Top 5 Wild Animals

My mom is really excited about seeing The Zookeeper's Wife and I don't know how to tell her that she should probably lower her expectations. Not only is it currently rocking a 54% on Rotten Tomatoes, but this movie has no business being released in March unless it's bad. You would think a movie that's based on a true story, about Nazis, and starring Jessica Chastain would be released in November or December for awards season. I didn't get a chance to see the movie so instead I'm going to talk about my five favorite movies featuring live wild animals. Please note this list contains no cats and no dogs because there are a ton of movies with cats and dogs and that’s a list in and of itself. 
 
5) Bo Tat in Operation Dumbo Dro

I know this movie shouldn't be on the list. I should probably have put Free Willy in its place, but when Operation Dumbo Drop was released on VHS I must have watched it 100 times. For whatever reason, watching Danny Glover, Ray Liotta, and Denis Leary trying to move an elephant was hilarious. The elephant was played by Tai, a female Asian elephant that has had several cinematic roles, including Larger Than Life and Water for Elephants. If you by chance happen to see this movie sometime in the near future don't tell me whether it holds up or not. (I already know there's no way it holds up just let me keep living in this lie.) 
 
4) Richard Parker in Life of Pi

Life of Pi is the 2014 movie of a boy who is shipwrecked and stuck on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Now obviously, there are no scenes of the young actor with the tiger in the boat; instead, there's a lot of CGI used. The CGI artists brought in four real life tigers to base the computer animated tiger’s movements off of, and to mix in shots used when the real tiger was on set. This movie is a crowning achievement in visual mastery – too bad the tiger was treated like shit on set, having almost drowned during filming. There are reports that the Animal Humane Association representative was having a romantic relationship with one of the producers and she agreed to downplay the incident. Poor Richard Parker.
 
3) Babe in Babe

The pig who dreamed of being a sheepdog. The movie was produced and written by George Miller. Yes, the same George Miller who did all of the Mad Max movies. He says he waited ten years to get the movie done so that the special effects would be just right. It was worth the wait because the movie has a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, won an Oscar for the special effects, and the Golden Globe for Best Musical or Comedy. Babe is the movie that began the trend of having talking animals in movies, for better or worse. Since pigs grow so fast Babe was played by 48 different pigs. It really is a charming story, if for nothing else then I just can't get enough of James Cromwell saying, "That'll do pig. That'll do."
 
2) Mr. Jingles in The Green Mile 

The incarcerated mouse Mr. Jingles, beyond being adorable, is an important part of the plot to The Green Mile. Mr. Jingles lives with Eduard Delacroix in prison who believes one day his mouse will join the circus. After Percy steps on him, it is the first time we see John Coffey's healing abilities, and if you didn't feel for Mr. Jingles while he was going through his life and death ordeal then you are a monster. Over 50 mice were used to play Mr. Jingles and some of them were quite ornery. There is one scene where Tom Hanks is seen wiping off his shirt while the mouse sits on him because the mouse pooped on him. You don't poop on Tom Hanks; Tom Hanks is a national treasure.
 
1) Artax in The Neverending Story

No, I'm sorry but Falcor doesn’t make this list. The number one spot goes to Atreyu's horse, Artax. This is one of the first movies I remember really getting worked up over. And how could you not, watching Artax just give up in the Swamp of Sadness? Artax is not in the movie for long, but his impact was enormous on a young Zach Stone. Also, contrary to rumors on the internet, the horse did not die during filming. It wasn't treated very well while it was stuck in the sand, but it didn't die. In fact, the horse was given to the young actor who played Atreyu, but due to costs had to be left in Germany, where he lived a long horsey life.