Jurassic World: Dominion has arrived in theaters. With it comes the return of Chris Pratt’s character, Owen Grady, and everyone’s favorite velociraptor, Blue, and unsurprisingly the audience can’t wait to see what happens to one of the most unexpected team-ups in cinema.
The concept of a team-up is more than just a protagonist and their trusty sidekick fighting alongside one another. They often consist of the most unlikely pairings. They're two distinct characters overcoming obstacles while building a solid relationship in the process. It’s seen time and time again, but these particular stories made it more interesting for the audience by mixing in the cutest of canines with the deadliest of dragons in duos that pair up humans with animals.
Owen Grady & Blue
No one anticipated that the Jurassic World trilogy would include a subplot of a dinosaur and a human team-up. It’s questionable at best, considering the original franchise made a point of expressing how lethal the velociraptors can be. Fortunately for Owen, that’s not the case.
It’s not a typical partnership, as Owen and Blue’s screen time is short, building up their relationship in just a few scenes. In those moments, Blue shows up for Owen, fighting atop a T-Rex. In return, Owen watches over Blue, concerned more about her welfare than anything else. The duo makes a regular habit of ing each other in their hour of need.
Eddie Valiant & Roger Rabbit - Who Framed Roger Rabbit
There are a great many team-ups in films today, but not many that are a blend of live-action and animation. Who Framed Roger Rabbit gives the audience one of those rare instances with down-and-out detective Eddie Valiant and the famous animated rabbit.
What makes this pair the best is their ability to offer some truly unique problem solving, stemming from their differing backgrounds. Roger is that classic comic relief, a cartoon with nothing but slapstick humor, but he’s always supplying Eddie with these wack-a-doodle solutions to problems. Eddie is that noir crime detective. He’s jaded from the cards he’s been dealt, but because of that, he’s able to ground Roger, at least as much as anyone can for a comically induced rabbit.
Scott Turner & Hooch - Turner and Hooch
The 1989 Disney classic watched Detective Scott Turner struggle with the introduction of a new furry addition to his household. The plot of a budding human and animal friendship isn’t a newfound idea, but it’s always made for an effective team-up story.
A result of a good team-up is often not the obtaining of a goal or end to a mission. It’s the positive effect the two parties can have on each other. Turner and Hooch are strong examples of this. Hooch is a dog wreaking havoc on Turner’s home, but it’s good for the heroic lead. It knocks him out of his rigid and routined lifestyle. Unfortunately, this team didn’t have an opportunity to grow and develop as much as others.
Linguini & Remy - Ratatouille
Linguini and Remy were both protagonists, the heroes of their own stories. One of them happened to be a human with cooking experience in a shabby little la Boheme apartment, and the other a rat with a nose for fine cheeses.
The pair develops one of the best Disney friendships. It’s a friendship that wouldn’t be so noteworthy if not for their cute and wildly unexpected team-up at the beginning of the film. They both capitalize on what the other has to offer, but they do this by developing an effective means of communicating with one another. Strong communication, verbal or not, is what sturdy team-ups are made of.
Mushu and Mulan - Mulan
Mulan needed some assistance in her journey to honor and protect her family, it just came in the unexpected form of a fiery and opinionated pint-sized dragon. There are plenty of moviegoers that would consider this little lizard a sidekick to Mulan, but that would be downplaying their relationship.
Mushu is a protagonist in his own right. He may be helping Mulan but he has his motives, albeit selfish ones. It’s for this reason the pair don’t make a good team in the beginning. Point of fact, they fail, but oddly enough this failure is integral to their success in the end. Mushu confesses his faults to Mulan, and because of this, their relationship grows stronger, and so does their determination to get Mulan back on the playing field.
Detective Pikachu & Tim Goodman
best Pokémon movies to date. The long-awaited live-action film brought its A-game, giving the Pokémon real texture, and the team-up between the main characters real promise.
The two did not start on the sturdiest of footing. Their personalities didn’t mesh, as seen by Pikachu’s ability to get underneath Tim’s skin. Still, their partnerships benefited Tim. Before going on the hunt for his father, Tim was living in a bubble of his own making, and Pikachu pushed Tim out of his comfort zone.
Lyra & Iorek - His Dark Materials
There is nothing more unexpected than a young girl and polar bear developing a long-lasting friendship. Still, that’s exactly what happens in His Dark Materials.
Iorek and Lyra’s relationship begins similarly to other unlikely pairings. Lyra gives something and Iorek offers something Lyra wants in return, helping Lyra on her mission. The two couldn’t be much further apart in personality or approach, but they listen and learn from what each other has to say in pivotal moments. It shows the respect the two characters develop for one another early on, as Lyra even stops Iorek from killing one of the town's citizens.
Kuzco and Pacha - Emperor’s New Groove
This underrated Disney movie was a real knockout. Emperor’s New Groove gifted fans hilarious characters, an original story, and truly one of the most unlikely animal and hero team-up stories. It features Kuzco, an emperor turned llama, on his journey to become human again.
Kuzco and Pacha have one of the most meaningful animals-hero team-ups in animated tales, and that has a great deal to do with the storytelling of this particular film. Pacha is a side character, but truly has more heroic tendencies, as seen in his strong moral com. Kuzco is a selfish and conceited protagonist turned magically into a llama, and he only becomes a better person through the experiences he and Pacha share. Then there’s the pairs' hilarious and innovative problem-solving. They can truly tackle anything any obstacle in their path.
Toothless & Hiccup - How to Train Your Dragon
A Viking and a dragon do not make the most likely pairing, and How to Train Your Dragon even opens with a large amount of dialogue setting up the hatred between the two species.
The two start off a mutually beneficial relationship. Toothless can’t fly without Hiccup, and Hiccup couldn’t have gathered half the amount of knowledge about dragons without Toothless. They start on rough ground but become partners and friends. What’s better is how they can effectively communicate, leading to many lives saved for both dragons and Vikings.
Bowen & Draco - Dragonheart
Dragons have always been the most beloved characters inserted into epic fantasy works. The 1996 Dragonheart is a great example of this, as the audience was introduced to the lovable, thoughtful, and charismatic Draco. It just took heroic lead Bowen a minute to see past the teeth, claws, and fire.
It’s a common theme with dragon and human team-ups to see an initial reaction of fear or even prejudice. It takes some time in the film for him to warm to Draco, and that leads to their beginning as no more than a quid pro quo relationship. Bowen gets money to survive and Draco isn’t hunted every waking day. It slowly transitions into a strong connection from how much they’ve come to rely on one another for survival. By the end of the tale, it’s a friendship built on equal parts love and appreciation as they struggle to win against the villainous King Einon.
