Rating:
Grade: A-
Score: 8/10
Family-Friendliness Rating: Level 4 (Great)
Kids ages 6+
Review
There have been a bunch of movies about saving animals over the last two decades, but the one that really was famous was the Free Willy movies. I got all four of them in a collection as a stocking stuffer for Christmas last year, and when I watched it, there was one movie I could compare it to, and I bet you could guess it (Dolphin Tale).
The first Free Willy tells the tale of an orphan boy on the run named Jesse. He spends his time in mischief with other outcast boys his age. When he's caught vandalizing a marine center, he is put under new foster parents Glen and Annie nearby. While trying to figure out what happened to his mother, Jesse finds a new friend, and hard to believe, its' an orca whale named Willy, who was captured by fishermen and finds trust and friendship in Jesse. What it will lead Jesse on is the ride of his life.
Positive Notes
The film carries some great messages on family bonding and standing up for what you believe is right, lessons that kids will appreciate. Educational information about orca whales are seen a bunch too, as Jesse learns about their eating habits, what they like most, and where they come from. The friends he meets there, including the personal trainer and owner of the marine center Randolph, all showing kindness to him as well as Glen and Annie who try to bond as his "new parents".
The Florida backdrop is nice, and we see great views of marinas and beaches. Michael Jackson contributes a catchy song at the end.
Negative Notes
In terms of language, the worst we hear are a couple of misuses of God's name, and sporadic uses of "heck", "screw", and "crap". Jesse disobeys his new foster parents a few times, and kids are seen stealing and vandalizing. One teenager is seen briefly smoking, Annie and a trainer are seen with tight-fitting outfits, and a postcard shows girls in bikinis. Some young kids may find the concept of Jesse's mom leaving him behind when he was a baby and his position as a foster child a bit upsetting.
Conclusion
While 18 years older, some of Willy's plotlines are very similar to Dolphin Tale. And while it isn't as clean in nature as Dolphin, the negative content at worst would just spark some conversations between parents and their kids. Besides that, the story is nice, the characters are engaging, and the messages shine. It also reflects back to an era that released cleaner family movies than what more of today's family-aimed movies portray.
