Movies featuring animals have charmed audiences for years. As early as 1918, Charlie Chaplin made A dog’s life, featuring one of the first canine performances. Since then, audiences have enjoyed various performances of dogs, cats, elephants, lions, tigers and bears.
While several live-action movies boasted animal companions — whether real, CGI-animated, or a costumed actor — few cast an animal in the lead role. While some wildlife movies have had troubled productions, others have become classics to entertain audiences of all ages. Whether it is for the adorable role of the animals or the heartwarming plot of the film, many viewers smile when remembering these films.
ten Flipper is a legacy animal movie
Since its inception, the Pinball franchise has graced the silver screen and the television screen. From 1963 with Pinball, the audience followed a twelve-year-old boy who befriended an injured dolphin. The story continues with Pinball’s New Adventure and the television program Pinball in 1964.
Dolphin movie fans had plenty of content to enjoy, thanks to Pinball. Relaunched in 1995 with another TV show, Pinball raced for four seasons. While this television program was on the air, an unrelated feature film remake in 1996 was released, also titled Pinball.
9 André is a seal, a dog and a heartwarming story
Based on a true story, Andrew was a 1994 film that followed a Maine family as they attempted to care for a young seal. However, the factual story regarding André the seal was less family-oriented and more about the story of a man learning to take care of a seal.
In the heart, Andrew is a canine film about a seal who thinks he is a dog. Knowing that it’s based on an endearing story and that it’s rare to find a movie starring a seal, audiences will want to give this film a chance.
8 Babe has been nominated for various awards
The classic of the 90s baby followed a little pig on a farm trying to find his place in the world. While it would have been easy to rely on a hybrid approach of animation or live action, the filmmakers chose to keep the film as hands-on as possible.
baby received nominations for multiple Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. Oscar-nominated wildlife films are rare, which made the accomplishment all the more impressive. baby was going to get a sequel, directed by madmax director George Miller.
seven Air Bud will always be a classic
air bud follows a golden retriever who excels in every known sport. The almost DC Super-Pet plays basketball in the original movie but soon takes on baseball, football, soccer and more. With over twenty films in its library, the massive franchise has no shortage of content for viewers to enjoy.
Whatseparate air bud of the dog movies that came before it is the inclusion of sports. In a creative mix of themes, air bud brings together animal lovers and sports enthusiasts for a family movie.
6 Matilda is a real knockout
For fans of classic cinema, Matilda is an often misunderstood animal film thanks to its wild and ridiculous plot. During the film, Elliott Gould plays an unlucky talent agent who decides his next boxing star client will be a kangaroo.
Combining sport and kangaroos, Matilda went made in history. The absurdity continued as audiences witnessed a giant Donnie Darko-kangaroo costume used to portray the titular animal in an Oscar-worthy performance. fans of Kangaroo Jack will like Matilda, to mix concepts described later in real steel with a kangaroo outsider.
5 MVP presents a primate with legendary skills
While technically in the Air Bud Cinematic Universethe film MVP: Most Valuable Primate stands on its own. The film follows Jack the monkey, who escapes from captivity and joins a hockey team. The heartwarming story of friendship includes emotionally shocking scenes that incorporate sign language.
The fun continues as Jack’s story progresses through the MVP Trilogy. Suites include MVP 2: Most Vertical Primatewhich depicts Jack growing into a talented skateboarder, and MXP: the most extreme primatewhere Jack swaps his skateboard for an XTREME snowboard.
4 Paulie learns to talk and fly
For fans of their feathered friends, Paulie was a 1998 film that followed Paulie the parrot as he passed through various owners, changing their entire lives. Jay Mohr voiced Paulie, a bird who didn’t seem to care about his keepers until he learned to love them for who they were.
Birds rarely become the cuddly and lovable lead in a movie, but Paulie soars on stage. While Jay Mohr’s Paulie may not be the epitome of a cuddly protagonist for everyone, fans can’t help but seek out the talkative parrot to learn how to fly.
3 The amazing panda adventure is an adventure
The Incredible Panda Adventure is an adventure film set in China that revolves around ten-year-old Ryan Tyler who tries to save a baby panda from poachers. Although the movie seems to be lacking in some areas, the constant presence of an adorable panda is a plus.
Panda movies have been rare given the animal’s history as an endangered animal, so despite the flaws that come with The incredible adventure of the pandas, the film is worth seeing. If viewers are lucky, they will be treated to more panda movies in the future.
2 Homeward Bound is a VHS classic
The Incredible Journey was a Disney production released in 1963, following two dogs and a cat who make a long and perilous journey back home. The producers remade the film in 1993 with a similar plot, titled Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey.
Both films became classics in the eyes of children and cemented themselves in the official canon of animal films. Any movie fan who was a kid in the 1990s probably used their VHS copy a lot to Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey. For moviegoers who haven’t seen it yet, the adventure is breathtaking.
1 Two brothers will break your heart
Two brothers is a 2004 tiger-based film that follows two baby tigers separated at birth. Reunited later in life, the Tiger siblings attempt to return home and reunite with their mother. The film can sometimes be difficult to watch, thanks to its Bambi-esque moments. However, the inclusion of the two baby tigers, often actual tigers as opposed to CGI characters, is well worth it.
Despite the digital cinematography greatly aging the film, Two brothers is an adorable film that will captivate the hearts of audiences young and old. Stirring viewers’ emotions throughout the film, the baby tigers truly steal the show.