Review of Dolphin Tale 2 (2014) by Jason M — 21 Sep 2014

Dolphin Tale 2.

Initial Reaction: Now with more squeaking.

Main Characters.

Sayer Nelson: He's a kid working with dolphins played by Nathan Gamble.

Winter: She's a dolphin.

Plot Summary.

It is several years after the original film, and things are looking great for the habitat that saved Winter. There is a huge crowd, and lots of money to be made.

But things take a turn for the worse when Winter's companion dies from old age, and the famous dolphin gets depressed. The race is on to find another female dolphin (why can't they use a male?) to become Winter's new companion.

SCORING.

Main Characters.

I like Sawyer as a kid who really cares about Winter - and is willing to go the extra mile for the dolphin.

As for Winter, she's good as a creature who can't quite get over the loss of her companion. SCORE: 9.

Supporting Cast.

The other members of the cast make a nice appearance, each brining in some quirks and some much needed advice. But there can be too many characters who want to say the right thing. SCORE: 7.

Plot.

This film is too long. The main conflict gets dragged out over three scenes, and it could've been taken care of in just one. And when Hope shows up, it's totally by accident.

Besides, the previews to the film tell everything you need to know: how the conflict arises, how a solution is offered and how the conflict is resolved. With that knowledge, there's no real reason to run out to a theatre to see the film. SCORE: 2.

Originality.

This film feels like many other nature films - except that the humans can interact with the creatures. But the segments outside the main plot just don't feel all that special. SCORE: 5.

Violence Factor.

Winter can get real mean when she's depressed; she can turn on her trainer or on another creature if needed. But there's nothing too intense shown here. SCORE: 7.

Other Moral Issues.

They keep on telling us that Winter has to be paired with a female, and I wonder why. Why can't she be paired with a male? And some of the teen angst just doesn't have much intensity to it - it's just there to take up time. SCORE: 5.

Final Score (out of 60): 35 % Score: 58.33%.

This would've been a great film if it weren't for the trailer that shows way too much.