Sometimes, dreams aren't good. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most uninspired and disappointing animated films released by DreamWorks.
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00 (dramatic music)
00:02 - Oh no.
00:06 - Welcome to WatchMojo.
00:08 And today we're counting down our picks
00:10 for the most uninspired and disappointing animated films
00:14 released by DreamWorks.
00:15 We're not saying all these movies are bad,
00:18 but rather that they pale in comparison
00:20 to the studio's classics.
00:22 - Stop acting like a baby.
00:23 - You're a baby.
00:24 - Number 10, B-movie.
00:28 It's obvious that one of the biggest highlights
00:31 in Jerry Seinfeld's career
00:32 was his namesake sitcom, "Seinfeld."
00:35 Inversely, one of the most bizarre points in his career
00:39 was DreamWorks' 2007 animated film, "B-movie."
00:43 - Is that a bee joke?
00:45 - Yeah, that's the kind of stuff that we do.
00:47 - While it boasts some impressive animation
00:49 and a hilarious ensemble of voice actors,
00:52 the narrative is incredibly confusing.
00:54 It doesn't know if it wants to be a romantic comedy,
00:56 a fish-out-of-water story, or a courtroom drama,
01:00 so it tries to be all of them at once,
01:02 with underwhelming results.
01:04 - Vanessa, we won!
01:06 - Yay, I knew you could do it!
01:08 High five!
01:09 (punch thuds)
01:09 - Oh, sorry.
01:10 - As a result, "B-movie" fell under the radar
01:13 for several years,
01:14 but more recently has gained a cult following
01:17 thanks to meme culture poking fun at its absurdness.
01:21 - No wonder we're not supposed to talk to them.
01:22 They're out of their minds.
01:23 - Number nine, "Trolls World Tour."
01:26 The first "Trolls" film managed to turn the iconic dolls
01:29 into a sparkly musical adventure
01:31 that was pretty to look at,
01:32 but felt a little too sugary for some.
01:35 Can the sequel "Trolls World Tour"
01:37 hit a higher note than the original?
01:39 Well, it's clear they stepped up the animation,
01:41 and the story had a lot of neat ideas for world-building.
01:45 - Some of them can't even begin
01:46 to grasp the concept of hammer time.
01:49 (upbeat music)
01:51 - However, all that glitters is not gold,
01:54 as that world-building is underutilized,
01:56 and the story is reduced
01:58 to a paint-by-numbers, repetitive quest film.
02:01 - Weird, right?
02:03 - There is admittedly an attempt
02:05 to discuss the dangers of prejudice
02:07 in a way that's more easily digestible for kids,
02:10 but beyond that, it feels like a padded-out music video
02:13 more than anything else.
02:14 - A world where everyone looks the same
02:16 and sounds the same?
02:17 That's not harmony!
02:19 - Number eight, "Turbo."
02:21 How do you manage to create a film
02:23 that is both cliched and unique?
02:25 We're not sure either,
02:26 but DreamWorks figured it out when they made "Turbo."
02:29 - Are you a car?
02:31 - No!
02:32 - Then stop driving like one!
02:34 - The concept is essentially "The Fast and the Furious,"
02:37 but with snails,
02:38 where the titular Turbo gains super speed
02:40 in a freak accident,
02:42 and zooms off to achieve his dream
02:44 of being a racing champion.
02:45 (tires screeching)
02:52 It's harmless overall,
02:53 with plenty of color, great voice acting,
02:55 and humor to spare,
02:57 but it felt rather basic
02:58 compared to the company's other notable hits,
03:01 which ultimately left it underperforming at the box office.
03:04 - I'll be fine.
03:05 - You are delusional.
03:06 - It did, however, manage to gain its own Netflix show,
03:09 which produced new episodes from 2013 to 2016.
03:14 Number seven, "The Boss Baby."
03:16 Whether we like it or not,
03:18 "The Boss Baby" made bank at the box office,
03:20 but despite its financial success,
03:22 critics and viewers felt very bankrupt with this film.
