When it comes to movies based on family friendly TV shows, whether for TV, direct to DVD, streaming, or theaters, the ones who do it most are Cartoon Network, Warner Brothers Animation, Disney, PBS Kids, and Nickelodeon. As such, it’s surprising that Dreamworks Animation doesn’t invest in this nearly as much as its competitors despite consistently putting out great TV shows on a similar level on the best of days. To date, there have only ever been three films based on their television shows (Spirit Untamed, Trollhunters: Rise Of The Titans, and Gabby’s Dollhouse The Movie) and I’m going to talk about all of them right here. I’ll give my thoughts on the original shows before later giving my thoughts on the films. Spoilers are ahead for all the movies and their respective shows.
Before that though, I will say that the following three movies are disqualified: the 2014 Mr. Peabody And Sherman and Penguins Of Madagascar movies as well as Megamind Vs The Doom Syndicate. Why is that? Well, the Mr. Peabody And Sherman movie is based off a 1960s TV show, and thus long before Dreamworks existed. The Dreamworks TV show would come out later in 2015. Penguins Of Madagascar is meant to be a spinoff of the main Madagascar movies despite going for an action comedy tone similar to the Nickelodeon series of almost the same name. As for Megamind Vs The Doom Syndicate, it’s a pilot movie to the Megamind Rules TV show. It’s not like the show came before the movie. I’m reviewing movies where the TV show came first, or was at least the most prominent form of representation for a franchise (given how the Spirit franchise technically started in 2002, but the characters from the TV show are the ones pushed by Dreamworks). Now let’s begin the ranking, though I’m going a bit more in depth for some of the entries.
3. Trollhunters: Rise Of The Titans (A Terrible Finale To A Great Franchise)
Writers: Guillermo Del Toro, Marc Guggenheim, Dan Hageman, Kevin Hageman
Directors: Johane Matte, Francisco Ruiz Velasco, Andrew Schmidt
Let’s start with Trollhunters: Rise Of The Titans, based on the Tales Of Arcadia franchise, which came out on Netflix on July 21, 2021. This is the second movie based on a TV show, and the first movie to be made by Dreamworks Animation Television themselves. Let’s briefly talk about the TV shows to see what I mean.
Tales Of Arcadia is a TV franchise composed of Trollhunters, 3 Below, and Wizards. They’re all created by acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro, based on a book he made, that ran from December 23, 2016 to August 7, 2020. Trollhunters centered on a teenager named Jim Lake Jr. (voiced by the late Anton Yelchin in seasons 1-2 before being replaced by Emile Hirsch for the rest of the franchise) being given a special amulet that helps him protect the human and troll worlds. He does so with the help of his friends Claire Nuñez (voiced by Lexi Medrano) and Toby Zomslaski (voiced by Charlie Saxton). 3Below focused on teen aliens named Aja (voiced by Tatiana Masslany) and Krel (voiced by Diego Luna) trying to blend in on earth while trying to evade bounty hunters. Finally, Wizards focuses on all the characters from the previous series trying to fight for control of the magical world. The most prominent characters are Doukie (voiced by Colin O’Donoghue), Merlin (voiced by David Bradley), Morgana Le Fey (voiced by Lena Headey), and King Arthur (voiced by James Faulkner).
If I could give my thoughts on the whole trilogy, I’d say it’s good, but things do get worse from here. They certainly have ambitious ideas and great concepts. However, though this mostly applies to the later shows, they seem to get caught up in their own ambition to the point that things don’t feel as epic as they’re trying to make them be in their shorter timeframes, though it seems to be because of executive meddling given rumors of the Wizards writers wanting more episodes . This quality unfortunately carries over to the movie. So, what’s the movie about? Well, all the characters from the three shows team up to take down the Arcane Order. So, let me be blunt. This movie is bad. It’s especially bad because of how this is the finale movie to the entire franchise, making it quite the sour note for the franchise to end on. Before I get to why, let me give this movie some praise. It looks amazing. The shows were already some of the better looking Dreamworks shows, but this movie takes it up to 11. The action is as fun and smooth as ever. The art direction and character designs have that cool edge to them that’s more pronounced here.
