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.

"The Wild Robot” opened No. 1 in theaters nationwide this weekend, riding in on a wave of critical acclaim. The movie's release coincides with the DreamWorks Animation's 30th anniversary.

Undoubtedly it’s easier for animation studios to have an in-house style, but this isn’t the path DreamWorks Animation decided to take when adapting the illustrated children’s novel The Wild Robot by Peter Brown, where a ROZZUM unit 7134 robot gets stranded on an isolated island teeming with wildlife.

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).