Sorting the best Dreamworks movies from those that didn’t quite hit the mark can be quite difficult. That’s why we put together this list of their best animated feature films — to help you sort the wheat from the chaff.
This top 10 is based on reviews from across the web, counting down to the highest rated Dreamworks movie of all.
Dreamworks have come out with a string of feature-length hits since they first arrived on the scene back in 1998, and as of February 2016 have produced 32 full-length animated movies.
Here are the 10 best Dreamworks movies of all time, based on the combined Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic ratings for each.
10Kung Fu Panda 2
RT: 81% MC: 67
Some of the best Dreamworks movies have been sequels, and of those Kung Fu Panda 2 is easily one of the best. In it panda Po and his kung-fu fighting buddies face up to the evil Lord Shen, with voices from an all-star cast including Jack Black, Angelina Jolie and Dustin Hoffman. Although the story is somewhat of a repeat of what happens in the original film, it still has enough positives to make it a must-see Dreamworks movie. Lots of laughs and plenty of hilarious action sequences.
9Puss in Boots
RT: 84% MC: 65
A Shrek spin-off prequel, Puss in Boots follows the story of smooth-talking Puss (Antonio Banderas) in the events that took place before he came to prominence in 2004’s Shrek 2. Salma Hayek voices his love interest Kitty Softpaws while Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris play the baddies Jack and Jill. While Puss in Boots doesn’t have as much depth as some of Dreamworks’ other work, it’s still a great watch with a script that’s heavy on the laughs and brilliant animation to boot (sorry).
8Kung Fu Panda
RT: 87% MC: 73
The highest grossing animated film of 2008, Kung Fu Panda follows the story of the enthusiastic yet gaffe-prone panda Po (see Kung Fu Panda 2 above), as he bids to fulfil his destiny as the Dragon Warrior in defeating the evil snow leopard Tai Lung. Although the storyline isn’t stellar, this is a loud and proud production that will leave you laughing out loud and generally feeling up-beat and full of life.
7Shrek 2
RT: 88% MC: 75
Shrek 2 is Dreamworks’ biggest commercial success, raking in an incredible $920million around the world — making more than any other movie in 2004. It follows the story of Shrek (Mike Myers) and Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) following their wedding, which took place at the end of Shrek (see below). Not as good as the original, but definitely still up there and miles better than the threequel. It’s the supporting cast that really make this one, with voices from Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, Rupert Everett, Jennifer Saunders and Monty Python legend John Cleese.
6How to Train Your Dragon 2
RT: 91% MC: 76
If you haven’t seen the level of animation in the How to Train Your Dragon movies, it has to be seen to be believed. But more than that, there is also a poignant story underneath that will without doubt dig deep into your emotions. It takes place five years after the original as Viking Hiccup and his dragon Toothless head off on a crazy adventure, with voices from Gerard Butler, Cate Blanchett and Craig Ferguson, among others. A sequel that does the original proud.
5Antz
RT: 96% MC: 72
Antz is where it all started for Dreamworks, being their first feature-length film back in 1998. For the time it broke boundaries in the world of animation and is packed with wit and a superb cast voicing the characters including Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Chrisopher Walken, Sylvester Stallone and Jennnifer Lopez. It tells the story of ant Z-4195 (Allen), who lives in an ant colony under NYC’s Central Park, and his struggle to have individuality recognised in a world where the wellbeing of the colony is viewed as more important than the life of each individual ant.
4How to Train Your Dragon
RT: 98% MC: 74
How to Train Your Dragon is where Dreamworks really started to come into their own, and tells the story of Viking boy Hiccup who has to capture a dragon as a right of passage — then struggles to go through with killing it. Even better than the sequel despite being made four years earlier, HTTYD boasts particularly spectacular animation with some thrilling sequences, a great script, and a lot more underneath the surface than most animated movies.
3Shrek
RT: 88% MC: 84
It’s hard to believe this came out 15 years ago, but it’s still without doubt the best Shrek movie. The fact they’ve made three more films on the back of it is testament to its greatness. A brilliant take on the world of fairy tales with a clever message and a blink-and-you-miss-it thrill-ride of a script. This was one of the first feature-length animated movies to be targeted at adults as well as kids. With a cast including Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy, it tells the story of green ogre Shrek whose quiet life in the swamp is torn apart by a hilarious array of fairy-tale characters banished there by the nasty lord Farquaad.
2Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
RT: 95% MC: 87
Definitely not Dreamworks’ biggest hit at the box office, taking in just $193million compared to Shrek 2’s $920million. But although it doesn’t boast the high-level animation of many of their other movies, this film is a piece of off-beat genius that is almost impossible not to enjoy. Based on a long-popular series in the UK, it follows cheese-loving inventor Wallace and his clever mutt Gromit as they try to tackle an invasion by a mutant rabbit.
1Chicken Run
RT: 97% MC: 88
From the same stop-motion genre and Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run is an absolute classic. Again, not a stand-out performer at the box-office due to its perhaps slight eccentricity, but this is one of the funniest movies you’ll ever see. It tells the story of a group of chickens, led by Rocky the Rooster and his love interest Ginger the chicken, as they bid for freedom. Exceptional voices and truly enjoyable for both kids and adults alike.
The rest of the best Dreamworks movies
Here are the rest of the best Dreamworks movies ranked in order of their combined ratings from across the web: 11. Flushed Away 12. The Prince of Egypt 13. Over the Hedge 14. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted 15. Mr Peabody & Sherman 16. Megamind 17. Rise of the Guardians 18. Monsters vs. Aliens 19. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa 20. Turbo 21. Penguins of Madagascar 22. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron 23. Shrek Forever After 24. Madagascar 25. Bee Movie 26. Home 27. The Road to El Dorado 28. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas 29. Shark Tale 30. Kung Fu Panda 3 31. Shrek the Third 32. The Croods.