Animals Stepping Into The Spotlight

  According to Charlie Chaplin, babies and dogs are the best actors in movies. This has been proved time and again by the number of movies that have been made with both animals and kids in the lead. Movies featuring animals in an important role have been a hit with all audiences, young and old alike. According to Charlie Chaplin, babies and dogs are the best actors in movies. This has been proved time and again by the number of movies that have been made with both animals and kids in the lead. Movies featuring animals in an important role have been a hit with all audiences, young and old alike.

Animal centric movies never go out of fashion and they have been in vogue since time immemorial. Some of the movies in which animals have played a crucial role are as follows:

Dunston Checks In: The movie revolves around the friendship of a young boy and an orangutan and how they rescue each other time and again. Sam, the orangutan, played the part of Dunston, a trained jewel thief who wishes to flee from the life of misery that he leads with his master. With the help of Kyle, played by Eric Lloyd, Dunston not only manages to flee but also gets his master exposed. The movie ends with Dunston moving in with Kyle and his family as they shift to Bali to start life afresh. With a lot of quirks and funny twists, Sam the orangutan took center-stage in this 1996 comedy and delivered a strong performance as the lovable jewel thief.

101 Dalmations: The year 1996 was great for animal centric movies. 101 Dalmations was another movie that hit the big screen this year and is probably one of the those movies that had a huge animal cast. The movie revolves around how various animals gang up with 101 dalmations to take revenge on a cruel old lady who kidnaps them to kill them and make a fur coat using their fur. The movie used 230 Dalmation puppies and 20 adult Dalmations during filming. The movie also features other animals like a cat, horse and more who aid the dalmations in their quest for freedom and revenge.

Harry Potter: The Harry Potter series spanned eight movies and incorporated 250 animals, not counting the insects. Right from the trio's pets Hedwig, Scabbers and Crookshanks to the various owls in the Owlery and the cats seen on the plates in Umbridge's office, the parts have been played by real animals. One of the most important roles played by an animal in this series is that of the animagus form of Sirius Black. The great black dog played an important character as Sirius had to be seen in that form whenever he was out of hiding. The movies featured animals ranging from as big as hippos to as small as a centipede. On any given day, the set would have at least 60 animals on set.

Other than these, films like Dr Dolittle, The Mask, Bolt, Cats and Dogs also had roles played by animals that were crucial to the plot. What is important is that these films avoided showing violence to the animals if they could help it. These films have been a hit with the audiences reaffirming Charlie Chaplin's faith in the acting abilities of our four-legged furry friends.