After the release of Disney’s Pinocchio, a new generation of viewers were introduced to Monstro, the giant whale that will eat anything in its path. This new interpretation of one of Disney’s scariest sea creatures may not have been everyone’s cup of tea, but at least it was visually different in its several features from numerous sea creatures included in its design.
But there have been several movies across the decades that have either seen whales become pivotal characters or made a brief, yet important, appearance in an iconic movie. Some would even go on to create an impact on cinema as well as the real world that only these gentle giants of the sea can do.
10/10 The Southern Right Whale – Whale Rider (2002)
Premiering at the Toronto Film Festival in 2002, the movie tells the story of Paikea, a girl who wants to become the leader of her tribe. But she must prove some in her community wrong as they believe that only men can take on this role.
Although appearing briefly, a beached Southern Right Whale creates one of the movie’s most touching scenes as Paikea tries to guide it back to the ocean. Many who have seen it will remember the impact this creature makes on the story and tests the tribe with an emotional revolution that made fans root for the unlikely friendship of the Paikea and the whale.
9/10 Odyssey The Whale – Ooops! Noah Is Gone (2015)
The movie has many names across the world, but some may be familiar with the characters who star in it. Two animals find themselves separated from Noah’s ark and must try to reunite with their families that have unintentionally left them behind.
But a whale named Odyssey comes to their aid and is visually unique with his moss-covered body that does make him stand out more compared to the other cast of characters. While accident-prone, he has good intentions throughout that make him relatable and likable to children, offering plenty of laughs while showing the importance of friendship.
8/10 Orca – Orca The Killer Whale (1977)
Following in the footsteps of Steven Spielberg’s summer blockbuster, Jaws, Michael Anderson directed Orca The Killer Whale. After the captain of the boat kills a female orca and unborn child, her mate exacts his revenge and attempts to kill the captain.
While the movie may not be the most memorable release during the summer of ’77, the orca proved to be an unstoppable machine that lived up to his species’ other name, the Killer Whale, that took its revenge to over-the-top levels. But today, many might understand the creature’s blight that makes its nonstop vendetta emotional which might give it more depth than some may expect.
7/10 Sperm Whale – In The Heart Of The Sea (2015)
Based on the true story that would inspire Herman Melville to write Moby Dick, the movie told the events of how a whaling ship sank by a massive bull sperm whale. Starring several familiar faces from the MCU including Chris Hemsworth, it was a dramatic interpretation that some may enjoy discovering.
While the animal was never given a name, it does feature prominently, defending itself from the ship and even sharing an emotional moment near the end that tests Hemsworth’s Owen Chase. Heavily paled and scarred, the whale is a marvelous CGI behemoth that delivered some of the movie’s most prominent moments.
6/10 Bailey – Finding Dory (2016)
One of Pixar’s most successful movies, Finding Nemo, received a sequel that saw Dory attempting to reunite with her family at an aquarium with the help of Marlin and Nemo. Finding Dory introduced many new characters, including Bailey the beluga whale.
He may not be the biggest stand-out from the movie’s cast, but he does have moments of humor while also helping Dory find her parents. Voiced by Modern Family‘s Ty Burrell, his character even encourages Destiny the whale shark to overcome her fears of the wall she so often bumps into, helping her to become free and back in the ocean.
5/10 The Flying Humpback Whales – Fantasia 2000
One of Disney’s most experimental movies ever made, Fantasia was a movie unlike any other as it bought classical music to life in a whole new way. It would eventually be followed up with a sequel, Fantasia 2000, over fifty years later that featured new animated shorts and musical pieces in an attempt to make a worthy sequel.
For the song, Pine of Rome, the animators used a herd of Humpback Whales who leave their ocean-dwelling to fly in the sky. The movie may not be remembered as fondly as its predecessor, but the animators for this memorable scene were able to make the giants as light as a feather and ascend in a dreamlike and fantastical way that has not been seen for a long time.
4/10 George and Gracie – Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
The fourth movie from the original Star Trek series, The Voyage Home saw the crew of the USS Enterprise try to save the world from a mysterious probe and its unusual frequency under the leadership of Kirk. Discovering that it is similar to that of a humpback whale, extinct in their time, they are forced to travel back in time on Earth and bring one with them back.
During their trip in the 1980s, they find George and Gracie, two humpback whales who become significant to the movie’s plot and drive the crew to save them from whalers. Becoming unlikely allies of the USS Enterprise, they not also show the impact of their beautiful singing, but teach the crew the importance of protecting the species for a brighter future in one of the best Star Trek sequels.
3/10 Willy – Free Willy (1993)
Released in 1993, Free Willy became a successful franchise with sequels and an animated series before the whale who played Willy, Keiko, was eventually released back into the wild. It told the story of a boy who wants to help Willy escape from an amusement park and be reunited with his family in the wild.
With Keith Walker’s penmanship, he managed to write an effective story for anyone to enjoy that made Willy have as much depth as any other character in the movie. The boy and Willy also share plenty of screen time together, creating a convincing and unlikely friendship as well as one of the most iconic scenes from one of the best ’90s kids movies.
2/10 Moby Dick – Moby Dick (1956)
Perhaps one of the best adaptations of the novel, Moby Dick starred Gregory Peck as Captain Ahab as he becomes obsessed with killing the white whale that took his leg from a previous voyage. Going to any lengths to bring down the creature, his ship and his crew perish during his vendetta against the giant beast.
While there have been plenty of adaptations of the book and interpretations of the whale, it became a monster in its own right as a consequence of whaling. Despite the effects at the time, the production crew was able to make it a convincing whale hellbent on taking down Captain Ahab for good that some may enjoy today.
1/10 Monstro – Pinocchio (1940)
Despite the changes made for Disney+’s Pinocchio, the original remains a classic piece of animation and one of the greatest movies Disney has ever produced. Out of all the scenes, the showdown with Monstro the giant whale remains as haunting today as it did back in 1940.
With his beady eyes, sharp teeth, and primal aggression, there hasn’t been anything quite like it seen in animation. Taking a page out of the likes of Moby Dick, the animators were able to make something far more sinister than anything that Herman Melville could have imagined.
