For some people out there, Dreamworks Animation will always be second-fiddle to studios like
Disney and Pixar. After all, Disney films have been around since the late 1930s.
They have been regarded as some of the greatest and most influential animated films of all time.
Dreamworks just can’t compete! ...Right? Well, while Disney may have them beat in quantity,
they may not always have them beat in quality. In fact, there are several things that Dreamworks
does better than Disney, and we felt that these elements deserved to be spotlighted.
I’m Brad from WickedBinge, and this is What Dreamworks Does Better Than Disney.
Let’s start with an easy answer, that being its sequels. Simply put, Dreamworks has better sequels
than Disney. Even if we exclude the Direct-to-DVD sequels, Disney still hasn’t had the best record
for theatrical sequels. Although “The Rescuers Down Under” is considered far superior to the
first Rescuers movie, many still think it is one of the weakest films from the Disney Renaissance.
Many also consider “Ralph Breaks the Internet” an inferior sequel that will likely get dated
in only a couple of years. As for “Frozen 2”, while it was certainly a financial success,
it has still received criticism regarding its story, characters, and climax.
But Dreamworks? They’ve had numerous successful sequels and franchises almost from the very
beginning. In fact, many consider “Shrek 2” to be one of the best sequels of all
time and a great movie in general. It expands the fairy tale world, adds excellent new characters
that have since become fan-favorites, and strengthens the relationship between Shrek
and Fiona. Although “Shrek the Third” may have faltered for some, “Shrek Forever After” has
also seen a resurgence in popularity lately due to how emotionally satisfying it is as a finale. Then
you have the Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon trilogies. Both have sequels that build on
the previous movies and continue to develop the characters and their worlds. With the former,
we were able to get the themes of Body, Mind, and Spirit as we watched Po become a true master.
As for How to Train Your Dragon, we got to see Hiccup grow into a strong chief,
learn from his mistakes, and see the connection between him and Toothless grow with each film.
While we know sequels are mostly made with the bottom line in mind,
they don’t really feel like cash grabs when you watch the previously mentioned films because
the stories are so well-developed and add so much. Even sequels to films like “Madagascar”,
“Trolls” and “The Croods'' still manage to add something worthwhile or interesting. In
the case of the Madagascar trilogy especially, the movies are certainly entertaining in their
own right. Really, just the fact that Dreamworks has managed to create several
successful franchises without having any unifying brands like Disney does is very impressive.
Moving onto the elements of most Dreamworks movies, we have to
say that a lot of them have more relatable protagonists than Disney. When you think of Disney
protagonists, you’re likely to think of either a strong hero, a kind princess, or a cute talking
animal. Nothing wrong with those protagonists, and you can certainly find ways to relate to them.
Still, most Disney protagonists tend to fit into those certain archetypes that some may
find a bit boring or played out. But Dreamworks will often think more outside of the box - and not
just in terms of character designs, but also the backstories, personalities, arcs, and desires of
these characters. This is also something that was seen from the studio since the beginning.
Shrek, for example, was an outcast that, while satisfied with being alone, was still lonely
and secretly hurt that everyone just saw him as a monster. He had to not only learn to open up
but to see himself as someone who COULD be a hero, even if he didn’t look like one. Po was a kung fu
fanboy, but struggled with feelings of self-worth and the desire to be more than just ‘a fat panda’,
only to figure out that he could still do the things he wanted to do without changing himself.
He found value in his own way of fighting and doing things.
Megamind was also someone who struggled with both social and personal perspectives,
deciding to take up the role that he was pushed into before eventually deciding to
better himself and see himself beyond the title of ‘villain.’ Yeah, these Dreamworks
films can get pretty deep. There are some strong female protagonists in the
Dreamworks catalogue too. From Ginormica to Princess Fiona, to Ginger, and many others.
What makes it so easy to relate to Dreamworks protagonists is, ironically enough, because they
don’t seem like typical heroes and heroines. They’re scrawny, and dorky, and goofy,
and weird! And that’s why we love them! Because they remind us so much of ourselves and the
struggles that we may face. We like the idea of an underdog being able to rise up and prove
themselves - not just because of their role or title, but because that’s what they want to do.
What’s more, many of their personal struggles are stuff that we can ALL relate to.
We can relate to Shrek, Po, and Megamind’s struggles with self-worth
and rising up against their societal stereotypes. We can relate to Ginormica
dealing with a partner who doesn’t respect us and finding our own inner strength to be independent.
We can relate to Hiccup wanting to earn the respect of his father and village. We understand
Mr. Peabody’s need to be a protective father. Or, we just totally get Ginger’s desire for freedom.
Now, obviously, not every Dreamworks protagonist is going to be easy to form a connection to.
It’s difficult, especially if it’s someone like Oscar from “Shark Tale” or Oh from “Home,” who
may be seen as just annoying or a total jerk. But for the most part, the personalities,
goals, and struggles of many Dreamworks protagonists stick with audiences of all ages.
