Movies like Tadpole and the Whale (1988)
The best movies like Tadpole and the Whale (1988) are Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995), White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf (1994) and Free Willy (1993). If Tadpole and the Whale hooked you with its adventure and family, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedMoana (2016)7.6/10 from 14,171 votes
- NewestThe Legend of Ochi (2025)Released 2025
- In FrenchBelle and Sebastian 3: The Last Chapter (2018)Also in French
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995)
Jesse becomes reunited with Willy three years after the whale's jump to freedom as the teenager tries to rescue the killer whale and other orcas from an oil spill.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & adventure
SnoozefestMovies like thisWhite Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf (1994)
A boy and his dog, White Fang, must try to save the noble Haida tribe from evil white men in turn-of-the-century Alaska.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFree Willy (1993)
When maladjusted orphan Jesse vandalizes a theme park, he is placed with foster parents and must work at the park to make amends. There he meets Willy, a young Orca whale who has been separated from his family. Sensing kinship, they form a bond and, with the help of kindly whale trainer Rae Lindley, develop a routine of tricks. However, greedy park owner Dial soon catches wind of the duo and makes plans to profit from them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Legend of Ochi (2025)
In a remote village on the island of Carpathia, a shy farm girl named Yuri is raised to fear an elusive animal species known as ochi. But when Yuri discovers a wounded baby ochi has been left behind, she escapes on a quest to bring him home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAnastasia: Once Upon a Time (2020)
Anastasia Romanov escapes through a portal when her family is threatened by Vladimir Lenin, and she finds herself in the year 1988, befriended by a young American girl.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & adventure
SnoozefestMovies like thisFree Willy 3: The Rescue (1997)
Willy the whale is back, this time threatened by illegal whalers making money off sushi. Jesse, now 16, has taken a job on an orca-researching ship, along with old friend Randolph and a sarcastic scientist, Drew. On the whaler's ship is captain John Wesley and his son, Max, who isn't really pleased about his father's job, but doesn't have the gut to say so. Along the way, Willy reunites with Jesse.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBarbie: Dolphin Magic (2017)
Barbie and her sisters take off on another exciting, global adventure to visit their friend Ken at his summer internship at a beautiful and exotic coral reef.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBelle and Sebastian 3: The Last Chapter (2018)
12 year-old Sebastian has decided not to follow his father and Angelina to Canada, deciding to stay in the alps to watch over Belle who has now become the mother of three beautiful pups. When a stranger arrives claiming to be Belle’s rightful owner, Sebastian will do all it takes to protect his best friend and her little ones.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Land Before Time IX: Journey to Big Water (2002)
Littlefoot befriends with a mysterious, fun-loving dolphin-like creature named Mo, who is trapped in "new water" caused by heavy rain. The gang then goes on an adventure to the "big water" to bring Mo home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Incredible Journey (1963)
The story of three pets, a cat and two dogs, who lose their owners when they are all on vacation. Can they find their way home?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOddball (2015)
An eccentric chicken farmer, with the help of his granddaughter, trains his mischievous dog Oddball to protect a penguin sanctuary from fox attacks in an attempt to reunite his family and save their seaside town.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Fox and the Child (2007)
A young girl of about 10 years lives in a solitary peasant's house on the edge of the jurassic mountains in the East of France. One day in autumn, when she is on her way to school through the forest, she observes a hunting fox. Of course, the fox flees from her, but the girl feels a strong desire to meet the fox again.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & family
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 family & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDolphin Tale (2011)
A sea of animal rescuers — and a lonely boy in need of a friend – nurse an injured dolphin back to health after it loses its tail in a trap.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPAW Patrol: Jet to the Rescue (2020)
A royal relative steals a gem with the power to make things fly, the Paw Patrol takes to the skies to stop him and save Barkingburg.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDolphin Tale 2 (2014)
The team of people who saved Winter's life reassemble in the wake of her surrogate mother's passing in order to find her a companion so she can remain at the Clearwater Marine Hospital.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Big Blue (1988)
Childhood friends Jacques and Enzo share a passion for the danger of free diving. Jacques, following in the footsteps of his father, who died at sea when Jacques was a boy, harbors a remarkable ability to adjust his heart rate and breathing patterns in the water, with his vital signs more closely resembling those of dolphins than men.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAquamarine (2006)
Two teenage girls discover that mermaids really do exist after a violent storm washes one ashore. The mermaid, a sassy creature named Aquamarine, is determined to prove to her father that real love exists, and enlists the girls' help in winning the heart of a handsome lifeguard.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Day of the Dolphin (1973)
A marine biologist teaches his dolphins to communicate in English but shady characters plan to kidnap the trained mammals for a more sinister purpose.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure
SnoozefestMovies like thisVesper (2022)
After the collapse of Earth's ecosystem, Vesper, a 13-year-old girl struggling to survive with her paralyzed Father, meets a mysterious Woman with a secret that forces Vesper to use her wits, strength and bio-hacking abilities to fight for the possibility of a future.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBrother Bear 2 (2006)
Kenai finds his childhood human friend Nita and the two embark on a journey to burn the amulet he gave to her before he was a bear, much to Koda's dismay.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCurious George (2006)
When The Man in the Yellow Hat befriends Curious George in the jungle, they set off on a non-stop, fun-filled journey through the wonders of the big city toward the warmth of true friendship.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhite Fang (1991)
Jack London's classic adventure story about the friendship developed between a Yukon gold hunter and the mixed dog-wolf he rescues from the hands of a man who mistreats him.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMoana (2016)
In Ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by Maui reaches an impetuous Chieftain's daughter's island, she answers the Ocean's call to seek out the demigod to set things right.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFlipper (1996)
Sandy Ricks is sent by his mom to Coral Key, a rustic island in the Florida keys, to spend the summer with his uncle Porter Ricks. Sandy dislikes everything about his new environment until a new friend comes into his life, a dolphin named Flipper, that brings uncle and nephew together and leads Sandy on the summer adventure of a lifetime.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Boy and the Moose (1975)
A teenager finds a moose lost in the city and decides to help the animal.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & family
Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove (2010)
After young Kirra leaves her Australian home to summer with her grandfather in South Africa, she soon discovers a baby orca stranded in the lagoon near her grandfather’s rundown seaside amusement park. She names the lonely whale Willy--and embarks on a great quest to lead the little guy back to his anxious pod.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBorn Free: A New Adventure (1996)
Another thrilling adventure for Elsa the lioness as she works her magic on two teenagers struggling with changes in their life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & family
Midnight Sun (2014)
In northern Canada, a young boy sets a goal for himself to to reunite an abandoned polar bear cub with its mother. Goran Visnjic joins the cast as Muktuk, a half Inuit and half Canadian, who knows the terrain where the polar bears live and who agrees to help the boy.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & adventure
SnoozefestMovies like thisFirehouse Dog (2007)
Rexxx, Hollywood's top canine star, gets lost and is adopted into a shabby firehouse. He teams up with a young kid to get the station back on its feet.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Tadpole and the Whale?
The closest matches to Tadpole and the Whale are Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995), White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf (1994) and Free Willy (1993). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Tadpole and the Whale?
Start with Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995), the closest match to Tadpole and the Whale.
What is the highest-rated movie like Tadpole and the Whale?
Moana (2016), rated 7.6/10 by 14,171 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Tadpole and the Whale?
The Legend of Ochi (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there French movies like Tadpole and the Whale?
Yes: Belle and Sebastian 3: The Last Chapter (2018), The Fox and the Child (2007) and The Big Blue (1988).
How are movies similar to Tadpole and the Whale chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Tadpole and the Whale, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.