Movies Like Tadpole and the Whale

If you liked Tadpole and the Whale (1988), a adventure and family movie directed by Jean-Claude Lord, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995)
★ 5.9/10Also family and adventure
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.
2
Free Willy (1993)
★ 6.2/10Also family and adventure
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…
3
Dolphin Tale (2011)
★ 6.9/10Also family
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.
4
White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf (1994)
★ 6.9/10Also adventure and family
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.
5
The Legend of Ochi (2025)
★ 6.1/10Also family and adventure
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…
6
Anastasia: Once Upon a Time (2020)
★ 5.9/10Also family and adventure
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.
7
Free Willy 3: The Rescue (1997)
★ 6.1/10Also family and adventure
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…
8
PAW Patrol: Jet to the Rescue (2020)
★ 7.1/10Also family
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.
9
Dolphin Tale 2 (2014)
★ 6.9/10Also family
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.
10
The Big Blue (1988)
★ 7.4/10Also adventure
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…
11
Oddball (2015)
★ 6.9/10Also family and adventure
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.
12
Aquamarine (2006)
★ 6.5/10Also family
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…
13
The Land Before Time IX: Journey to Big Water (2002)
★ 6.3/10Also adventure and family
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.
14
Barbie: Dolphin Magic (2017)
★ 6.6/10Also adventure and family
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.
15
Poly (2020)
★ 6/10Also family and adventure
The adventures of Shetland pony Poly in the South of France.
16
Momo (2025)
★ 7.1/10Also family and adventure
Momo is a young orphan girl who lives in the ruins of an old Roman amphitheater and becomes friends with everybody in the neighborhood. But when a powerful international corporation starts stealing everybody’s time…
17
Vesper (2022)
★ 6.2/10Also adventure
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…
18
Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness (2022)
★ 7.2/10Also adventure and family
A brave young animal explorer teams up with two trusty friends to find a powerful artifact before his greedy uncle can get his paws on it.
19
Belle and Sebastian 3: The Last Chapter (2018)
★ 6.5/10Also adventure and family
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…
20
Beast (2022)
★ 6.5/10Also adventure
A recently widowed man and his two teenage daughters travel to a game reserve in South Africa. However, their journey of healing soon turns into a fight for survival when a bloodthirsty lion starts to stalk them.