Another fun quality in Dreamworks movies is simply the variety found
in the stories that the studio likes to tell.
Granted, this variety can make for some strange concepts, but
that’s the fun in it! You never quite know what you’re going to get with Dreamworks. This can
range from unique characters to a unique setting, to an absolutely bonkers concept.
I mean, where else are you going to get a story about a bee trying to sue the human
race for stealing honey? Or babies running a secret business operation? Or a snail-racing
movie or chickens trying to escape from their farm like it was a prison break? How about a
parody of fairy tales or a loving tribute to kung fu action films? Time travel movies,
sci-fi movies, a movie where childhood myths form a superhero team - it just goes on! And
maybe Dreamworks isn’t the only one to tell a story from the villain’s perspective. However,
they still do it in a completely different way from Illumination’s “Despicable Me.”
Now, these concepts may not always work - some may find them entertaining while
others may just roll their eyes at them or think they’re TOO weird. But, in our opinion,
you have to at least respect them a little for trying. It isn’t always easy to try something
out of the box, and in some cases, it can even backfire. Still, in a lot of instances,
Dreamworks tends to hit more than it misses. And, at the very least, many of
their stranger films at very least have good meme material in them, which is always fun.
While you may find similar story beats or jokes in quite a few Dreamworks films, no two films in
their catalogue are exactly the same. Like we said earlier, there’s no genuine ‘brand’ that
Dreamworks has that they can sort of rally around, like Disney with their princess movies or animal
movies. They may have their franchises, sure, but that’s only a small handful of films. A majority
of Dreamworks films are either an original idea or a film based on a book. Still, they
have a ‘Dreamworks-twist’ to it, like “Boss Baby”, “Rise of the Guardians” or “Captain Underpants.”
We should also briefly mention the art style of Dreamworks Animation. While yes, most of their
films are simply CGI, with a small handful of their early films being 2-D and a couple
being claymation, there’s still often a unique style to be found in a lot of Dreamworks films.
They show a lot of stylization in terms of character designs. Sometimes this goes great,
like with the uniquely geometric “Madagascar” designs or the hand-crafted look of “Trolls”,
aaaand sometimes it’s not so great like with the fish in “Shark Tale.”
Several films have also used 2-D sequences to mix things up and emphasize particular moments,
like stories being told or dream sequences. You even have stuff like “Kung Fu Panda 2” and
“Captain Underpants” that actually had sequences using Chinese shadow puppets and sock puppets.
All of these elements combined do the job of helping Dreamworks Animation stand out
against its contemporaries. Simply put, we love Dreamworks for how
different it can be in its stories and presentation when compared to Disney.
Intertwined with its variety is the studio’s willingness to take more risks
with its movies. Fun fact: one of the first films Dreamworks ever made was “The Prince of Egypt”,
the story of Moses trying to free his people from slavery. This was an idea that Jeffery Katzenberg
frequently tried pitching to Disney back when he still worked there. However, whether it was due to
the fear of possible backlash for creating such a religious movie or the idea that a religious movie
wouldn’t make much money at the box office, Disney rejected every one of these pitches.
Once Dreamworks was formed, Katzenberg put his passion project into production. “The Prince
of Egypt” ended up being a huge commercial success, with many considering it one of the
best-animated films of all time. After that, the studio continued taking risks - from teaming up
with a then-relatively unknown film studio called Aardman to creating one of the first
CGI movies with “Shrek.” At the time, there was nothing out there quite like Dreamworks, and this
is still true even today. In comparison to other CG-animated studios like Pixar and Illumination,
there’s still a particular flavor that Dreamworks brings that allows it to stand out.
This ‘flavor’ is primarily due to the studio’s willingness to take risks
and produce the ideas that other studios may turn down.
Dreamworks may seem pretty formulaic on the surface, with its tendency to use
pop culture references and feature wacky, kids movie-esque characters and stories.
However, I think we’ve established by this point that there’s much more to this studio
than meets the eye. Other studios like Disney will try to stick more to a formulaic approach
and either use familiar tropes and archetypes or subvert them in ways that have become just as
familiar as the original tropes themselves. On the other hand, Dreamworks simply takes more
risks with the stories it wants to tell and the characters that it wants to use.
Again, these risks may not always pay off. Not every new idea will be a successful one - and
that’s okay! Just trying something unconventional usually ends up with some pretty unique results.
For every “Shark Tale” or “Turbo”, there’s a “Kung Fu Panda” or “How to Train Your Dragon”.
We also know that almost every Dreamworks movie (even the less popular ones) still has
SOME fans. We can appreciate Dreamworks for always being willing to try something unique.
This tendency has led to the one-of-a-kind film repertoire that it holds today.