That’s the only real compliment for the movie I can give. It’s otherwise pretty bad. Let me start with a minor complaint. This movie doesn’t use its time wisely. It’s 105 minutes long, making it the longest running DreamWorks movie. However, it feels the need to spend time on an unfunny subplot where Steve Palchuk (voiced by Steven Yeun) gives birth to alien babies. Yes really. We get a male pregnancy plot line in a franchise that’s usually more tasteful with its humor. This subplot is just here to pad out the movie’s runtime, and doesn’t do much to show how he’s developed from bully to protagonist. I’d probably give it a pass if it was at least entertaining, but it’s not. Time that could’ve been spent on making the Arcane Order more compelling villains was wasted here. Granted, just about everyone is running on autopilot since the complexity of the TV show characters isn’t present here. It’s basically just running at triple speed to get through all the plot points that you don’t really get to feel anything for anyone. Well, there’s one exception. Of course, Jim’s characterization is what definitely puts the movie here. He seems to be more off his game here, making big mistakes and showing much self doubt that not even his early self would show. The worst part of the movie is definitely the ending. Through various events too complicated to get into, Jim reverses time so that none of the events of the shows happened, and he makes Toby the new Trollhunter. This is not good given how the original show had an episode called “Unbecoming”, which had a “What If” scenario where Jim wasn’t a Trollhunter, and things turned out very bad. He basically just caused that to happen here with his actions. Maybe this was intended to teach that there are some bad things that have to happen, but this just feels like it’s undermining everything, such as reformation arcs and character development. This was not a good way to end the franchise.
2. Spirit Untamed (A Good First Effort, But Just Watch The TV Show)
Writers: Aury Wallington & Kristin Hahn (screenplay), Chris Matheson (story), Katherine Nolfi (additional written material)
Directors: Elaine Blogan & Ennio Torresan Jr.
At number 2, we have Spirit: Untamed, based on Spirit: Riding Free, which came out in theaters on June 4, 2021. This is the first Dreamworks movie based on a TV show, though it’s produced by the main Dreamworks studio, and not DreamWorks Animation Television. Let’s discuss the TV show first.
Spirit: Riding Free is a Netflix series that ran from May 5, 2017 to December 8, 2020, and acts as a VERY loose followup to the 2002 movie “Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron”. The series, developed by Gravity Falls and Tower Prep writer Aury Wallington, follows a 12 year old girl named Lucky Prescott (voiced by Amber Frank) as she moves to the small town of Miradero with her father Jim Prescott (voiced by Nolan North) and her aunt named Aunt Cora (voiced by Kari Wahlgren). Her mother Milagro Prescott (voiced by Natalie Otano) died before the events of the show. It’s here where she meets a wild horse named Spirit (who’s descended from the Spirit of the original movie, though it’s not mentioned in the show), and goes on all sorts of adventures with him alongside her new friends Pru Granger (voiced by Sydney Park) and Abigail Stone (voiced by Bailey Gambertoglio). The three girls become the PALs.
So, what do I think of the show? Well, it’s been awhile since I watched it, but I think it’s pretty good. Some would say that the show is too different from the original Spirit movie to the point of ruining its legacy given its messages involving freedom and anti colonization, and not being able to show harsher themes, while this show, at least for more hardcore detractors, looks more commercialized and boring, and goes against the message of the movie. I can at least understand that complaint given how the show is vastly different from the movie, and didn’t need to be based on that movie. However, I think there’s still plenty to enjoy about the show. I find it similar to the DreamWorks preschool show Dragons: Rescue Riders in how it didn’t need to be based on the How To Train Your Dragon franchise, but it’s also very clearly more about being its own thing that I think the show is easier to watch and judge on its own merits. It’s at least better than Dragons: The Nine Realms, which definitely didn’t need to be connected to the How To Train Your Dragon franchise. Plus, outside of occasional nods, given how the only real in universe confirmation of this Spirit being descended from the original Spirit is a YouTube short about when he and Lucky met, and they’re shown in a cute art style while not being named, it seems like this isn’t meant to be seen as a serious connection to the 2002 movie, and should be judged as its own thing. I like a lot of things the show has to offer, particularly the characters. You have Lucky being very compassionate and strong willed, even if she can be stubborn and impulsive sometimes. You have Pru being the logical headed, mature one of the group, but with a fun side and a different kind of stubbornness. You have Abigail being delightfully silly yet also incredibly sweet. A lot of the episodes are either fun, standalone adventures or build up to something big in an interesting way.
