Movie Reviews
Dolphin Tale
Mon, 19 Dec 2011 - 11:21 AM CST
When a young dolphin was discovered tangled in the ropes of a crab trap on the coast of Florida, her injuries were so severe that her tail tissue died and fell off,
leaving her unable to swim and survive. "Dolphin Tale" was inspired by the heartwarming story of Winter as told through the eyes of Sawyer, a young boy who bonds with and cares for the injured creature. Much like the story of Toothless in the movie "How to Train Your Dragon," the love and devotion of Sawyer find ways to keep Winter alive and fed and ultimately help to find a support team to craft a replacement tail that would enable to the dolphin to swim normally.
With a cast that includes Harry Connick, Jr., Ashley Judd, Kris Kristofferson and Morgan Freeman, "Dolphin Tale" draws the audience into the almost impossible task of creating a prosthetic tail for Winter-with additional unforeseen benefits for human amputees. Our family thoroughly enjoyed this film and found it not only inspiring and fun but also the best movie we've watched for 2011. Although the early pace was just a tad slow, it soon had all of us riveted to the screen as we watched the real Winter playing herself in the movie.
"Dolphin Tale" is highly recommended to all but the smallest children who might have problems with the thematic depiction of the rescue of Winter and the subsequent loss of her tail, but even they will be engaged by and enjoy this movie once these scenes have passed. Entertaining and loveable, "Dolphin Tale" will steal your heart.
Pros: Characters in the movie are shown overcoming adversity, and children learn from their elders. Love and devotion to God's creation are emphasized. Persistence is shown to excellent effect. Dedication by each of the main characters is portrayed as a virtue.
Cons: Sawyer is shown skipping summer school. A young girl is shown praying to her deceased mother. In a deleted scene (included as an extra on the disk) a character says that he needs a drink.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
