Free Willy (B or 3/4 stars)
'Free Willy' is a family film directed by Simon Wincer ... and a good one at that, too. Abandoned by his mom when he was a small boy, 12 yr. old Jesse (Jason James Richter) has lived most of his young life on the streets. When he is caught spray painting graffiti all over observation windows of Willy the whale's (Keika, the Orca whale) holding tank, his social worker works her magic & gets him off the hook. All Jesse has to do is come back to the marina every day until he cleans up the entire mess. Along the way, Jesse hits it off with Willy (a killer whale, a la Shamu); in what becomes a most unusual, but fascinating friendship. Willy's story is as follows: fisherman had separated the little orca from his parents & confined him in this tank at the marina. So both Jesse & Willy are orphans, of sorts.
With time, Jesse teaches Willy tricks, & even manages to bond with him more so than his own trainer, Rae (an excellent Lori Petty, of A League of Their Own). And a plan to make Willy entertain folks is hatched. In the interim, Jesse has been taken in by a couple, Annie & Glen (a great Michael Madsen), who were looking to have a boy of their own, anyway. Annie & Glen seem like 'good' people. But Jesse still isn't sure if they are what he needs; seeing as how he thinks their 'rules' don't correspond with the way of life he's been used to. Things start falling apart further when Jesse learns that because Willy gets cold feet in front of audiences, he is to be killed by the aquarium owners. Drama ensues. And Jesse risks it all to free his newfound friend.
There is nothing like the ending of this movie. Nothing. Of course, this is Movieland. There's a 99% chance this would ever happen. But in entertainment terms, you can't get much better. I mean, we've seen countless movies of children bonding with dogs, cats, horses, dolphins, etc.. But a whale? Ahh, no. It's amazing to watch the process of this scruffy little kid befriend the unwanted orca. You can see how much love & affection there is btwn. the 2 species (man, whale); which gives the film that extra something - even when the screenplay falls prey to cliche & familiarity.
Now, I've heard people say that this film is misleading about orca whales. No one is saying that 3-ton orcas are cute, friendly creatures. Orca (a film from the 1970's) showed us THAT. But it's nice to see a perceived evil animal being portrayed in a 'believably' tame light.
As said, 'Free Willy' relies too much on formula & triteness. You know the story arc. You can figure out how it will all end, etc. All that said, there's a reason this movie has connected with audiences (big time!), & there's a reason it has gotten good reviews ... it just works. And it has heart. The unique story, the sincere characters, the swelling music, the editing of the whale sequences, the underwater photography, the dangerous rescue, the tearjerker climax, Michael Jackson's "I Will Be There" blaring as the credits roll - all spectacular. If ever you're in the mood for a harmless pick me up, I suggest you check out 'Free Willy'.
With time, Jesse teaches Willy tricks, & even manages to bond with him more so than his own trainer, Rae (an excellent Lori Petty, of A League of Their Own). And a plan to make Willy entertain folks is hatched. In the interim, Jesse has been taken in by a couple, Annie & Glen (a great Michael Madsen), who were looking to have a boy of their own, anyway. Annie & Glen seem like 'good' people. But Jesse still isn't sure if they are what he needs; seeing as how he thinks their 'rules' don't correspond with the way of life he's been used to. Things start falling apart further when Jesse learns that because Willy gets cold feet in front of audiences, he is to be killed by the aquarium owners. Drama ensues. And Jesse risks it all to free his newfound friend.
There is nothing like the ending of this movie. Nothing. Of course, this is Movieland. There's a 99% chance this would ever happen. But in entertainment terms, you can't get much better. I mean, we've seen countless movies of children bonding with dogs, cats, horses, dolphins, etc.. But a whale? Ahh, no. It's amazing to watch the process of this scruffy little kid befriend the unwanted orca. You can see how much love & affection there is btwn. the 2 species (man, whale); which gives the film that extra something - even when the screenplay falls prey to cliche & familiarity.
Now, I've heard people say that this film is misleading about orca whales. No one is saying that 3-ton orcas are cute, friendly creatures. Orca (a film from the 1970's) showed us THAT. But it's nice to see a perceived evil animal being portrayed in a 'believably' tame light.
As said, 'Free Willy' relies too much on formula & triteness. You know the story arc. You can figure out how it will all end, etc. All that said, there's a reason this movie has connected with audiences (big time!), & there's a reason it has gotten good reviews ... it just works. And it has heart. The unique story, the sincere characters, the swelling music, the editing of the whale sequences, the underwater photography, the dangerous rescue, the tearjerker climax, Michael Jackson's "I Will Be There" blaring as the credits roll - all spectacular. If ever you're in the mood for a harmless pick me up, I suggest you check out 'Free Willy'.