Onto our next point, we, of course, had to give a shout-out to the studio’s focus in action and
how its action is often much better than Disney’s. Now, Disney only started really including action
set-pieces in its films in the 2010s with films like “Big Hero Six.” But Dreamworks? Dreamworks
has had a focus on action since the beginning. I mean, who could forget the scene in the first
Shrek movie where Shrek took out an entire group of knights in a wrestling match-style
fashion with Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation” blaring in the background? So awesome.
Naturally, this quality in its films has only grown over time. Sometimes you’ll get
the slapstick and the more cartoon-y action, as seen in stuff like “Madagascar” or “Captain
Underpants.” You’re able to appreciate it for it’s awesomeness as well as it’s humor and timing.
Then you’ll get an action that’s more of a spectacle, like the Dragon fights in the
“How to Train Your Dragon” series, the climactic battles in “Rise of the Guardians,” or the final
showdown between Megamind and Tighten. Watching these sequences is entertaining, sure, but
you’re also on the edge of your seat and can really feel the impact of each hit or punch.
But we all know that the Dreamworks’ best action scenes are found in the “Kung Fu Panda” trilogy.
These films manage to balance comedic and serious action PERFECTLY. All of which is
expertly choreographed, making for an epic moment after epic moment. Master Shifu’s
battle with Tai Lung is as impressive as it is heartbreaking. At the same time, all of Po’s
battles manage to be incredibly entertaining while also being crafted in a way that makes his
wins believable. And then you have the bridge fight between Tai Lung and the Furious Five,
which is often regarded as one of the best fight scenes ever created in a CG movie.
All in all, Dreamworks know their action scenes. They know how to properly choreograph them and
how to apply them in a story, whether that’s to add some drama or add in a few laughs.
Finally, we come to what may be our most divisive point, but one that we see as
a net-positive in Dreamworks’ favor: Dreamworks films have better jokes than
Disney’s. We know that not everyone may agree with us on this point, but please bear with us.
For starters, Disney has never really been known for its comedy. That’s not to say their
films are lacking any humor - they will have jokes and usually a silly sidekick or two,
like the Genie or the Notre Dame Gargoyles. However,
comedy is not really what Disney is best known for. They’re more known for their musical numbers,
sense of ~magic~, and killing off the main characters’ parents. The only time they tried to
do a pure comedy film was with “The Emperor’s New Groove” which, while liked by many, was seen as a
commercial failure in the box office. Really, it’s only been in the last ten years or so that Disney
has tried to be funnier with its films while still keeping a focus on the usual Disney tropes.
But much like having a sense of action and a cast of unique yet relatable characters,
comedy has been part of Dreamworks’ bread and butter for years. Unfortunately,
the stereotype these days is that Dreamworks’ humor only amounts to pop culture references
and gross-out jokes. We argue that this is an unfair generalization. For one thing, even
if quite a few of their movies do feature these jokes, it’s unfair to label them all as ‘bad’,
especially when they’re what made films like “Shrek” so popular in the first place.
It doesn’t matter what kind of joke it is - if it’s done well, it can still be funny to kids
and adults alike. There’s a reason why people can still find films like “Shrek”, “Madagascar” and
“Over the Hedge” just as funny as they did when they were children. Additionally, many praised
“Captain Underpants” for its use of potty humor. We say this in a sense that it was able to capture
the feel of the original Captain Underpants books perfectly, along with just providing
hilarious jokes in general. We’re pretty sure that Disney wouldn’t have been able to pull that off.
Additionally, there are many other styles of jokes that Dreamworks uses.
We’ve already mentioned their familiarity with slapstick. There are also plenty of dialogue and
situational jokes that Dreamworks has also used in the past. A film like “Mr. Peabody and Sherman”
was even able to make historical references and jokes funny. They even make an Oedipus
joke while the characters were in Greece, which we’re sure got a chuckle out of a few people.
Thanks to the Internet and memes, Dreamworks has also sort of built up a reputation of
having strange, wacky, and often nonsensical humor that still manages to be done well.
It can be hard to explain why exactly some of the jokes in “Bee Movie” work,
but some of them just hit the right spot where it is absolutely ridiculous and hilarious. As
a result, these jokes and quotes tend to stick in people’s minds, thus being all the more memorable.
Of course, all of this is subjective. You may not agree with our reasons, and that’s okay. Whether
or not you consider Dreamworks to be the best animation studio out there, you can’t deny that
the studio has done some pretty amazing things and has a lot to offer. From the fun animation
to the action and epic moments, to the lovable characters, to the stories that we’ll never
forget, there’s just a ton to enjoy. Dreamworks may have started out to try and compete with
Disney, but it has since become a studio that can proudly stand all on its own.
But what do you think of our reasons? Do you agree with them? Let us know in the comments
what you think Dreamworks does better than Disney. Be sure to hit that notification bell,
and take a look at some of our playlists. But most importantly: stay wicked.