7 Movies Like How To Train Your Dragon That Kids And Parents Will Love

If you and your little Vikings have made your way through the entire "How to Train Your Dragon" trilogy, then you likely got caught up in the fantasy, blubbed in pretty much every way during the chapter's finale and want more "a boy and his dragon"-like fun to fill the void. Is there anywhere left to go after checking off what might be one of DreamWorks best ever franchises and one of the best animated movies of all time? Oh there's plenty and some are even equally dragon-sized in (ahem) scale, too. 

This certainly isn't the first film about a bond between man and fantastic beast or otherworldly being. Long before the island of Berk got put on the map, there were other family films that followed a similar formula. The kind that saw the hero put aside his fears and reservations to find a best pal in a family-friendly buddy movie that is just as good, if not better than the wonderful wing-infested trilogy. From enormous giants to otherworldly beings that need to make a call, here's a list of movies to get through after parents and their little ones are done learning how to train their dragon.

What if a gun had a soul? That was Brad Bird's heartbreaking message behind 1999's "The Iron Giant," adapted from Ted Hughes incredible short-story, "The Iron Man" (no, not that one). Beautifully told and backed by an impressive voice cast consisting of Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr. and the unmistakable Vin Diesel, the film follows a young boy named Hogarth, who befriends an enormous alien robot built for war but doesn't want to be, during the Cold War era.

Stunningly realized in Bird's directorial debut, this is an equally heartwarming film about a boy discovering a creature not from his world and attempting as best he can to hide it from those that might fear or harm his new buddy. Marrying the stunning retro animation and design of the giant with Diesel's unmistakable rasp, the titular hero that bares a vocabulary a little larger than Groot's is brilliantly brought to life and adds far more warmth than even Hughes' original story.

Teaching the valuable lesson of looking past the surface level of someone and getting into the nuts and bolts of the person, "The Iron Giant" hammers home the message that you are who you choose to be. The result leads to one of the best "Superman" endings that doesn't have a Kryptonian in sight. Give this one a watch and then put it back together to start all over again.

Standing as an absolute rarity in Disney history as one of the few good live-action remakes of an absolute classic, "Pete's Dragon" comes from David Lowery, who applies his awesome eye to the other well-known story about a boy and his dragon to make one of the best Disney movies ever. Modernizing the story that originally hit screens in 1977, this "Pete's Dragon" tells the story of a feral boy who is swept under the protection of a real-life dragon named Elliot after being orphaned.

Bryce Dallas Howard, Wes Bentley and Robert Redford get caught up in the adventure led by Oakes Fegley as Pete, the pal to what might be one of the best looking dragons ever. Furry and huggable, this is a family friendly creature feature that does the impossible and actually reworks its predecessor to brilliant effect. 

Also, the smart move of setting it in 1977 gives the movie the same vibe as some of the older entries on this list. There's an Amblin-esque like feel to the film which just makes it that little bit warmer and sweeter than any remake Disney tried to deliver after. You might think that Disney's remake rampage has spoiled some classics, but "Pete's Dragon" stands on its own four legs and soars high.

In what really does feel like a knock-off "E.T the Extra Terrestrial," Randal Kleiser's 1986 gem, "Flight of the Navigator" still flies as a classic '80s entry about a kid on an amazing adventure, who just happens to befriend a spaceship in the process. In what might be the nicest story about alien abduction, the film sees 12-year-old David Freeman (Joey Cramer) take a tumble in 1978 and wake up eight years later having not aged. It turns out that during that time, he was abducted by an alien vessel that he later calls "Max" (voiced by Paul Reubens, who is credited as Paul Mall in the movie) and was transported 560 light years away to an alien planet along with other specimens.

With incredible set designs making up Max's interior and a great score from the always awesome Alan Silvestri, "Flight of the Navigator" might not be in the top-ranking list of family movies, but it's nothing to sniff at as a cult classic. Coincidentally, Bryce Dallas Howard was announced to direct a remake, so it might be fun booking in a flight sooner than later before this great little fantasy gets given a modern-day polish and has someone like Taika Waititi, or (personal preference) Matt Berry, says "see ya later" to a new navigator.

