That beginning encapsulates the perception of DreamWorks Animation in a nutshell — as the decidedly less ambitious, less artful cousin to Pixar. And it’s hard to say that reputation is totally unearned.

With The Wild Robot hitting theaters this week, it’s worth looking back on the best films of DreamWorks Animation. The animated studio mounted to rival Disney has produced plenty of beloved films in its history (with a few stinkers scattered about for good measure).

DreamWorks' The Wild Robot stands far above their recent films, highlighting how disappointing it is when they don't live up to their potential.

Filmmaker Chris Sanders had finally cracked “The Wild Robot.” Peter Brown’s middle-grade book, about an intelligent robot living in the wilderness,