10 Animal Movies To Think About How We Treat Them

If we want to build a society in which we can all live in harmony, animal abuse has no place. What is more, we can all contribute, as much as possible, to making the quality of life for animals a little better. It is our duty to condemn animal abuse and to report it if we are aware of a case.

The cinema is a great means, a very powerful weapon which can show us embarrassing realities. We therefore offer you 10 films that seek to initiate an interesting reflection on the way we treat animals.

1. Spirit, the stallion of the plains

Spirit, the Plains Stallion is a cartoon from Dreamworks studios. The protagonist is a wild stallion who has lived his entire life in the wild until he falls into the hands of humans. The men catch him, sell him, try to tame him, totally disregarding Spirit’s desire for freedom.

Despite this, Spirit is a horse convinced that he does not want contact with humans: he wants to be free and is not going to give up so easily. This story gives us a strong image of struggle and makes us think about the role or obligation that we sometimes assign to animals.

2. The Aristocats

Alongside the indisputable “man’s best friend” is the cat. This particular furball that some people love and others are suspicious of. Cats are curious beings by nature, which have given rise to endless myths and superstitions. Hated and loved throughout history, cats leave no one indifferent.

The Aristocats deals with a story that looks a bit like Beauty and the Tramp. But the most interesting thing about The Aristocats is the sensitivity shown by Madame de Bonnefamille, the mistress of felines, towards these animals. After getting her beloved cats back, she decides to adopt another one and create a home for the stray cats that live on the streets.

Ultimately, it is one of the films about animals that shows us the possibility of creating our own society for the protection of animals or, at least, to try to feed them, to help them when they live on the streets and to seek families who can adopt them.

3. Pi’s Odyssey

Pi’s Odyssey is a movie directed by Ang Lee and based on the novel of the same name. The film deals with an infinity of philosophical and religious points and it is about an almost poetic work in which a young person will have to survive on a boat in the middle of the sea and in the company of a Bengal tiger.

It is a story of adventures and surpassing oneself, in which animals play a fundamental role. It is very difficult to summarize your argument in a few lines and that is why we will tell you quite simply: you have to see it.

4. The Jungle Book

The Jungle Book is an ode to nature and the purity of animals; its soundtrack, one of Disney’s best, deserves special mention. Humans will be the ones to abandon little Mowgli and the animals will be the ones to take care of him, demonstrating that they can be much more noble than some people.

Throughout history, various cases of wild children raised by animals have existed. In the same vein, we find the Spanish film L’Enfant loup ( Entre lobos ), which tells the true story of a child who spent 12 years living with these animals.

The Jungle Book is, along with The Lion King, one of the cartoons that go deeper into the theme of wild life, its hierarchies, the relationship of animals with the environment, etc. On the other hand, he invites us to think about one point: should we or should we not remove these animals from their natural habitat for our personal entertainment, as is the case with circuses or zoos?

5. Frankenweenie

Tim Burton made a 1984 short film titled Frankenweenie, very similar to his 2012 namesake film. However, the short film was not an animated film. In my opinion, the short film is more successful than the long one and manages to convey a lot more emotions. The most interesting thing about the film is that we deal with the theme of mourning after the animal’s death.

The title is a clear allusion to Frankenstein. In fact, this is the last name of Victor, the main character. The story goes deeper into the relationship between a little boy and his dog, as well as the pain caused by the loss of the animal. Thanks to his knowledge and science classes, Victor will succeed in resuscitating his dog.

6. The 101 Dalmatians

Animal skins constitute a real trade and even if the companies which reject their use are more and more numerous, some people are still supporters. Some skins are more popular than others. Thus, animals like the crocodile, the fox or the mink have suffered directly from the consequences of these fashions. In many cases, society has stayed away from these circumstances, without too much protest, because the majority of these animals are not so close to us as dogs or cats: the fact that they are used to create clothes. was therefore not considered so scandalous.

Would we buy a coat made of dog hair? The mere thought of it scandalizes us. How could we put on a coat made from “man’s best friend”? It would be sheer madness. This is precisely what the cartoon 101 Dalmatians is about. We all melt in front of the little Dalmatian puppies that appear in the film and we see in Cruella an authentic “bad”, an animal killer. The 101 Dalmatians reveal to us the horror behind these so requested skin coats.

7. The Bear

L’Ours is a 1988 French film loaded with feelings. In the latter, the protagonist is a little bear who loses its mother after an avalanche. The young bear will befriend an adult bear who will serve as his adoptive father.

The film will show us how these animals must flee from the hunters who pursue them; in this case, as in other films dealing with the same subject, the main antagonists will be human beings. His message is clear: animals have the right to life and nature deserves our respect.

8. Ferdinand

This is one of the more recent animal films, which questions bullfighting and, as you might expect, has created controversy. Ferdinand does not like violence, he is a peaceful bull who only wants to live in peace; however, since it is a fighting bull, its function that humans assign to it, if brave enough, is to be bullied in an arena until its death.

Bullfighting creates a controversy as soon as it is named; for some it is an art and for others it is real torture. In the midst of this debate, Ferdinand brings us closer to the thought of the eternal forgotten, the animal itself. Does anyone know if the bull wants to be there? Does an animal have to be in pain for a crowd to have fun? Can traditions change or must they be maintained? This is without a doubt one of those animal films that will get people talking, both because of the substantive subject matter and the fact that the film is aimed at a child audience (which is not to say that adults can’t appreciate it).

9. Bambi

Another animal film that deals with respect for nature and the free life of animals (and which made us cry a lot when we were little). Bambi is a small fawn who lives happily in the forest with his mother. In this peaceful place, all the species coexist in perfect harmony, except one.

This species which is not able to respect the tranquility of the forest is none other than the human species. Just like in The Bear, and even if it is aimed at a younger audience, this cartoon tells us about the right of animals to be free.

10. Hatchi

Of course, in a list of animal films, we couldn’t forget Hatchi. A moving film that explores animal loyalty, the friendship between man and dog as well as the infinity of feelings that these furballs can arouse in us.

Based on a true story, this is a movie you’ll enjoy from the very first moment if you love animals. But beware, it will make you cry …