There was a time in the '90s where every kid and their cousin in films befriended an animal of some sort, leading to plenty of hijinks or maybe even the villain of the piece trying to get a hold on whatever furry, fishy or feathered pal had befriended our hero. In the case of "Free Willy," Jesse (Jason James Richter) teams up with a killer whale named Willy in an adventure that became one of the biggest films in 1993, falling just shy of the box-office top 10 thanks to "A Few Good Men" (clearly killer whales can't handle the truth).

The premise sees a tearaway kid in and out of foster care avoid juvenile hall by cleaning up his act after vandalizing an amusement park. There he befriends a captive orca whale named Willy, and eventually plans his escape to free the animal. Backed by talents like Lori Petty and Michael Madsen, with Michael Ironside stepping in as the big bad, the movie is undoubtedly a product of its time when absolutely every kid had a BMX in films with brilliant soundtracks. Come for nostalgia, stay to see a killer whale jump over a kid in slow motion in totally real and absolutely not dated CGI-fashion.

Toothless might well be a cool dragon, but he might struggle to hold a flame against one that sounds like James Bond. A buddy movie that breathes fire, "Dragonheart" stars Dennis Quaid as a former knight-turned dragon hunter Bowen, who cuts a deal with the last of the creatures to keep business going. Sean Connery voices Draco and brings the charm and swagger to the mythical beast like no one else could, while David Thewlis dons a shocking wig and is clearly angry about it as the cruel King Einon out to get our leading pair.

Spawning a bunch of sequels that don't quite match the original, "Dragonheart" also comes with a great score from Randy Edelman. Joining Quaid, Thlewis and Connery is a loveable supporting turn from Pete Postlethwaite as Brother Gilbert, a monk poet chronicling the escapades of the film's hero, along with Dina Meyer as a local with her own mission of vengeance. Give it a watch and remember the Old Code in a great bit of sword and shield swinging fun.

Like many films on this list, "The Fox and the Hound" is guaranteed to start waterworks but what a journey it is in getting there. Fueled by a friendship that should never be, the 1981 animated movie from directors Ted Berman, Richard Rich and Art Stevens harks back to a golden era of Disney that kids nowadays could only dream of seeing. 

The film follows a Fox named Tod (Keith Mitchell and Mickey Rooney) and a hunting dog called Copper (Corey Feldman and Kurt Russell) and has all the charm and heartbreak of what great Disney movies are made of. The film also helped mold future creatives-in-the-making like Tim Burton, Brad Bird and "Toy Story's" John Lasseter, who all helped animate the gorgeous tale.

Plenty of films hit hard on this list, but something about this one with its heroes from different sides of the back yard fence hits differently. Littered with moments that'll have you fighting to hold back the tears, "The Fox and the Hound" is an "Enemy Mine" for minors. Try not to well up when Tweed looks at Tod get smaller and smaller in her rear view mirror, we dare you.

It's hard to think of a movie about a kid making a new best friend and not include Steven Spielberg's incredible sci-fi gem, "E.T the Extra Terrestrial." Like so many other films in this master storyteller's back catalog, "E.T." is littered with unforgettable moments that will hit hard for parents and children alike, all being accompanied by John Williams hair-raising score that'll make you believe a boy can fly a bike while an alien sits in his basket.

Henry Thomas' performance as Elliot might be one of the greatest turns from a child actor ever. Struggling with his parents divorce, this young boy finds refuge in the overly long arms (and short legs) of a being from another planet that just wants to phone home. 

From a young cast bursting with talent (Drew Barrymore as Gertie is one of the greats), this is an essential viewing for kids. If you're going to follow up one of the greatest animated films ever made, you might as well do it with what might be one of the best movies ever made even if tears might be shed in the process. Hey, sobbing at a pruned up alien dying and then coming back to life is all part of growing up.