Animated Movies

DreamWorks is among the top Hollywood Studios whose name is associated with animation films. The Studio has delivered some of animation film classics and some not so much of classics as well; all in all, DreamWorks is slowly edging towards becoming one of the top animation studios in the world.

‘The Prince of Egypt’ released in 1998 took the animation world completely by storm and being the first feature animated film by DreamWorks, it was quite a success. Dealing with a complete biblical theme with deaths and murders, this film was surely not made for a kiddy audience and the success it received proved that the audience appreciated this unusual animated flick just as much.

‘The Road to El Dorado’ is one of the first animation feature films that DreamWorks came up with, and in an era where most animation films were by Disney and dealt with either cute animals or other magical creatures, films such as DreamWorks ‘The Prince of Egypt’ and ‘The Road to El Dorado’ dealt with a more adult theme. The story is not as interesting as one would have wanted it to be, but with a curios theme for the time the film was released and some great visual effects, the film wasn’t all that bad.

‘Shrek’ and can there be a better word to describe the success that DreamWorks has experienced. The story about an ugly green ogre and his funny friends captivated millions around the world to the extent of winning an Academy Award and the film completely deserved it. From its great detailed animation to its brilliant script, the film had something for an audience of all age groups. Shrek is the film that has achieved maximum success till date for DreamWorks and is also one of the best animated features of the present day.

‘Shrek 2’ was released not too long after its first one, but surely was as much of a success if not more. The film according to most critics is nothing close to the greatness achieved by Shrek itself but who cannot help but laugh at the boorish ogre and his friends who have become some of the most memorable animated characters in the modern day. It surely is a great laugh although the story line of this one is not quite as clever as the first one but you are guaranteed to enjoy the film just as you did with the first one.

‘Shrek 3’ was released in 2007, six years since the release of the first Shrek of the series. This film most critics claim has drifted and has won whatever popular acclaim because of the Shrek tag that it already has and nothing else much. The film did make some money but obviously nothing near as much of money they had grossed with the first or even the second film. The story is more about parents and although it is a film for children, kids might completely miss the point if they are not paying too much attention.

‘Madagascar’ which was released after the great instant success of Shrek was just as much a hit as any other great Disney or Pixar movie for DreamWorks. The film focused on being very funny and witty rather than purely sentimental as are most Disney and Pixar films and that is perhaps what sets these films apart. A film about animals, the story is very simple and cliché but it is hard to stop yourself from rolling on the floor with laughter once you have started with the film. However according to most critics, it is the screenwriters who should receive most credit for the success of the film.

‘Madagascar: Escape to Africa’ was released in 2008, three years after the first one was released, hoping that Alex the popular Lion and his whacky friends would be able to steal the cake yet again, and they partly achieved in doing so. This one is about how the plane full of animals with Alex crash lands in Africa instead of taking them to New York. With some really witty dialogues and a not so engaging plot, the film manages to drift through although the same fun atmosphere has become one of the characteristic trademarks of DreamWorks creations.

'Flushed Away’ released in 2006 was like a good vacation break for DreamWorks. After the success of Shrek and Madagascar they perhaps deserved a break after all that success and they came up with this film which was a complete Box Office flop the moment it was released.  A film about sewer rats and with Hollywood hotshots Kate Winslet and Hugh Jackman behind the scenes, the film actually did decently well with the worldwide audience though it did not procure just as much with the American or British audience as such.

‘Kung Fu Panda’ is surely one big star studded film with such Hollywood biggies such as Jack Black, Angelina Jolie and Dustin Hoffman lending their voices. The film is surely cute about a Panda and is very much a “Family Film” but has a sense of humor that would be appreciated by an adult even if they watched the film alone. Also, the animation used in the film is a great achievement especially with the beautiful artistic backgrounds of mountains and the scenery. It may not be a Shrek or a Madagascar but Kung Fu Panda has found its own niche.

‘Monsters vs. Aliens’ will perhaps be best remembered for its great visual effects that it achieved with its grand use of 3D animation. The film itself is mediocre specially with such brilliant animated creations such as Toy Story by Pixar or even Shrek by DreamWorks itself. The plot itself is rather Science Fiction B films of the 1950’s and the wit is hardly there. The storyline and the sentimental effect that DreamWorks was probably reaching for in their competition against Pixar was probably not achieved, but if you watch the film in 3D, it would be worth a watch.