Free Willy (1993) User Reviews

5,2??? Don't believe in this rating!!! This is the best family movie of the 90-s and the sweetest one

[Juni78ukr · 10/10 · 20 April 2004]

First of all, I want to say some of my thoughts about IMDb ratings. If you look at IMDb top 250 you can hardly find any family movie . In fact, there are only three family movie (I mean live action movies not animated flicks) in this chart. They are Princess Bride on the 99 position (haven't seen yet), A Christmas Story on 142 (a movie nobody heard of besides English speaking countries) and the E.T. on the 244 (forever classic - no point denying that). And I bet you would be unable to find another one even in top 500. On the other hand you can find in this list, for example, more than eighty thrillers or more than thirty 30 war movies. Does that result means that family movies can't be good. Obviously it is not. For me the point is that many of people as well as lots of critics don't appreciate movies sweet movies without profanity, drugs, sex and violence. Cheesy movie for kids only that's not a fair grade. Well it's only my opinion but for me it's very sad when such a beautiful movie become so undeservedly underrated. Now, more directly to our movie. I watched Free Willy no less than four or five times and found it one of the best family and animal movie ever made. The bonds of friendship between man and animal are shown incredibility well here. From this point Free Willy remembered me another beautiful animal movie The Black Stallion. The unlikely friendship between twelve years old Jesse and giant whale as the main element of the story is very sweet and touching. Overall plot is well constructed (and there's no point to complain its unreality) with decent development of the main characters. Young and definitely talented Jason Jammes Richter created terrific performance of a young lonely problem boy Jesse. Also very good in the movie were August Schellenberg (as Randolph) and Michael Madsen (as Glen). As I always mentioned cinematography is pretty good, including first-rate animal action (Keiko is so cute there). The beautiful movie soundtrack written by Basil Poleuydouris a bit resembled for me terrific Carmine Coppola's score for The Black Stallion. And finally, that's maybe the most important Free Willy is a very humanistic movie, a movie that what was made with love and care about nature. Thanks to Simon Wincer for this great masterpiece. We need more movies like this, not a laughable rubbish that Hollywood studios now provide for family entertainment. I rated Free Willy 10 out of 10 as an excellent and beautiful family friendly movie. Check out also its two sequels. They are also pretty good.

Thanks for reading and sorry for my bad English.

Underrated movie of a charming childhood adventure

[Andreas_N · 10/10 · 5 November 2005]

Oh, this one is underrated here. The story of Jason James Richter's character trying to escape from a life of crime and missing prospects is way beyond the average. The growing affection for Willy is not even stereotyped or clichéd. It's a genuine bond that focuses on two outcast characters who slowly but surely come to experience true friendship and the value of trust. Jason's performance really appealed to me when I saw this movie as a kid. It is a sincere depiction of friendship, of a way out, of fighting for your values against all odds and of never giving up. Right, I'm grown up now, but this is one of the movies of my childhood I'd like to watch again, and I'm sure I'd enjoy it almost as much as back then. Jason James had very few acting appearances, but the Free Willy series assured him his place in movie history. His entire performance in here is sincere and straight, he doesn't laugh nor smile if it wasn't just natural in the specific sequences. His facial expressions and body language fit into the total frame as well. The story has some profoundly human themes to it. I can't help it, I think this one is both entertaining and deep, dealing with emotions and prospects of life, with integrity and courage in the face of danger.

Hats off to the Donners!

[baumer · 10/10 · 6 July 1999]

If a movies greatness is measured by its cinematography and its direction and its deep characters and its thought provoking script and its revolutionary special effects, then Free Willy is not the next Citizen Kane. But if you can appreciate films that have something important to say and something that it wants people to open their eyes to, then Free Willy is just as important and gripping as anything from Gandhi to Platoon, Mississippi Burning to Boyz and the Hood and JFK to Dancing With Wolves. And that is the truth. The problem with films like this is that it is viewed in the same light as movies like Gorillas In The Mist and Instinct. And that is they are bleeding hearted fluff. They ask you to "feel" for animals. It asks you to realize that we are bad people and that we should change the system from within. The only problem with that last statement is that it is said while people are rolling their eyes and using a sarcastic tone. But if we can look at films like Schindler's List and Cry Freedom, films that examine the atrocities perpetrated towards humans, see them for the genius that they are, why can we not take a film that has something to say about the abominable treatment of animals more seriously. After all, as Shylock once said, "Does a Jew not bleed?" Does an animal?

