35. Monsters vs. Aliens (2009)

TL;DR Review: This film has some solid voice performances and some well-executed comedic moments, but honestly, DreamWorks has done SO much better than this science-fiction/monster movie parody.

My Grade: C-

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 73%

Metacritic Score: 56

34. Turbo (2013)

TL;DR Review:

Visuals: impressive.

Everything else: sluggish.

*rim shot*

My Grade: C-

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 67%

Metacritic Score: 58

33. Trolls: World Tour (2020)

TL;DR Review: There’s an okay message about musical diversity, and maybe this film can be a great tool to prevent kids from becoming genre-specific snobs.  However, this message is communicated through a weak plot and stereotypical, inaccurate, and problematic representations of popular music genres.

My Grade: C-

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 69%

Metacritic Score: 51

32. Shrek the Third (2007)

TL;DR Review: This is an unnecessary and overdrawn epilogue to Shrek 2.  The humor is what keeps this film from being a complete disaster.

My Grade: C-

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 41%

Metacritic Score: 58

31. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)

TL;DR Review: With its take on a classic Arabic folk legend, DreamWorks gives an underwhelming sendoff to its brief stint in traditional animation.

My Grade: C-

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 45%

Metacritic Score: 48

30. Penguins of Madagascar (2014)

TL;DR Review: Penguins of Madagascar has some solid satirical moments and well-crafted animated sequences, but these elements are not strong enough to compensate for a disappointingly generic and uninteresting plot.  These penguins deserve better.

My Grade: C-

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 73%

Metacritic Score: 53

29. Trolls (2016)

TL;DR Review: At best, Trolls is an okay children’s film, but at its core, it’s a sad reminder that DreamWorks is losing its appeal to older audiences.  Now trailing quite behind Pixar in quality, the studio is now establishing itself as a slightly better alternative to the mostly mediocre output of Illumination Studios.  (By the way, I hope to NEVER do an Illumination marathon – I can’t stand those Minions.)

My Grade: C-

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 76%

Metacritic Score: 55

28. The Road to El Dorado (2000)

TL;DR Review: No amount of solid humor, vibrant animation, or Elton John music can make up for this film’s thin and generic story.

My Grade: C

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 48%

Metacritic Score: 51

27. The Croods (2013)

TL;DR Review: The #1 prehistoric family-comedy since The Flintstones…by default…

My Grade: C

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 71%

Metacritic Score: 55

26. Puss in Boots (2011)

TL;DR Review: This is a pretty fun Shrek spin-off, and you know what?  It could have been worse.  Could you imagine a Donkey film?

My Grade: C+

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%

Metacritic Score: 65

25. Over the Hedge (2006)

TL;DR Review: The satirical humor spices up an otherwise bland film that aptly takes place in suburbia.

My Grade: C+

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%

Metacritic Score: 67

24. Shrek Forever After (2010)

TL;DR Review: The Shrek series comes to an entertaining close with a unique, yet flawed adventure heavily inspired by It’s a Wonderful Life.

My Grade: B-

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 58%

Metacritic Score: 58

23. Madagascar (2005)

TL;DR Review: A stellar voice cast and interesting set of characters help make up for this film’s pretty weak plot.  I really like those penguins.

My Grade: B-

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 54%

Metacritic Score: 57

22. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)

TL;DR Review: It’s a good movie, but by appealing itself strictly for children, it lacks the “DreamWorks Magic” solidified in the studio’s earlier (and some of their later) films

My Grade: B-

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 70%

Metacritic Score: 52

21. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)

TL;DR Review: Diving more deeply into character development, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is a solid refinement of and improvement on its predecessor.

Alternate TL;DR Review: They do realize Madagascar is in Africa, right?

My Grade: B

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 63%

Metacritic Score: 61

20. Abominable (2019)

TL;DR Review: Abominable’s charm and amazing animation make up for its lack of originality.

My Grade: B

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%

Metacritic Score: 62

19. Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014)

TL;DR Review: This is a solid film, but I just can’t help but think that this adaptation of a television series would have been better off…as a television series.

