Movies like The Ugly Duckling (1997)
The best movies like The Ugly Duckling (1997) are Robin Robin (2021), Duck Duck Goose (2018) and Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure (2009). If The Ugly Duckling hooked you with its animation and adventure, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022)8.2/10 from 788 votes
- NewestA Tooth Fairy Tale (2025)Released 2025
Robin Robin (2021)
A bird raised by mice begins to question where she belongs and sets off on a daring journey of self-discovery.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDuck Duck Goose (2018)
After he’s grounded by an injury, a high-flying bachelor is saddled with two wide-eyed orphans as they come face-to-face with the dangers and beauty of the outside world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTinker Bell and the Lost Treasure (2009)
A blue harvest moon will rise, allowing the fairies to use a precious moonstone to restore the Pixie Dust Tree, the source of all their magic. But when Tinker Bell accidentally puts all of Pixie Hollow in jeopardy, she must venture out across the sea on a secret quest to set things right.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022)
The unlikely friendship of a boy, a mole, a fox and a horse traveling together in the boy's search for home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisPAW Patrol: Ready, Race, Rescue! (2019)
It’s the Adventure Bay 500! The pups have built an awesome race track and are ready to be the pit crew for their race hero, The Whoosh! But when the legendary racer is unable to drive in the championship race, he calls on his biggest fan-pup Marshall to take the wheel and race in his place! Marshall has to overcome his lack of confidence and his dastardly competition, The Cheetah, to fulfill his dream of becoming the fastest race-pup ever!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Phantom Tollbooth (1970)
A young boy named Milo unexpectedly receives a magic tollbooth and, out of boredom, drives through it and enters a fantastical, animated kingdom in turmoil following the loss of its princesses, Rhyme and Reason.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTrouble (2019)
A pampered dog named Trouble must learn to live in the real world while trying to escape from his former owner's greedy children and must learn how to survive on the big-city streets.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTom Sawyer (2000)
Tom Sawyer and his best buddy Huck Finn love going fishing, daydreaming about pirates and stolen gold, and thinking about Becky Thatcher - the pretty new girl at school. But when these pals set out on a quest for buried treasure, they end up face to face with the town's most "grizzly" bear, Injurin' Joe. Giving Joe the slip, they find themselves in the middle of a fantastic adventure that takes them from the mighty Mississippi to the mysterious caverns of a secret hideout where they discover fun, excitement... and a fortune beyond their wildest dreams!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOnce Upon a Forest (1993)
A young mouse, mole and hedgehog risk their lives to find a cure for their badger friend, who's been poisoned by men.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Pagemaster (1994)
Rich knows a lot about accidents. So much so, he is scared to do anything that might endanger him, like riding his bike, or climbing into his treehouse. While in an old library, he is mystically transported into the unknown world of books, and he has to try and get home again.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLegends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2014)
Dorothy wakes in post-tornado Kansas, only to be whisked back to Oz to try to save her old friends, the Scarecrow, the Lion, the Tin Man, and Glinda, from a devious new villain, the Jester. New comrades Wiser the Owl, Marshal Mallow, China Princess, and Tugg the Tugboat join Dorothy on her latest magical journey through the colorful landscape of Oz to restore order and happiness to Emerald City.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisUglyDolls (2019)
In the adorably different town of Uglyville, weirdness is celebrated, strangeness is special and beauty is embraced as more than meets the eye. After traveling to the other side of a mountain, Moxy and her UglyDoll friends discover Perfection -- a town where more conventional dolls receive training before entering the real world to find the love of a child.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking (1988)
After her father's ship is carried off by a sudden storm, the spunky Pippi Longstocking is stranded with her horse, Alfonso,and her pet monkey, Mr. Neilson, and takes up residence in the old family home, which is thought by neighborhood children to be haunted. Soon, two children, Tommy and his sister Anika, venture into the house only to meet up with Pippi. The three soon become friends and get into various adventures together, including cleaning the floor with scrubbing shoes, dodging the "splunks", going down a waterfall in barrels, and helping Pippi with the problem of having to go to an orphanage. Older children will probably get the most out of this movie.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisHarold and the Purple Crayon (2024)
Inside of his book, adventurous Harold can make anything come to life simply by drawing it. After he grows up and draws himself off the book's pages and into the physical world, Harold finds he has a lot to learn about real life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPinocchio (2022)
A wooden puppet embarks on a thrilling adventure to become a real boy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Boxtrolls (2014)
An orphaned boy raised by underground creatures called Boxtrolls comes up from the sewers and out of his box to save his family and the town from the evil exterminator, Archibald Snatcher.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDiary of a Wimpy Kid (2021)
