The Greatest Animal Movies Ever Made
The top animal movies on this listĀ feature cute pets, barnyard critters, jungle animals, and dangerous beasts. But which oneĀ is the best animal movie of all time? This is a crowdranked list of great movies that star real, animated, or animatronic animals. Pet movies aren't just for the dogs anymore. What's the best movie about animals? If a movie makes you cry or cheer or feel unusually invested... odds are good that there's a plucky animal involved. If a film makes you grip your arm rests, cover your eyes, and feel like something's crawling on you, there might just be an animatronic shark or CGI spider on the screen. (But we'd rather look at cute baby animals.)
Some of the most heart-wrenching scenes in movies involve children or strong heroic lead men losing their beloved dogs or horses. The best funny talking animal movies have a diverse mix of animal actors, including cats, dogs, birds, monkeys, and sea mammals. Voice talent from famous A-list actors provides laughs and quotable lines for both children and adults.
These are the best movies with animals either as the main characters or as the main focus. Vote up your favorites to move them higher on the list, or do a full re-rank to create a list of your favorite animal movies. If you see your favorite animal films are missing, go ahead and add them!
- Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones
- Rod Taylor, Betty Lou Gerson, Cate Bauer
- Released: 1961
- Directed by: Wolfgang Reitherman, Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi
In a Disney animation classic, Dalmatian Pongo is tired of his bachelor-dog life. He spies lovely Perdita and maneuvers his master, Roger, into meeting Perdita's owner, Anita. The owners fall in loveĀ ...moreAvailable On:
- Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould
- Peggy Lee, Barbara Luddy, Larry Roberts
- Released: 1955
- Directed by: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske
This Disney animated classic follows a pampered cocker spaniel named Lady (Barbara Luddy) whose comfortable life slips away once her owners have a baby. When, after some tense circumstances, LadyĀ ...more - Mickey Rooney, Kurt Russell, Pearl Bailey
- Released: 1981
- Directed by: Ted Berman, Richard Rich, Art Stevens
After his mother is killed, Tod the fox (Mickey Rooney) is taken in by the kindly Widow Tweed (Jeanette Nolan). He soon befriends the neighbor's new hound dog, Copper (Kurt Russell). The two areĀ ...more - Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Shakira
- Released: 2016
- Directed by: Byron Howard, Rich Moore
From the largest elephant to the smallest shrew, the city of Zootopia is a mammal metropolis where various animals live and thrive. When Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) becomes the first rabbit to joinĀ ...more