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[Boss Doggie]

As a huge fan of KFP I wouldn't go that far! I just think that KFP1-2 are seriously underappreciated movies.

No seriously. Not even TI matches the action and character movement KFP 1 and 2 have while giving a really good visual aspect.

MU is boring and sterile looking, but HTTD is a visual abortion

the fuck

 

[TEJ]

No seriously. Not even TI matches the action and character movement KFP 1 and 2 have while giving a really good visual aspect.

I think that having

Spoiler

panda genocide

as a plot point in KFP2 and how it's implied that

Spoiler

po's mom was brutally slaughtered

was really dark by dreamworks standards.

 

[Saucycarpdog]

MU is boring and sterile looking, but HTTD is a visual abortion

And this, everybody, is why you need to always have your eyes checked at least once a year for long-lasting and clear vision!

 

[Boss Doggie]

All these people saying they need to make better films make me wonder if they only see "flubs" like Turbo and Shark Tale but never actually watched the other good and better flicks.

Hell, even the below average Bee Movie is much, MUCH more creative than A Bug's Life if you take out the drawn-out humor.

 

[TEJ]

All these people saying they need to make better films make me wonder if they only see "flubs" like Turbo and Shark Tale but never actually watched the other good and better flicks.

Hell, even the below average Bee Movie is much, MUCH more creative than A Bug's Life if you take out the drawn-out humor.

dreamworks has a stigma that they got during the early shrek days that hasn't went away.

Madagascar 3 is something I feel that would have been much better received if it got better trailers. It had the fantastic mr fox writers behind it!

 

[Livingskeletons]

Dreamworks has always been hit and miss.

HTTYD is one of my favorite animated films.

Bee Movie is one of the worst big budget animated films ever.

 

[EatinOlives]

All these people saying they need to make better films make me wonder if they only see "flubs" like Turbo and Shark Tale but never actually watched the other good and better flicks.

Hell, even the below average Bee Movie is much, MUCH more creative than A Bug's Life if you take out the drawn-out humor.

I've seen most every Dreamworks film considered to be great. Kung Fu Panda, HTTYD 1/2, Shrek 1/2, etc. They're good movies, but the best of DW still hadn't matched the best of Pixar, and the only true crap Pixar has put out to date is Cars 2, while Dreamworks still has had true crap peppered across their filmography.

So, in short, they need to make better movies. But that statement is not nearly as hyperbolic as you think it is. It's not like anyone is saying all of DW's output is as bad as Shark Tale.

 

[Livingskeletons]

I've seen most every Dreamworks film considered to be great. Kung Fu Panda, HTTYD 1/2, Shrek 1/2, etc. They're good movies, but the best of DW still hadn't matched the best of Pixar, and the only true crap Pixar has put out to date is Cars 2, while Dreamworks still has had true crap peppered across their filmography.

So, in short, they need to make better movies. But that statement is not nearly as hyperbolic as you think it is. It's not like anyone is saying all of DW's output is as bad as Shark Tale.

Brave was pretty bleh too.

 

[Wanderer5]

Sadly Home is looking bleh so far, so not having much faith with that.

I'm still waiting for a Dreamworks film to look as good as Monster's University.

Dreamworks can make nice environments, but the characters look out of place. Almost like a video game.

Out of place? I don't see it.

 

[DOWN]

All these people saying they need to make better films make me wonder if they only see "flubs" like Turbo and Shark Tale but never actually watched the other good and better flicks.

Hell, even the below average Bee Movie is much, MUCH more creative than A Bug's Life if you take out the drawn-out humor.

Dreamworks' reputation is their own fault.

And it's getting worse with the nuts saying HTTYD looks anything more than good, but it basically looks like the same colors as many forested or Northern epic scenery, like Harry Potter films or Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. There's little in the way of it being its own thing to my eyes. And those animated characters look like almost any off-brand theatrical 3D animated movie.

Sorry, but Pixar's name is still golden and they've got shelves of Oscars for a reason. Dreamworks' history is mostly mediocrity or worse, with few gems.

And don't even try and put Bee Movie against Pixar. Once you hear that film laid out as a woman getting in a relationship with a bee, it's bizarre beyond charm. And yes, I've seen it.

