(Photo by DreamWorks Animation)
All 46 DreamWorks Animation Movies Ranked
Kung Fu Panda 4 is now available to watch on Peacock.
DreamWorks Animation’s first movie was Antz, released two months before A Bug’s Life, and thus this studio was born into incessant comparison to Pixar’s output, molded by it, becoming the snarky and sarcastic foil to its competitor’s earnestness.
DreamWorks Animation would forge most of its identity and formula on the back of one giant, smelly, green ogre: Shrek, which has generated sequels, tie-ins, theme park rides, and billions of dollars, while ensuring Smash Mouth’s “All-Star” never leaving the pop culture’s ironic curriculum.
The studio’s other franchises include Kung Fu Panda, which introduced a whole new world of visual flair and surprising emotional depth to the DreamWorks movie canon, and Madagascar, which pulled off the mega-rare feat of each movie being higher-rated on the Tomatometer than the last. At least the mainline movies. (Penguins of Madagascar 73% is lower than the 79% Madagascar 3 has, but that’s a spin-off.)
Their releases across 2022 and 2023 comprised Trolls Band Together, Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken, The Bad Guys and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. And then in 2024, they are rolling in Po again with Kung Fu Panda 4. Now, we’re ranking all DreamWorks Animation movies by Tomatometer! —Alex Vo
#1
Adjusted Score: 107597%
Critics Consensus: Boasting dazzling animation, a script with surprising dramatic depth, and thrilling 3-D sequences, How to Train Your Dragon soars.
Synopsis: Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) is a Norse teenager from the island of Berk, where fighting dragons is a way of life…. [More]
Starring: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill
Directed By: Christopher Sanders, Dean DeBlois
#2
Adjusted Score: 104003%
Critics Consensus:Chicken Run has all the charm of Nick Park’s Wallace & Gromit, and something for everybody. The voice acting is fabulous, the slapstick is brilliant, and the action sequences are spectacular.
Synopsis: This engaging stop-motion, claymation adventure tells the story of an American rooster who falls in love with a gorgeous hen… [More]
Starring: Mel Gibson, Julia Sawalha, Miranda Richardson, Jane Horrocks
Directed By: Peter Lord, Nick Park
#3
Adjusted Score: 105167%
Critics Consensus: Arriving more than a decade after the previous installment, the smart, sweet, and funny Puss in Boots: The Last Wish proves some franchises only get better with age.
Synopsis: This fall, everyone’s favorite leche-loving, swashbuckling, fear-defying feline returns. For the first time in more than a decade, DreamWorks Animation… [More]
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Olivia Colman, Harvey Guillén
Directed By: Joel Crawford
#4
Adjusted Score: 101716%
Critics Consensus:The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is a subtly touching and wonderfully eccentric adventure featuring Wallace and Gromit.
Synopsis: The plucky characters from a series of animated shorts, Wallace (Peter Sallis) and his dog, Gromit, make their feature debut… [More]
Starring: Peter Sallis, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Peter Kay
Directed By: Nick Park, Steve Box
#5
Adjusted Score: 100600%
Critics Consensus: Exciting, emotionally resonant, and beautifully animated, How to Train Your Dragon 2 builds on its predecessor’s successes just the way a sequel should.
Synopsis: Five years have passed since Hiccup and Toothless united the dragons and Vikings of Berk. Now, they spend their time… [More]
Starring: Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson
Directed By: Dean DeBlois, Tom Owens
#6
Adjusted Score: 97370%
Critics Consensus: Featuring a stellar voice cast, technically dazzling animation, and loads of good humor, Antz should delight both children and adults.
Synopsis: Z the worker ant (Woody Allen) strives to reconcile his own individuality with the communal work-ethic of the ant colony…. [More]
Starring: Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Sylvester Stallone
Directed By: Eric Darnell, Tim Johnson
#7
Adjusted Score: 104157%
Critics Consensus: The rare trilogy capper that really works, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World brings its saga to a visually dazzling and emotionally affecting conclusion.