03:26 - Who are you?
03:27 - Let's just say I'm the boss.
03:30 - Can you blame them?
03:32 It's a weak story that tries to dress itself up
03:34 as a masterpiece by putting a baby in an executive suit
03:37 and making him a secret agent.
03:39 Beyond the initial, "Oh, that's cute," reaction,
03:42 there isn't much else going on here.
03:45 - I failed.
03:46 - The voice acting is decent,
03:48 and there are bits of good humor here and there,
03:50 but all that is overshadowed by a dense narrative.
03:53 Unfortunately, money talks,
03:55 and "The Boss Baby" made enough to guarantee
03:57 a whole franchise, including two Netflix series and a sequel.
04:02 Don't worry, we'll get to that one later.
04:04 - What?
04:05 - Number six, "Home."
04:08 Based on the kids' book, "The True Meaning of Smek Day,"
04:11 "Home" features the budding friendship between teenage Tip
04:14 and alien outcast, Oh,
04:16 as they journey across the universe to find Tip's mom.
04:20 - Ah-ha, what if I could fix that?
04:22 - The animation and character designs are nicely handled.
04:27 The emotional moments do their job,
04:28 and Jim Parsons and Rihanna's voices
04:31 compliment each other well.
04:32 - Captain Smek has decided.
04:34 - Captain Smek is an idiot.
04:35 (gasps)
04:36 - With that said, the narrative is painfully predictable,
04:39 and the humor is a far cry from some of DreamWorks' best.
04:43 While many of the studio's movies gear to all audiences,
04:47 this one is definitely for the kids and the kids alone.
04:50 (dramatic music)
04:52 - Gorg!
04:57 - It also has a Netflix series,
04:59 which is starting to seem
05:00 like a DreamWorks requirement lately.
05:03 Number five, "Spirit Untamed."
05:05 The original spirit stallion of the Cimarron
05:08 is considered an underrated gem in DreamWorks' library.
05:12 The gorgeous animation and down-to-earth story
05:14 are all complimented by an ingenious way to understand
05:17 the titular stallion with limited dialogue.
05:20 However, no one expected this overlooked classic
05:22 to get a Netflix series several years later,
05:25 or a sequel even further down the line.
05:27 - His name is Spirit.
05:31 - While the CGI in "Spirit Untamed" isn't too bad,
05:35 it has no connection to the original.
05:38 Very unoriginal character and story cliches,
05:41 and really boils down to just another quirky girl
05:44 and her horse story.
05:46 - All right, so that's how it's gonna be.
05:49 - While horse lovers might enjoy "Untamed,"
05:51 fans of stallion of the Cimarron will agree
05:54 that the original was better off
05:55 as its own standalone entity.
05:58 - Well, Spirit, I guess it's time for me to go.
06:03 - Number four, "The Boss Baby Family Business."
06:06 Remember we said how bad "The Boss Baby" was?
06:09 Would you believe the sequel was downright forgettable?
06:12 Taking place years after the original film,
06:14 "Family Business" sees the now grownup brother duo
06:17 teaming up again with a new boss baby
06:19 to save childhoods from being erased.
06:22 - Baby Cor wants to get the team back together, huh?
06:24 - No, living gets a terrible idea.
06:26 - It steps up a little in terms of social satire
06:30 and delivering a heartwarming message from the original,
06:32 but it's more of the same
06:34 and suffers too much from its sequel-itis.
06:37 It's another generic way to distract the kids
06:39 without being anything of substance.
06:42 - Now, aren't you a cutie in that little karate outfit?
06:45 (sword clinks)
06:46 - The first film's success might see the franchise
06:49 sticking around for a while,
06:51 but if there was any steam to lose in the first place,
06:54 we'd say it's certainly headed that way.
06:56 - I quit!
06:57 What a bunch of diaper snippers.
07:00 - Number three, "Sinbad, Legend of the Seven Seas."