 

[Timbuktu]

Quality and aesthetic comparisons with Pixar is subjective and probably besides the point. With a revival in Disney's efforts, the competition has only gotten more crowded and I am not sure how many more duds Dreamworks can afford.

 

[shintoki]

All these people saying they need to make better films make me wonder if they only see "flubs" like Turbo and Shark Tale but never actually watched the other good and better flicks.

Hell, even the below average Bee Movie is much, MUCH more creative than A Bug's Life if you take out the drawn-out humor.

Dreamworks has always been a mix bag.

They had fantastic ones like, Prince of Egypt, Road to El Dorado, Sherk, Wallace and Gromit, and Kung Fu Panda.

The issue is they also have a lot of lifeless duds. Antz, Megamind, Over the Hedge, etc.

The other issue is they simply don't have good artists as many have brought up. There isn't a bad looking Pixar film. Dreamworks on the other hand....

 

[Log4Girlz]

MU is boring and sterile looking, but HTTD is a visual abortion

You're dead to me.

 

[sn00zer]

Y'all need more "Rise of the Guardians" in your life

 

[Wanderer5]

Dreamworks' reputation is their own fault.

And it's getting worse with the nuts saying HTTYD looks anything more than good, but it basically looks like the same colors as many forested or Northern epic scenery, like Harry Potter films or Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. There's little in the way of it being its own thing to my eyes. And those animated characters look like almost any off-brand theatrical 3D animated movie.

Because that its setting? Wouldn't expect much of anything else for a setting that up there in the north, and about vikings and such. The first movie might have been a bit lacking in looks, but the sequel sure as hell improved greatly and looks pretty up there with the best, or is very close. HTTYD rocks (and this is from the director of Lilo and Stitch, another great work), and will look forward to the third.

 

[Boss Doggie]

I've seen most every Dreamworks film considered to be great. Kung Fu Panda, HTTYD 1/2, Shrek 1/2, etc. They're good movies, but the best of DW still hadn't matched the best of Pixar, and the only true crap Pixar has put out to date is Cars 2, while Dreamworks still has had true crap peppered across their filmography.

So, in short, they need to make better movies. But that statement is not nearly as hyperbolic as you think it is. It's not like anyone is saying all of DW's output is as bad as Shark Tale.

Personally I think they topped them by virtue of not being canned to conventional animation tropes. That's why I keep praising KFP 1/2 - never have I seen a really, really good action in animation while providing really good visuals and a really great character development.

Also Brave exists.

And someone before in a similarly-sounding thread stated that even unintentional, brand names and company logos can affect one's attitude towards a film.

Dreamworks has always been a mix bag.

They had fantastic ones like, Prince of Egypt, Road to El Dorado, Sherk, Wallace and Gromit, and Kung Fu Panda.

The issue is they also have a lot of lifeless duds. Antz, Megamind, Over the Hedge, etc.

The other issue is they simply don't have good artists as many have brought up. There isn't a bad looking Pixar film. Dreamworks on the other hand....

Brave exists. And honestly, a lot of the human designs in Pixar has a tendency to look... bad.

Also what's so lifeless about Megamind and Over the Hedge?

Dreamworks' reputation is their own fault.

And it's getting worse with the nuts saying HTTYD looks anything more than good, but it basically looks like the same colors as many forested or Northern epic scenery, like Harry Potter films or Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. There's little in the way of it being its own thing to my eyes. And those animated characters look like almost any off-brand theatrical 3D animated movie.

Sorry, but Pixar's name is still golden and they've got shelves of Oscars for a reason. Dreamworks' history is mostly mediocrity or worse, with few gems.

And don't even try and put Bee Movie against Pixar. Once you hear that film laid out as a woman getting in a relationship with a bee, it's bizarre beyond charm. And yes, I've seen it.

Yeah no, you're not really pointing out arguments and simply going for subjective points. The only point I agree on you is their reputation.

And funny you mention bizarre charm, when in fact a lot of Pixar fanboys go for that.

I miss the few 2D movies they've done and ants, maybe shrek as well but other than that they make trash.

Y'all need more "Rise of the Guardians" in your life

People will argue that the characters look uncanny valley and too "The Sims" and will say the character design from secondary characters in The Incredibles look great.

