DreamWorks has been one of the leading animation studios since 1998, with their most recent release Bee Movie.
Though several DreamWorks titles invoke a strong familiarity to many, some of the studio's newer films have not necessarily reached that same level of "iconic" quite yet. Rotten Tomatoes, of course, has published the official critical opinions on all of these movies and brought many of DreamWorks films from the last decade to the forefront of people's minds.
The Boss Baby: Family Business (2021) - 46%
The Boss Baby and the third installment in the franchise after the Netflix original series, Boss Baby: Back in Business. The sequel has been just a step behind its predecessor in of ratings and overall approval.
The movie has, in keeping up with what appears to be DreamWorks tradition, largely become an online sensation as people have turned the characters into memes and online jokes. Additionally, and despite its low ratings across the board, the entire franchise is a huge hit with its much younger target audience.
Spirit Untamed (2021) - 49%
A sequel to the 20-year-old traditionally animated movie Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, Spirit Untamed received underwhelming responses from critics after its theatrical release turned out to be a box-office disaster. The movie was developed and created mostly remotely throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and the slow reopening of theaters is considered by some to be a part of Spirit Untamed's disappointing performance.
Despite the very low critic score and several opinions that it was an unnecessary sequel inferior to the previous installment, the movie does currently have a 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and was enjoyed by both fans of the original and children new to the series alike.
Home (2015) - 52%
Starring pop star Rhianna and Home made big waves and a lot of hype prior to its release in 2015. The movie then proceeded to be heavily criticized for its wasted potential in the execution of its concept.
Home received overall mixed reviews, and a spinoff series received the same. As the plot followed the main characters' quests to find their family and be re-accepted in their homes, it exemplified a sweet moral about friendship and the search for feeling loved that did resonate with audiences but was generally criticized for existing as only a surface-level lesson with a soundtrack by Jennifer Lopez, and not much more.
The Boss Baby (2017) - 53%
Though the cast and crew of The Boss Baby may have all been DreamWorks veterans, the film (and the franchise as a whole) met to less than stellar reviews by a majority of adult audiences. Despite this, the movie managed to become one of the highest-grossing animated movies ever, which of course was the gateway to an extensive franchise that now includes both a sequel and two individual television series.
A second sequel to The Boss Baby is currently in the planning stages, with a majority of the star-studded cast expected to return. Though most do not appear to be very opinionated about the film, there is a decent group of individuals that are actively counting down the days to the next installment.
Turbo (2013) - 67%
The movie Turbo is the story of a snail who wants to race. After an accident that gives him the power of super speed, and with the help of his new snail friends, a few humans, and a new nickname, "Turbo" takes on the challenge to prove that he can win the Indy 500. While fun enough and involving a great voice cast, many expected more from the movie than they felt had been delivered and ultimately ended up disappointed by the simplicity of the story.
The cast featured names such as Samuel L. Jackson, Snoop Dogg, Ryan Reynolds, and Ben Schwartz, and did receive a spin-off despite its mixed reviews. However, there were hardly any role reprisals and the show is often thought to have taken on a life of its own, completely separated from the original movie.
Trolls World Tour (2020) - 71%
Trolls World Tour made headlines as the first major movie to be released direct-to-video-on-demand during the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. It broke records for digital releases and set a precedent for digital releases that would then go on to become the norm for several months and then some.
The sequel to the 2016 film was a big hit among its intended audience and introduced a new generation to some classic songs and the vocal stylings of names from Broadway star Anthony Ramos to rock legend Ozzy Osbourne. The film came in right behind its predecessor in of Rotten Tomatoes scores, and currently has a third movie in the works.
The Croods (2013) - 72%
An animated movie unlike anything before it, sequel film.
Initially announced in 2005 as a stop-motion animation film, the movie got delayed by the studio, the script was reworked, and the style shifted dramatically. Ultimately the film came out in 2013 as a CGI family comedy and was received relatively well. The movie drew a lot of attention, starring names such as Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone, and Nicolas Cage.
Penguins of Madagascar (2012) - 74%
Penguins of Madagascar, the last cinematic installment of the Madagascar franchise, is both a prequel origin story and the fourth consecutive film in the series. Received positively, for the most part, many felt that it did not compare to its sister television show, The Penguins of Madagascar, which ran on the Nickelodeon and Nicktoons networks from 2008-2015. Though the two had contradictory storylines, both were enjoyed by fans of the franchise in their own regard.
The film featured returning voice actors as well as a new group of star-studded cast . In the series' usual style, dialogue often felt like a barrage of jokes and featured many references and one-liners to appeal to the adults. Though it did do ultimately well, Penguins of Madagascar stands as the lowest ranked Madagascar film overall.
Trolls (2016) - 75%
Trolls managed to immediately work its way into the hearts of children all over the world after its release and was responsible for the addition of Justin Timberlake's earworm "Can't Stop the Feeling!" to every parent's playlist from 2016 on. The characters in the film were based on the popular 1960s Good Luck Trolls dolls, the story following two of the troll characters on a quest to save their friends from being eaten by their enemies, the Bergens.
A musical jukebox movie of sorts and one of the most highly anticipated movies the year of its release, Trolls had a very heartfelt message and gained a lot of critical and audience praise after its release, thus launching its own franchise including a Netflix series, a Hulu series, two holiday specials, and two sequels. The third movie in the franchise is currently set to release Thanksgiving weekend, 2023.
Rise of the Guardians (2012) - 75%
modern holiday classic despite its underwhelming box office response.
Considered somewhat of a cult classic, this exciting take on a superhero-type movie has maintained an active fanbase despite existing only as a one-off film for the last ten years. Many still wish for a sequel to be developed at some point, fans and crew alike.
