Dreamworks vs Pixar!

[Sleepy Sol]

Though I have watched more Dreamworks films than Pixar ones, I have to say that Pixar holds a closer place in my heart. I say this knowing full well I'm looking back on childhood with nostalgia goggles. But goddamn, Finding Nemo is still one of my favorite movies I've ever seen. Even from 3rd grade to now, I wouldn't mind finding the time to watch it again.

To make a clichéd metaphor, I'd rate Dreamworks films as satisfying but unfulfilling junk food, and Pixar films as the exquisitely delicious but expensive dinner.

I do think that Dreamworks has done a better job on their movies in recent years, though.

 

[Evonisia]

Pixar all the way. First off, I much prefer their animation style, aside from Dreamworks' severe overuse of the 'shitface smirk'-

Spoiler: For reference, this fucking face

The great irony being that Dreamworks stole it off Pixar (specifically Toy Story). The big difference is that the toys look like to attract kids (probably boys) to them. Dreamworks has no such excuse, and I wouldn't even say that it was a rip-off if Dreamworks hasn't shown itself to be so willing to rip ideas off from Pixar.

OT: Personally I think Pixar is the better of the two. Granted since the excellent Toy Story 3 something has gone horrifically wrong, I don't know if they're being forced to make sequel after sequel, but I hope once that phase is over they go back to making films with heart (yes, I know Brave was, it's an exception that proves the 2010s rule). Still, Pixar is a lot more consistent in quality and until recently weren't keen on milking their franchises like how Dreamworks ruined Shrek with three and four (as much as I kinda liked three).

Dreamworks has cool ideas, though, and I do like a bunch of their films. It just seems like they're only just now getting a grip and focusing on making films that won't waste your time (though I have yet to see the first or second HTTYD films). I will never forgive them for Shrek 4 or Shark Tale, though.

 

[Casual Shinji]

And you leave out Prince of Egypt, the best (and arguably only good) movie Dreamworks Animation has ever made?!

Pixar is just a better overall animation studio. They understand the art of animation to a tee and generally try to give every new film they make a unique visual style. With Dreamworks it typically feels very cheaply produced, even the much hailed How to Train Your Dragon has a very mediocre aesthetic, with some of the worse character designs I've ever seen.

Dreamworks is too obsessed with being hip and "un-Disney". Their most popular movie, Shrek, was all about sticking it to Disney and showing the world how much more awesome they were because of it. Not unlike Sega vs. Nintendo.

Pixar is kind of running on fumes right now, but even the trailer for Inside Out is looking better than How to Train Your Dragon 2 and The Croods combined. Plus, as someone else already pointed out, Pixar has The Incredibles, and nothing Dreamworks has or will have will ever come close that quality.

 

[chikusho]

Toy feels abandoned, finds out he's still loved, yay happy. Robot is alone, meets girl, loses girl, gets girl back, yay happy. Old man is alone and depressed, goes on adventure, learns to be happy again, yay happy.

I think you're really underselling these movies. All three toy story movies deal with completely different issues more than "not feeling loved" and then "finding out you're still loved". They are also about loss of purpose and the struggle with becoming obsolete, and also and about realizing your place in the world and accepting (even welcoming) change.
Up is not just about an old man who beats depression. It's also about aging, following your dreams, the importance of relationships and realizing the value of what you have instead of what you don't.
Wall-E is not just about a robot who meets a girl. It's also about consumerism, humanity's relationship with technology and the point of being alive.

Also, I kind of feel like the argument is fairly pointless. Good movies are simply good movies.

 

[TheVampwizimp_v1legacy]

Because pixar is and always was grotesquely overated, overpromtoed, overhyped, garbage. Ugly as frak design, crap stories, smug, obnoxious, pretentious, garbage. Grotesquely, sickeningly, sentimental shite.

Dude, why don't you tell us how you really feel! :O

Pixar made The Incredibles, which is a OHKO in this battle. Kung Fu Panda and HTTYD are quite excellent, but Pixar is just more consistently good. Plus Incredibles.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Pixar knocks it out of the park with their good movies, which are usually excellent movies. Toy Story, The Incredibles, Up. Yes, they have weaker films. But for every weak film they turn an excellent one.

DreamWorks on the other hand is consistently mediocre. Everything they do is somewhere between "meh" and "okay". And their better films tend to overstay their welcome (i.e. Shrek).