Synopsis: When the sudden appearance of a female Light Fury coincides with the darkest threat their village has ever faced, Hiccup… [More]
Starring: Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, F. Murray Abraham, Cate Blanchett
Directed By: Dean DeBlois
#8
Adjusted Score: 97058%
Critics Consensus: It may not be as fresh as the original, but topical humor and colorful secondary characters make Shrek 2 a winner in its own right.
Synopsis: After returning from their honeymoon and showing home movies to their friends, Shrek and Fiona learn that her parents have… [More]
Starring: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Julie Andrews
Directed By: Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, Conrad Vernon
#9
Adjusted Score: 95849%
Critics Consensus: While simultaneously embracing and subverting fairy tales, the irreverent Shrek also manages to tweak Disney’s nose, provide a moral message to children, and offer viewers a funny, fast-paced ride.
Synopsis: Once upon a time, in a far away swamp, there lived an ogre named Shrek (Mike Myers) whose precious solitude… [More]
Starring: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow
Directed By: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson
#10
Adjusted Score: 96946%
Critics Consensus: Fast-paced, funny, and full of colorful visual appeal, The Bad Guys is good news for audiences seeking options the whole family can enjoy.
Synopsis: In the new action comedy from DreamWorks Animation, based on the New York Times best-selling book series, a crackerjack criminal… [More]
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Zazie Beetz, Marc Maron, Awkwafina
Directed By: Pierre Perifel
#11
Adjusted Score: 94696%
Critics Consensus:Kung Fu Panda has a familiar message, but the pleasing mix of humor, swift martial arts action, and colorful animation makes for winning Summer entertainment.
Synopsis: Po the panda (Jack Black) works in his family’s noodle shop and dreams of becoming a kung-fu master. His dream… [More]
Starring: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, David Cross
Directed By: John Stevenson, Mark Osborne
#12
Adjusted Score: 93964%
Critics Consensus: With a tidy plot, clean animation, and humor that fits its source material snugly, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie is entertainment that won’t drive a wedge between family members.
Synopsis: George Beard and Harold Hutchins are two overly imaginative pranksters who spend hours in a treehouse creating comic books. When… [More]
Starring: Kevin Hart, Ed Helms, Nick Kroll, Thomas Middleditch
Directed By: David Soren
#13
Adjusted Score: 94221%
Critics Consensus:Kung Fu Panda 3 boasts the requisite visual splendor, but like its rotund protagonist, this sequel’s narrative is also surprisingly nimble, adding up to animated fun for the whole family.
Synopsis: Living large and loving life, Po (Jack Black) realizes that he has a lot to learn if he’s going to… [More]
Starring: Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie
Directed By: Jennifer Yuh Nelson, Alessandro Carloni
#14
Adjusted Score: 91798%
Critics Consensus: It isn’t deep or groundbreaking, but what it lacks in profundity, Puss in Boots more than makes up for with an abundance of wit, visual sparkle, and effervescent charm.
Synopsis: Long before meeting Shrek, Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) — just named a hero for saving a woman from a… [More]
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Bob Thornton
Directed By: Chris Miller
#15
Adjusted Score: 90418%
Critics Consensus: Working with admittedly familiar ingredients, Abominable offers audiences a beautifully animated and overall engaging adventure that the whole family can enjoy.
Synopsis: After discovering a Yeti on the roof of her apartment building, teenage Yi and her two friends embark on an… [More]
Starring: Chloe Bennet, Albert Tsai, Tenzing Norgay Trainor, Joseph Izzo
Directed By: Jill Culton
#16
Adjusted Score: 88299%
Critics Consensus: The storyline arc may seem a tad familiar to fans of the original, but Kung Fu Panda 2 offers enough action, comedy, and visual sparkle to compensate.
Synopsis: Now known as the Dragon Warrior, Po (Jack Black) protects the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung… [More]
Starring: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman
Directed By: Jennifer Yuh Nelson
#17
Adjusted Score: 87033%
Critics Consensus:Mr. Peabody & Sherman offers a surprisingly entertaining burst of colorful all-ages fun, despite its dated source material and rather convoluted plot.
