Tier List
DreamWorks Movies Tier List: The Best Films Ranked (2026)
The best DreamWorks Animation movies: Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda, Puss in Boots, and more, ranked from S-tier to D-tier. Then build your own DreamWorks tier list with head-to-head comparisons.
The Complete DreamWorks Tier List
See the A to D tiers (21 more films)Hide the A to D tiers
For 25 years, DreamWorks Animation has been Pixar's scrappier, snarkier rival, and at its best, every bit as good. From the genre-skewering Shrek to the soaring How to Train Your Dragon trilogy to the late-era masterpiece Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, the studio's catalog is deep and divisive. Here are the most notable DreamWorks Animation films ranked, split into classic S/A/B/C/D tiers. Disagree? You should, and you can settle it yourself in minutes with Shortlist.
Each film below also says where to watch it in the US, checked October 7, 2026 (JustWatch). Rights move, so those lines disappear rather than guess once that check is over three weeks old.
Shrek
(2001)The film that put DreamWorks Animation on the map. Subversive, hilarious, and the first-ever Best Animated Feature Oscar winner.
Streaming on Peacock
How to Train Your Dragon
(2010)A soaring, emotional adventure with the studio’s best score and animation. Toothless is an all-timer.
Streaming on Paramount+
Kung Fu Panda
(2008)Gorgeous, funny, and surprisingly wise. The studio’s most complete blend of action and heart.
Streaming on Prime Video
Rank DreamWorks your way
Our top 5, head-to-head. Tap the one you prefer and we will build your order, then show you where you disagree with us.
The Reel
One sharp movie newsletter, every Tuesday
What to watch, what to skip, and where it lands on the rankings. Free, no spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Just want the tier sheet? Download it free, no email needed.
Shrek 2
(2004)The rare sequel that tops the original. Puss in Boots steals every scene he’s in.
Streaming on Peacock
How to Train Your Dragon 2
(2014)A bold, darker sequel that expands the world and raises the emotional stakes.
Streaming on Paramount+
Kung Fu Panda 2
(2011)A more ambitious, more beautiful follow-up with a genuinely affecting backstory.
Streaming on Prime Video
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
(2022)A stunning late-era triumph. Its painterly animation and meditation on mortality stunned audiences.
Streaming on Netflix
The Prince of Egypt
(1998)DreamWorks’ hand-drawn epic. Sweeping, mature, and home to the unforgettable “When You Believe.”
Streaming on Netflix
Madagascar
(2005)A zippy, joke-dense hit that launched a franchise, and the “I like to move it” penguins.
Free with ads on The Roku Channel
Megamind
(2010)A clever, underrated superhero comedy with a great Will Ferrell villain-turned-hero.
Streaming on Peacock
Kung Fu Panda 3
(2016)Visually spectacular and warm, even if it’s the lightest of the trilogy.
Streaming on Prime Video
The Bad Guys
(2022)A stylish, Ocean’s Eleven-flavored heist comedy with a fresh visual look.
Streaming on Netflix
Antz
(1998)DreamWorks’ very first feature, a sharp, surprisingly adult CG comedy with Woody Allen.
Streaming on Netflix
Over the Hedge
(2006)A breezy, well-cast suburban satire that’s funnier than it’s remembered for.
Rent or buy only
Monsters vs. Aliens
(2009)A fun, B-movie homage that’s more spectacle than substance.
Streaming on Paramount+ and Peacock
Trolls
(2016)A relentlessly bright jukebox musical. Catchy, candy-colored, and built for kids.
Rent or buy only
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
(2008)A solid sequel that leans harder into the supporting cast.
Rent or buy only
Shrek the Third
(2007)The point where the franchise started running low on ideas, though still watchable.
Streaming on Peacock
Shark Tale
(2004)A celebrity-stuffed Finding Nemo cash-in that hasn’t aged well.
Streaming on Netflix
Bee Movie
(2007)A bizarre premise that became an internet meme. More fascinating than good.
Rent or buy only
Shrek Forever After
(2010)A tired fourth entry that sent the franchise into hibernation.
Streaming on Peacock
Turbo
(2013)A racing-snail concept that never quite justifies itself.
Rent or buy only
The Boss Baby
(2017)A loud, broad hit with kids that critics largely shrugged at.
Streaming on Netflix
Your turn
That is our DreamWorks ranking. Here is a blank one for yours.
All 24 DreamWorks films, one tap each, S down to D. It saves as you go and it prints. No email, no signup.
Open your DreamWorks tier sheetHow to Build Your Own DreamWorks Tier List
The card above builds one, and it handles the easy part in a few taps. The top of a DreamWorks list is rarely in doubt, Shrek and How to Train Your Dragon sort themselves out, and so does the bottom.
The messy middle is the reason to go wider. Is Megamind better than Madagascar? Does The Bad Guys beat Trolls? Five films will not tell you. Shortlist ranks the whole studio the same way, keeps the list as you go, and hands you a share link at the end.
Read more about the comparison-based approach in our movie tier list guide.
Two different things get scored around this page. The S to D tiers above are editorial, and S means a film that held up rather than one that reviewed well on opening weekend. The score you see in the app is a different number: it is built from the head-to-head comparisons you make, scaled to 0 to 10, not from critic averages. How Shortlist scores work sets out the whole method.
This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.
DreamWorks vs. Pixar: What's the Difference?
Pixar built its reputation on emotional, tightly-crafted original stories. DreamWorks Animation carved out a niche with pop-culture humor, celebrity voice casts, and a willingness to be loud and irreverent, though films like How to Train Your Dragon and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish prove it can match Pixar for heart and artistry too. Many fans rank the two studios side by side. You can build both lists and compare them in Shortlist, see our Pixar tier list and Studio Ghibli tier list for the full animation showdown.
DreamWorks Tier List FAQ
What is the best DreamWorks movie?
It's a three-way race between Shrek (2001), How to Train Your Dragon (2010), and Kung Fu Panda (2008). Shrek has the cultural legacy and the first Best Animated Feature Oscar; How to Train Your Dragon has the most emotion and the best animation. All three are defensible #1 picks.
How many movies has DreamWorks Animation made?
DreamWorks Animation has released more than 45 feature films since Antz in 1998. This tier list covers the most notable and most-searched titles across its biggest franchises: Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar, and more, rather than every single release.
Is Shrek the best DreamWorks franchise?
Shrek is the most iconic, but How to Train Your Dragon is the most consistently acclaimed trilogy, and the Kung Fu Panda films are a close third. It's exactly the kind of debate a head-to-head ranking is built to settle.
Did DreamWorks make Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda?
Yes. Both Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda are DreamWorks Animation franchises, along with Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon, Trolls, and The Bad Guys. (Note: Aardman films like Wallace & Gromit were distributed by DreamWorks but produced separately, so they're not included here.)
Related Tier Lists
The Reel
One sharp movie newsletter, every Tuesday
What to watch, what to skip, and where it lands on the rankings. Free, no spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Just want the tier sheet? Download it free, no email needed.
Rank DreamWorks your way
Download Shortlist and build your own DreamWorks tier list with head-to-head comparisons. It's free.
From The Reel
Recent posts on our blog that link to this list.