Name one thing better than hugging an animal. That’s what we thought. This holiday season is the perfect time to revisit one of of Hollywood’s strangest, most sincere, and sweetest subgenre: pet buddy movies! We’ve got classics, we’ve got Eric Roberts, we’ve got post-apocalyptic nightmares, and we’ve even got a surprise horror entry. Basically, if you love animals, we’ve got your holiday viewing covered.
Air Bud
Apparently based on a real dog, Air Bud is the film that sparked a decades long straight to video franchise. Though it looks relatively cheery, it’s surprisingly creepy. The film starts with an evil alcoholic clown, a ruined children’s birthday party and a grieving kid whose life can only be fixed by a basketball playing dog. Truly a unique entry into the weird realm of animal movies, Air Bud is a must-watch for fans of dogs, basketball, and creepy clowns.
My Dog Skip
There’s something about a boy and his dog that encourages creators to tap into all the unfettered emotion of being a child. My Dog Skip is an emotional rollercoaster as a man reminisces about his lonely childhood which was made brighter by his pet dog. Dealing with war, grief, and bullying My Dog Skip makes for a seriously heart wrenching watch.
Funky Monkey
From the sincere to the silliest. This outrageous ’04 entry features a boy genius who teams up with a tech savvy, rap loving, martial arts trained chimpanzee to take down an animal testing lab. It also stars Matthew Modine as the hapless monkey carer which is a sight that must be seen to be believed.
Homeward Bound
Technically this is about pets who join together rather than teaming up with a human, but it’s such an iconic kids classic that we had to include it. Who doesn’t remember crying as we watched the three talking animals take on an epic cross country adventure, in an attempt to reunite with the family who left them behind.
A Talking Cat!?!
Ever wanted to hear Eric Roberts voice a talking cat–apparently recorded on a cell phone? Then this incredible David Decoteau Z-Movie is for you. Currently at a criminal one star on IMDB, this surreal entry focuses on an Eric Robert’s voiced sassy cat who helps a family solve their problems.
Turner & Hooch
Thank god for the sweetness of Tom Hanks and this dog starring buddy cop murder mystery. Hanks plays an uptight cop who has to take on the dog of a dead man in order to solve the murder of his owner. What starts as an action comedy has a classic dog movie tearjerker ending so get your tissues ready.
Alien
The best pets in all of movie history, Jonesy is an icon and one of only two survivors of this brutal sci-fi flick. If surviving a scary alien invasion alongside a cute cat isn’t a pet buddy flick, we don’t know what is!
Do you have a favorite animal buddy movie that you just can’t get enough of? do you dispute our choices? Let us know below!
Videos: 20th Century Fox, Disney, Warner Bros., Phase 4 Films, LQ/JAF Productions