I think the show does have the qualities for a theatrical movie given the potential for some stories between girls and their animal companions that can be really moving and touching. So, what does Spirit: Untamed have to offer? It’s basically a remake of the first few episodes. Yeah, we more or less get what’s basically the equivalent of a pilot movie for a Spirit Riding Free reboot since this movie follows more or less the same plot of Lucky moving to Miradero and trying to adjust to everything. If I wanted that, I’d watch the Unicorn Academy pilot movie since that’s the start to a show that’s also about girls and their horses. Granted, since this is a streaming show getting a theatrical movie, and not a streaming movie, it would make sense to give something to get general audiences hooked on the show. Plus, director Elaine Blogan said how she wanted this movie to respect the spirit of the show while still being more mature and setting it in its own continuity. Given how the show, even with its story arcs, has a more simple, episodic, lesson of the day format for most of the episodes, going for this approach makes sense when showing it to a general audience. Plus, it also helps that the show got a proper ending, so remaking the early episodes wouldn’t really undo anything done there. I can at least appreciate the movie’s messages about true freedom and growing up in a stranger and unfamiliar place. This movie does mostly capture the lighthearted occasionally serious spirit of the show, probably helped by how Aury Wallington and staff writer Katherine Nolfi worked on this movie. I think the movie is good, but not great because of it due to how it has a lot of good from the show, but doesn’t try to enhance the new things here since the new writers don’t let their influence show. Before getting into more thoughts on the movie, I should give thoughts on the voice acting. All the voice actors from the series are replaced, with Isabela Merced as Lucky Prescott, Jake Gyllenhaal as Jim Prescott, Julianne Moore as Aunt Cora, Marsai Martin as Pru Granger, McKenna Grace as Abigail Stone, and Eiza González as Milagro. I know that theatrical movies always have celebrities, including ones based on TV shows, but this is basically just the casting situation for SCOOB all over again, recasting established voice actors with big names just for the sake of getting more money. At least the voice acting is still good, particularly for the PALs. It probably helps how the PALs have voice actors who are more experienced with TV voice acting. I’d say McKenna Grace gives the best performance.
Even though this movie does adapt the first season into movie format very closely, there are some notable differences between them. One example comes from characters that were adapted out, such as Maricela (a girl who initially acts somewhat antagonistic towards the girls before later becoming one of their friends) and Kate Flores (who’s their teacher, and later, Lucky’s stepmother). As such, you focus more on the girls bonding while in town, and in the woods, much like how the Pony Tales and Riding Academy seasons, as well as the shorts, emphasize their dynamic more. Another change comes from the relationship between Lucky and Jim. The movie shows their relationship being more strained because of how Jim didn’t want anything bad to Lucky because of what happened to her mother because of a horse accident, and has become more distant from her as a result over the years. This is in stark contrast to the series, where he’s more openly caring and fully supportive of her, not going too far in making sure she’s safe. You can see this in how it’s Lucky and Aunt Cora meeting him in Miradero, and struggling to connect, unlike the show, where they all went to Miradero. There’s also the ending, where it’s heavily implied that Spirit doesn’t go back with Lucky. He goes back with his herd, which greatly contrasts the show, where he bonded with her more or less immediately. And finally, the movie has an original antagonist, a horse wrangler named Hendricks (voiced by Walton Goggins), who’s alright. He’s basically just a retooled version of the TV show character Harlan Grayson (voiced by Robert Kneeper and later James Patrick Stuart). Some would call these changes/additions unnecessary or lackluster. I think they work well enough, probably in how there’s at least enough focus on the PALs’ relationship and how this affects everything, which helps keep the tone smooth despite these changes just coming at you. They’re at least fine, but I can see why there’d be those who take issue with this if you were really attached to the show.
