What if Deadpool was turned into a cute, electric mouse that solved mysteries? While that might not be the most direct description of this week’s major release, it is certainly the most enjoyable way to say it. With Detective Pikachu coming to theaters this weekend, our Gurus and Contributors went to the movie archives to find our favorite features with a unique pet. If you enjoy a movie with a cute companion relationship, this is the list for you.
Up is a film that created a sequence that became iconic as soon as the film hit theaters. Even now, at its 10-year anniversary, if you ask a group of people to name a scene in a movie that makes them cry every time they watch it, at least one person will say the sequence that depicts Carl and Ellie’s life together. It’s moving, even without any dialogue, and sets up Carl’s backstory in just about five minutes. But while many mediocre and bad movies have great sequences, Up does not fall into that category. Full of laughs, heart, and legitimately tense moments, it show’s Carl’s journey as he is given a reason to live and be happy after the loss of the love of his life, to make it one of Pixar’s all-time greats. (Robert Bouffard)
A truly unique cinematic experience from one of film’s quirkiest of auteur directors, Isle of Dogs is something to behold. The stop motion animation (which Wes Anderson first experimented with in Fantastic Mr. Fox) is strikingly gorgeous as we get to get lost in a sad world where are favorite pets are sent to a garbage heap. Anderson is able to pull together one of cinema’s most stacked ensemble casts as some of the greatest and more recognizable actors lend their voices to a variety of characters. I don’t know about you but I would do whatever I could if it meant having a pet dog voiced by Jeff Goldblum. But maybe that is just me! These dogs seem so animated as the fur comes to life and their movements are perfectly created. The story centers around a young boy who searches for his dog on the titular Isle of Dogs. He teams up with a pack of dogs to find his long-lost pooch. The story digs deep with political undertones and heartfelt moments. A great film stacked with uniquely great pets. Oh! And if the regular dogs don’t work out for you, there are robot dogs too! I guess those are pretty unique pets as well. (Shane Conto)
Cast Away would be a good movie if you only accounted for Tom Hanks’ performance. A man stranded on a tropical island with only a Wilson brand volleyball to keep him company gives him a lot to play around with, performance-wise. He portrays desperation in such a unique and interesting way that you can’t help but be invested. But of course, what brings it all together is his relationship with Wilson. It says something that it is more emotionally moving when Chuck loses a volleyball than when he realizes that he has lost the love of his life. This whole section of the movie is executed so perfectly that it makes up for a relatively lackluster final act. But all in all, Cast Away is a classic film for the ages. (Robert Bouffard)
Take your pick! Do you want the mush mouth jabbering of an adorable little monkey partner to a street rat? Or do you want the loud-mouthed macaw that stands shoulder to shoulder with one of animation’s most iconic villains? The original Aladdin is a great example of a film that makes great use of its pets. Abu is the best friend of our titular Aladdin as they go on grand adventures with the movie stealing Genie (Robin Williams at his truly mercurial and hilarious). Iago is fueled by the unique and grating voice of Gilbert Gottfried who brings the humor to the creepy and sinister villain, Jafar, as they stop at everything to steal Agrabah from the Sultan and his lovely daughter, Jasmine. One of the greatest animated films brought to screen during the Disney Renaissance, Aladdin is packed full of crazy fun and even crazier characters. This includes the iconic pets of our hero and villain. Oh wait…there is a tiger too! (Shane Conto)
This pre-Mad Max post apocalyptic tale puts Vic (the boy) and Blood (man’s best friend) in a desolate wasteland. And oh, yeah Blood communicates telepathically. Young Don Johnson plays the “boy” on an never-ending quest for food and… should I say companionship. Tim McIntire is the voice of the dog, and combines a kindly wise narrator quality with a hungry pragmatic survivalism, which makes for a weirdly genius overall character. The movie overall takes some fairly bonkers left turns, that will keep you paying attention to the very end. (Joshua Childs)