07:04 You may look back on DreamWorks' gems
07:06 such as "The Prince of Egypt"
07:07 and ask why the company doesn't do
07:09 traditionally animated films anymore.
07:11 Unfortunately, their last one,
07:13 "Sinbad, Legend of the Seven Seas," played a role in that.
07:17 - Sinbad.
07:18 (laughs)
07:19 You did it.
07:20 - It was an ambitious project
07:21 with a lot of pressure to live up to.
07:23 An all-star cast with names like Brad Pitt
07:25 and Michelle Pfeiffer,
07:26 and an epic quest combining both traditional
07:29 and CG animation up to the stakes.
07:32 (dramatic music)
07:34 - Run!
07:35 - While viewers nowadays look back at this
07:36 as an underrated gem,
07:38 critics were a tad more scrutinizing,
07:40 citing a less than thrilling narrative
07:43 and a lackluster conclusion.
07:45 Sadly, the box office sealed "Sinbad's" fate
07:48 and the company abandoned traditional animation
07:50 in favor of its notable CGI films.
07:53 - Thank you.
07:54 - You're welcome.
07:55 - No problem.
07:55 - Don't worry about it.
07:56 - I won't.
07:57 - Good.
07:58 - Goodbye.
07:59 - Bye to you.
08:00 - Number two, "Shrek the Third."
08:02 Undeniably, DreamWorks' biggest cash cow
08:05 is the "Shrek" franchise.
08:06 - Maybe you should just stay and be king.
08:11 - Oh, come on.
08:12 There's no way I could ever run a kingdom.
08:14 - Can you blame them?
08:15 The first film hilariously challenged
08:18 the fairy tale standards,
08:19 and the second one is considered just as inventive.
08:22 And yet, by "Shrek the Third,"
08:24 it's become obvious that the series' magic had run out.
08:27 (dramatic music)
08:30 It has plenty of pop culture references
08:36 and a talented cast, but the humor falls flat.
08:39 The tension feels watered down,
08:41 and the heart that was plain to see
08:42 in the first two installments feels absent.
08:45 While the follow-up, "Shrek Forever After,"
08:47 is considered a mild improvement,
08:49 the damage was already done by then,
08:51 and another powerhouse movie series
08:53 fell victim to franchise fatigue,
08:55 at least until the Puss in Boots spin-offs shook things up.
08:59 - He's not exactly king material.
09:01 - Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel
09:04 and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
09:07 You have the option to be notified for occasional videos
09:10 or all of them.
09:11 If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings
09:14 and switch on notifications.
09:17 Number one, "Shark Tale."
09:19 Do you wanna take your youngster to a mafia film
09:22 even though they probably won't get
09:23 literally any of the jokes?
09:25 Then "Shark Tale" may be the perfect flick for you.
09:28 (man laughing)
09:28 - What's so funny? - Ow!
09:30 You got nothing!
09:32 Nothing!
09:33 - It boasts a fantastic ensemble cast
09:36 with the likes of Will Smith, Jack Black,
09:38 and Robert De Niro.
09:39 However, none could compensate for a noisy script
09:42 that can't figure out its target audience,
09:45 a heavy reliance on pop culture humor,
09:47 and rather unflattering Italian-American stereotypes.
09:51 - Thank you.
09:52 Thank you.
09:53 - Surprisingly, this confusing little fish
09:57 swam well at the box office,
09:59 but it still ended belly up with the critics,
10:01 showing once again that just because a film makes bank
10:04 doesn't make it good.
10:06 - Don't get me wrong, you're cute.
10:07 You're a nobody.
10:10 - What do you think was DreamWorks' lowest point?
10:12 Let us know in the comments.
10:14 - You catch on real fast, kid.
10:16 Maybe you're not as big of a loser as I thought.
10:20 - Did you enjoy this video?
10:21 Check out these other clips from "WatchMojo,"
10:24 and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell
10:26 to be notified about our latest videos.
10:28 (gentle music)
10:31 (upbeat music)
10:34 (gentle music)
10:36 (upbeat music)