Which is better: Dreamworks SKG or Disney?

[rocklobster]

I just watched the Nostalgia Chick's two-part video on the battle between Dreamworks and Disney. I personally think Disney is the best American animator currently. While I have found Dreamworks charming, they just don't have the same charm Disney has. What do you people think?

[TopazRaven]

I love Disney, I do, but I often find myself liking Dreamworks animation style better. Any other way, they both make amazing movies though so I guess I'm more along the lines of neutral. I picked Dreamworks in the poll though.

[Rusty Claymore]

I thought disney did animation while dreamworks did cgi... o.0

Anyways, between Pixar and Anime I don't watch much of either of those other two. n.n

[ShiroiHikari]

I voted for Disney not because I think the modern day Disney is better than Dreamworks, but because I just don't like Dreamworks. >_>

[Cognitive Gear]

Disney, hands down. I can count the number of Dreamworks films that I enjoyed on one hand.

Disney has had a much longer history of movies to draw from, but even limiting it down to only things done post-1998 (the year the first Dreamworks animation movie, Antz, was released), Disney still has more movies that I enjoyed or really liked.

No, I am not counting Pixar movies as Disney, despite the fact that Disney has owned and placed faith in Pixar from the beginning, and likely deserves some credit for how well their movies have turned out.

[Atria35]

Pixar

[Scarecrow]

Disney, hands down.

Now Dreamworks COULD have been better than disney... If they made more films like Prince of Egypt (one of my favorite animated films ever). The Road to El Dorado was ok... The first Shrek was pretty good... after that, they haven't made anything I liked. Most of their films are down right horrible. I was impressed by How To Train Your Dragon though.

Modern Disney though is crap IMO though too... but they have a much larger back catalog of really awesome movies. Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty etc.

[ChristianKitsune]

Disney this year hasn't excited me much with what they are releasing.
Gnomeo and Juliet looks weird, Mars Needs Moms looks terrifying and dated. The only think I'm looking forward to right now is Pixar's Cars 2.

Tangled was pretty cute, but HTTYD was just spectacular! I really loved that movie XD...

Despite that, however Dreamworks has come up with some pretty ridiculous stuff, but as Scarecrow said, The Prince of Egypt was stunning, and will be one of my favorite movies of all time.

So I gotta go with the the long-history that Disney has. They have more classics and childhood memories for me.

[rocklobster]

My problem with Dreamworks is that they try to hard to appeal to the lowest common denominator--too much pop culture humor and stupid puns. Yes, Disney went that route with Aladdin and Hercules, but they knew when to stop. After those movies, they went back to what they did best. Disney has more charm. That's not to say I don't enjoy Dreamworks movies. I thought the Shrek movies were good, especially because of Puss and Donkey. But then there's Shark Tale, Monsters Vs. Aliens, Madagascar (ooh boy, that was bad)...

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Yes, but Dreamworks is more like the Warner Bros. of animation (although not as good). I mean that it doesn't aim for epic storytelling and whatever. I prefer Disney/Pixar but Dreamworks has done a number of very enjoyable movies.

[goldenspines]

Disney also has about 77 years on Dreamworks animation. It's almost a given they would be better.

Disney has a great track record in their past for being great at animated films, but has been slowly going downhill with some of their films (with the exception of Pixar, who saved them in the 3D animation field, or rather, gave them a crutch to use until they figured out how to make a good 3D movie). Dreamworks, who previously did just live action films, tried to fill this void of animated cute and inspiring family films, first in 2D, then branching into 3D, by starting Dreamworks animation.

Dreamworks animation is kind of hit or miss. With stuff like Madagascar and Over the Hedge, I worry about their sanity, but then they come back with good stuff like How to Train Your Dragon and Mega Mind (yes, I liked Mega Mind, it was adorable).

That being said, for their recent stuff, Dreamworks and Disney tie for me. Though, Disney may have gained a small lead (in 3D animation, at least) after Tangled.

[TopazRaven]

What's wrong with Madagascar and Over the Hedge? I liked both movies. xD Then again, I have a highly strange sense of humor.

[Cognitive Gear]

For reference, here are some lists of the animated movies Disney and Dreamworks have released since Dreamwork's first movie in 1998:

Dreamworks

1 Antz
2 The Prince of Egypt
3 The Road to El Dorado
4 Chicken Run
5 Shrek
6 Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
7 Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas
8 Shrek 2
9 Shark Tale
10 Madagascar
11 Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
12 Over the Hedge
13 Flushed Away
14 Shrek the Third
15 Bee Movie
16 Kung Fu Panda
17 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
18 Monsters vs. Aliens
19 How to Train Your Dragon
20 Shrek Forever After
21 Megamind

Disney: (remember, only since 1998, and I am not including Pixar here, despite the credit that Disney does deserve.)

