After a fallout with Michael Eisner in 1994, Jeffrey Katzenberg left Disney and founded a new company with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen. The result was DreamWorks, who by 2001 with the release of Shrek, established itself as a contender for animated movies alongside Disney and Pixar. They have since created some of the best-known animated franchises.
One reason DreamWorks’ movies have stuck with audiences is how much detail is put into their worlds. This helps them feel fleshed out and alive, as well as allows for mature and interesting themes to be presented and explored.
10 ‘The Bad Guys’ (2022)
In a world populated by humans and anthropomorphic animals, there lives the Bad Guys: Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Snake (Marc Maron), Shark (Craig Robinson), Tarantula (Awkwafina), and Pirana (Anthony Ramos). They are known as the world’s greatest thieves but get caught when trying to steal the Golden Dolphin Award. In lieu of jail time, guinea pig Professor Marmalade (Richard Ayoade) offers to train the Bad Guys to be good.
The Bad Guys uses anthropomorphic animals to fit the themes of the movie. The protagonists are all traditionally villainous species who turned to a life of crime because they were never given the chance to be good. Several of the side characters also have fitting twists, such as fox governor Diane Foxington (Zazie Beetz).
9 ‘The Croods’ (2013)
The first DreamWorks film to be distributed by 20th Century Fox follows a family of cave people who survive by never leaving their cave except to get food. That is until their cave is destroyed in an earthquake, forcing them to find a new home. Along the way, they meet a human named Guy (Ryan Reynolds), who offers to help them with his intelligence.
The Croods offer a vibrant and colorful prehistoric world to explore. The landscapes are massive and range from dusty plains to rich jungles. The animals that inhabit them are equally creative, mixing multiple existing species to create something new and dynamic.
8 ‘Antz’ (1998)
DreamWorks’ first movie focuses on an ant named Z (Woody Allan) who is struggling to find individuality in a colony of millions. Many comparisons were made to Pixar’s A Bug’s Life, which came out the same year. While both films have their positives and negatives, Antz presents a much more engaging world.
The film does a good job of showing all the intricacies of the ant colony, such as the distinctions between workers and soldiers and how the ants develop creative solutions to problems. This leads beautifully into the film’s villain, who has a survival of the fittest view of the world. The outside world is similarly creative, with a garbage can being considered a utopia for insects due to the bountiful food.
7 ‘Rise of the Guardians’ (2012)
When Pitch Black (Jude Law) the Boogeyman, escapes from his prison, the Man in the Moon signals the Guardians of Childhood: Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), and the Sandman. They are told to recruit the mischievous snow spirit Jack Frost (Chris Pine). Jack refuses at first but agrees if it means he can learn more about his missing past.
Though not a big hit on release, this film remains one of DreamWorks’ best from a visual and world-building standpoint. Each of the Guardians is given a unique world that they rule over, which reflects their holiday and what aspect of childhood they govern. This also makes Pitch Black an effective villain, as he thrives by corrupting those attributes and turning them to fear.
6 ‘How to Train Your Dragon 2’ (2014)
2010’s How to Train Your Dragon was a smash hit with critics and audiences. Set on the island city of Berk, it depicted a feud between Vikings and Dragons, which ended when the chief’s son, Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) befriended a Night Fury he named Toothless. Its sequel had a lot to live up to, but it succeeded in moving Hiccups’ story forward and expanding on the world.
This film explores dragon social structures by building on-top of the nests established in the first film. A new kind of alpha dragon, called Bewilderbeasts, is introduced, with the ability to control other dragons. Hiccup is also introduced to a villain with his own Bewilderbeast who uses dragons for conquest, serving as a dark mirror to the young, optimistic Viking.
5 ‘The Prince of Egypt’ (1998)
During his time at Disney, Katzenberg had suggested making an animated adaptation of The Ten Commandments. While rejected at Disney due to the story being tied to religion, Katzenberg made sure it was among the first movies released by DreamWorks. Though not often talked about compared to other DreamWorks films, The Prince of Egypt was applauded upon release for its maturity, talented cast, music, and themes.
The film does a fantastic job of showing the size and scale of its biblical story. The monuments of Ancient Egypt tower high above the people who built them, visually representing the oppressive force upon the Hebrew people. But even these are dwarfed by the miracles created by God (Val Kilmer).
4 ‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ (2016)
The Kung Fu Panda franchise follows Po (Jack Black) as he takes various steps on his path to becoming a Kung Fu Master. After training his body in the first film and his mind in the second, the third requires Po to train his spirit to defeat an ancient spirit warrior named Kai (J. K. Simmons). This involves meeting his birth father, Li (Brian Cranston), and helping a panda village find its true potential.
Kung Fu Panda 3 introduces many elements to the franchise’s mythos. Kai is revealed to be the ancient companion turned rival of Master Oogway (Randall Duk Kim), and the story of their feud further highlights the importance of pandas. It also introduces the Spirit Realm, a vast plane of positive and negative energy that changes based on who is in power.
3 ‘Shrek’ (2001)
While DreamWorks saw some success in the late ’90s, Shrek was the movie that made them a household name. Coming out during the end of both traditional animation and the Disney Renaissance, it was unapologetic with its cynical bashing of fairytales and Disney, down to modeling its villain after Eisner. Alongside Farquaad’s (John Lithgow) ego and short temper, his kingdom of Duloc is structured like an amusement park and even parodies Disney’s It’s a Small World ride.
Another way that the world of Shrek plays with clichés is through Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz). Cursed to transform into an ogre every night, it can only be broken when she is kissed by her true love. When Shrek (the iconic Mike Myers) does so, she remains an ogre forever.
2 ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ (2022)
After his appearance in Shrek 2, Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) became one of DreamWorks’ breakout characters. He appeared in all subsequent Shrek material before getting his own stand-alone film in 2011 and a Netflix television show in 2015. Then, in 2022, he got a sequel that blew all expectations for its high-quality comedy, animation, and writing.
While the Shrek films are all about satirizing fairytales, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish embraces them in order to create a vibrant and creative world. This is best seen through the map of the Dark Forest: it changes based on whoever holds it, transforming the woods into a reflection of the wielder’s psyche. Beyond that, the fairytale setting allows for numerous creative magical items and even a personification of death as one of the antagonists.
1 ‘Shrek 2’ (2004)
After Shrek and Fionna’s marriage, they are invited to her home kingdom of Far Far Away to receive her father’s blessing. The meeting is less than ideal, with Shrek and King Harold (John Cleese) butting heads over what is best for Fionna. What’s more, Fiona’s Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) is not happy when she learns Fiona married an ogre instead of her son, Prince Charming (Rupert Everet).
Shrek 2 is one of those rare sequels considered better than the original, and it certainly lives up to it in the worldbuilding department. It weaves more fairytale satires into each location, from Far Far Away being modeled after Beverly Hills, to Fairy Godmother’s operating a factory that mass-produces “happily ever afters.” The climax also sees the Muffin Man (Conrad Vernon) commissioned to help with an unforgettable climax.