 

[DOWN]

Damn, you folks are reminding me of how shitty Dreamworks is generally.

Mega Mind? Monsters vs.Aliens? Over the Hedge? Shark Tale? Flushed Away indeed.

It's like every major animated movie you guessed would flop was Dreamworks. And as said earlier, almost all of their films, including the good ones, are like kids TV pilots.

I can't remember any Pixar movie ever looking as flop-worthy as stuff like Megamind or Monsters vs. Aliens. That stuff was achingly basic and totally unenchanting. Devoid of any mature signatures or highest production values of the inevitable Pixar comparison.

I'm gonna watch and rewatch some of the recommendations here, but my expectations are low.

 

[Boss Doggie]

The only flub you mentioned is Shark Tale.

But honestly, with how you post, you already have a precognition towards their films that you might as well avoid watching them. Hell, you even mentioned that you didn't watch some of them.

And damn right, a "shitty" bug movie managed to be more creative and coherent than the pixar bug movie.

Sounds like those idiots bashing Blue Sky Studios.

 

[Oersted]

i think they do a terrible job of marketing their movies, especially since their primary competitor has a brand cache that few companies can even dream about.

Yep, one of their mainproblems is branding. Dreamworks Animation has made some top notch movies like Shrek, How To Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda, Prince of Egypt etc, but people, even in this thread are shitting on them, while people always look forward towards the newest Disney film.

 

[ito007]

You guys just reminded me of Over the Hedge. I would not like to be reminded of Over the Hedge...

However you guys also did remind me of The Road to El Dorado, which I love.

Thank you

 

[Boss Doggie]

Yep, one of their mainproblems is branding. Dreamworks Animation has made some top notch movies like Shrek, How To Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda, Prince of Egypt etc, but people, even in this thread are shitting on them, while people always look forward towards the newest Disney film.

And there'd be revisionists eventually, like apparently Home on the Range and Cars/Planes being good lol

There's also the irony of complaining about stuff on other animation while ignoring/praising the same thing on their favorite company

 

[Futurematic]

Madagascar 3 is something I feel that would have been much better received if it got better trailers. It had the fantastic mr fox writers behind it!

The flying circus act was visually stunning, and the movie was quite good (up there in DWA's top ~eight...ish).

 

[ito007]

And there'd be revisionists eventually, like apparently Home on the Range and Cars/Planes being good lol

There's also the irony of complaining about stuff on other animation while ignoring/praising the same thing on their favorite company

Aww the first Cars was good at least give it that

 

[TheRedSnifit]

In which people claim Brave is comparable to some of the flops Dreamworks has put out.

And there'd be revisionists eventually, like apparently Home on the Range and Cars/Planes being good lol

Home on the Range and Planes weren't made by Pixar; most people aknowledge that Disney's inon-Pixar studios are only marginally more consistent than Dreamworks. Most people also acknowledge that Cars 2 was crap.

 

[Oersted]

Damn, you folks are reminding me of how shitty Dreamworks is generally.

Mega Mind? Monsters vs.Aliens? Over the Hedge? Shark Tale? Flushed Away indeed.

It's like every major animated movie you guessed would flop was Dreamworks. And as said earlier, almost all of their films, including the good ones, are like kids TV pilots.

I can't remember any Pixar movie ever looking as flop-worthy as stuff like Megamind or Monsters vs. Aliens. That stuff was achingly basic and totally unenchanting. Devoid of any mature signatures or highest production values of the inevitable Pixar comparison.

I'm gonna watch and rewatch some of the recommendations here, but my expectations are low.

And Disney has Planes 1 & 2, Chicken Little, Home on the Range, Bolt, Meet the Robinsons etc etc ... whil Pixar didn't have a new memorable film since Up.

You guys just reminded me of Over the Hedge. I would not like to be reminded of Over the Hedge...

However you guys also did remind me of The Road to El Dorado, which I love.

Thank you

Watch Spirit. Extremely overlooked.

 

[Boss Doggie]

On a related note, notice the vague, generalizing, broad comments with regards to non-disney/pixar animation as though they feel like they are going to get a right comment on them. They can't even tell what they don't like about them.

It's pretty hilarious really.

Aww the first Cars was good at least give it that

The toyetic design ruined Cars and Planes for me.