36 Mulan
37 Tarzan
38 Fantasia 2000
39 Dinosaur
40 The Emperor's New Groove
41 Atlantis: The Lost Empire
42 Lilo & Stitch
43 Treasure Planet
44 Brother Bear
45 Home on the Range
46 Chicken Little
47 Meet the Robinsons
48 Bolt
49 The Princess and the Frog
50 Tangled

[Atria35]

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron was a fabulous movie. That was what cemented my love for Dreamworks.

Honestly, on those two lists, I see the same amount of movies that I liked. Dreamworks made more, and so there's a lower percentage, but it's definitely the same amount of movies.

[ShiroiHikari]

I ended up going to see Gnomeo and Juliet with my friend and her daughter today. It wasn't terrible. Just...well, obviously you already know how the story is going to play out since it's an "adaptation", except-- surprise --they changed the ending to a happy one because this is for kids. The animation was nice though (saw it in 2D).

Looking at the list Cog posted kind of makes me feel depressed. Disney definitely wins if you look at their pre-1995 filmography. XD The only good film they did for a long time was The Emperor's New Groove (I haven't seen Tangled or Princess and the Frog).

[Cognitive Gear]

Disney this year hasn't excited me much with what they are releasing.
Gnomeo and Juliet looks weird, Mars Needs Moms looks terrifying and dated. The only think I'm looking forward to right now is Pixar's Cars 2

Gnomeo and Juliet is actually by Touchstone, and Mars Needs Moms is one of those Zemeckis animated movies... which are funded and released by Disney, I suppose.

But on the up and coming list, there is Winnie the Pooh in July, which is traditionally animated and looks like it will be pretty good. Other than Winnie the Pooh, though, I feel like 2011 will be a bad year for big budget animations. I'm hoping that something will surprise me.

[ShiroiHikari]

Oh, I thought Gnomeo and Juliet was Dreamworks. Oops.

(Edit: I just looked at the voice cast and wow, I didn't recognize ANYONE. What's the point in casting big names again...?)

[Scarecrow]

For reference, here are some lists of the animated movies Disney and Dreamworks have released since Dreamwork's first movie in 1998:

Dreamworks

1 Antz
2 The Prince of Egypt
3 The Road to El Dorado
4 Chicken Run
5 Shrek
6 Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
7 Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas
8 Shrek 2
9 Shark Tale
10 Madagascar
11 Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
12 Over the Hedge
13 Flushed Away
14 Shrek the Third
15 Bee Movie
16 Kung Fu Panda
17 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
18 Monsters vs. Aliens
19 How to Train Your Dragon
20 Shrek Forever After
21 Megamind

Disney: (remember, only since 1998, and I am not including Pixar here, despite the credit that Disney does deserve.)

36 Mulan
37 Tarzan
38 Fantasia 2000
39 Dinosaur
40 The Emperor's New Groove
41 Atlantis: The Lost Empire
42 Lilo & Stitch
43 Treasure Planet
44 Brother Bear
45 Home on the Range
46 Chicken Little
47 Meet the Robinsons
48 Bolt
49 The Princess and the Frog
50 Tangled

Wow... Disney made a lot more crap that I forgot about... It's like both have been on auto pilot for the last decade. No wonder Dreamworks was able to work their way up... Disney has been bad for a while too I guess. I haven't seen tangled so I can't comment on that but the only one I liked out of that list was Mulan. Princess and the Frog was alright I guess though.

[Roy Mustang]

Where I voted for Disney as they have more years on them then Dreamworks.

But there is more Dreamworks titles that I like right now then Disney that that is Chicken Run, Shrek, Shrek 2, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, How to Train Your Dragon and Shrek Forever After.

As for Disney, nope since 1998.

As for Gnomeo and Juliet, it was pretty good movie and the Starz Animation and Rocket Pictures did the animation with Touchstone Pictures being the distributor.


[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang [/color][/font]

[goldenspines]

What's wrong with Madagascar and Over the Hedge? I liked both movies. xD Then again, I have a highly strange sense of humor.

It's my own personal preference for not liking them that much (though Madagascar had that fun song in it XD). They weren't bad movies, just not as good as they could have been (or comparatively good to Dreamworks other animated films). ^__^

[GrubbTheFragger]

I gotta say its a draw, pixar has done great stuff, so has Dreamworks. I like to point out that there a film or two missing from the Disney list.

[the_wolfs_howl]

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron was a fabulous movie. That was what cemented my love for Dreamworks.

<_< I better not say anything, or you'd hate me forever.

But I'm surprised at you people! No good movies in that list of Disney movies?! What about Treasure Planet and Brother Bear? Those are my absolute favorite Disney movies before they got into their CG craze. And Bolt, oh my goodness. That was the first Disney movie I'd seen in a long time that captured my heart the way the old classics did. It's a really good movie.