Despite everything I said, and calling this a good movie, it’s not exactly something you should be in a hurry to watch. The good in the movie, outside of the updated animation and great music, is mainly from what’s carried over from the TV show, with not much about elements specific to the movie that could be on par with them. Even with the changes I mentioned, where I said that they’re good enough, they don’t really enhance the story. More often than not, I said to myself “Why do this?”. I’d say it’s partially due to the lack of Jim Schumann, one of the producers on the series. He was one of many people that helped elevate the show in taking standard stories, and making them more ambitious or standout in a natural way. This is especially notable during the Pony Tales and Riding Academy seasons, which had a different showrunner and mostly different writers, but he was still there to keep things consistent with the original seasons. I say give it a watch at least once, but you don’t really need to make it required viewing. It plays things safe, which isn’t always a bad thing, but it could be better. Spirit Untamed is a movie that’s ironically quite tame. Maybe if this movie came out long after the TV show, I might be more impressed by it.
1. Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie (Third Time’s The Charm)
Writers: Ryan Crego (story), Melanie Wilson Labracio & Adam Wilson and Mike Lew & Rehana Lew Mirza (screenplay)
Director: Ryan Crego
At number 1, we have Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie, based on Gabby’s Dollhouse, which came out September 26, 2025. Yep. The movie based on a preschool show ends up being my favorite of the ones based on DreamWorks TV shows, especially one based on a live action/animation hybrid . Why is that the case? Well, let’s talk about what the series is about before I talk about my thoughts on the movie.
So, Gabby’s Dollhouse is a preschool show that first came out on Netflix on January 5, 2021. The series is created by both Traci Paige Johnson (co-creator of the Blue’s Clues franchise) and Jennifer Twomey (co-creator of Team Umizoomi). The show centers on a girl named Gabby (played by Laila Lockhart Kraner in live action and animation), who really loves cats. Inside her dollhouse, she goes on all sorts of adventures with her cat friends, the Gabby Cats, while highlighting the importance of critical thinking and flexible thinking for its curriculum. The most common ones we see are Pandy Paws (voiced by Tucker Chandler from 2021-2023 before being replaced by Logan Bailey), MerCat (voiced by Secunda Wood), Cakey Cat (voiced by Juliet Donenfeld), CatRat (voiced by Donovan Patton), Kitty Fairy (voiced by Tara Strong), Mama Box and Baby Box (voiced by Tara Strong and Maggie Lowe), DJ Catnip (voiced by Eduardo James Franco), Marty The Party Cat (voiced by Darren Criss), Carlita (voiced by Carla Tassara), and Pillow Cat (voiced by Sainty Nelsen).
So, what do I think of the show? Well, from the various episodes I’ve seen here and there, I’d say it’s pretty good. While I’d say shows like Dragons: Rescue Riders and Madagascar: A Little Wild are better DreamWorks preschool shows, there’s still enjoyment to come from this. It’s basically meant to be Blue’s Clues for this generation of kids, which is ironic given how Blue’s Clues And You came out a few years beforehand. You have a show that’s just fun and lighthearted showcasing educational curriculum. That makes one wonder. How can you translate a show like this to movie format given how movies are meant to be more ambitious in scale, which preschool shows usually aren’t? Well, let’s talk about it. The movie, produced by DreamWorks Animation and not DreamWorks Animation Television, involves Gabby going on a trip to Cat Francisco with her Grandma GiGi (played by Gloria Estefan). However, her dollhouse gets stolen by a crazy cat loving lady/head of a kitty litter business named Vera (played by Kristen Wiig), and her friends are trapped. Now Gabby has to get her dollhouse back with some old friends and new friends.
