Don’t you love animated movies? They’re the best, aren’t they? One of my favourite companies that make animated movies is DreamWorks. If you don’t know, DreamWorks is a silly little company that makes silly little animated movies. And let me tell you, they have some movies that are straight GAS. There’s so many great movies that they’ve made that almost anyone can enjoy. Are all their movies bangers? No…but the ones that are great are phenomenal. There’s so many great DreamWorks movies we could talk about but we only have so much time here. So why don’t we discuss what the top three best DreamWorks animated movies are? If you haven’t seen these movies then you for sure have to.
Before we get into it, I do want to disclose that I have not seen every DreamWorks movie so there may be some omissions from this list due to the fact that I haven’t seen certain movies. For example, I know a lot of people rate The Prince Of Egypt very highly but this is a movie I haven’t seen. The same thing goes for the new Puss In Boots movie (which I have to get to soon). With that being said, let’s get into the list.
3. How To Train Your Dragon
How To Train Your Dragon is a movie I haven’t seen a ton and one I haven’t seen in quite some time. I’m definitely due for a re-watch of this movie because my goodness is this movie great! It’s one of those movies you can watch with anyone and have a great time watching. The story revolves around a teenager named Hiccup who is a bit of an outcast from the rest of his peers. His goal is to prove himself as a true Viking but he can’t seem to fit in. He attends a dragon fighting school and ends up befriending an injured dragon named Toothless which then begins the hero’s journey of this movie.
This movie has a pretty stereotypical underdog story too it but it has such a unique plot that it holds up very well and makes for a fantastic watch. The humour is done well most of the time and the jokes don’t feel out of place which can sometimes happen in animated movies.
One of the things that this music does so well is the soundtrack. The music in this movie just fits so well and sounds incredible which just further enhances the movie experience. There’s a magic to this movie that you don’t often see with DreamWorks but in this case, they did a fantastic job.
If you haven’t seen How To Train Your Dragon then this is a must-see movie to see with your loved ones as you will have a joy watching it and it will absolutely warm your heart.
2. Kung Fu Panda
If you haven’t seen Kung Fu Panda then it’s a must-see movie. It’s a movie that has aged incredibly well and is such a joy to watch with anyone. This movie is a classic underdog story but it’s told in a way that’s unique and interesting.
Kung Fu Panda is a movie about a panda named Po who is searching for a purpose in his life as all he does is work at his father’s noodle shop but he wants to become great. The village is about to crown the Dragon Warrior who is supposed to be the most powerful fighter in the village. When the selection is about to be for one of the Furious Five to be the Dragon Warrior, an “accident” happens where Po ends up being in the selection and Master Oogway ends up pointing to Po and naming him the Dragon Warrior.
The story goes on to tell a story about Po trying to fit in with the rest of the Furious Five as a true fighter but he just can’t keep up. But Po ends up finding a way to become a great fighter by using unconventional methods that work for him. He ends up being one of the best fighters for simply being himself and thus completes his hero’s journey.
This movie has a great story but the fight scenes are so incredibly well done. The pacing is fast but done well enough for the audience to be able to keep up with. They have some of the most unique fight scenes in awesome locations. The fight scene at the bridge with the Furious Five and Tai Lung. This scene is so well-animated and such a joy to watch.
This movie will make you feel good and teach you some lessons you may have already known but teach them in a way that captures your heart. Watch this movie right now!
1. Shrek 2
This is the greatest sequel of all time. Fight me about it because it’s not even close. Shrek 2 does an incredible job of building on the first movies. The first movie was based in this kingdom area where it was mostly in the wilderness I guess you could call it. However, Shrek 2 turns the dial up to a thousand as the setting for this movie is Far Far Away which is basically just a parody of Hollywood. The first few shots of Far Far Away are of real-life stores that have been converted into jokes for this setting. Starbucks is Farbucks, Abercrombie and Fitch is Evercrumbly & Witch, and Versace is Versarchery. It’s little things like this in this movie that will give you a chuckle and they’re nice editions.
The story for this movie is about Shrek trying to fit in with Fiona’s family. Fiona comes from royalty and Shrek is an ogre who lives in a swamp so he doesn’t exactly fit the mould of what Fiona’s parents thought would be her prince charming. It’s kind of like wearing dress shoes to a farm. It’s not necessarily a bad idea but it’s just odd. And for Shrek, he is very much an outsider in this town. So Shrek then goes on his journey of finding a potion that will give him his happily ever after with Fiona. Throughout this movie, Shrek has to deal with the main antagonist which is the Fairy God Mother who is in my opinion the best villain in any animated movie. She has an interesting motive of wanting her son to be the prince and getting Shrek out of the way to make the happen. It all culminates in a very interesting rivalry between Shrek and the Fairy God Mother.
But here’s the thing; I haven’t even mentioned the best part of the movie. The Holding Out For A Hero scene is the greatest animated scene of all time. The action, the tension, and the stakes could not be higher and this scene is just so so good. If there is any reason to watch this movie, this scene alone should encourage you to watch it.
The giant gingerbread man trying to open the castle doors, Shrek and Donkey fighting their way into the castle, Fiona trying to delay time without even really knowing why, and the singing from Jennifer Saunders is maybe even better than the original version of Holding Out For A Hero.
You don’t necessarily need to watch Shrek 1 to understand Shrek 2 (although it could help for some context) so if you haven’t already watched this movie then you absolutely have to. And if you have, watch it again because it’s that damn good.
DreamWorks is very hit or miss but when they hit, they HIT. Why are you still reading this article? Go watch these movies now!