We are so desensitized towards cruelty to animals that we are practically oblivious to their plight. When we hear of a stray dog that shows up at the humane society with internal bleeding and a missing eye, we say that it's terrible and then we turn away and forget about it until the next ones shows up. When we go to water parks and see captive whales performing tricks we laugh and cheer and go back to our freedom and think nothing of the life that was destroyed when that beautiful beast was taken from its habitat. If anything, this movie shows us that we should not imprison these or any wild animals, and it does it so well that if you have any ounce of compassion in you, it will affect you. This film is not just for 10 year olds, it is a film that should be viewed by everyone that takes their freedom for granted. Because if all of a sudden one day we were put in prison for no reason, then and only then would we truly understand what animals go through.

Perhaps you think this review is not really about a movie and all I am doing is expressing my political beliefs, and that may be true, but if someone doesn't say something about this, then what good is our right of freedom of speech.

The film itself is about a parentless boy that ends up in foster care. There he ends up working at a Sea World type place where he meets a newly captured whale. He then takes it upon himself to free the whale knowing that the whale is going to be killed for insurance purposes.

As I said though, I believe this is an important story and if you disagree, think about the film " A Time To Kill ". Matthew McConnauhey ( wrong spelling, I know ) gives his speech at the end about the heinous crimes that were committed against the little black girl. He asks the all white jury to close their eyes as he tells the story. At the end of his graphic description he tells them to imagine she was white. It won him the case. Now do the same thing in regards to stories like Free Willy. Close your eyes and picture a whale held in a cell just big enough to move in. This whale is fed every once in a while and he is taught to do tricks so that people can laugh and cheer. He is separated from his family and his friends and his natural surroundings. He can hear them crying for him to come home at night. He has done nothing wrong, committed no crime and he just wants to go home. But he is kept against his will, for our entertainment.

Now picture what I am describing to you isn't a whale. Picture "it" as being human.

I applaud Richard and Laura Donner for making this film and I certainly hope people can see this and change their thinking about things. It is a powerful film. And it is one that should be taken more seriously.

Sweet, meaningful movie

[hansololover · 9/10 · 31 January 2005]

It might not be the Shawshank Redemption or an equally provocative and important movie. But it's touching. As a child it was my favorite movie and I'd watch it every day for a period of about 3 months. It made me cry, but it meant a lot to me. It might have it's corny moments, but kids like it, and my parents liked it too. Compared to a lot of the movies kids force their parents to watch, this one isn't so bad.

It's really sweet, and it puts out a good message. It allows you to feel and care about things that go on it the world. I dug this out today and watched it again and it was still pretty magical to me, although I'm much older now. I don't see why this is rated a 5.2. I guess I wouldn't tell every adult to go out and watch it, but if you have kids, or just love animals, then give this a shot. It's a good film.

Very touching movie about a special friendship for all ages that will warm your heart

[Catherine_Grace_Zeh · 10/10 · 20 December 2005]

FREE WILLY, in my opinion, is a very touching movie about a special friendship for all ages that will warm your heart. I really loved the tricks that Willy did. If I could have, I would have helped him get to safety myself. The only problem is how I would get him to safety, since I can't drive. The score was good, the costumes were perfectly designed, everyone was cast perfectly, and the direction was flawless. In conclusion, I highly recommend this very touching movie about a special friendship for all ages to anyone who hasn't seen it. You're in for a real treat and a good time, so go to the video store, rent it or buy it, kick back with someone close to you, and watch it. I guarantee you you'll thoroughly enjoy it.

Glorious Motion Picture; exciting, thrilling, and safe for the entire family!

[twisterchaser3 · 10/10 · 3 June 2005]

I absolutely adore Free Willy. It ranks well above any movie about whales or dolphins, even Flipper. Free Willy provides an exciting story about a troubled boy who befriends an orca whose situation is much like his own. And of course, we all love the star of the show, Keiko! Keiko had a life filled with traveling from one theme park to the other, and in a lot of ways he experienced much more that Willy did. Keiko played the part of the whale terrifically! James did a great job too acting as Jesse, and gave the perfect image of a young boy who has lived on the streets. Some people call it the best friendship movie since ET. This movie rocks over ET!, and shows us the true meaning of friendship. We all should learn that caring for another person or animal goes a long way.

fantastic

[rossrobinson · 10/10 · 3 July 2004]

i love free willy to bits, it is a fantastic , and to me the most touching childrens movie ever, a friendship with a 12 year old boy and a whale. The movie sets out with a 12 year old kid out with his mates and doing naughty things, the young boy named Jesse is arrested as he caused vandalism in the sea life center and putting grafiti on the glass windows where the while can be viewed from. Jesse is soon fostered by a couple who get on very well with him. Jesse gets back to his tricks and is told that he has to do a job at the sealife center as part of his punishment, he meets the whale again and becomes a friend to the whale, jesse then decides if he could teach and work with the whale, things start to get odd when the bad guys come in. As weeks go by, there is danger at the sealife centre, water is leaking from the window view and is getting less with water in the tank with the whale. Jesse starts to panic and asks Randolph (Owner of the sealife centre) and the foster parents for their help. The bad guys hear about this and goes after jesse and the whale, it all ends when the whale is free and is told to go far away as possible and be a free whale, the whale jumps over the rocks and is back with it's family. I give free willy 10 out of 10.

