DreamWorks Animated Films, Ranked

Won the very first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2002 and redefined the studio with its irreverent fairy-tale satire. A genuine cultural phenomenon that still dominates memes decades later.

A sweeping, emotionally rich coming-of-age story with groundbreaking flight sequences and John Powell's Oscar-nominated score. Widely considered DreamWorks' artistic peak.

Gorgeous martial-arts choreography, a heartfelt underdog story, and Jack Black at his most charming. Launched one of DreamWorks' strongest franchises.

Bigger, funnier, and even more successful than the original, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2004. Puss in Boots' debut alone earns its place.

An ambitious, darker sequel that expands the world and delivers a gut-punch emotional turn. Won the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature.

A surprisingly poignant sequel with a compelling villain in Lord Shen and stunning 2D-animated flourishes in its storybook sequences. Earned an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature.

A gorgeous stylistic reinvention with a genuinely terrifying Death as its antagonist, earning an Oscar nomination and rave reviews. Proof DreamWorks can still innovate.

A visually stunning, reverent retelling of the Exodus with the Oscar-winning song 'When You Believe.' DreamWorks' first and most artistically ambitious traditionally-animated film.

A brisk, joke-dense zoo-animals-in-the-wild comedy that spawned a hugely popular franchise and the meme-immortal 'I Like to Move It.' Broad but reliably fun.

A clever superhero-genre subversion with Will Ferrell voicing a lovable villain-turned-hero. Underrated on release and now a cult favorite.

A stylish, swashbuckling Shrek spinoff that gives Antonio Banderas' cat his own charming origin story, earning a Best Animated Feature Oscar nomination. Solid fun even if it lacks the depth of its sequel.

A warm, visually lush conclusion to Po's arc with the spirit realm and family themes front and center. Good, if the least essential of the trilogy.

A candy-colored jukebox musical carried by 'Can't Stop the Feeling!' and Anna Kendrick's charm. Aggressively cheerful and a merchandising juggernaut.

DreamWorks' first CGI feature, a wittier-than-expected adult comedy with Woody Allen voicing a neurotic worker ant. Released weeks before Pixar's same-year A Bug's Life, which overshadowed it.

A frantic, colorful circus caper that's the most manic of the trilogy. Fun in bursts but leans hard on chaos over story.

A loving throwback to 1950s B-movies with fun set pieces but thin characters. Enjoyable but forgettable compared to the studio's best.

A noticeable dip in the franchise, feeling tired and joke-recycled after two strong outings. Still watchable but the weakest of the core Shrek films.

Jerry Seinfeld's bizarre bee-sues-humanity premise is more famous as an internet meme than a good film. Strange, uneven, and unforgettable for the wrong reasons.

A shallow, celebrity-voice-stuffed knockoff riding the wave of the prior year's Finding Nemo, with garish design and dated pop-culture gags. Widely regarded as early-DreamWorks at its most cynical, despite a surprise Oscar nomination.

A low-energy 'It's a Wonderful Life' alternate-reality retread that marked a clear creative low for the franchise. A commercial success at over $750M worldwide, but proof the ogre's inspiration had run dry.

A racing-snail premise stretched thin, it underperformed badly and, alongside other misfires, helped trigger the 2015 DreamWorks layoffs and studio restructuring. One of the studio's costliest commercial stumbles.