Like onions, these films have layers.
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For a while there, it seemed likea crudely drawn webcomichad DreamWorks Animations number.
And they do things animals normally dont do.
Thats only part of the story, though.
Or at its stop-motion collaborations with one of Britains most beloved studios.
Spinoff television shows or specials, of which there are many, are also not included.
The problem is thatSpirit Untamedbarely qualifies as a film.
Where to stream:Peacock.
A prequel toThe Prince of Egypt,Josephadopts the title characters story from The Book of Genesis.
Where to stream:On demand.
The infantile abomination that isThe Boss Babyis the most unhinged example of the studios manic folly.
Where to stream:Netflix.
Sometimes this worked, butShark Taledidnt.
Martin Scorsese voices a pufferfish in a highlight of the film and a lowlight for the great directors career.
Thankfully, Shreks next outing would fare better, to say nothing of the two greatPuss in Bootsspinoffs.
Do they deserve better thanTrolls, DreamWorks hyperactive, colorful attempt to turn an established IP into their ownMinions?
Im inclined to think so; perhaps its not for me to say.
What I will say is thatparentsdeserve better than this jukebox musical from sugary hell.Hey, Mom and Dad!
Wouldnt it be cool if your kids got exposed to a variety of popular music, old and new?
Where to stream:Paramount+.
With all that said, if wearemaking Pixar comparisons,Turbois probably better than at least one of theCarsmovies.
Years later,Penguins of Madagascarmade a joke about how sick everyone was of that damn song.
Another thing that hasnt aged well?
The Woody Allen of it all.
Where to stream:Max.
33.Penguins of Madagascar(2014)
Should the supporting comic-reliefMadagascarcharacters have gotten their own movie?
Can they support a movie on their own?
Eh, not really.
The relationship between genius dog Mr. Peabody and his adopted human child, Sherman, is sweetly earnest.
The only problem is that the Peabodys Improbable History segments were none of those things.
Rather than a dishwasher thats also a woolly mammoth (Its a living!
),The Croodss big invention was eschewing the sense of normalcy and comfort Fred & Co. had.
Even with these flaws,Stallion of the Cimarronmight be one of the studios most audacious efforts.
Still, its nice to see a fun genre adventure.
In theory, this pushes the franchise forward.
You could still do a lot worse than aKung Fu Pandamovie, though.
Listen I dontnotget it.
Despite the kinks, its a pretty fun, vividly animated coming-of-age story with an Aquaman-esque twist.
Where to watch:In theaters now.
Both films introduce some of the most complex themes their respective franchises have seen thus far.
(CoughRise of SkywalkerCoughGames of Thrones.)
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Furthermore,Shrekwas and still is, dammit funny!
That shouldnt be held againstShrek.
There are layers to this thing … like an onion.
Where to stream:YouTube TV.
It is also, at times, pretty dark, leaning into the genre pastiche with admirable gusto.
Sometimes, the best way to parody something is to play it surprisingly straight.
Where to stream:Prime Video.
There was really only one place to start:How to Train Your Dragon.
Its frankly hard to imagine what could be improved upon.
Where to stream:Max and Hulu.
(No small feat!
)Kung Fu Pandais DreamWorks at its most DreamWorks and also its best.