There are few animated features that can balance drama, adventure and humor quite like the film I am about to speak of. Laika Studios, Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) contains these 3 core pillars in abundance. Travis Knight makes his directorial debut with this elegant and impressive stop motion masterpiece. The film is about a one eyed child named Kubo, who has untapped mystical abilities with his handed down shamisen. He is being hunted by his Mother’s half of the family that intend on taking his remaining eye. Kubo is guided by Monkey and Beetle to collect 3 mystical weapons to defeat his estranged family. Art Parkinson showcases his voice acting talent and plays a fully fleshed out protagonist that you can stand behind. Charlize Theron plays the protective and pragmatic Monkey, while Matthew McConaughey plays the courageous and devil-may-care Beetle. Monkey and Beetle’s personalities mix like oil and water, but the two start to realize each others admirable qualities as their quest proceeds. This film as a whole is nothing like any other traditionally animated film, in both appearance and in storytelling. It is able to balance a tone that works for children and adults alike. (Joseph Vargas)
Remember that giant Ranchor that tries to eat Luke? If that isn’t a unique pet then I don’t know what is. Return of The Jedi is the culmination of the Original Star Wars Trilogy that brings the main focus of Luke, Leia, and Han to a close in glorious, crowd pleasing fashion. Most third acts in trilogies fail to fully deliver satisfying conclusions because of the expectations set from the previous films; Return of The Jedi, however, blends what worked well with A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back together to a perfect final act for all our heroes. This film does so much, but the best thing about this film is everything involving Luke, Vader, and of course the best villain of all time, The Emperor. It’s that throne room scene between these three characters that sets this movie to another level as Vader is fighting the conflict within him to either help his son, or stay committed to the dark side. In the final moments of this film, it truly has one of the most beautiful sequences in film history between father and son that demonstrates the true meaning of this saga, redemption. It’s incredibly emotional and a satisfying end to The Skywalker Saga…or so we thought. (Ben Davis)
When asked what the best original pet film of all time is I can only think of How to Train Your Dragon. What makes it so great is it’s not just a pet owner relationship but a friendship based on trust and understanding. From the first scene Hiccup and Toothless meet, that beautiful dance of avoiding the line in the sand only to come face to face, both unsure of the other. The very moment Hiccup puts his hand out to touch Toothless is pure perfection and one of the most, if not the most memorable moments in the movie if not the entire franchise. Beyond that, we get great other moments as the relationship grows and we get the amazing musical piece “Test Drive” and follow along as the duo take flight together for the first time. How to Train Your Dragon never got the biggest reception in the box office, and if it weren’t for Toy Story 3 coming out the same year, Dragons would definitely have taken the Oscar for best animated. (Evan Lucken)
There are certain films which leave an indelible mark on more than just pop culture, but humanity itself; these special films have a magic quality to them which allows them to transcend beyond the typical Hollywood blockbuster, the watercooler or lunch table movies we discuss with our friends one day and forget the next. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial is a film which exudes this impossible-to-capture magic; made by a director at the height of his powers; starring a group of wide-eyed innocents giving the performances of a lifetime; and telling a story so timeless it may as well be Shakespeare. It’s a children’s movie that respects its audience. It doesn’t patronize or talk down; instead, it is mostly filmed from the perspective of the children, and features realistic dialogue and actions. Yet it appeals just as much to adults as it does to its primary audience, offering enough wit, whimsy, mystery, and sci-fi wonderment to keep anyone from 2 to 92 entertained. It features iconic imagery that surprises and saddens as much as it inspires and sparks joy, paired with a John Williams score for the ages. But at its core, E.T. is a simple coming-of-age story; one about moving on from childlike things and taking on new responsibilities, but never losing the light in your heart guiding the way. (Devan Meyer)
What if you found a stray dog, that was cooler than any dog ever, but then found out it was actually sent by aliens to destroy the world? OK, so the Iron Giant isn’t really a dog, but the relationship Hogarth has with his big metal puppy certainly qualifies as pet like. There’s a reason this movie pops up in discussions of best animated movies of all time. A combination of clever action, beautiful animation, and stellar voice work from Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr., Christopher MacDonald, and a pre Groot Vin Diesel add to a poignant and powerful story of free will and the pursuit of understanding. Brad Bird may be more known for The Incredibles, but starting his career with The Iron Giant was all the indication I needed that he was one to watch. (Aaron Dicer)
