2011 was a great year for family movies, and one of the highlights was definitely "Dolphin Tale."
"Dolphin Tale" tells the true story of Winter, a dolphin whose tail gets caught in a crab trap and has to have his rear fin amputated in order to survive an impending infection. The amputation is a success, but in order to swim, the mammal has to move its tail side to side instead of the normal up and down motion. This new technique causes pressure on the young dolphins spine and, if continued, will eventually cause his demise.
Luckily this dolphin's got two young friends played by Nathan Gamble and Cozi Zuehisdorff who will do whatever it takes to solve the problem -- even if that means getting help from a local prosthetic designer (played here with a stern sense of humor and determination by Morgan Freeman).
The dolphin is played by the actual dolphin that the movie is based on and this adds a real authenticity to the film. There are subplots about a young uncle returning home from war disabled and a possible romance between both of the kids single parents -- played by Harry Connick Jr. and Ashley Judd. But, thankfully these B-stories do not detract from the main focus of the story: two kids doing everything in their power to save Winter's life and help him swim again.
"Dolphin Tale" is the kind of family movie that Hollywood should make more of. It manages to handle serious subjects like divorce, death and physical disabilities in a way that young viewers can understand without being too graphic or heavy handed. The story is serious enough to keep adults interested but has a sense of adventure and wonder for the young viewer as well.
Bonus features on the BluRay include... At Home With Winter: A behind the scenes look at the real Winter's home at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida, Winter's Inspiration: How the advances in made in creating Winter's prosthetic tail have helped human amputees, Additional scene and gag reel plus many more.
Even if you already know the story of Winter and his outcome, "Dolphin Tale" will be a movie that kids will want to watch again and again.
Drumroll please... 9 out of 10 fins!!!
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