So, what do I think of the movie? Well, it turned out better than what I expected even if I figured it’d be somewhat solid. Given how it’s rare for preschool shows to get theatrical movies, this manages to stand out in a crowd of other animated theatrical movies based on tv shows. I think it’s because of two phrases, “being different” and “being confident”. Let me explain. This is a movie that very much embraces the fact that it’s based on a preschool show. As mentioned, it’s pretty rare for preschool shows to hit the big screen. As such, there’s more focus on just having fun and doing whatever it wants, and less about trying to compete with other movies that are clearly going for an older audience. You definitely see this with Kristen Wiig as Vera, who just has fun with what she’s given to do in playing this immature, over the top businesswoman like character. She’s basically a crazy version of Gabby due to also being surrounded by cats, but she sees them as collectibles to look at, not toys to befriend and play with. It’s especially the case when she becomes animated, and goes on an adventure with Gabby. Yes really. She keeps questioning the logic behind everything while being stubborn in not wanting to play. Even still, moments like Gabby still talking to the audience are a quirk from the TV show that the movie is just confident in keeping it since it still wants to maintain its identity even with the new things it does. I mean, you even have an adult like Grandma Gigi doing this, and she’s just unironically doing it because the movie is comfortable being itself and not trying to be like other DreamWorks movies. Given how she has her own cat ears, and gives the advice about how playtime is good even in adulthood, she works as a positive foil. Even when Vera asks who Gabby is talking to when she breaks the fourth wall, she’s more curious and confused rather than calling this bad.
The humor in the movie is quite sharp. It feels like a mix between Princess Power (another preschool project that’s confident in showing silly, but witty humor, especially fourth wall breaking) and Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide (while not a preschool show, it’s basically a live action cartoon that’s not afraid to get silly and weird). It’s not afraid to get a bit weird and overly silly, but it feels smart about it. I mean, you have a kitty forest creature named Matthew (voiced by Thomas Lennon) who’s really eager to use a spork like a sword. It’s absolutely hilarious, and it can be passed off as a kid’s imagination. You even see this in how the movie is rated G, making it the first DreamWorks movie in over 20 years to get a G rating, and the third theatrical movie in the 2020s after Paw Patrol: The Movie and Glisten And The Merry Mission to get a G rating. It definitely shows how G rated movies, especially ones based on a preschool show, can be very funny like PG rated movies when you really work with what you’ve got. It’s a movie that’s definitely expanded to included a wider audience while still staying true to itself. As someone who’s probably watched more preschool shows than he should, I think this is a pretty solid way to bring the show to the big screen. I’d say the influences of the people involved here, including the creators still being executive producers, helped make this movie great. Particularly, Ryan Crego’s work in non-preschool shows and movies combined with Melanie Wilson Labracio and Adam Wilson’s writing on funny preschool shows like Muppet Babies 2018 and Madagascar: A Little Wild really helps to elevate the movie. It’s definitely not afraid to lean into the fact that this is not just based on a preschool show. It’s based on a DreamWorks preschool show.
Of course, the movie isn’t just about having fun. There’s also a very profound message involving the importance of playtime in your life no matter the movie. One interview released before the movie came out had Laila Lockhart Kraner say how the movie would tackle a message about the importance of playtime in your life, not just for kids, but also adults. I can definitely respect this given how we can all use some fun in our lives, and the movie isn’t afraid to lean into this. There’s actually an interesting conflict with Gabby where she wonders if she’s going to leave her friends behind as she gets older. There’s a bit of thematic setup in the beginning, with Gabby saying how she’ll always be with her friends, and that tone hangs over the movie quite a bit (albeit more subtly) before being fully explored later on. She’s afraid of growing up due to thinking she might turn out like Vera, who’s someone that also talks to cats a lot, and losing what makes her life great. This is definitely a fear that a lot of people can relate to. We want that sense of childlike wonder and excitement to remain with us into adulthood, but things don’t always go as planned as we get older. This mainly comes from a scene with Chumsley (voiced by Jason Mantzoukas), where Gabby stops a party he’s throwing in the dollhouse, and he says how she’s becoming a grown up, just like Vera. You really feel for Gabby as she tries to get her friends back, and makes sure she doesn’t lose them ever again so that things can get back on track. She’s still as optimistic as ever throughout the movie, but this is a fitting conflict for her. I also feel like this can reflect some of what Laila Lockhart Kraner is going through since she’s currently 17, and thus also growing up quickly, but she still appreciates what makes Gabby great. It may not be intentional, but it’s worth noting. She really nails the material she’s given as Gabby by showing a wide range of emotions. Vera also has quite a bit of sympathy that I didn’t expect given the advertising. She’s someone who did have toy cat companions, namely Chumsley, who she loved as a child (played by Ryan Crego’s daughter Gweneth Everlee), but outgrew as a teenager (played by Cassidy Nugent). She technically has other toy cats, but she just displays them without playing with them. Chumsley actually tries to keep the dollhouse for himself in order to keep the fun times going given his nonstop partying, and not be treated like that again. He’s technically the main antagonist given how he shows more overt malicious intent in taking the dollhouse, and the bulk of the middle of the movie has Gabby trying to not get caught by Vera, who’s played up to be more weird rather than antagonistic when she thinks she’s seeing things. This results in the dollhouse losing the magic, and Gabby getting really sad and doubtful. Fortunately, both of them realize the error of their ways, and play together at the end. There’s also a little nice moment during the ending which shows that Gabby is growing up while still retaining her childlike enthusiasm. She makes a dog version of the dollhouse for her unseen little sister. I think this is fitting given how the beginning of the movie showed Grandma Gigi doing the same thing for her in giving her the dollhouse, which helped fuel her love of playtime. Now she gets to do the same for someone else.
