Antz was DreamWorks' first animated film, released on October 1998. With over 40 animated films since, DreamWorks has proven that Disney and Pixar aren’t the only companies making great animated movies. Its latest film is Puss in Boots: The Last Wish which stars the fan-favorite first seen in Shrek 2.
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Antz was released only two months before Pixar’s A Bug’s Life and thus began the comparison between the two companies and their films. With so many great movies to choose from, the closer a movie is to the top, the smaller the margin is between films.
10Madagascar
Madagascar follows Alex the lion, voiced by Ben Stiller, who is a huge attraction in the Central Park Zoo in New York. He and his friends have no idea what it’s like to live in the wild until they find themselves stranded in Madagascar. They have to adapt to real jungle life quickly in order to survive.
While this movie has generated sequels and spinoffs, the first film itself doesn’t carry as much weight as other movies on this list. Enjoyable and interesting, yes, but other films have long-lasting messages that stick with you and more memorable characters.
9Rise Of The Guardians
Unbeknownst to humans, there are Immortal Guardians that work together to protect children’s innocence all around the world. The main character Jack Frost, voiced by Chris Pine, is recruited to help the existing team battle against Pitch Black, voiced by Jude Law. Pitch is threatening to take over the world, and the Guardians must step in to stop him.
Rise of the Guardians is a very underrated movie. It has a strong cast, beautiful graphics, a great soundtrack, and deep messages that remind the audience to protect their dreams and fun, youthful side.
Gratuity “Tip” Tucci, voiced by Rihanna, finds herself enlisting the help of an alien named Oh, voiced by Jim Parsons, to find her mom when Oh and his fellow Boovs come to Earth. They are running away from an enemy alien race, and Oh is running from his fellow aliens. Tip’s search brings them close to the other Boovs while Oh desperately tries to stay away.
This film is filled with laughs and an awesome soundtrack that accompanies a whirlwind story. Tip displays the strong determination of the human spirit, and the movie’s central message remindes us to take a closer look at the world around us.
Two friends and con men find a map that leads to El Dorado, the Lost City of Gold, and stow away on a Spanish ship to try and find it. Tulio, voiced by Kevin Kline, and Miguel, voiced by Kenneth Branagh, do find the city and are proclaimed gods by the priest who is trying to take control of the city.
Loyalty, friendship, and bravery are tested while funny shenanigans and a mini vacation ensue. This underrated film is as historically and culturally important as an animated children’s movie can be.
6The Croods
This film goes back in time to the cavemen’s days and follows the Croods, a family of Neanderthals that survive by hiding in a cave. When Eep, voiced by Emma Stone, meets Guy, voiced by Ryan Reynolds, her desire to explore the world outside the family cave becomes irresistable.
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The movie is filled with laugh-out-loud, heart-warming, and action-filled moments and reminds the audience that simply surviving is not the same thing as living — that staying safe may not be the best thing for you, and taking chances could change your life for the better.
5How To Train Your Dragon
Hiccup, voiced by Jay Baruchel, is a Viking teen who exists in a world where dragons are real and feared. In an effort to prove he belongs, Hiccup shoots down a Night Fury dragon and goes in search of its body. Too injured to fly away, the dragon is wary of Hiccup at first before they become fast friends. Hiccup names the dragon Toothless.
A story about a human becoming friends with an animal is a story all pet owners can relate to. With surprising depth, a strong opening weekend box office, and dragons, this movie manages a favorable score. This movie has two sequels and a number of short films, cementing this as a property with plenty of fuel left in the tank.
Megamind, voiced by Will Ferrell, and his arch nemesis Metro Man, voiced by Brad Pitt, are both aliens sent to Earth whose home planets are sucked into a black hole. After many failed battles, Megamind finally bests Metro Man only to be confronted with the question: what does he do with his life now?
Though a comedic children’s movie, Megmind subverts familiar tropes, presents a psychological debate of nature vs. nurture, and shows a character that needs to find his identity once his main goal in life has been achieved. It also has a pretty great soundtrack to go along this unique story and character.
3Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron
Spirit, voiced by Matt Damon in narration and Bryan Adams through song, is a mustang stallion that lives wild and free in the American west in the 1800s. He encounters wranglers who take him away from his herd and bring him to a US cavalry fort. Here, he meets and eventually befriends a Lakota Native American who helps free him from the fort to make his way back home.
Inspired by a real horse named Donner, this story gives a watered-down glimpse of life before Native Americans and wild Mustangs were hunted down by the US cavalry. This movie has had a real-world impact by helping spread awareness of the fight to help wild horses keep their natural habitat and freedom.
2Kung Fu Panda
This film stars Po, voiced by Jack Black, a food loving and clumsy panda who dreams of one day becoming a kung fu master. To his, and everyone’s, surprise, Po is chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy and stop Tai Lung from laying waste to the valley. Master Shifu, voiced by Dustin Hoffman, is reluctant at first before being won over by Po’s determination and surprising natural skill.
Kung Fu Panda grossed $60.2 million at the box office on its opening weekend, making it DreamWorks' biggest non-sequel opening. It has led to two fantastic sequels (with a fourth movie on the way), a TV series, and even a number of video games. Though this movie is incredible and timeless, the next franchise packs a slightly bigger punch.
Shrek, voiced by Mike Myers, is an ogre who spends his days enjoying his solitude in his swamp until fairytale creatures are dumped on his land by Lord Farquaad, voiced by John Lithgow. Shrek agrees to rescue Princess Fiona so Lord Farquaad can marry her in exchange for moving all fairytale creatures off his land.
Shrek won the first-ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, beating Monsters, Inc. It has three sequels, two holiday special short films, and two spinoff movies starring the fan-favorite Puss in Boots. It also has video game adaptations, a comic book adaptation, and even a musical. Clearly, the love fans have for this franchise is still going strong, and its earned its place as one of the greatest of all time.
