17 Animal Films That May Have Been Flops In The '90s, But Are Actually Pretty Good

The '90s was peak time for films featuring animals.

1. Paulie (1998)

Mutual Films

Released in 1998, Paulie is a talking parrot who won't shut up and whose main goal in life is to be reunited with his original owner, Marie.

2. Buddy (1997)

(c)Columbia Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection

No, this is not an origin story on Buddy the Elf, but a film about an animal lover who brings a baby gorilla home to stay with her and all her other pets. It's noted as being the first feature film to be produced by Jim Henson Pictures.

3. Andre (1994)

Paramount Pictures

Released around the same time as Free Willy and Flipper, Andre often gets overlooked when it comes to films about sea creatures.

4. Gordy (1994)

Disney

When you wanted to see Babe at the cinema, but mom says we have Babe at home.

5. Fly Away Home (1996)

Sony Pictures

Despite its disturbing opening sequence which has stuck with me through the years, it's a heartwarming tale about ducks trying to fly home. It also features a young Anna Paquin.

6. Antz (1998)

Dreamwork Pictures / Everett Collection

An underrated animated feature which features an odd scene where the Antz are marching off to fight in a war.

7. Dunston Checks In (1996)

©20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved./Courtesy Everett Collection

An orangutan is let loose in a Hotel in America. Chaos ensues. Bonus points if you recognized the child actor in the photo as the kid from The Santa Clause.

8. Balto (1995)

Universal Pictures

Kevin Bacon voices Balto, a wolf-dog hybrid who's tasked with going on a mission across Alaska to fetch medicine which can stop a deadly epidemic from occurring. Quite topical for these times we live in today.

9. Fluke (1995)

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

A film about a dog who, believing he's been reincarnated, gets brief flashes of his other life as a human and goes in search of answers. Kinda like Jack Frost, but it's about a dog, not a snowman.

10. All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 (1996)

MGM/UA Family Entertainment

Yep, an animated kids film about the death of our beloved canine pets was so successful when released on home media that a second was greenlit and released.

11. Cats Don't Dance (1997)

Warner Bros

A cat sets its heart on Hollywood stardom, but finds there isn't much demand for musical moggies. If only Tom Hooper had watched this before going onto direct the major box office flop Cats.

12. An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991)

Universal Pictures

A sequel to the 1986 An American Tail, the film is noted for being James Stewart's final film role. The film was panned for a lack of perceived innovation, however, once it released on home media it gained a huge cult following.

13. Once Upon a Forest (1993)

20th Century Fox

Four woodland animals go on an expedition through a forest to cure a friend that has been poisoned by chemical fumes. It was a box office bomb at the time, but the film's environmental subject matter is perhaps more relevant today than ever before.

14. The Swan Princess (1994)

Tristar Pictures

The film is based on the ballet Swan Lake, though it didn't dance its way to the top of the box office chart as it became a box office bomb.

15. Bingo (1991)

Tristar Pictures

An escaped circus dog teams up with a young boy. They soon become good friends; skateboarding, playing pinball, and doing homework together (I kid you not).

16. Rock-A-Doodle (1991)

Samuel Goldwyn Company

Country music legend Glen Campbell voices a rooster who leaves his farm to become a rock star in the big city. Enough said.

17. Into the West (1992)

(c)Miramax Films / courtesy Everett Collection

An Irish drama about a magical horse called Tír na nÓg. The film was well received and holds a 77% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.