First it's worth keeping in mind when this film was made cos it is very much of its time. That said it's conflicting in that despite the crappy writing, poor script and poor acting most of the time, there are surprising bits of detail and knowledge / background about Orca as a species thrown in here and there I hadn't expected to be included in an early 90's cheesy family film about freeing a captive orca.
Anyway the premise and plot is a pretty simple one. Foster kid with issues, a bad temper and a lack of direction and general form for getting into trouble is tasked with cleaning up after himself at the marine park he'd gone to one night and spray painted. Whilst scrubbing he comes face to face with its resident orca through the glass (complete with lightning and simultaneous crack of thunder as is tradition in these films) and shats his pants only to discover from a safe distance in the safety of daylight and two experienced trainers that "Willy" isn't the savage man eating beast he first thought.
Encouraged by the two experienced adults, Jesse starts to spend more time at the pool with Willy and learns basics of marine mammal training, develops rapport and a relationship (and in a slow-mo montage) his crimes are limited to nicking fish from the docks on his bike and legging it back to the pool as a treat for his new friend.
Despite Michael Madson aka "Mr Blonde" being as a foster parent, he and his wife struggle to reach and get through to a child who in the great scheme of things really isn't that bad at all. Jesse is initially just an annoying brat sort of troublesome and only needed a literal firm "Hey! Wind your neck and your arse in before I throw you in that sodding tank"
He seems too much for Mr and Mrs Blonde to manage however and his only real discipline and direction seems to be through daily visits and care of Willy. That's not entirely unrealistic given that many kids the world over benefit and are helped and rehabiliated / set on the right track in life through their new found respect and relationships formed with animals.
Jesse hears Willy making what I swear sounds like Peter Griffin going "Heee-hee-heee" at night in his efforts to communicate to his family still roaming the nearby shores from where he was captured.
Michael Ironside of all people owns the park and makes an attempt to smash the tanks and kill Willy for insurance because he's making them no money at all. With that, Jesse realises he has to help him get back to them, an elaborate and slightly absurd plan emerges and Willy is busted out, carted on a flat bed and eventually lowered into a cove and an excessively long goodbye is said by Jesse wasting precious time they don't have to spare before he turns into a fully fledged orca trainer and with one signal, Willy leaps a daft high wall and yeeeeeeeee look at that he's all free.
Nice enough story and bittersweet for many reasons.
The film itself references aspects of orca culture which watching nearly 30yrs after its release, struck me as remarkably well researched and detailed in a lot of ways including how in the wild, male orca never leave their mothers and remain with her and the family pod for life, some mention of dialect and how each pod has its all specific form of language and communication (Willy calling to his family in the style of Peter Griffin)
The setting being in the Pacific Northwest and inclusion of Randolph (indigenous character) also surprised me. Randolph teaches Jesse about the history of his people culture which includes revering, respecting and protecting the creature for whom they first coined the term "Blackfish"
Randolph even teaches Jesse a Haida prayer which he later recites to Willy and earlier in the film, he talked about Willy's unpredictability and distrust of humans which given he has someone whose culture instils the need to respect, revere and protect him - I'm not surprised Willy was a bit sore.
In that sense it's lazy script writing and poorly thought out to have had Randolph and his colleague - an experienced trainer not felt a need or been concerned enough about Willy to have done something themselves and waited for Jesse to come up with the idea. I just don't get the point of having a character with that level of detail and background only for him to stand around at the side of a small pool and watch his spiritual animal and much loved "Blackfish" languish. Nice going Randolph!!
Anyway what I will say is Free Willy is a nice, gentle and less graphic / upsetting introduction for younger children to learn about the plight of whales and dolphins in captivity. I think the worst or most frightening this is when Jesse first comes face to face with Willy who commands lightning, thunder and is by the tank glass going "Yeeeee hi human how's it going?" but that's it - pretty safe.
Many anti-captivity documentaries and animal rights groups (PETA especially) are very heavy handed with horrific images and footage that will scare kids half to death which isn't helpful if you want to just start an age appropriate, less terrifying conversation and steer them into developing a good moral compass.
The credits roll to Michael Jackson's "Will you be there?" and footage of wild orca off the BC coast which is a nice touch.
For any younger children that want to learn more afterwards without being traumatised, I do recommend watching "Keiko - The Untold Story" which gives incredible insight into the work that went into transferring him from the park after the cameras stopped rolling and the incredible work that went into his rehabilitation and reintroduction to the open ocean. It isn't sensationalistic, doesn't weigh heavily on either side of the argument as to whether it failed or was right, wrong and is a safe step-up.
