Here’s our round-up of the best movie animals to be stuck with – which of these or your own suggestions would you want to find yourself reliant on for help or company?
Donkey – Shrek
Voiced by Eddie Murphy, Donkey is one of, if not the, funniest movie animal in history. With numerous gags and a loyal heart you could do much worse than being stuck with Donkey. Potential drawbacks are the fact that he can be extremely irritating but if you can get over the incessant nattering he is the perfect sidekick. Just a word to the wise, do not take this ass on a long car trip.
Hedwig – Harry Potter
You’re not a Harry Potter fan if you were not hurt by Hedwig’s death at the hands of Lord Voldemort’s Death Eaters. The owl was always by Harry’s side, helping the young wizard get through the isolation of his aunt and uncle’s house.
What’s more, even in the modern era of e-mail and text, Hedwig still has a service to provide. We all still need to send post and with prices always increasing, Hedwig is an economically viable sidekick. Being able to send post free of charge and from the comfort of your bedroom makes Hedwig fundamentally brilliant.
Shadowfax – Lord of the Rings
An unsung hero of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Shadowfax is Gandolf’s horse, as well as the Lord of all horses. In the modern day, you could perhaps use this to your economic advantage by turning him into a racehorse. Just imagine backing him on Titan Bet and then cleaning up at festivals such as Cheltenham!
Not only is he the greatest horse of Middle Earth but he is also capable of understanding human speech as well as being unbelievably brave, often putting himself in danger to protect others. With a horse that can run faster than the wind, it’d be amazing to be able to place horse racing betting tips on him winning – you could live a life of luxury off the winnings!
Dory – Finding Nemo
For those of us who are inclined towards a maritime sidekick then there is little need to look much further than Dory. A Paracanthurus, or a Pacific regal blue tang, Dory is nothing short of awesome. Although her memory, or lack of can be annoying, Dory makes the perfect gym partner.
If you want to lose carbs fast then you want to take this little fish to the pool with you. With her motivational “just keep swimming” motto you will find yourself doing length after length at the local baths. Dory is also an inspirational fish civil rights figure – her “fish are friends not food” statement was one of the turning moments in smaller fish-shark relations. A truly historic figure and a great workout buddy.
Baxter – Anchorman
Any dog that manages to survive the madcap activities of Ron Burgundy must be made of steel. In fact, if it wasn’t for Baxter, Burgundy wouldn’t be alive at all. The little border terrier has saved the anchorman from a bear as well as a shark over his lifespan.
Oh, if that isn’t enough, he also survived getting kicked off the San Diego-Coronado Bridge. That’s a 60m drop. Not only does Baxter take up little room in your house, he’s remarkably well trained and in fact needs little looking after at all. Actually, he looks after you!