Review of Flipper

Overall, I very much enjoyed the film and the portrayal of a fisherman's life. I liked the hurricane scene, which felt authentic, and the scenes of Pa and Sandy fishing. The relationship between Flipper and Sandy was very sweet. The actor playing Sandy did a fine job as a "fishing boy". The only problem I had with the film was with the characters killing dolphins. That made no sense, as maritime superstition is that it is very bad luck to kill dolphins- fishermen simply don't kill them. Dolphins are usually seen as good luck omens in fishing lore. Early on in the film, Pa tells Sandy about a Greek myth about a dolphin saving the life of a poet. Fishermen have known for years that dolphins are good, so the writing was very weak in this respect. When the boy shoots Flipper with a spear, I was aghast. Most people know not to kill dolphins, and have known for thousands of years.

I liked Chuck Connors portrayal as Pa and the actress who plays Sandy's mother. I also liked the plot point of showing the family struggling during a season of red tide- this was very authentic.

Even with the inauthenticity of fishermen killing dolphins, I think this is a fine family film.