Crappy acting, lazy writing, dodgy slo-mo montages and such but for its effort and generally good, safe and family friendly introduction to the plight of the oceans overall - I'm giving a solid 7/10.
Anyway the premise and plot is a pretty simple one. Foster kid with issues, a bad temper and a lack of direction and general form for getting into trouble is tasked with cleaning up after himself at the marine park he'd gone to one night and spray painted. Whilst scrubbing he comes face to face with its resident orca through the glass (complete with lightning and simultaneous crack of thunder as is tradition in these films) and shats his pants only to discover from a safe distance in the safety of daylight and two experienced trainers that "Willy" isn't the savage man eating beast he first thought.
Encouraged by the two experienced adults, Jesse starts to spend more time at the pool with Willy and learns basics of marine mammal training, develops rapport and a relationship (and in a slow-mo montage) his crimes are limited to nicking fish from the docks on his bike and legging it back to the pool as a treat for his new friend.
Despite Michael Madson aka "Mr Blonde" being as a foster parent, he and his wife struggle to reach and get through to a child who in the great scheme of things really isn't that bad at all. Jesse is initially just an annoying brat sort of troublesome and only needed a literal firm "Hey! Wind your neck and your arse in before I throw you in that sodding tank"
He seems too much for Mr and Mrs Blonde to manage however and his only real discipline and direction seems to be through daily visits and care of Willy. That's not entirely unrealistic given that many kids the world over benefit and are helped and rehabiliated / set on the right track in life through their new found respect and relationships formed with animals.
Jesse hears Willy making what I swear sounds like Peter Griffin going "Heee-hee-heee" at night in his efforts to communicate to his family still roaming the nearby shores from where he was captured.
Michael Ironside of all people owns the park and makes an attempt to smash the tanks and kill Willy for insurance because he's making them no money at all. With that, Jesse realises he has to help him get back to them, an elaborate and slightly absurd plan emerges and Willy is busted out, carted on a flat bed and eventually lowered into a cove and an excessively long goodbye is said by Jesse wasting precious time they don't have to spare before he turns into a fully fledged orca trainer and with one signal, Willy leaps a daft high wall and yeeeeeeeee look at that he's all free.
Nice enough story and bittersweet for many reasons.
The film itself references aspects of orca culture which watching nearly 30yrs after its release, struck me as remarkably well researched and detailed in a lot of ways including how in the wild, male orca never leave their mothers and remain with her and the family pod for life, some mention of dialect and how each pod has its all specific form of language and communication (Willy calling to his family in the style of Peter Griffin)
The setting being in the Pacific Northwest and inclusion of Randolph (indigenous character) also surprised me. Randolph teaches Jesse about the history of his people culture which includes revering, respecting and protecting the creature for whom they first coined the term "Blackfish"
Randolph even teaches Jesse a Haida prayer which he later recites to Willy and earlier in the film, he talked about Willy's unpredictability and distrust of humans which given he has someone whose culture instils the need to respect, revere and protect him - I'm not surprised Willy was a bit sore.
In that sense it's lazy script writing and poorly thought out to have had Randolph and his colleague - an experienced trainer not felt a need or been concerned enough about Willy to have done something themselves and waited for Jesse to come up with the idea. I just don't get the point of having a character with that level of detail and background only for him to stand around at the side of a small pool and watch his spiritual animal and much loved "Blackfish" languish. Nice going Randolph!!
Anyway what I will say is Free Willy is a nice, gentle and less graphic / upsetting introduction for younger children to learn about the plight of whales and dolphins in captivity. I think the worst or most frightening this is when Jesse first comes face to face with Willy who commands lightning, thunder and is by the tank glass going "Yeeeee hi human how's it going?" but that's it - pretty safe.
Many anti-captivity documentaries and animal rights groups (PETA especially) are very heavy handed with horrific images and footage that will scare kids half to death which isn't helpful if you want to just start an age appropriate, less terrifying conversation and steer them into developing a good moral compass.
The credits roll to Michael Jackson's "Will you be there?" and footage of wild orca off the BC coast which is a nice touch.
For any younger children that want to learn more afterwards without being traumatised, I do recommend watching "Keiko - The Untold Story" which gives incredible insight into the work that went into transferring him from the park after the cameras stopped rolling and the incredible work that went into his rehabilitation and reintroduction to the open ocean. It isn't sensationalistic, doesn't weigh heavily on either side of the argument as to whether it failed or was right, wrong and is a safe step-up.
Crappy acting, lazy writing, dodgy slo-mo montages and such but for its effort and generally good, safe and family friendly introduction to the plight of the oceans overall - I'm giving a solid 7/10.