DreamWorks was founded in 1994 and since then it’s produced some of the best animated movies ever made. When you see that logo of the kid on the moon, you know you’re in for something special.
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Sure, DreamWorks isn’t the same sort of all-consuming entertainment juggernaut that Disney is, but the quality of their films is just as good. You could say of course that they’re just for kids … but really they’re for kids of all ages. And here are the ten best.
10. Monsters vs. Aliens (2009)
Monsters vs. Aliens took a fun premise—what if monsters were assigned to protect the world from aliens?—and then added a plucky heroine in the form of Susan Murphy, a woman who’s struck by a meteor on her wedding day and turned into a giant.
The film is a winner for many reasons, but perhaps the best thing about it is Susan’s journey. She starts off the movie being about to marry a total jerk who won’t give her what she wants, and then evolves into a person who doesn’t need a man or anyone else to validate her. It also has a fantastic voice cast and it’s incredibly funny!
9. How To Train Your Dragon (2010)
This movie was so successful that it spawned a whole franchise (there’s even a live-action version coming up sometime in the future) but plenty believe that the original is still the best. It tells the story of Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), a young Viking who just isn’t as, well, Viking-ish as any of his peers … until he encounters a dragon, which are supposed to be sworn enemies of humans.
The relationship between Hiccup and his dragon Toothless makes this movie a must-see for anyone who loves their big, difficult pets. Audiences responded to it with nothing but positivity, making it the tenth highest-grossing movie of the year.
8. Chicken Run (2000)
No movie will ever make you feel worse about eating chicken pies. Ginger (Julia Sawalha) is a chicken living in defiant despair on a chicken farm … but then along comes Rocky (Mel Gibson) and she begins to believe that he’s the key to freeing her and all her friends.
Aardman Animations are absolute masters of claymation and Chicken Run is a fantastic display of their talents. It’s still the highest-grossing stop-motion animation ever made.
7. Shrek 2 (2004)
The second entry in the mega-franchise that is Shrek. In this film, Shrek (Mike Myers) and his new wife Fiona (Cameron Diaz) travel to the land of Far, Far Away to meet Fiona’s parents, but all doesn’t go well when they get there. Meanwhile, the Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) is plotting to split Shrek and Fiona up.
This movie gave us the character of Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) and he was (rightfully) so popular that he got his own spin-off movies. But more on that in a minute!
6. Megamind (2010)
Megamind spawned hundreds of memes, but that’s not the reason it’s so great. It’s all about a blue-hued supervillain called Megamind (Will Ferrell) who accidentally kills off his rival superhero, Metro Man (Brad Pitt), and has to face the consequences of that.
The film still has a huge following, but unfortunately attempts to turn it into a franchise have failed worse than one of Megamind’s schemes. Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate came out in 2024, a straight-to-streaming release, and it was a disaster.
5. Kung Fu Panda (2008)
What if … a giant panda could do kung fu? And was played by Jack Black? Such is the winning formula of Kung Fu Panda, another Dreamworks movie that was wildy popular and created a vast franchise.
Black is incredibly charming as Po the panda, the animation is lovely, and the film has a spectacular cast. Dustin Hoffman, Lucy Liu, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan and more play important roles. China (home of the giant panda) loves the movie and if you were a child in the ’00s you probably do too.
4. Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
Aardman put on another fantastic claymation show with this movie, the first feature-length animation for the iconic duo of inventor Wallace (Peter Sallis) and his non-speaking but incredibly communicative dog Gromit.
Wallace and Gromit go into business as pest controllers, safely removing and caring for the rabbits who threaten their small town’s giant vegetable contest. But then a giant Were-Rabbit begins gnawing the produce, and it turns out the monster is Wallace himself! It falls to Gromit, as usual, to save his hapless master.
3. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
The Last Wish is considered not only one of the best Dreamworks animations of the decade, but one of the best animations, period. It focuses on Puss’s quest for a Last Wish that will help him restore his lost lives, and the relationships he forms along the way. The visual style of the movie was inspired by Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse and it looks fantastic.
No one really expected the film to be as good as it was, considering that the first Puss in Boots movie didn’t make much of an impact. But now it’s become downright iconic. The film’s depiction of Death — a sinister wolf with dual sickles — was especially loved.
2. The Prince of Egypt (1998)
A towering achievement in animation, The Prince of Egypt tells the story of Moses from the Book of Exodus, detailing how he was raised as a prince and grew to be the prophet who led the Hebrews out of Egypt.
Christian, Muslim, and Jewish consultants all worked on the movie to ensure it was as respectful as possible to the original story. The result is a film filled with heart, soul, and beauty.
1. Shrek (2001)
Shrek came from humble beginnings—a children’s book by William Steig—to become a massive and beloved pop culture mainstay. But the first movie, the one that kickstarted it all, is arguably the best. Audiences loved its good-natured skewering of fairytales.
And there’s about to be even more Shrek! Shrek 5 is due out in 2026 and after that there will be a spinoff all about Shrek’s best friend, Donkey. If those films can recapture even half of the magic of the original, they’ll be successes for sure.