MOVIE NEWS: Dolphin Tale

Wow, it’s been a long time since we’ve had a Movie News post on the OWL blog! Too long, I say. It’s a good thing, then, that I got a chance to see a preview screening of the new movie Dolphin Tale last weekend, and I’m ready to share some thoughts about it.

Dolphin Tale is based on a true story about a dolphin named Winter and the caring people who come to her rescue after she gets tangled in a crab trap. Can they help fit Winter with a new artificial tail after she loses her own? Will their aquarium be shut down before they get their chance? You’ll have to catch the flick in theatres starting today to find out.

In the meantime, here are a few observations about the movie:

1) It’s well-acted. The human actors — from kids to adults — do a great job, but the dolphin actor’s portrayal of Winter was perfect. Maybe that’s because she was played by Winter herself!

2) It’s a tear-jerker. But that doesn’t mean it’s a sad movie. I felt my eyes welling up several times over the course of the film, especially at the happiest moments. It’s pretty easy to get caught up in Winter’s tale.

3) It’s inspiring. When the credits started to roll at the end of the movie, the filmmakers cut to documentary footage of Winter interacting with people at her real-life aquarium. It’s clear that she’s a huge source of inspiration to people who have lost limbs, and that was pretty amazing to see.

Overall, I liked this movie a lot. It was a little slow at times in the second half, but it had a fantastic message and left everyone in my theatre cheering.

What do you think, OWL readers? Will you see this movie in theatres? Wait for it on DVD? Skip it altogether? Let me know in the comments below!

Craig, owlblog@owlkids.com