And Disney has Planes 1 & 2, Chicken Little, Home on the Range, Bolt, Meet the Robinsons etc etc ... whil Pixar didn't have a new memorable film since Up.

Watch Spirit. Extremely overlooked.

Hey now... Bolt is great. It actually managed to be competent in quality and knows what writing is without being constrained by typical conventions.

 

[Wanderer5]

Aww the first Cars was good at least give it that

It was alright heh. Planes: Fire and Rescue was actually pretty decent too (haven't seen the first, but apparently people liked F&R more).

Pretty cool world through, which is what I really liked about Cars 2 alongside Finn Mcmissile. Otherwise through.....

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

Guardians looked nice, but story-wise it is the most uninspired film they have made.

 

[Boss Doggie]

Guardians looked nice, but story-wise it is the most uninspired film they have made.

It was a coming of age story. The only thing I dislike about it was the middle act, which involved a lot of stupid ball.

 

[Crossing Eden]

Y'all need more "Rise of the Guardians" in your life

Gorgeous film, I didn't know it underperformed, a shame. ._. Jack is one of my favorite character designs from an animated film. Could've been a bit more stylized though like the concept art.

 

[Boss Doggie]

Also from what I gathered, all of the unique films underperformed yet Shrek kept making cash.

Well fuck you people - you guys complain about shrek yet you keep watching them, then never watched the better films.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

It was a coming of age story. The only thing I dislike about it was the middle act, which involved a lot of stupid ball.

I just hate how the premise was handled. I wasn't expecting Neil Gaiman, but it bothers me when the world building surrounding myth is restricted to folklore that everyone has to be aware of and have seen before, almost in an ethnocentric kind of way.

 

[neorej]

You guys just reminded me of Over the Hedge. I would not like to be reminded of Over the Hedge...

However you guys also did remind me of The Road to El Dorado, which I love.

Thank you

Hammy on Red Bull was something else, man, don't hate. I pissed my pants over that.

 

[Oersted]

On a related note, notice the vague, generalizing, broad comments with regards to non-disney/pixar animation as though they feel like they are going to get a right comment on them. They can't even tell what they don't like about them.

It's pretty hilarious really.

Disney has heavily influenced how the majority thinks about animated films. This is why harder films like Mononoke have it incredibly hard to get some viewers in USA and Disney movies which dared to be different like Atlantis and Cauldron are pretty much destined to bomb.

Edit: Nice to see some Blue Sky love Hyped for Peanuts

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

I liked Megamind. Anyone else liked Megamind?

 

[Boss Doggie]

In which people claim Brave is comparable to some of the flops Dreamworks has put out.

Home on the Range and Planes weren't made by Pixar; most people aknowledge that Disney's inon-Pixar studios are only marginally more consistent than Dreamworks. Most people also acknowledge that Cars 2 was crap.

I was talking about Disney and Pixar in general.

I still shudder at the Brave praise.

I just hate how the premise was handled. I wasn't expecting Neil Gaiman, but it bothers me when the world building surrounding myth is restricted to folklore that everyone has to be aware of and have seen before, almost in an ethnocentric kind of way.

They know about the wider scale (see: that wink wink nudge nudge about rats), but they're limited to the source material given to them.

Disney has heavily influenced how the majority thinks about animated films. This is why harder films like Mononoke have it incredibly hard to get some viewers in USA and Disney movies which dared to be different like Atlantis and Cauldron are pretty much destined to bomb.

It sucks really. Especially when 80's Don Bluth are much better than Disney's 90's stuff.

I liked Megamind. Anyone else liked Megamind?

Yo. I liked it by virtue of being a superhero film that focuses on something rarely explored at all. And Megamind is a really great protagonist.

Superheroes in a cynical setting? Done to death. Something that handles loss and purpose? Got the right stuff. The only thing I don't like really is how Roxie managed to "solve" MegaMind's plot.

 

[Wanderer5]

Disney has heavily influenced how the majority thinks about animated films. This is why harder films like Mononoke have it incredibly hard to get some viewers in USA and Disney movies which dared to be different like Atlantis and Cauldron are pretty much destined to bomb.

Probably doesn't help that either of those movies were that great heh (through Atlantis has awesome visuals). Felt more bad for Treasure Planet.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

They know about the wider scale (see: that wink wink nudge nudge about rats), but they're limited to the source material given to them.

