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The Best Live Action Animal Movies for Kids

Updated August 28, 2020 12.9k votes 1.3k voters 153.8k views84 items

List RulesOnly children's films that feature live animals. No movies that are only animated.

What are the best animal movies for kids? This list of great live animal movies for children includes some of the most classic, iconic movies in cinema history. Many of them, not surprisingly, rank among the best children's movies and films of all time, and several are Disney live action movies, as well. Which ones are your favorites, and which ones do you believe are the most appropriate for youngsters? Time to vote! And, by all means, if you know of an outstanding (live action) animal movie that's great for the kiddos and isn't on the list right now, add it!

Many of the greatest animal movies ever made are geared, at least in part, towards children. From the loveable, wonderful, Academy Award-winning 'Babe' to the adventures of one of the cinema's greatest pooches, Benji, live action animal movies have entertained generations of children over the decades.

Obviously, any list of the best animal movies for children must include the animals (perhaps the greatest dog movies?) From 'Beethoven' to 'Air Bud' and Disney's 'The Shaggy Dog,' these pooches gave their all with their outstanding performances, all of our entertainment.

But it isn't just the dogs who should get all the credit: Several films on this list are among the best cat movies and cat movies for kids, including 'That Darn Cat!' and the campy classic 'The Cat From Outer Space.' Cats and dogs share the screen too, in excellent kids animal movies like 'Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey,' 'The Adventures of Milo & Otis' and the aptly titled 'Cats & Dogs.' You might also like our list of dog movies for kids and Disney animal movies.

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Babe
1995
Actors: Hugo Weaving, James Cromwell, Miriam Margolyes, Roscoe Lee Browne, Magda Szubanski
Directed by: Chris Noonan
Babe is a 1995 comedy-drama film, co-written and directed by Chris Noonan. It is an adaptation... more on Wikipedia
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101 Dalmatians
1996
Actors: Hugh Laurie, Glenn Close, Jeff Daniels, Joely Richardson, Frank Welker
101 Dalmatians is a 1996 family comedy film written and produced by John Hughes and directed... more on Wikipedia
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Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
1993
Actors: Sally Field, Michael J. Fox, Frank Welker, Don Ameche, Jean Smart
Directed by: Duwayne Dunham
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey is a 1993 American remake of the 1963 film The... more on Wikipedia
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Free Willy
1993
Actors: Danielle Harris, Michael Madsen, Michael Ironside, Mykelti Williamson, Richard Riehle
Directed by: Simon Wincer
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The Jungle Book
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102 Dalmatians
2000
Actors: Glenn Close, Ioan Gruffudd, Gérard Depardieu, Eric Idle, Ian Richardson
Directed by: Kevin Lima
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Stuart Little
1999
Actors: Hugh Laurie, Geena Davis, Michael J. Fox, Jennifer Tilly, Jeffrey Jones
Directed by: Rob Minkoff
Stuart Little is a 1999 American family comedy film directed by Rob Minkoff. It is loosely... more on Wikipedia

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Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco
1996
Actors: Sally Field, Michael J. Fox, Carla Gugino, Tommy Lasorda, Sinbad
Directed by: David R. Ellis
Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco is the 1996 sequel to the 1993 film Homeward Bound:... more on Wikipedia
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Dolphin Tale
2011
Actors: Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, Kris Kristofferson, Harry Connick, Jr.
Directed by: Charles Martin Smith
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Air Bud
1997
Actors: Mark Jackson, Kevin Zegers, Michael Jeter, Wendy Makkena, Bill Cobbs
Directed by: Charles Martin Smith
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My Dog Skip
2000
Actors: Diane Lane, Kevin Bacon, Frankie Muniz, Harry Connick, Jr.
Directed by: Jay Russell
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Old Yeller
1957
Actors: Chuck Connors, Fess Parker, Dorothy McGuire, Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran
Directed by: Robert Stevenson
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Garfield: The Movie
2004
Actors: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Bill Murray, Debra Messing, Nick Cannon, Jimmy Kimmel
Directed by: Peter Hewitt
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Cats & Dogs
2001
Actors: Alec Baldwin, Susan Sarandon, Jeff Goldblum, Charlton Heston, Tobey Maguire
Directed by: Lawrence Guterman
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Because of Winn-Dixie
2005
Actors: Elle Fanning, AnnaSophia Robb, Jeff Daniels, Dave Matthews, Eva Marie Saint
Directed by: Wayne Wang
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Babe: Pig in the City
1998
Actors: Naomi Watts, Mickey Rooney, Hugo Weaving, James Cromwell, Steven Wright
Directed by: George Miller
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Black Beauty
1994
Actors: Sean Bean, Alan Cumming, Peter Cook, David Thewlis, Peter Davison
Directed by: Caroline Thompson
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A Dog's Way Home
2019
Actors: Ashley Judd, Edward James Olmos, Alexandra Shipp, Wes Studi, Chris Bauer
Directed by: Charles Martin Smith
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Beethoven
1992
Actors: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, David Duchovny, Patricia Heaton, Stanley Tucci, Oliver Platt
Directed by: Brian Levant
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Lassie
2005
Actors: Peter O'Toole, Peter Dinklage, Samantha Morton, Kelly Macdonald, Edward Fox
Directed by: Charles Sturridge
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Air Buddies
2006
Actors: Abigail Breslin, Michael Clarke Duncan, Molly Shannon, Don Knotts, Wallace Shawn
Directed by: Robert Vince
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The Adventures of Milo and Otis
1986
Actors: Dudley Moore, Shigeru Tsuyugushi
Directed by: Masanori Hata
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The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
2005
Actors: Liam Neeson, Tilda Swinton, James McAvoy, Ray Winstone, Anna Popplewell
Directed by: Andrew Adamson
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Stuart Little 2
2002
Actors: Hugh Laurie, Geena Davis, Michael J. Fox, James Woods, Melanie Griffith
Directed by: Rob Minkoff
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Dr. Dolittle
1998
Actors: Eddie Murphy, Ellen DeGeneres, Chris Rock, Paul Giamatti, Raven-Symoné
Directed by: Betty Thomas
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