What Dreamworks Understands About Animation (That Disney Doesn't)

Disney and DreamWorks: Two Approaches to Animation

The video argues that Disney once led animation by taking creative risks, but has increasingly leaned on familiar formulas. DreamWorks, meanwhile, has developed a distinctive voice by experimenting—even when some experiments fail.

Disney’s influence stretches from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs through its Renaissance-era hits. Former Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg later co-founded DreamWorks, whose early films, including Antz and especially Shrek, positioned the studio as Disney’s irreverent rival.

Shrek pokes fun at fairy-tale conventions, replacing the shining knight with an ogre and featuring a princess who can out-burp him. The narrator also jokes that the oddball romance between Donkey and Dragon helped make the film unforgettable.

DreamWorks’ Experiments

DreamWorks eventually moved beyond parody. Kung Fu Panda is praised as a heartfelt original story, with the narrator playfully marveling at the “incredible amount of jiggle” in its animation.

The video also highlights several recent visual experiments:

• The Bad Guys introduced a stylized, anime-influenced look.
• Puss in Boots: The Last Wish combined painterly backgrounds with intentionally choppy motion. Its animation reinforces the story: when Death appears, color drains from the scene, while Puss’s dwindling lives force him to confront the consequences of his recklessness.
• The Wild Robot uses watercolor-inspired scenery. Roz’s increasingly weathered, moss-covered appearance reflects the sacrifices she makes as a mother.

Disney’s Familiar Formulas

Disney’s Tangled is praised for its warm, painterly lighting and the technical work behind Rapunzel’s long hair. However, the studio is criticized for repeating similar character designs and stories, then relying more heavily on sequels and remakes.

The video presents Wish as a well-intentioned but unsuccessful experiment. Its storybook-style backgrounds clash with familiar-looking CG characters, some movements stutter, and the kingdom feels muted rather than magical. The narrator also criticizes the writing and abundance of anniversary references, arguing that Disney looked backward instead of developing a fresh idea.

A trailer for the upcoming Hexed raises similar concerns: its heroine and premise feel familiar. The video compares it to The Owl House, which Disney had previously ended because it did not fit the brand. The narrator notes that the project’s original concept—a boy and his mother entering a magical world—was later changed.

DreamWorks’ Misfires and Successes

DreamWorks does not get every experiment right. The Shrek 5 trailer drew criticism for making Shrek look too smooth and polished—“like our favorite ogre’s been getting facials”—and was even called “AI slop.”

By contrast, the trailer for Forgotten Island, about two friends who may have to forget each other to get home, is praised for its emotional stakes and its mix of 3D, hand-drawn, retro, and anime-influenced styles.

Closing Argument

The video concludes that experimentation inevitably produces misfires, but a willingness to try new things is what keeps animation exciting. In the narrator’s view, DreamWorks is currently taking more of those risks than Disney.

Personalities and Characters Discussed

Jeffrey Katzenberg; Snow White; Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, and Dragon; Po; Rapunzel; Puss and Death; Roz; Asha and Magnifico; Billy; Joe and Rissa.

No on-camera host is identified by name.