Dolphin Tale 2 - Film Review

I remember when I first watched Dolphin Tale, the true story of Winter the dolphin.  It really was beautiful, inspirational and heartwarming.  Now, Dolphin Tale 2 is out and we excitedly settled down to watch the next installment to find out what has happened to Winter since she was rescued and rehabilitated by the team at Clearwater.

The sequel is set several years after the first film and the team face a new challenge.  Winter's elderly surrogate mother and pool mate Panama passes away leaving her alone.  Due to the USDA regulations, the loss of Panama may mean that Clearwater loses Winter to another aquarium, as dolphin's can't be housed alone.  The search is on to find a suitable companion for Winter.

The main cast is reunited for the sequel, including the brilliant Morgan Freeman, who plays Dr McCarthy, the creator of Winter's prosthetic tail.  Harry Connick Jr, Ashley Judd, Kris Kristofferson and Nathan Gamble also star alongside the main attraction of the movie, Winter herself.

When Panama dies, Winter becomes very depressed and angry.  How they get her to act so well is incredible! She needs a new companion, but it isn't that easy.  Winter's behaviour and her refusal to co-operate makes things very difficult for everyone, especially Sawyer, who is making some big life changing decisions of his own.

With time running out and with moral dilemmas to contend with, things are looking bleak for Winter, but then along comes some hope...

This sequel is all about friendship, determination and doing the right thing.  It is a great watch for older children and families.  The animal stars are amazing, and the fact that the story is based on true life events makes it very poignant.  There is a wonderful scene where a dolphin is released back into the wild and it is truly heartwarming and so emotional.

Dolphin Tale 2 will be a lovely film to watch, sat down together as a family this half term.

We watched it as a part of a home screening event.  You can find out other bloggers' reactions by following the hashtag #dolphintale2movie on Twitter.

RELEASE INFORMATION:

Release Date: 16th February 2015

Certificate: U

Running Time: 107 minutes

Format: Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital HD

BLU-RAY BONUS FEATURES:

* Dolphin Tale 2: Underwater Magic

* Dolphin Tale 2: True Story

* Look Who’s Running The show

* Bethany Hamilton Meets Winter

* Dolphin Tale 2: The Mission

* Cozi Zuehlsdorff - "Brave Souls"

* Gavin DeGraw - "You Got Me"

* Blooper Reel

DVD BONUS FEATURES:

* Dolphin Tale 2: True Story

Dolphin Tale 2 is available on Blu-ray and DVD from 16^th February 2015.

Tissues at the Ready for Dolphin Tale

It is not often that a family film has each and every one of us completely enthralled, but Dolphin Tale most definitely did.  We all sat down together snuggled under blankets and watched the amazing, inspirational story of Winter, a young dolphin who overcame the odds and triumphed over adversity after losing her tail.

The film is a touching story based on the classic premise of 'lonely young boy meets injured animal and forms a life changing friendship'.  But what makes Dolphin Tale so special is that it is based on a true story and the real Winter plays herself in the film.  It makes it so emotional and draws you in from the onset.

The cast includes Ashley Judd, Harry Connick Jr, Kris Kristofferson and the wonderful Morgan Freeman.  Youngster Nathan Gamble plays Sawyer, the young boy who finds the dolphin tangled in the ropes on a metal crab trap.  He cuts the dolphin free whilst waiting for the rescuers from the Clearwater Marine Hospital to arrive.  From that point, Sawyer becomes involved in saving the life of the dolphin they name Winter.  They cannot save her terribly damaged tail, but Winter does not give up hope. It is Sawyer's idea that they make a prosthetic tail for Winter and with lots of dedication, perseverance and determination, they eventually come up with a fully functional prosthesis.  As well as battling to save Winter, they also have to battle to save the Marine Hospital which is broke and under threat of being sold off to hotel developers.

The film touches on the plight of servicemen who have had limbs amputated or have sustained injuries and have to adjust to the change in their lives.  Winter's story has parallels with those who are striving to overcome adversity.  Her bravery and tenacity has seen Winter become a symbol of inspiration for children and adults with disabilities across the world.  In fact, the research done in constructing a new tail for Winter has gone on to improve the lives of amputees as the doctors had to invent a special gel that is super soft and non-irritating for Winter's tail stump.  This is now used to make wearing prosthetic limbs much more comfortable for people.

The film ends with real life footage of Winter's rescue and rehabilitation.  It also includes scenes of Winter interacting with her visitors who obviously get such joy from meeting such an amazing animal.  Her story has touched the souls of millions of people.  Winter should have died from her injuries, but she never stopped fighting and never lost her spirit.

I admit that I cried like a baby while watching this film, especially knowing that the real Winter was the star of the show.  It was so emotional, beautiful and heart warming.  The special features on the Blu Ray were excellent and we watched them all, finding out more about Winter's story, behind the scenes information and more real life footage of this wonderful tale. We even went onto the website at seewinter.com to find out more about this incredible creature and catch a glimpse of her on webcam.

If you want a feel good movie that oozes with hope, inspiration and triumph over adversity, then this is the film for you.  Knowing that the animal stars are real rescue animals and that the film was made at the actual hospital where the budget went to improve the facilities, makes you feel even better about the whole project.

We received the Triple Play Blu-Ray, DVD and digital copy of Dolphin Tale for this review from Warner Bros.  It is released on Monday and available to pre-order now.