Honorable Mentions
Scooby Doo (2002)
“Scooby-Doo is a dog. There is nothing unique about a dog. I have a dog.” Has YOUR dog ever gone to Spooky Island? Has YOUR dog ever shared the screen with heart throbs Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, and Linda Cardellini? Has YOUR dog ever been to a Sugar Ray concert? I am assuming the answers to all of these questions are no and that is why Scooby-Doo is the best ever unique pet. When it was released, Scooby-Doo was critically maligned by most people not in its target audience. Luckily, I was exactly its target audience. The movie worked for me as a kid and it still works for me now. Some see it as a lazy, live-action reboot of a popular cartoon series but Scooby-Doo is a lot more fun than you have been led to believe. It can be cartoon-ish at times but that can be attributed to the source material. Written by James Gunn, this adaptation features fun set pieces, a genuine mystery, and a cast that knows how ridiculous the movie is and leans hard into that. The four human members of Mystery Inc. are game for anything and their energy keeps the movie flowing for all 86 minutes. (Logan Van Winkle)
Beast Master
With this fantasy staple you have your pick of interesting pets (I mean Marc Singer is a Beast Master after all); You’ve got two pickpocket Ferrets; Kodo and Podo, a scout eagle named Sharak, and the black tiger, Ruh, who all accompany Dar (Singer) on his Conan-ish quest for revenge against the evil forces responsible for the death of his father. (Joshua Childs)
Clash of the Titans
Clash of the Titans marks the final Visual Effects credit of the great Ray Harryhausen. Because of him, we actually have two amazing pet choices for this film. The first and most iconic is of course Pegasus the flying horse, that Perseus finds to aid him in his quest to save princess Andromeda. I suppose one could argue that the bond with Pegasus is more of a partnership and less of an owner/pet dynamic, so I offer you the Mechanical owl, Bubo. (you remember the robot owl from Greek Mythology, right?) Both pets appeared in the 2010 COTT as well, though Bubo’s appearance was a small cameo for the die hard fans of the original. (Joshua Childs)
How to Train Your Dragon: Hidden World
Hidden World is absolute magical, fun, and an incredibly heartwarming conclusion to the series. Visually, it’s incredibly stunning and gorgeous and unlike anything I’ve seen before on the big screen. The thing that impresses me about this franchise is how it was able to grow up with its audience while still being able to appeal to kids. This one deals with some more mature themes. Themes like letting go, moving on, and growing up to become the person you want to be and having a support system that allows you to do so. The last twenty minutes alone are worth the price of admission as it will undoubtedly pull at your heart strings. (Ben Davis)
Lilo and Stich
Lilo and Stitch is about family. “Ohana means family. Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten” is probably the most famous line from the movie, and with good reason. This group of characters all come together to form a family because they stick together and care about each other. Films like this that demonstrate who you can consider family can be extremely powerful when done well. Stitch might begin as just a pet for Lilo, but by the end, he is her best friend and member of her family, and that is something very special. (Robert Bouffard)
Avatar
For the next 2 hr 42 min (or 3 hr depending on what version you watch) we follow the speaker, Jake Sully, on a journey: a journey that takes him, and us, to the alien world of Pandora. A world full of unique and fascinating creatures. The coolest of which are the
Ikran/Toruk, or Banshees. They’re basically giant bird-dragons that when they are biologically bonded to a member of the Na’vi can be ridden. When Jake Sully bonds with his Banshee, his dreams come true: He finds his freedom and his purpose. “I was born to do this.” He says and you can’t help but feel a little bit jealous. I call Avatar “The Nickleback of films” by which I mean that no matter how popular it was when it started, and however many people loved it then, it’s recently become cool to hate on it. I am
still an unabashed, unapologetic fan of Avatar. The two things James Cameron has always been the best at are world building and big spectacle moments and those two things have never been more on display
than the sequence that fulfils Jake Sully’s dreams of flying, freedom, and makes us all wish we could have a pet Banshee so we could experience that for ourselves. (Isaac Horvat)
Also See:
Ratatouille, Wall E, Men in Black, Big Hero Six, Okja, Flight of the Navigator, Meet the Parents, Babe