Another thing to talk about is with the animation and music. Both are absolutely on fire here. Stephanie Economou, who previously worked on Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken, composes the score here. She definitely helps make the movie feel cinematic with plenty of fun pop music and positive energy, like with “Dollhouse World”. The cover by Aesap in the end credits is amazing, but the version at the movie’s opening is pretty good too. Probably the only song I’m not crazy for is one called “Skibidi Meow”, which is a bit too obnoxiously hard rock for my liking even though I don’t mind hard rock in other shows and movies. At least it doesn’t last too long, and doesn’t take away from the other songs. The animation is also impressive with lots of bright colors, updated character designs, and detailed backgrounds. While the movie would’ve always been a visual upgrade due to a bigger budget, the fact that it’s produced by the main Dreamworks Animation studio rather than Dreamworks Animation Television means that it definitely makes for a visual feast for the eyes while not being overstimulating.
This movie actually reminds me of 3 other preschool projects in a good way, those being the streaming movie Blue’s Big City Adventure, the Netflix series Dee And Friends In Oz, and the Doc McStuffins episode “Welcome To McStuffinsVille”. Much like the first one, this is a movie based on a preschool show co-created by Traci Paige Johnson that mixes animation and live action, and said movie involves the human protagonist traveling to a faraway place, where they’re greatly pushed to their limit. While she wasn’t involved with the Dee series, it was co-created by fellow Blue’s Clues co-creator Angela C. Santomero, and thus follows some similar ideas. By that, I mean going for a silly, but sincerely heartwarming tone that isn’t afraid to get weird, and going for clearly ridiculous and over the top villains that are pretty decent threats, (mainly since neither of them have had experience working with villains beforehand, and thus make them overly comedic like most preschool show villains, but with some hint of redemption). It’s also not afraid to push for something that’s a bit more mature while still being lighthearted. As for the Doc McStuffins influence, there’s two instances of this. That episode revealed that Doc got her magic stethoscope that lets her talk to toys from her grandmother, much like how the opening of the Gabby movie revealed that Gabby, as a young girl (and played by Tina Ukwu), got the dollhouse from Grandma Gigi. The movie even has instances of the Gabby Cats pretending to be regular toys when around Vera, much like how Doc’s toys pretend to be regular toys around those not in the know about her gift. There’s also how that episode’s antagonist, Stanley, turned out antagonistic like he did because his kid seemingly forgot him, but then turns a new leaf. The circumstances are different, but they’re similar enough to Chumsley’s reactions to being abandoned. Taking what makes these projects good along with expanding on what makes the show good definitely helps me appreciate Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie more, unexpectedly making it my favorite movie based on a DreamWorks TV show.
On a different note, I want to talk about the experience I had with this movie at the theaters. There were a lot of kids with families, but there were also many teenagers and adults that came without kids. They definitely had no shame in showing up. Then again, I also had no shame in watching this movie on my own, so it all works out. You had people that had a blast going along for the ride. There were cat ears and cat puns galore at the theater I went to with some fun activities to do, mainly singing and dancing with the characters. It’s definitely something for both the child and the child at heart.
And that’s all I have. What do you think? What do you think of the movies based on DreamWorks TV shows? Comment below with your thoughts.
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