16. Po in Kung Fu Panda
The Real Animal: A massive bear native to China. Loves bamboo. Like, a lot.
The Movie Animal: Son to noodle-shop-owner Mr. Ping, Po is a wannabe warrior whose clumsiness generally gets in the way of him ever doing anything right. Until that is, he learns to kick animal behind.
Best Quote: “The Sword of Heroes! Said to be so sharp you can get cut just by looking at – ow!”
17. Horse singers in Three Amigos!
The Real Animal: Horses again. They’re generally accompanied by flies and the rotting smell of sun-baked feces.
The Movie Animals: The amigos discover, quite by accident, that their horses have the ability to sing – which comes in handy when you’re sitting around a campfire with nothing to do.
Best Quote: “Good Night, Ned!”
18. Timothy Q Mouse in Dumbo
The Real Animal: The last mouse on this list, we promise.
The Movie Animal: A little critter with a massive heart, Timothy Q Mouse is a force of nature, single-handedly helping Dumbo become the “ninth wonder of the universe” by teaching him to fly. Whatta fella.
Best Quote: “You all oughta be ashamed of yourselves. A bunch of big guys like you, pickin’ on a poor little orphan like him. Suppose you were torn away from your mother when you were just a baby…” etc
19. Steve in Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs
The Real Animal: A Vervet monkey that lives in Africa. It likes eating bird eggs and young chicks, as well as grasshoppers and termites. Charming.
The Movie Animal: The coolest monkey you ever did see, equipped with a Speak and Spell thought translating device that lets Steve verbalize the inner workings of his brilliant mind.
Best Quote: “Gummi bears!”
20. Skipper in Madagascar
The Real Animal: A penguin. A bird that lacks the ability to fly. Yawn.
The Movie Animal: Spotlight-stealing CGI penguin Skipper, a lovable paranoid commando obsessed with getting back to the homeland – no matter what the cost.
Best Quote: “Just smile and wave, boys. Smile and wave.”