Yeah, I was thinking about it while writing that, but I just can't handle another religious American holidays related characters committee kind of story if nothing new is brought to the table. It did a huge disservice to Jack and his story.

 

[Oersted]

Probably doesn't help that either of those movies were that great heh (through Atlantis has awesome visuals). Felt more bad for Treasure Planet.

Lets say this is true, it certainly didn't stop blatant money cashgrabs like Planes from being successful.

 

[DOWN]

Okay, let's forget the deflections of the odd ones who are giving nonstop praise to the less successful underddog animations and refuse to acknowledge the public, critical, and commercial consensus demonstrating what Pixar quality is, and instead simply acknowledge that Dreamworks is less successful for multiple reasons.

Sure, there's marketing, but after so many films that have fared worse than Pixar's in both the general opinions on the films and the finances, at some point you ought to realize that the quality of the films is playing a role in those frequent runner-up releases.

And I don't think I ever brought up non-Pixar Disney to compare with Dreamworks.

 

[Wanderer5]

Lets say this is true, it certainly didn't stop blatant money cashgrabs like Planes from being successful.

Cause Cars has more appeal than either of those movies (especially in merchandising), and didn't come out during say the dark age of disney heh.

 

[Cheerilee]

Couple this to Katzenburg trying to flog the company to anyone who'll take it, and you've got a studio in a worrying position.

The Hasbro merger idea was a sweet deal. The problem was that it was slanted too heavily in favor of Dreamworks Animation. Katzenburg wanted a 50% premium over their current market price, and he wanted to be promoted to a senior position at Hasbro, something significantly bigger than "head of Hasbro's Dreamworks Animation department" ("CEO of Hasbro" might be nice).

The real problem with trying to sell the company is, Katzenburg obviously wants out of the day-to-day position of running Dreamworks. But as was mentioned in the article that you linked, he hasn't been "running Dreamworks" for a long time. He's been promoting people to do that job for him, which is a great way to grow new talent and creativity, even though it tends to create more missteps.

 

[Boss Doggie]

The Hasbro merger idea was a sweet deal. The problem was that it was slanted too heavily in favor of Dreamworks Animation. Katzenburg wanted a 50% premium over their current market price, and he wanted to be promoted to a senior position at Hasbro, something significantly bigger than "head of Hasbro's Dreamworks Animation department" ("CEO of Hasbro" might be nice).

The real problem with trying to sell the company is, Katzenburg obviously wants out of the day-to-day position of running Dreamworks. But as was mentioned in the article that you linked, he hasn't been "running Dreamworks" for a long time. He's been promoting people to do that job for him, which is a great way to grow new talent and creativity, even though it tends to create more missteps.

Whoa, Hasbro and DW merged?

 

[Oersted]

Whoa, Hasbro and DW merged?

Idea mate. It was in the papers but it didn't come to fruition.

Cause Cars has more appeal than either of those movies (especially in merchandising), and didn't come out during say the dark age of disney heh.

And I offered a thought why Planes appeals more. You are welcome.

 

[NEO0MJ]

Probably doesn't help that either of those movies were that great heh (through Atlantis has awesome visuals). Felt more bad for Treasure Planet.

Maybe not those two, but Hunchback was amazing.

 

[Messofanego]

I don't see one movie a year as being wrong. Maybe they realised they stretched themselves too thin. Most of those underperforming movies were mediocre so probably didn't grab parents' attention who probably check reviews before heading out.

 

[Boss Doggie]

I don't see one movie a year as being wrong. Maybe they realised they stretched themselves too thin. Most of those underperforming movies were mediocre so probably didn't grab parents' attention who probably check reviews before heading out.

fucking shrek sold more tho

 

[Messofanego]

fucking shrek sold more tho

Yeah, that is the most popular brand.

 

[Prototype]

How to train your Dragon was awesome. So was 2.

In this thread I learned there will be a third movie.

 

[jett]

What? DW´s animation are very solid and better than Pixar post Ratatouille. HTTYD 1-2, ROTG, and the Croods, Shrek 1-2, KFP 1-2 are as good if not better than Pixar best efforts.

Visually? Technically?

Absolutely not.