With the release of The Light Between Oceans, the Disney-era of DreamWorks has ended. In 2009, DreamWorks was looking for a new distribution partner after splitting with Paramount. Disney was looking for someone to help fill release dates as the rolled back their live-action production. Disney ended up agreeing to distribute 30 DreamWorks films through their now-defunct Touchstone Pictures banner. After disappointing results, and Disney’s release slate growing due to the Marvel and Lucasfilm acquisitions, the two organizations parted ways, with Steven Spielberg reforming the group at Universal with only 14 of the planned 30 films ever being released.
With the era ending, I am sharing my ranking of the DreamWorks films released by Disney. I am also including the film’s domestic box office as well as the Rotten Tomatoes score. Do you agree with my assessment?
#14 — The Light Between Oceans
(September 2, 2016, 60%)
It is not that The Light Between Oceans is a bad film. In fact, it is quite visually beautiful. The problem is that most movie theaters don’t have a combo meal that includes the anti-depressants that you will need in order to make it through a screening.
#13 — Need for Speed
(March 14, 2014, $44 Million, 23%)
If anyone tells you that a poor Fast and the Furious copy branded around a somewhat popular racing video game sounds like a good idea, give them a copy of this film to prove them wrong.
#12 — The Fifth Estate
(October 18, 2013, $3 Million, 37%)
To be fair, I didn’t see this film. With a wretched box office performance and poor reviews, the film did not last long enough for me to catch it in theaters. That being said, I am slotting this film about Wikileaks right ahead of two films that I never ever want to see again.
#11 — Delivery Man
(November 22, 2013, $30 Million, 39%)
This is a film about a man who fathered 533 children after a donation at a fertility clinic. With Vince Vaughn starring, the most noticeable thing about this film is that it features a pre-Marvel Chris Pratt and Colbie Smulders.
#10 — People Like Us
(June 29, 2012, $12 Million, 54%)
With a stellar cast including Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks, Olivia Wilde, and Jon Favreau, this family drama should be better than it is. Alas, it is not. As a result, it only brought in $12.4 million on a budget of $16 million.
#9 — I Am Number Four
(February 18, 2011, $55 Million, 33%)
In what was presumably hoping to be the first adaptation of James Frey’s Lorien Legacies series, Alex Pettyfer learns that he is Number Four. Do yourself a favor and not learn what that means or even care. Does the name James Frey sound familiar to you? He is the man the Oprah ridiculed after it was revealed that his “memoir” A Million Little Pieces was actually a work of fiction.
#8 — Fright Night
(August 19, 2011, $18 Million, 72%)
The rare time that Disney has released a horror film in recent memory, this remake of the 1985 vampire flick was directed by future Disney staple Craig Gillespie (Million Dollar Arm, The Finest Hours) and stars the late Anton Yelchin. Not a great film, but the last film in this list that ironically doesn’t make you want to slit your wrists.
#7 — Real Steel
(October 7, 2011, $85 Million, 59%)
While derided as Rock ’em Sock ’em Robots: The Movie, the film offered a surprisingly touching story of a father and his son. While the attention grabbing robots may have turned many potential audience members off, it is a shame that many folks missed the film due to the silliness of the conceit.
#6 — The Hundred-Foot Journey
(August 8, 2014, $54 Million, 68%)
While not a brief film, the fine performances show how a little understanding can benefit both sides of a conflict and that an amalgamation of styles can provide fantastic results. Although the film was not a major box office player, the release exceeded its modest expectations.
#5 — War Horse
(December 25, 2011, $80 Million, 76%)
A fine Speilberg historical epic makes the list. While not as critically acclaimed as some his other work, this World War I tale shares a personal story of the conflict
#4 — The BFG
(July 1, 2016, $55 Million, 75%)
The only DreamWorks film to be released under the Disney banner, Steven Spielberg brings the classic Roald Dahl to the big screen. The film finds a tone that matches its 1980s setting which was undoubtfully guided by screenwriter Melissa Mathison (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial) in her final work. While a box office disappointment, I believe this film will find life beyond its theatrical release as have other Dahl adaptations.
#3 — The Help
(August 10, 2011, $170 Million, 75%)
The first hit of the Disney-Dreamworks era, the film features outstanding performances by its cast including Oscar winner Octavia Spencer. Based on the novel of the same name, The Help balances the drama of Mississippi during the Civil Rights era with situational humor that at times exposes the ridiculousness of racism.
#2 — Bridge of Spies
(October 16, 2015, $72 Million, 91%)
Another historical tale from Spielberg, with this one set during the Cold War. Telling a largely unknown story of how a lawyer was able to navigate the US-Soviet relations to ensure the desired outcome. This film also features an Academy Award performance by Mark Rylance as Soviet spy Rudolf Abel.
#1 — Lincoln
(November 9, 2012, $183 Million, 90%)
Daniel Day-Lewis’s Academy Award-winning performance as the 16th President of the United States anchors Steven Spielberg’s effort with a script by Tony Kushner. The film shows the political mastery of Lincoln that expands our understanding of the skills that brought us through and out of the Civil War while ensuring slavery in the United States would become a thing of the past.
As you can see, the Disney/DreamWorks era had a tough run. With only two films that were unequivocally box office successes, both Spielberg and Disney were hoping for better results. With that being said, I wish the whole DreamWorks team the best of luck at Universal. As for Disney, I think they have a decent release slate for the near future.