Synopsis: Mr. Peabody (Ty Burrell), the most accomplished canine in the world, and his boy, Sherman (Max Charles), use a time… [More]
Starring: Ty Burrell, Max Charles, Ariel Winter, Stephen Colbert
Directed By: Rob Minkoff
#18
Adjusted Score: 84440%
Critics Consensus:The Prince of Egypt‘s stunning visuals and first-rate voice cast more than compensate for the fact that it’s better crafted than it is emotionally involving.
Synopsis: In this animated retelling of the Book of Exodus, Egyptian Prince Moses (Val Kilmer), upon discovering his roots as a… [More]
Starring: Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock
Directed By: Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, Simon Wells
#19
Adjusted Score: 83857%
Critics Consensus: Dazzlingly colorful and frenetic, Madagascar 3 is silly enough for young kids, but boasts enough surprising smarts to engage parents along the way.
Synopsis: Animal pals Alex (Ben Stiller), Marty (Chris Rock), Melman (David Schwimmer) and Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith) are still trying to… [More]
Starring: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith
Directed By: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath, Conrad Vernon
#20
Adjusted Score: 85685%
Critics Consensus: Another agreeable outing for the titular prehistoric clan, The Croods: A New Age may be the missing link for parents between more elevated family-friendly fare.
Synopsis: Searching for a safer habitat, the prehistoric Crood family discovers an idyllic, walled-in paradise that meets all of its needs…. [More]
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener
Directed By: Joel Crawford
#21
Adjusted Score: 83452%
Critics Consensus:Trolls brings its instantly recognizable characters to the big screen in a colorful adventure that, while geared toward the younger set, isn’t without rewards for parents.
Synopsis: After the Bergens invade Troll Village, Poppy (Anna Kendrick), the happiest Troll ever born, and the overly-cautious, curmudgeonly Branch (Justin… [More]
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Russell Brand
Directed By: Mike Mitchell, Walt Dohrn
#22
Adjusted Score: 81922%
Critics Consensus: Even if it’s not an animation classic, Over the Hedge is clever and fun, and the jokes cater to family members of all ages.
Synopsis: When Verne (Garry Shandling) and fellow woodland friends awake from winter’s hibernation, they find they have some new neighbors: humans,… [More]
Starring: Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling, Steve Carell, William Shatner
Directed By: Tim Johnson, Karey Kirkpatrick
#23
Adjusted Score: 81301%
Critics Consensus: A sort of Avengers for the elementary school set, Rise of the Guardians is wonderfully animated and briskly paced, but it’s only so-so in the storytelling department.
Synopsis: Generation after generation, immortal Guardians like Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman) and the Tooth Fairy (Isla… [More]
Starring: Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Jude Law, Isla Fisher
Directed By: Peter Ramsey
#24
Adjusted Score: 78365%
Critics Consensus: Clever and appealing for both children and adults, Flushed Away marks a successful entry into digital animated features for Aardman Animations.
Synopsis: After an ignoble landing in Ratropolis, a pampered rodent (Hugh Jackman) enlists the help of a sewer scavenger (Kate Winslet)… [More]
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Jean Reno, Bill Nighy
Directed By: David Bowers, Sam Fell
#25
Adjusted Score: 78955%
Critics Consensus:Penguins of Madagascar is fast and brightly colored enough to entertain small children, but too frantically silly to offer real filmgoing fun for the whole family.
Synopsis: Plucky penguins Skipper (Tom McGrath), Kowalski (Chris Miller), Rico (Conrad Vernon) and Private (Christopher Knights) — the most elite spies… [More]
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, John Malkovich, Tom McGrath, Chris Miller
Directed By: Eric Darnell, Simon J. Smith
#26
Adjusted Score: 81663%
Critics Consensus: Though it doesn’t approach the depth of the best animated films, Monsters Vs. Aliens has enough humor and special effects to entertain moviegoers of all ages.
Synopsis: When a meteor full of space gunk transforms Susan Murphy (Reese Witherspoon) into a giant, the government renames her Ginormica… [More]
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Laurie, Seth Rogen, Will Arnett
Directed By: Rob Letterman, Conrad Vernon
#27
Adjusted Score: 80168%
Critics Consensus: It regurgitates plot points from earlier animated efforts, and isn’t quite as funny as it should be, but a top-shelf voice cast and strong visuals help make Megamind a pleasant, if unspectacular, diversion.