My Grade: B

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%

Metacritic Score: 59

18. Megamind (2010)

TL;DR Review: DreamWorks entertainingly pokes fun at the superhero film genre with a humorous approach to its (likely intentionally) weak plot.

My Grade: B

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 72%

Metacritic Score: 63

17. Rise of the Guardians (2012)

TL;DR Review: Fisher-Price My First Avengers!

My Grade: B+

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%

Metacritic Score: 58

16. The Croods: A New Age (2020)

TL;DR Review: The Croods: A New Age is exactly the Stone Age family-adventure-comedy (seriously, this movie is really funny) that I wanted its predecessor to be – bravo!

My Grade: B+

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 77%

Metacritic Score: 56

15. Captain Underpants: The Epic First Movie (2017)

TL;DR Review: This film is an exciting and faithful adaptation of a beloved children’s book series.

My Grade: B+

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%

Metacritic Score: 69

14. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (2012)

TL;DR Review: Third time’s the charm!

My Grade: B+

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78%

Metacritic Score: 60

13. The Prince of Egypt (1998)

TL;DR Review: In the same year as Antz, DreamWorks released an adaptation of a well-known religious text in the form of a brilliantly animated musical drama-adventure film.

My Grade: B+

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 79%

Metacritic Score: 64

12.  Antz (1998)

TL;DR Review: If DreamWorks Animation had been more consistent with films like Antz, the studio would have been best defined as a mature, yet solid alternative to Pixar.

My Grade: B+

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

Metacritic Score: 72

11. Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)

TL;DR Review: Hindered primarily by a generic and underdeveloped villain, Kung Fu Panda 3 is, at the very least, a satisfying conclusion of one of DreamWorks’s best franchises.

My Grade: B+

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%

Metacritic Score: 66

10. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

TL;DR Review: With incredible animation and an array of interesting characters, this film presents a well-crafted world, setting the stage for one of DreamWorks Animation’s strongest franchises.

My Grade: A-

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 99%

Metacritic Score: 75

9. Flushed Away (2006)

TL;DR Review: Aardman Animations, known for their stop-motion works, takes an excellent dive into CG animation.  (Yes, I know the pun stinks.)

My Grade: A-

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 73%

Metacritic Score: 74

8. Kung Fu Panda (2008)

TL;DR Review: “Ski-doosh!”

My Grade: A

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%

Metacritic Score: 74

7. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)

TL;DR Review: Aardman Animations, in their second feature film with DreamWorks, literally crafts a marvelous film starring their famous short-film comedy duo.

My Grade: A

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

Metacritic Score: 87

6. Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

TL;DR Review: With a stronger plot and added layer of emotional depth, Kung Fu Panda 2 is a refined extension of its predecessor.

My Grade: A

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%

Metacritic Score: 67

5. How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

TL;DR Review: “The world just got a whole lot bigger,” said Hiccup, the protagonist.

My Grade: A

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

Metacritic Score: 76

4. Shrek (2001)

TL;DR Review: Shrek: The Iconic Anti-Disney Film

My Grade: A

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%

Metacritic Score: 84

3. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)

TL;DR Review: As is, this film is an excellent conclusion to the How to Train Your Dragon series, yet it also sets the stage for more adventures of the Berkians.

My Grade: A

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%

Metacritic Score: 71

2. Shrek 2 (2004)

TL;DR Review: Shrek 2 exceeds its predecessor by being a brilliant blend of a love story and a thrilling adventure, enhanced with rapid-fire satire.  This film is “DreamWorks Magic” at its finest.

My Grade: A+

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%

Metacritic Score: 75

1. (THE BEST) Chicken Run (2000)

TL;DR Review: This film’s premise is so simple and somewhat absurd, but its brilliance comes from how it takes these qualities and, through this technical masterpiece, uses them to build an effective expression of heroism, wit, and charm.

My Grade: A+

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

Metacritic Score: 88