Animals are an important part of the human experience. Not only do they offer a cute sense of superiority, but they also do some practical and useful things as well. When it comes to movies, the friendly animal trope is often well received. And we aren’t talking The Animal or Ace Ventura here. Let’s discuss movies where an animal takes center stage.
A movie about a stupid whale. The kid is annoying. But the song is epic. A lot of people like this movie. I am not one of those people. But I do realize that it should be included for the important role this film played in the 90s.
4) Babe (1995)
A cute little piggy eventually goes to the city. I guess I could have included this or Charlotte’s Web. But in all honesty, I forgot about Charlotte’s Web until just now. So Babe wins.
3) Dunston Checks In (1996)
Should this be a future episode? I think so. Just read how IMDB describes this movie: A young boy befriends a larcenous orangutan in a luxury hotel.
Now that is a plot you can hang your hat on. Plus it stars Jason Alexander. Not just features…he is first billed. Take that Shallow Hal!
2) Air Bud (1997)
Slam dunk. You can’t go wrong with an animal playing sports. That recipe has literally been repeated to infinity and beyond. Air Bud brings all the elements of a cute animal flick with a high octane sports movie. The rule book doesn’t say anything about dogs not being allowed to play.
1) Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)
Featuring the voices of Michael J. Fox and Sally Field, Homeward Bound is an adventure film that flips the script in a lot of ways. By focusing on the animals, we get a different sense of dread and it creates a new sense of trouble that humans wouldn’t encounter. And by having it be live action, the audience is more invested than if this were a cartoon.
