Dolphin Tale (2011)

If you like feel good that have cute animals and adorable moments, this one is for you.HOWEVER, if you want to see a movie with a well built up plot and real tension and passion, this is not for you.There is one word that comes to my mind when I think of this movie: Bland.It just screams it, our story starts off in some suburb in Florida presumably, where are main character (whos name I cannot seem to recall, probably something generic like Chris) is fiddling with junk in his garage while everyone outside is throwing some going away party for his older brother who is going off to fight in the United States Armed Forces in some unfortunate Mid-East conflict. Apparently our main character is sad because he has to go to summer school for some reason. His brother says some cliché inspirational words and then is off to honorably serve his country. Anyways, he is off to summer school or whatever when he is riding next to the beach where he sees a dolphin in distress, an old man helps him contact animal rescue services where they save the dolphin and bring it to the Generic Aquatic Animal Facility that's name isn't important enough to remember. Our character is curious and skips school to see the dolphin the dolphin he shouldn't really have an emotional connection to but does for plot reasons.The boy actually BREAKS INTO the Aquatic Animal Rescue Whatever Facility to see the Dolphin only to advance the plot. Why would a minor break into an Aquarium I know not. He then meets a geeky marine animal loving girl who doesn't immediately report the intruder for some reason and lets him see the rescued dolphin. They then get caught by the dad uncle what ever figure who is OK that a minor broke into his Aquarium. Blah Blah Blah the boy has more of an emotional connection to the Dolphin blah blah. Apparently the dolphins name is "Winter" or something that will make you "AWWWWW That's SO CUTE" like the movie tries to do the entire time but Winter has a terrible tail injury and it needs to be amputated because reasons.Meanwhile our main characters brother has had a terribly injury with a munitions bunker or something and has paralysis in his legs. This is the part of the movie that's supposed to be emotional because the Brothers injury represents the Dolphins injury or something that barley has a remote connection until THE ENDING CREDITS but whatever. Apparently our main Characters Brother is ashamed of himself because joining the military was the only way his family could pay for the main characters supposed Olympic swimming future or something. The rest of the movie has Morgan Freeman and our main character trying to make a prosthetic tail for Winter and more fabricated drama and a vomit worthy overly sappy music number.Also a few scenes in the movie are about when the Mother finally discovers that her son has been skipping summer school to see the Dolphin. This is where it gets stupid. The bratty main character whines and cries about how she will never understand the ""MAGIC"" of Winter and the Mom changes her mind because her kid cried a little and then goes to the summer school teacher and says that her son is having a more ""enriching"" experience with a dolphin that he is at school learning about Mathematics, History, and Science that isn't marine biology. The teacher is consumed by the sappy narrative and caves in and lets our Character go to the Aquarium INSTEAD OF going to summer school which was probably a district order but whatever, when you have an overly emotional dolphin movie why need reality right? The Dolphin doesn't wear the tale properly and throws it off. This causes the Generic Marine Aquatic Life Rescue Center and Aquarium Learning Marine School or whatever the heck its called to predict Winter will die. Then they make a new prosthetic tale that the Dolphin learns to swim with and doesn't have to die.But oh no, the Aquatic Marine Life Rescue Learning Center Extravaganza Animal Hospital is having Financial issues but Winter is so adorable people everywhere want to see it and the admission revenue saves the Facility.In the end, the Dolphin lives, the kid gets to skip school, and the Magic Animal Hospital And Aquatic Display Learning Aquarium Facility doesn't go out of business.YAY.The only memorable part of the movie is AT THE VERY END which shows WHAT REALLY HAPPENED, its a lot less dramatic I can assure you. It shows how people with prosthetics relate to the animal in a therapeutic relation sort of way which relates to the munition incident back in the film.Honestly, this film was made about a little known Dolphin that receives a prosthetic tale. I am pretty sure the thing about the kids relationship with the Dolphin is completely fabricated sappy garbage made to make a quick buck off unsuspecting parents and pre-teens.

