Watching an animal save a human creates a special type of scene in a movie.
Movies are great at showing people what could happen if the world was a different and far more magical place. For instance, when animals are depicted in the movies, which is pretty common, they’re either super tough, super lucky, or just…super…somehow. The point is that animals in the movies are seen in roles that are just as diverse as their human counterparts, Thanks to this, there have been plenty of movies in which the animals have been just as important as the humans, even if the moments are fleeting. Then again, there are movies in which the animals are one of the biggest stars, sometimes literally. When animals rescue the humans though it’s even better since it’s a way to show that humans need a helping hand, er, claw, paw, whatever…every now and then.
Here are ten of the best moments that show animals rescuing humans in movies.
10. The Mummy
This wasn’t exactly expected since the mummy in question, Imhotep, was already stated to be a walking nightmare. The main villain is the type of guy that doesn’t even have to touch his enemies to decimate them, and yet, at one point, he was scared to death of a cute little cat. Of course, the cat made it known that Imhotep’s presence wasn’t welcome. Leave it to a feline to be passive-aggressive when it comes to telling someone to get out of their space, right? But for at least a moment the cat was the hero.
9. The Dark Half
Admittedly, The Dark Half was better as a book despite the fact that the movie had a decent cast. There was something about Stephen King’s earlier works that were enough to chill the blood even in the daytime. But the image of a swarm of sparrows…SPARROWS for crying out loud, coming to ferry a soul back to the land of the dead is all types of horrifying. There is a word for those who are afraid of birds, ornithophobia, and it’s very real. This would not be the type of movie such an individual should watch, especially given the fact that it’s bound to send some people straight into a panic attack. Seriously, sparrows…
8. Jurassic World
The I. Rex was, let’s face it, a monster that was created by people with too much ego and not enough common sense. It could be said that every dinosaur that was created in Jurassic Park and every movie sense are essentially the same. After all, real dino DNA isn’t exactly something that’s lying around everywhere to be pieced together. Plus, the fact that the I. Rex had so much stuff packed into it made it a designer creature that was built to kill. But with Blue and then the T. Rex coming in for the save, it’s fair to say that the classics are not bound to be topped anytime soon.
7. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
There’s nothing like a last-second save when all appears to be lost, yeah? Give credit to Frodo, and especially Sam, since they made it to Mt. Doom over the course of three movies. The only problem is that it appeared to be a one-way trip, at least until a group of feathered allies showed up to save the two small heroes. The eagles certainly had a small role in the theater version of LOTR, but they did come in clutch during the final stand against Sauron’s forces, and they did manage to help create a happy ending that might have been a lot darker otherwise.
6. How to Train Your Dragon 2
So yeah, we’re getting into a little more fantasy here but when all is said and done, the dragons in How to Train Your Dragon became highly personable and were the fan favorites at some point. The second movie, which sees Hiccup coming into his own finally and Toothless assuming the role of the alpha, is great since it shows the relationship between Vikings and dragons deepen, and it shows that despite his size, Toothless isn’t about to back down to anyone, especially when his human is in danger.
5. Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban
A lot of people don’t even know what a hippogriff is since they either don’t pay attention to Dungeons and Dragons or they don’t happen to like fantasy. Hey, to each their own. But Buckbeak is by far and large one of the coolest creatures in the Harry Potter franchise since he’s fairly intelligent, but he’s definitely still an animal that acts in ways that only he appears to understand. But when stands up for Harry and Hermione against an unfortunately mindless Professor Lupin, he proves to be one of the most stalwart characters in the franchise.
4. Rampage
George is an outcast simply because of his appearance, but his presence in the movie is still great since he comes off as a protector and a good friend to Dwayne Johnson’s character. When it’s established that he’s kind of a miracle all on his own it’s even better. But one thing to note about this ape is that once he sees his human friend in trouble, he was bound and determined to protect him no matter how much of a beating he took.
3. The Lost Boys
Seriously, the fact that Nanuk knew Michael and probably liked him quite a bit didn’t matter at all once he’d become one of the undead, or was close to it. This is why a lot of people like dogs, since once you make it clear that you’re their caregiver and are there to play with them, feed them, brush them, etc., they’re usually bound to protect you against anything and anyone. Plus, and this goes for a lot of animals, it’s fair to assume that if a dog doesn’t like you, then you’re not that great of a person.
2. Captain Marvel
So, technically speaking, Goose isn’t really a cat, but a Flerken, an alien species that apparently looks like a cat. But we’ll give Goose the credit that’s deserved since swallowing those who were threatening two of the main characters and keeping the tesseract safe for a while was pretty cool. As far as giving this little kitty a tummy rub, well, it might require a lot more trust.
1. Secondhand Lions
Yes, this movie is pretty goofy and centered around the life of a kid that might have remembered things very differently. But that doesn’t stop it from being a touching story since Walter needed a home and guardians he could depend on, and the brothers needed someone to remind them that there was more to life than sitting on the porch and shooting at salesmen. When Jasmine the lion entered the picture though, Walter had the chance to live out an even more unique childhood that most couldn’t even dream of. But when another man was seen striking Walter? Oh, hells no, Jasmine wasn’t having it. While the ending isn’t quite what people might hope for, it’s a better ending than some might have imagined.
WTR? (Why’s That Radass?)
Just think of how much an animal can bring to a movie, especially when given a bigger role and turned into more than just a part of the backdrop. Animals rescuing humans in one way or another makes for an exciting movie, especially since the bond between a human and an animal is fun to watch.
