The new Disney+ version of Pinocchio has taken some creative leeway in comparison to the 1940 original, not the least of which is turning Monstro from a large whale to a sea monster. Whether that’s an effective decision or not remains with the viewer, of course, but there’s something more honest about the simplicity of the creature the first time around. What's fascinating about whales on film, though, is how there is a broad range of whale behaviors to depict. Can you believe Monstro can swallow Gepetto's (Christian Rub) raft in one mouthful? Yes, but you can also believe the unfettered joy of Willy's (Keiko) escape from captivity in Free Willy. Villain or friend, killer or kind: the majestic whale has been a longtime presence in film.
Big Miracle (2012)
There is perhaps no better representation of the global appeal of whales than in the 2012 film Big Miracle, a dramatization that chronicles Operation Breakthrough, an effort to rescue three gray whales trapped in ice off of Alaska that captured the attention of the world. Not only captured our attention but brought together global resources - Inupiat whale hunters, the National Guard, and a Soviet ice-breaker - in a collaborative effort to save Putu, Siku, and Kanik (named Fred, Wilma, and Bamm-Bamm in the film). It's an inspiring true story that only works thanks to that international goodwill toward whales.
Blackfish (2013)
The documentary Blackfish is a powerful film about whales in captivity, but it's also a real-life example of how one film can change the world. The focus of the film lies on Tilikum, a captive orca in SeaWorld involved in the death of three people, including Dawn Brancheau, a SeaWorld trainer. The documentary makes a compelling argument for how captivity contributes to heightened aggression, shorter life spans, and unnatural exchanges between the captive orcas, while also drawing attention to the practices of SeaWorld. The film has its detractors, but it still played a pivotal role in the eventual shutdown of SeaWorld's orca program.
Free Willy (1993)
12-year-old orphan Jesse (Jason James Richter), is caught vandalizing the orca observation area at Northwest Adventure Park and is forced to clean up the damage. Over time, he and Willy, a killer whale taken from his family, form a close connection, which allows Jesse to teach Willy tricks. Dial (Michael Ironside), the owner of the park, sees this as an opportunity to make some money, but when that goes awry, he opts for a far more nefarious plan that would see the "accidental" death of Willy. Unsurprisingly, Jesse helps Willy escape and return to his family. It's a feel-good, family film that stretches believability a touch, but it proved popular enough that it launched a franchise.
Namu, the Killer Whale (1966)
Hollywood does like the killer whale. When a female orca is killed by fishermen, her mate, Namu, stays and mourns in the cove where her body has washed up on shore. Hank Donner (Robert Lansing), a marine biologist, takes the opportunity to study Namu and eventually coaxes the orca out of his grief. An incident with one of the local boys, whose actions caused Namu intense pain, sees the townspeople ready to kill the beast, forcing Donner to prove that Namu is friendly. Not so fun fact: In real life, Namu was the first killer whale in captivity, and the first to perform with a human.
Orca (1977)
Orca, the film that put the killer in killer whale. Captain Nolan (Richard Harris) mistakenly harpoons and kills a pregnant female orca, and let's just say her mate is a little grumpy about it. The orca is now out for revenge and starts sinking fishing boats, breaking fuel lines, and taking out the captain and his crew one at a time. The premise is absurd, of course, giving the orca a lot more credit for taking out his revenge on specific people than is realistic. But it still didn't stop Jaws: The Revenge, where a shark targets the Brody family to avenge the deaths of the sharks in one to 3D, from being made... and it should have.
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
Often cited as one of the best and most fun films in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek IV sees the original cast on their way back to Earth after the events of Star Trek III. Just one problem - the arrival of a huge cylinder of unknown origin, sending out a signal beyond translation and disabling power, has prompted Starfleet Command to issue a directive for all spacecraft to avoid Earth. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) manages to discern that the signal is the song of humpback whales... which are now extinct. What do you do? Travel back in time to 1986, find some humpback whales (and nuclear vessels), and bring them back to 2286 so that they can answer the signal.
Whale Rider (2002)
The Maori people of Whangara believe they are descended from Paikea, who rode the back of a whale to the safety of land over a thousand years ago. Since that time, all tribe leaders, by tradition, are the firstborn sons of his direct descendants, which would make Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes), the only living child in the line, the next leader. Except for one thing: she's a girl, much to the chagrin of the current leader, Koro (Rawiri Paratene). Pai faces an uphill battle to change tradition and is only successful when Koro sees her guide beached right whales back out to sea by riding on the back of the largest. The role would land Castle-Hughes an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.
Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie (2002)
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For their first foray on the big screen, the folks behind the popular Christian kid's series VeggieTales tackle the Bible story about Jonah and the whale. For those unfamiliar, it goes like this: Jonah (Phil Vischer) delivers messages to the people from God. However, when he is given the task of delivering a message to the people of Nineveh, Jonah runs away, unwilling to go to the sinful city. Shockingly, his attempts to escape don't work, and he finds himself in the belly of a great whale. He is soon visited by angels, who explain that if Jonah repents, God will give him a second chance. Jonah repents, and true to the angels' word, he gets spat up onto the shore. The film keeps the irreverent reverence of VeggieTales, with an abundance of jokes, songs, and its message of forgiveness. And a pretty awesome animated whale to boot.
In the Heart of the Sea (2015)
Based on the true story of the New England whaling ship, Essex, whose encounter in 1820 with a giant whale inspired Herman Melville's timeless classic, Moby Dick. After being given the lead on the whereabouts of a large whale pack, the Essex sets sail to the area. Oh, the warning they were given about a 30-foot-long "demon" white whale? Poppycock... until that whale takes the ship down. The survivors save three harpoon boats, which they get stuck on for weeks until the demon whale attacks them again, killing some more. The survivors are eventually saved, but the price they paid for their lives - including cannibalism - continues to haunt them. In the Heart of the Sea boasts an impressive cast including Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Tom Holland, and Ben Whishaw as Herman Melville.
Finding Dory (2016)
One of the funniest moments in Finding Nemo is Dory's (Ellen DeGeneres) forgotten ability to speak whale. In Finding Dory, the sequel, we learn that she picked up the ability by talking to her childhood friend, Destiny (Kaitlin Olson), a nearsighted whale shark, through pipes. Their reunion, unfortunately, takes place in captivity at the Marine Life Institute, where Destiny shares space with Bailey (Ty Burrell), a beluga whale. But when a host of aquatic creatures are in a truck en route to Cleveland, Destiny and Bailey escape and help Dory, Marlin (Albert Brooks), Nemo (Hayden Rolence), and new friend Hank (Ed O'Neill), the red octopus, in freeing them (in a completely outlandish but very funny sequence where Hank carjacks the truck).