Make Your Voice Heard!

by Scott Jentsch

Jan 22, 2012

While it's not going to win any awards, Dolphin Tale fulfills its promise of a feel-good story about a dolphin who helps the people who are helping her and inspires others to have strength in the face of adversity. Not all movies have to be "Best Picture" material to be effective, entertaining, and worth watching.

The star of the show is Winter, the dolphin, played by the real-life dolphin that found itself without a tail after being entangled in fishing equipment. It's based on that true story, and while other elements and characters in the movie are likely fictionalized beyond recognition or completely fabricated, the movie is a good story about a boy in need of direction and focus and the dolphin who helped him find both. A feel-good story is going to feel better if there are more likeable characters, so there are plenty to go around.

From the owner of the animal rescue operation, to his cute daughter that befriends the boy, to the boy's well-meaning but exasperated mother and his disabled cousin who had dreams of Olympic swimming greatness, and a host of others, there is no lack of people that you just want to see succeed and live happily ever after.

There is very little to find objectionable about the movie, and for the most part, no real scary scenes that would be inappropriate for the little ones. They will get wrapped up in the dramatic scenes when they are trying to figure out how to get Winter to accept the prosthetic tail, and they will also laugh when the pelican exudes more personality than most pelicans are capable of.

They will also cheer at the ending, which leaves them with that warm fuzzy feeling that was promised all along. That, to me, is a successful movie. 

by Christine

Jun 8, 2012

i took my daughter to see this movie when it came out for her birthday!! We both loved it!!! 

by George Jobson

Jun 26, 2012

"Dolphin Tale" is an hopeful tale that at times has an emotional impact on the cast and on this movie. The movie centers on a dolphin who loses her tail and it's up to the people to replace her tail, and it won't be easy. The life of that Dolphin has a strong impact of those around her making this movie as powerful than aything that I saw this year in terms of family movies.