Sawyer Nelson (Nathan Gamble) is stuck in summer school and his belove cousin Kyle, who is a champion swimmer, is going to war. One day, he helps rescue a dolphin entangled by a crab trap. The dolphin named Winter loses her tale and she needs her rescuer. Dr. Haskett (Harry Connick Jr.) reluctantly agrees to let him help. Kyle loses his leg in the war. Dr. McCarthy (Morgan Freeman) working on Kyle's prosthetic leg is recruited to develop a prosthetic tail for Winter.It's a very lovely family movie. Sure it's pulling on all the heart strings. It's got a pelican sidekick, the adorable kid leads, war heroes, disabled kids, and the dolphin. It may be cheesy. It may be hokey. It may be corny. But I love it all. If you have a heart, you'll love it too.

Let me be totally clear: this is NOT the kind of film I usually watch. I just have a pile of random DVDs I'm determined to work my way through... no matter how unappealing they seem. Kids-bonding-with-cute-animals movies are as old as time immemorial, and commonly stick to a rigid formula... and this entry is no exception. Let me outline the central conflicts, to give you a general idea:1. A loner schoolboy, who's only friend seems to be his champion swimmer cousin, finds an injured dolphin on the coast. Will he befriend it, swim with it at his local aquarium, help it's rehabilitation and in turn, overcome his natural shyness?2. The kid is at summer school. Will his mother, after an impromptu visit to the sea life centre, agree to withdraw him from all his classes so he can play with the fishes all season long? 3. Oh I forget to mention earlier... the cousin is also a soldier, and is partially paralysed while on duty. Will the script draw parallels between his injury and subsequent depression, and that of the dolphin losing it's tail fin and refusing to eat? 4. The cousin's physio is played by none other than Morgan Freeman (You know, that guy from the insurance ads). Do you reckon, that he'll be able to help the cousin get over his funk with an 'Inspiring Speech' (One of MANY in the film)?5. That Morgan Freeman is a talented guy... he can also design prosthetics. But... can he do one for a dolphin to help it swim, and will there be many failures before he FINALLY get it right near the end (Thanks to the kid noticing a flaw in his plans, of course)? 6. The aquarium is in danger of closing due to lack of funds, a problem which is exacerbated by a random storm which destroys half the building. Will they be able to raise the cash by exploiting the dolphins disability to hold a big Open Day, or are they going to have to sell their assets to the sushi and tuna factories? If you answered NO to any of these, then you're a big dummy... so leave the room. Everything you could want from an uncomplicated heartwarmer is here, including a orchestral soundtrack which swells whenever something 'touching' happens, and a full ending montage of the schoolboy getting rather, um... 'close and personal' with the dolphin. So... it's an efficient piece of manipulative drama, with the added bonus of no swearing or toilet jokes. But not for me. Thank you, and goodnight. 5/10

My suggestion if you're going to watch this is to think of Flipper in real life and fighting against much bigger odds. Really - there are a lot of similarities, especially the bond between Winter (the dolphin whose tail had to be amputated after being caught in a fishing line) and young Sawyer (Nathan Gamble) - a troubled kid involved in her rescue.As all animal stories tend to be, this one is heartwarming. After being taken to the Clearwater Marine Hospital, it's feared that Winter will die because without a tail she can't swim. But she teaches herself to swim like a fish (moving her backside side to side) only then to have it discovered that the motion itself will kill her by damaging her spine. The trick then is to develop a prosthesis to save her life.It's a good story, humorous at times, sad at times. Obviously it revolves around Winter's struggle to survive, but there's a lot of human drama going on in this as well, which perhaps gives it a bit of adult "gravitas." There are some fairly well known faces in this - Harry Connick, Jr. as the head of the Marine Hospital, Kris Kristofferson as his father and Morgan Freeman as the doctor who finally develops the prosthesis. It's better than "Flipper" mostly because it's based on a true story. It takes a few liberties but tells the basics pretty well. (6/10)