 

[hermes]

Pixar is still ahead, despite their track record taking a dip lately. Cars 2 and Planes were pretty terrible, and Brave, Cars and Wall-E were just mediocre... but they made Toy Story, Incredibles, Nemo and Up, which are pretty much masterpieces.

On the other hand, Dreamworks is pretty hit and miss (at least with Pixar, there is a point in history when they started making less than stellar movies). The first Shrek, How to train your Dragon and the first Kung Fu Panda are among their really good movies, and they kept the classic animation alive with Prince of Egypt and El Dorado at a time when Disney didn't give a shit; but they also made Shark Tale, Bee Movie, Madagascar, Turbo and several other Shrek movies (most of them are pretty bad). Even at their worst, Pixar can't match the amount of sucky-ness of some of Dreamworks work.

 

[RedDeadFred]

Lately? Dreamworks

However, overall, I still say Pixar. The Incredibles and Ratatouille are two of my favourite movies.

 

[McElroy]

I think Antz is better than A Bug's Life. That's the only comparison Dreamworks takes home. I've even managed to avoid watching any Pixar films that people say aren't too good (y'know, the new ones). Dreamworks seems to be using a lot of the same jokes over and over, just changing the setting while Pixar has churned out some truly superb films like Up and Wall-E.

Oh had they not put that chubby duo in there at the end, Wall-E would be perfect.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Oh had they not put that chubby duo in there at the end, Wall-E would be perfect.

For me they could left out the whole fat people on a space cruise entirely.

If there's one thing Pixar has a tendency for it's taking ideas better suited for a short film and stretching it out to feature length, like WALL-E and Up.

 

[Drake the Dragonheart]

Pixar all the way. First off, I much prefer their animation style, aside from Dreamworks' severe overuse of the 'shitface smirk'-

Spoiler: For reference, this fucking face

Pixar have both higher quality animation (man, Brave is such a gorgeous film) and are better at imbuing characters with personality even before they speak. I mean, just look at Carl's face in Up. Speaking of Up, I don't really think Dreamworks are as good at giving you that [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owiKEAmwfx8] kind of emotional gut-punch; I am not ashamed to admit I cried a little had something in my eye at the end of Toy Story 3.

Besides, I know Pixar have their turkeys but they've never unleashed horrors like the Shrek and Madagascar sequels on the world.

I will give you that Shrek 3 and 4 were atrocious, although I think Shrek 2 was the best.

2 things I think Dreamworks does very well:
A: capture for lack of a better word the "essence" of flying. How To Train Your Dragon 2 on top of being an incredible film was absolutely amazing in 3-D. I don't care much for 3-D feels too much like a gimic and is often used to just throw things at the audience, but it just worked for HTTYD 2. Really makes me wish I would have seen the first one in theaters in 3-D.
B: Outside of maybe "you've got a friend in me" I can't remember much of the music from Pixar movies. Kung Fu Panda and HTTYD have absolutely gorgeous scores by greats like Hans Zimmer and John Powell.

I also loved Puss in Boots as well.

As to the post I qouted, you say dreamworks films don't have an "emotional gut-punch" well to that I say

Spoiler: huge huge spoiler from Kung Fu Panda 2 you have been warned

I wish I had seen this in theaters. I have a friend who did see it, and he told me this scene had the audience, adults included, sobbing buckets. Wrap your mind around that for a second. A movie staring Jack Black, staring Jack Black as a talking anthropomorphic offish kung fu doing panda no less, made people cry.

I think Doug Walker here sums up my thoughts perfectly

Spoiler: just using spoiler tag to save space

 

[bartholen_v1legacy]

I haven't seen their worst films or much recent ones, but I still think this is no contest at all. I haven't seen a single Dreamworks film I'd exactly call horrible, but when compared to Pixar, Dreamworks' films can't hold a candle to them. The Train Your Dragon movies I think are good, Kung fu Panda had terrific use of animation and some really funny gags, Shrek I liked (haven't seen it for years though), and Megamind had some really great ideas, some of which worked out great. But when I compare them to the visual wonder and heart of Wall-E, Finding Nemo or Toy Story 3, they just seem too infantile and bound to their time.

 

[Pete Oddly]

If I want something to affect me by pulling on my heartstrings, I go Pixar.

If I want to laugh until I fall out of my chair, I go Dreamworks.