Synopsis: Though he is the most-brilliant supervillain the world has known, Megamind (Will Ferrell) is the least-successful. Thwarted time and again… [More]
Starring: Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill
Directed By: Tom McGrath
#28
Adjusted Score: 80809%
Critics Consensus: A fun follow-up for fans of the original, Trolls World Tour offers a second helping of colorful animation, infectious energy, and sing-along songs.
Synopsis: Poppy and Branch discover that there are six different troll tribes scattered over six different lands. Each tribe is also… [More]
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Rachel Bloom, James Corden
Directed By: Walt Dohrn
#29
Adjusted Score: 83514%
Critics Consensus:Kung Fu Panda 4 offers enough eye-catching entertainment to sustain the franchise’s young fans, although it’s starting to feel like this series is running out of steam.
Synopsis: After three death-defying adventures defeating world-class villains with his unmatched courage and mad martial arts skills, Po, the Dragon Warrior… [More]
Starring: Jack Black, Awkwafina, Viola Davis, Dustin Hoffman
Directed By: Mike Mitchell
#30
Adjusted Score: 78243%
Critics Consensus: While it may not be as (ahem) evolved as the best modern animated fare, The Croods will prove solidly entertaining for families seeking a fast-paced, funny cartoon adventure.
Synopsis: Prehistoric family the Croods live in a particularly dangerous moment in time. Patriarch Grug (Nicolas Cage), his mate, Ugga (Catherine… [More]
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener
Directed By: Christopher Sanders, Kirk DeMicco
#31
Adjusted Score: 72944%
Critics Consensus: A visually stunning film that may be too predictable and politically correct for adults, but should serve children well.
Synopsis: Follows the adventures of a wild and rambunctious mustang stallion as he journeys through the untamed American frontier. Encountering man… [More]
Starring: Matt Damon, James Cromwell, Daniel Studi, Chopper Bernet
Directed By: Kelly Asbury, Lorna Cook
#32
Adjusted Score: 71734%
Critics Consensus: It’s nowhere near as inventive as its off-the-wall premise might suggest, but Turbo boasts just enough colorful visual thrills and sharp voice acting to recommend as undemanding family-friendly fare.
Synopsis: Turbo (Ryan Reynolds) is a speed-obsessed snail with an unusual dream: to become the world’s greatest racer. This odd snail… [More]
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Michael Peña, Samuel L. Jackson
Directed By: David Soren
#33
Adjusted Score: 69881%
Critics Consensus:Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is littered with too much flotsam and jetsam from better animated features to stand as a true original, but its inherent sweetness and lively style make for likable enough family entertainment.
Synopsis: Sweet, awkward 16-year-old Ruby Gillman (Lana Condor, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before franchise) is desperate to fit in… [More]
Starring: Lana Condor, Toni Collette, Annie Murphy, Sam Richardson
Directed By: Kirk DeMicco
#34
Adjusted Score: 70074%
Critics Consensus:Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is an improvement on the original, with more fleshed-out characters, crisper animation and more consistent humor.
Synopsis: Alex (Ben Stiller), Morty (Chris Rock) and other zoo animals find a way to escape from Madagascar when the penguins… [More]
Starring: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith
Directed By: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath
#35
Adjusted Score: 67461%
Critics Consensus:Trolls Band Together serves up another amusing, eye-catching outing that should entertain young fans of the franchise while remaining perfectly painless for parents.
Synopsis: After two films of true friendship and relentless flirting, Poppy (Anna Kendrick) and Branch (Justin Timberlake) are now officially, finally,… [More]
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Camila Cabello, Eric André
Directed By: Walt Dohrn
#36
Adjusted Score: 64924%
Critics Consensus: While not without its moments, Shrek Forever After too often feels like a rote rehashing of the franchise’s earlier entries.