Greg Heffley is a scrawny but ambitious kid with an active imagination and big plans to be rich and famous – he just has to survive middle school first.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHappy Feet Two (2011)
Mumble the penguin has a problem: his son Erik, who is reluctant to dance, encounters the Mighty Sven — a penguin who can fly! Things get worse for Mumble when the world is shaken by powerful forces, causing him to bring together the penguin nations and their allies to set things right.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Tooth Fairy Tale (2025)
Van, the brave son of a tooth fairy leader, meets the goblins girl Gemma on his first mission. Despite the myths about ancient disputes between fairies and goblins, they share common values. When the greedy Spider Queen threatens both tribes, they must work together.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisHappily Ever After (1989)
In the aftermath of her more famous adventure, Snow White must team up with the dwarves' seven female cousins to battle the late Evil Queen's warlock brother and rescue the captured Prince.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & animation
SnoozefestMovies like thisFernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992)
When a sprite named Crysta shrinks a human boy, Zak, down to her size, he vows to help the magical fairy folk stop a greedy logging company from destroying their home: the pristine rainforest known as FernGully. Zak and his new friends fight to defend FernGully from lumberjacks — and the vengeful spirit they accidentally unleash after chopping down a magic tree.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHelp! I'm a Fish (2000)
Three children are accidentally transformed into fish after consuming a potion made by an eccentric scientist. The kids end up in the sea, with one problem: they must find and drink the antidote within 48 hours, or forever remain as fish.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPippi Longstocking (1997)
Pippi Longstocking is an extraordinary little girl who lives alone in her house, while her father sails the seven seas. Pippi's irrepressibly fun nature makes her easy to befriend, as neighbors Tommy and Annika find, but can also earn ire, especially from social worker Mrs. Prysselius.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & animation
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Book of Pooh: Stories from the Heart (2001)
Part of The Book of Pooh series, which offers preschool kids simple life lessons and scholastic pointers, The Book of Pooh: Stories From the Heart uses puppetry and computer animation to tell Christopher Robin's imaginative tales. Kids join Christopher Robin, Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, and Tigger for an afternoon of storytelling and lesson learning.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & family
The BFG (2016)
An orphan little girl befriends a benevolent giant who takes her to Giant Country, where they attempt to stop the man-eating giants that are invading the human world.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBridge to Terabithia (2007)
Jesse Aarons trained all summer to become the fastest runner in school. So he's very upset when newcomer Leslie Burke outruns him and everyone else. Despite this and other differences including that she's rich, he's poor, she's a city girl, and he's a country boy the two become fast friends. Together they create Terabithia, a land of monsters, trolls, ogres, and giants where they rule as king and queen.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Return of the King (1980)
Two Hobbits struggle to destroy the Ring in Mount Doom while their friends desperately fight evil Lord Sauron's forces in a final battle.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSanta Claus Is Comin' to Town (1970)
A postman, S.D. Kluger, decides to answer some of the most common questions about Santa Claus, and tells us about a baby named Kris who is raised by a family of elf toymakers named Kringle. When Kris grows up, he wants to deliver toys to the children of Sombertown. But its Mayor is too mean to let that happen. And to make things worse, the Winter Warlock lives between the Kringles and Sombertown.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBarbie as the Island Princess (2007)
Young Rosella is saved by a few kind animals after a shipwreck. Now called Ro, she learns to talk to animals. One day, she saves the life of a prince and returns to civilisation to discover her past.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTom and Jerry: Whiskers Away! (2003)
Catch everyone's favorite cat and mouse team as they race from one exciting adventure to another in this world-class collection of unforgettable episodes! From Italy to Texas and everywhere in between, these 10 action-packed cartoons showcase the best traps and funniest escapes in animation history! Join the original Tom Cat and his pal Jerry Mouse for non-stop antics and one hilarious trip!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & animation
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Ugly Duckling?
The closest matches to The Ugly Duckling are Robin Robin (2021), Duck Duck Goose (2018) and Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure (2009). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Ugly Duckling?
Start with Robin Robin (2021), the closest match to The Ugly Duckling.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Ugly Duckling?
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022), rated 8.2/10 by 788 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Ugly Duckling?
A Tooth Fairy Tale (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Ugly Duckling?
Yes: Robin Robin (2021), Duck Duck Goose (2018) and Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure (2009).
How are movies similar to The Ugly Duckling chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Ugly Duckling, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.