Honestly, I love them both equally, though out of all the movies made by both studios, I think The Incredibles is my favourite.

 

[MysticSlayer]

I've sort of been iffy on Pixar ever since Toy Story 3. They've lost a lot of what made their films up until that point really resonate with me. Cars 2 was funny but lacked the compelling characters and story that Pixar generally has, and Monsters University just felt like a soulless run through the motions of a Monsters Inc. prequel that forgot everything that made Monsters Inc. enjoyable in the first place.

Dreamworks, though...never been a fan. From an aesthetic and animation standpoint, looking good seems to be the exception rather than the norm for them, and at least of the movies I've managed to sit all the way through, Kung Fu Panda was the only one I really enjoyed. I guess what I've seen of the first Shrek has been good, just not something I can watch from beginning to end. Overall, their characters just seem...artificial. It's like I should have an emotional connection towards them but that I missed whatever they were relying on to build that emotional connection.

In the end, it doesn't seem hard to go with Pixar despite not liking them over the last few years. Ratatouille and Finding Nemo are both among my favorite movies overall, and Wall-E and Toy Story 3 would join in when considering just animated films, and I'd say that all the other films I haven't mentioned, minus the post-Toy Story 3 ones, are touching in their own way and still great on their own merits. At the very least, Pixar does a fantastic job of making me care about their characters and what they are going through, and I've always found it easy to relate with them and their struggles.

Overall, I still have mostly positive feelings towards Pixar and am even looking forward to Inside Out. I never really look forward to Dreamworks and generally only watch them at movie nights with friends anymore.

 

[Henkie36]

Dreamworks has been making big waves, while Pixar has been steasily losing ground since The Incredibles. I mean, it's not like they haven't made any good movies since, but they are not as untouchable anymore as they were before the first Cars, and especially since the second one three years later. That is one of those movies that I simply refuse to watch. Up was a legitimately great movie, but they also had Planes 2 after that, pissing away all the goodwill that Up and Toy Story 3 earned them. Brave was an ambitious project, that ultimately didn't amount to much, and Monsters University... I have no idea, I couldn't be bothered to watch it, but that should be a clear indication.

Dreamworks is more of a rising line. Shrek 1 and 2 were both great, but those are more than a decade old. Ever since Kung Fu Panda and How To Train Your Dragon (they do really need to work on their titles, though), they have been rising. I like that the sequels to both of those were also great movies, but I should place a side note here: Dreamworks has more average movies than Pixar, but when they succeed, they succeed more spectacular.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

they also had Planes 2 after that, pissing away all the goodwill that Up and Toy Story 3 earned them. Brave was an ambitious project, that ultimately didn't amount to much, and Monsters University... I have no idea, I couldn't be bothered to watch it, but that should be a clear indication.

Pixar is still ahead, despite their track record taking a dip lately. Cars 2 and Planes were pretty terrible, and Brave, Cars and Wall-E were just mediocre... but they made Toy Story, Incredibles, Nemo and Up, which are pretty much masterpieces.

Planes/Planes 2 aren't Pixar films- they're Disney films cashing in on Cars.

You know what? I think the two studios have changed a lot over the last view years. Heck the mainstream animation market has changed with new competitors like Illumination Entertainment.

That being said I love both studios a lot but Pixar is still my favorite. I think most computer animated films try to deal with adult themes in one way or another but I incidentally I think Pixar does the better job telling about stories that adults can relate to OP. I mean there are stories about letting go of your Childern when they are old enough, environmental responsibility, and making a life for yourself after someone important to you dies among other things.
I will say it is a bit refreshng though to hear someone defend Dreamworks, I think on their own merits they can produce some really good films too.

I take it by "environmental responsibility" you are referring to Wall-E. I'm gonna debate you on this one. Wall-E's "message" about the environment was... not. There didn't seem to BE a message. Sure, the planet was messed up, but humanity just left and lived happily on a spaceship before they came back when things got better. So not only did humanity not suffer any consequences, they came back after a couple of generations no prob. Wall-E was about the robot romance; I felt that whatever message they were trying to make was too diluted and unfocused to really provoke any thought on the issue.

And I did give Finding Nemo some credit! I'm just saying.

How about over-reliance on technology taking away our humanity? It pretty much hits you over the head with 'Wall-E is more human than all these humans'. Humanity pissed off, lost touch with nature and forgot all that was good in life.