DreamWorks has been an established animation studio since the release of its first film, Antz, back in 1998. DreamWorks became a top competitor of Pixar, who had its humble beginnings in 1979 as part of Lucasfilm. Pixar gained worldwide attention for its first film Toy Story in 1995, which made history for being the first feature-length CGI film.
Throughout the years of their rivalry, Pixar and DreamWorks have released numerous animated films that became blockbuster successes. Pixar and DreamWorks alike don't just cater to children, but release films that even adults can enjoy currently. Some DreamWorks films involve childhood nostalgia in adult viewers, and the jokes featured are better appreciated once understandable.
10 The Prince Of Egypt Has A Celebrated Soundtrack
The Prince Of Egypt was the second film released by DreamWorks Animation, merely two months after their first film Antz. The film is an adaptation of the Book of Exodus, which centers around the life of Moses, a prince who led the Jews out of Egypt.
Hans Zimmer, known for his pieces for the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise, composed The Prince Of Egypt's celebrated musical score. Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey even performed versions of the film's single When You Believe. When The Prince Of Egypt released, its excellent performance at the box office made it the most successful animated feature produced by a studio other than Disney. A prequel titled Joseph: King Of Dreams was released in 2000, and also a Broadway adaptation in 2020.
9 The Road To El Dorado Received Mixed Reviews
The Road To El Dorado was the third feature film released by DreamWorks in March 2000. Hans Zimmer returned to compose The Road To El Dorado's musical score, along with songs by Elton John and Tim Rice. It begins in Spain during the 1500s, with fraudsters Miguel and Tulio, played by Kenneth Branagh and Kevin Kline respectively, winning a map in a dice game that allegedly leads to El Dorado, better known as the City of Gold.
The pair meets various obstacles on their journey to discover the city. The Road To El Dorado was initially a box office failure, but gained popularity in recent years.
8 Shrek Won First Ever Academy Award For Best Animated Feature
Shrek is one of the most quotable movies released by DreamWorks that any age could enjoy. The 2001 features a star-studded cast of Mike Myers playing everyone's favorite ogre, Shrek, and Eddie Murphy playing Shrek's hilarious sidekick, Donkey. A lesser known fact about Shrek is that Chris Farley was set to play Shrek and recorded almost all the dialogue before tragically passing away in 1997. Shrek made history by winning the first ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2002, and was largely a box office success.
7 Shrek 2 Is DreamWorks' Most Successful Film
Shrek brought in so many positive reviews that DreamWorks couldn't help but make several sequels. Shrek 2 was released in 2004, three years after the release of Shrek. It remains DreamWorks' most successful film to date, and held the record for the highest-grossing animated feature until the release of Toy Story 3 in 2010. The soundtrack is to thank for Shrek 2's tremendous success. Adults and children will appreciate the hysterical scene where the Fairy Godmother sings Bonnie Tyler's Holding Out For A Hero. Another iconic scene in Shrek 2 is Shrek and his friends storming the castle to save Fiona from Charming, and there is a giant-sized gingerbread man.
6 Shark Tale Is Based On The Godfather
Shark Tale was released by DreamWorks in 2004 and had the second most successful opening weekend for the animation studio behind Shrek 2. Shark Tale features Will Smith as a fish named Oscar, who gets himself in trouble with a great white shark named Donald, who is also a mob boss played by Robert De Niro.
Martin Scorsese also makes an appearance as a puffer-fish named Sykes. Shark Tale is actually loosely based on The Godfather, but faced mixed reviews from critics for its Italian-American stereotypes.
5 The Original Madagascar Film Caused Several Sequels And Spin-Offs
Madagascar is a 2005 film set in the Central Park Zoo that follows the life of Alex the Lion and his best friend, Marty the Zebra. Madagascar features big-name celebrities in voice acting roles like Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer and more. Alex and his fellow zoo animal friends team up with penguins for an escape plan, and end up at Grand Central Station. The animals are tranquilized and sent to a Kenyan wildlife preserve, but the plan goes awry as the penguins take over the ship. The penguins want to go to Antarctica, but Alex and his friends end up washing ashore in Madagascar.
4 Flushed Away Is A Lesser Known DreamWorks Film
Flushed Away is a lesser known DreamWorks film co-produced with Aardman Animations. Flushed Away is set in upper-class London and follows the life of spoiled pet mouse, Roddy St. James. Hugh Jackman voices Roddy and Kate Winslet voices Roddy's love interest, a sewer rat named Rita Malone. Roddy winds up in the sewer after being flushed down the toilet by another sewer rat named Sid. Roddy encounters Ratropolis in the drain, which closely resembles London, but must find a way to return to his home in Kensington.
3 Bee Movie Has An Unbelievable Storyline
Bee Movie is a 2007 film that features Jerry Seinfeld as the bee protagonist, Barry B. Benson. Bee Movie is another one of DreamWorks' most referenced films that gained quite the cult following years after its release. This is partly because of the Bee Movie's unimaginable plot elements, like a human and a bee falling in love. Barry starts a friendship with a human named Vanessa, whose boyfriend is jealous of her spending time with Barry. Vanessa breaks up with her boyfriend when he tries to kill Barry in a fit of rage. What a turn of events Bee Movie features.
2 There Is Still A Possibility For Kung Fu Panda 4
Kung Fu Panda is a franchise started by DreamWorks, with its first film releasing in 2008. Two more films followed in 2011 and 2016 and two spin-off series that have also earned largely positive reviews and several Emmy awards.
Kung Fu Panda stars Jack Black as the lazy-turned-martial-artist panda named Po. Kung Fu Panda also features other dominant names in the industry, like Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Angelina Jolie, and more. Kung Fu Panda made history by achieving the second biggest worldwide box office success for a film directed entirely by a woman, Jennifer Yuh Nelson. Wonder Woman holds the first position for that accomplishment.
1 Megamind Is One Of DreamWorks' Lowest-Grossing Films
Megamind released in 2010 and remains one of DreamWorks' lowest-grossing films to date. Will Ferrell voices the villainous protagonist, Megamind, while Brad Pitt voices his superhero nemesis, Metro Man. Many of Metro Man's powers are based on Superman's powers like flight and super strength. Will Ferrell wasn't the only celebrity considered for the lead role of Megamind. Ben Stiller was asked to voice the super villain, but turned it down and produced Megamind instead. Although, Stiller does make a cameo as museum worker Bernard.