Synopsis: Long-settled into married life and fully domesticated, Shrek (Mike Myers) begins to long for the days when he felt like… [More]
Starring: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas
Directed By: Mike Mitchell
#37
Adjusted Score: 62137%
Critics Consensus: Though its story is problematic in spots and its humor is hit-or-miss for the adult crowd, Madagascar boasts impressive visuals and enough spunky charm to keep children entertained.
Synopsis: Alex the lion is the king of the urban jungle, the main attraction at New York’s Central Park Zoo. He… [More]
Starring: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith
Directed By: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath
#38
Adjusted Score: 62541%
Critics Consensus:The Boss Baby‘s talented cast, glimmers of wit, and flashes of visual inventiveness can’t make up for a thin premise and a disappointing willingness to settle for doody jokes.
Synopsis: A new baby’s arrival impacts a family, told from the point of view of a delightfully unreliable narrator — a… [More]
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Miles Christopher Bakshi, Tobey Maguire, Jimmy Kimmel
Directed By: Tom McGrath
#39
Adjusted Score: 59213%
Critics Consensus: Colorful, silly, and utterly benign, Home is a passable diversion, but there’s no shortage of superior animated alternatives.
Synopsis: After a hive-minded alien race called the Boov conquer the Earth, they relocate the planet’s human population — all except… [More]
Starring: Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin, Jennifer Lopez
Directed By: Tim Johnson
#40
Adjusted Score: 56738%
Critics Consensus:Bee Movie has humorous moments, but its awkward premise and tame delivery render it mostly forgettable.
Synopsis: Fresh out of college, Barry the Bee finds the prospect of working with honey uninspiring. He flies outside the hive… [More]
Starring: Jerry Seinfeld, Renée Zellweger, Matthew Broderick, John Goodman
Directed By: Simon J. Smith, Steve Hickner
#41
Adjusted Score: 52870%
Critics Consensus: Predictable story and thin characters made the movie flat.
Synopsis: Two con-men (Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh) get hold of a map to the lost City of Gold, El Dorado. After… [More]
Starring: Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh, Rosie Perez, Armand Assante
Directed By: Bibo Bergeron, Will Finn, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Don Paul
#42
Adjusted Score: 52268%
Critics Consensus: While it might be a passable diversion for younger viewers, Spirit Untamed is a middling sequel that lacks the essential energy suggested by its title.
Synopsis: An epic adventure about a headstrong girl longing for a place to belong who discovers a kindred spirit when her… [More]
Starring: Isabela Merced, Julianne Moore, Jake Gyllenhaal, Marsai Martin
Directed By: Elaine Bogan
#43
Adjusted Score: 50566%
Critics Consensus: It’s more C-level than C-suite, but as a painless diversion for the kids, this Boss Baby manages some decent Family Business.
Synopsis: In the sequel to DreamWorks Animation’s Oscar®-nominated blockbuster comedy, the Templeton brothers–Tim (James Marsden, X-Men franchise) and his Boss Baby… [More]
Starring: Alec Baldwin, James Marsden, Eva Longoria, Jeff Goldblum
Directed By: Tom McGrath
#44
Adjusted Score: 49099%
Critics Consensus: Competent, but not magical.
Synopsis: The adventurous sailor (Brad Pitt) and a beautiful stowaway (Catherine Zeta-Jones) have 10 days to save a prince from execution…. [More]
Starring: Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michelle Pfeiffer, Joseph Fiennes
Directed By: Patrick Gilmore, Tim Johnson
#45
Adjusted Score: 50428%
Critics Consensus:Shrek the Third has pop culture potshots galore, but at the expense of the heart, charm, and wit that made the first two Shreks classics.
Synopsis: When King Harold suddenly croaks, Shrek (Mike Myers) learns he will have to rule the land of Far, Far Away,… [More]
Starring: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas
Directed By: Chris Miller
#46
Adjusted Score: 40935%
Critics Consensus: Derivative and full of pop culture in-jokes.
Synopsis: Underachiever Oscar (Will Smith) is a pint-sized fish with grand aspirations. When mob-connected great white shark Frankie (Michael Imperioli) is… [More]
Starring: Will Smith, Robert De Niro, Renée Zellweger, Jack Black
Directed By: Rob Letterman, Bibo Bergeron, Vicky Jenson
