Now that Michael Jordan is at the top of the Netflix charts with the new documentary The Last Dance, his other famous movie Space Jam is in my head. One of the things that we cool about this flick is the way that it mixed live-action and animation. But it is far from the first or the only movie to have done that. Here are 10 movies that mix animation and live-action to entertaining effect.
Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
In this classic Disney flick, the amazing Angela Lansbury plays a pretty hopeless witch whose ways are exposed when she takes in three children fleeing the bombing in London during World War II. Thanks to their enthusiasm, she soon finds herself responsible for single-handedly bringing down a Nazi invasion of Britain, with magic. But this is only after a delightful animated foray under the sea.
Watch on Prime – Not available on Netflix
Deadpool (2016)
The animated scene in Deadpool is short but memorable. This antihero superhero movie starring the smart-mouthed Ryan Reynolds features a hero who is invincible – that hand will grow back – but looking to save his girl and his face. After he takes a knife to the head, the film offers a nice animated delusion scene.
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Enchanted (2007)
Where The Wizard of Oz uses black and white and color, Enchanted uses live-action and animation. Amy Adams plays a princess from the realm of fairy tales, an animated world, who finds herself plunged into our world, which is live-action. There she needs to evade the evil queen that sent her there, but also falls in love with Patrick Dempsey and brings some color into his very black and white life.
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Mary Poppins (1964)
Disney makes use of animation again to bring some additional magic to the original Mary Poppins film, starring Julie Andrews. The unexpected governess that arrives in a stuffy London household to look after the children but really show the father the errors of his ways, takes the kids, accompanied by Dick Van Dyck, to an animated world where they rase carousel horses among other things.
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Osmosis Jones (2001)
This movie splits its time inside and outside the body of Frank, a slovenly zookeeper. Outside his body is live-action, and inside is all animated. While Frank gets on with things on the outside, a white blood cell cop on the inside, Osmosis Jones, is trying to save him from a deadly virus. Starts Chris Rock, Lawrence Fishburne, and Bill Murray.
Watch on Prime – Not Available on Netflix
Pete’s Dragon (1977)
A childhood favorite for many this story is about a young boy, Pete, whose best friend is a dragon that only he can see. It helps the young orphan deal with a difficult life with a family who has adopted him to treat him like a slave. The dragon also helps Pete find some human advocates that can change his life forever. Pete’s Dragon is an animated character throughout this musical film.
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Space Jam (1996)
Michael Jordan stars alongside Bugs Bunny in a fictional account of what he did while he was retired from the NBA between 1993 and 1995. Apparently, he was helping the Looney Tunes win an intergalactic basketball match. A bit ridiculous, but good solid fun, and Jordan shows that he is not a terrible actor (at least when playing himself).
Watch on Prime – Watch on Netflix
The Song of the South (1946)
Another Disney classic, this film is set in the southern states of America during the reconstruction period following the end of the Civil War. We met a seven-year-old boy who spends the summer at his family’s plantation and meets and befriends Uncle Remus, one of the workers on the plantation. He tells the boy stories of Br-er Rabbit, Br-er Fox and Br-er Bear, animated characters that teach him important life lessons.
Not available on Prime – Not available on Netflix
Tank Girl (1995)
Based on the comic book series of the same name, Lori Petty stars as our Tank Girl, making her way through ravaged Australia in the aftermath of the “end of the world”. She fights super soldiers and exploitation. The movie uses several animated scenes to help move the story along, and connect the film with the comic book universe.
Watch on Prime – Not available on Netflix
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
This is a movie about an animated character on the run from a toon hating psychopath (played by Christopher Lloyd), who has set him up for murder. He teams up with a private detective, played by Bob Hoskins, to try and exonerate himself and stop whoever is trying to frame him, and bring down toons in general.