I've been impressed with Dreamworks' latest few movies I've seen. Monsters vs. Aliens and How to Train Your Dragon, for example, were pretty good movies though they had their downsides too. Dreamworks has improved in animation and story quality so much over the past few years, and now I actually look forward to seeing what their next project will be...but all the same, most of their movies lack something that Disney movies get more often. Maybe it's just that Dreamworks tends to rely more on crude or gross humor.

But yeah. Disney all the way. Even if you don't count Pixar, they make better movies overall.

[Yuki-Anne]

Honestly, it's hard to choose. How to Train Your Dragon is easily in my top ten favorite movies of all time, but I really love some of the movies Disney has come out with in recent years. A lot of their post 98 stuff gets a bad rap, but honestly, Treasure Planet, Mulan, The Emperor's New Groove, and Lilo and Stitch are fantastic movies. Weird and not really classic Disney, but good. And the Princess and the Frog is a really great revival of the old school Disney style.

Dreamworks has come out with some great ones, but some of the movies probably won't be funny to the majority of the next generation, due to the overabundance of pop culture references (I loved Monsters vs. Aliens, but I'm not sure it'll be funny to my kids unless I sit them down and have them watch a lot of old sci-fi).

I think both studios have turned out the fantastic and the mediocre in equal measure, but I voted Disney just because of the sheer number of enduring classics they've turned out.

EDIT: but if you counted all the stupid Disney sequels that have come out since '98, Dreamworks wins out over Disney because of the sheer desperation to make a quick, soulless buck that Disney has been displaying.

[Shao Feng-Li]

Eh, maybe Disney only because of Pixar, otherwise they're about the same to me.

Was I the only one disappointed my the Princess and the Frog? Who needs story when you can have a song. Or ten.

Dreamworks has done some decent movies, but nothing timeless. I don't think anyone's going to care about Megamind in 10 years. People still care about Toy Story.

[Nate]

Was I the only one disappointed my the Princess and the Frog? Who needs story when you can have a song. Or ten.

I didn't see that movie (my theater never got it :l) but that's how Disney movies have always been. XD Looking at The Little Mermaid, there were nine songs in that and Beauty and the Beast had seven. Aladdin and Lion King had five, and even though I never saw it, Hunchback of Notre Dame had like eight.

Dreamworks has done some decent movies, but nothing timeless. I don't think anyone's going to care about Megamind in 10 years.

Probably not, but Shrek was popular enough that it got more sequels than it should have. And I hear How to Train Your Dragon was genuinely one of the best movies of last year...it probably could have even won the Oscar, if it hadn't been up against Toy Story 3. And don't even get me started on Randy Newman winning an Oscar for the same song he's done for the past thirty years.

[Shao Feng-Li]

I didn't see that movie (my theater never got it :l) but that's how Disney movies have always been. XD Looking at The Little Mermaid, there were nine songs in that and Beauty and the Beast had seven. Aladdin and Lion King had five, and even though I never saw it, Hunchback of Notre Dame had like eight.

Probably not, but Shrek was popular enough that it got more sequels than it should have. And I hear How to Train Your Dragon was genuinely one of the best movies of last year...it probably could have even won the Oscar, if it hadn't been up against Toy Story 3. And don't even get me started on Randy Newman winning an Oscar for the same song he's done for the past thirty years.

Yeah, that's why Disney isn't generally my favorite thing. Not a big fan of show tunes. The Hunchback of Notre Dame had a few epic ones though, I thought. Still, Princess and the Frog felt really shallow compared to the Lion King and such.

I keep forgetting How to Train Your Dragon is a Dreamworks movie. It was really good and not full of pop culture jokes. But UP and Toy Story 3 made me cry, so...

Who's Randy Newman?

[Nate]

Randy Newman is a songwriter, he's done songs for lots of movies...including, oddly enough, Princess and the Frog. However I bring him up mostly because he's done the award-winning songs "You've Got a Friend In Me" and "We Belong Together" from the Toy Story movies.

[Shao Feng-Li]

Randy Newman is a songwriter, he's done songs for lots of movies...including, oddly enough, Princess and the Frog. However I bring him up mostly because he's done the award-winning songs "You've Got a Friend In Me" and "We Belong Together" from the Toy Story movies.

Why is it bad that he won awards for it?

[Nate]

Because his songs all sound the same and it's annoying that he wins an award just for being Randy Newman and singing the one song he sings over other people who deserved the Oscar more. The song from Tangled absolutely deserved to win over that song from Toy Story 3.

[Shao Feng-Li]

I see. I never pay attention to who wins awards or anything.