A heart warming film that touches your soul.

[luie · 10/10 · 1 October 2005]

Its a real family movie with lots of love. This film is a great way for kids to learn about Whales, family and friendship. Its one not to be missed, its makes you feel all warm in side. It made me cry back when I was 5 and it still does today. This Film will always be in our hearts. If you have kids this is the one to show them, they will laugh, cry and learn to love the adorable killer Whale Willy which a lot of us have done. This film has taught us a lot about captivity and the need of freedom. There should be more films like this. If you are in need of a friend there will always be on in animals and this film has shown us so with Jesse and Willy. This film will continue to touch many hearts of the world.

The film really soars when Keiko is on screen...

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 31 May 2010]

This is a perfect example of a family film that knows exactly what it's doing. While a little too clichéd and some of the villainy is a tad overdone, Free Willy is still very entertaining and touching. The cinematography is lovely and the scenery is beautiful, but the combining of animatronic shots and of Keiko the killer whale is astoundingly good. Simon Wincer directs efficiently, the family-bonding scenes are nice and sweet, the soundtrack is delightful and the script has its touches of honesty and humour. The acting is good too, it is wonderful to see Michael Madson again and he is excellent, and Jason James Richter is believable as Jesse. However, it is killer whale Keiko as Willy who makes the movie, for a killer whale, Willy is very cute and endearing, and the scenes with Richter are irresistible. Overall, just an entertaining family film. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Reasonable family picture

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 6 July 2014]

Willy is a wild orca that was trapped and separated from his parents. He is sent to an aquarium. Jesse (Jason James Richter) is a street kid who gets caught vandalizing the tank. He still believes his mom will come back. His social worker Dwight gets him off as long as he cleans up his mess. He's placed with Glen (Michael Madsen) and Annie Greenwood. Jesse is guarded and Glen is reluctant also. At the aquarium, he befriends Willy who saves his life one night. Willy won't perform for trainer Rae Lindley (Lori Petty) but he's willing to do it for Jesse. The owner Dial (Michael Ironside) is under pressure from the non-performing whale.

It's a reasonable family picture. It has a whale and the little kids may find it fascinating. The story is compelling enough that the older kids will also like it. It's very much following a try and true formula. The young lead is acceptable even when he doesn't have the whale. He has some good drama to play off against. It's important to note that Keiko the whale was eventually freed. If that's all the movie achieves, that's plenty.

Whale-shaped place in my heart

[staceyvz · 10/10 · 8 March 2008]

5.2 is shameful. I loved this movie. It has all of the elements of a great film; compelling characters, plot, and an end lesson. I think that most family movies these days lack a lot of moral posturing that made films like this one so memorable. I know that I wanted to "Save the Whales" after I saw this movie. Heck, I wanted to be a whale. I don't care how many stars it got, this movie is a childhood treasure for me and I think of it every time I hear the Michael Jackson song, "Will You Be There?" I wish that my younger siblings remembered this movie or the amount of joy it brought us slightly older kids in my family. The sequel certainly left something to be desired, but not the original. Yep, it will hold a special whale-shaped place in my heart.

Save Willy

[Orangeorange2003 · 10/10 · 21 February 2005]

I wanted to see this film because of my love of Orcas. I was not disappointed. This film will make you think of what it would be like to have the bestest friend you could ever have. The film brings together Jesse,a 12 year old boy and Willy,a killer whale. Jesse having painted graffiti in the sea park where Willy is. Is told he has to clean it all off. It is doing this that he is introduced to Willy. The pair start to bond and Jesse starts to train with Willy for a show to get him a bigger tank. On night after he ran away,Jesse sees a light coming from the other side of Willy tank. He goes and has a look. The park owner wants to kill Willy. So this sets Jesse of.He wants to save his best friend,and he will do whatever he can. Well Willy............. I cant tell you that would spoil it. But if you want a feel good film,that makes you feel good inside this is it. But I will warn you,i'm 24 now and still whenever I watch it,I get teary.

My Kids Loved It

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 6 January 2017]

While the plot is quite hackneyed, it's fine that we have movie like this. The news is out on the treatment of Orcas by places like Sea World. These magnificent creatures are kept in tight quarters and made to perform at shows. Willy is one of those whales, and a young boy, who has had a checkered past, and his friend decide it is time to put him back in the open sea. The movie has to do with the logistics of getting this done. As is usually the case, there are some bad people determined to stop this. While it's lightweight and pretty hard to believe, it's a nice movie with a good heart. I'm happy that my children enjoyed this and developed a good attitude about the treatment of animals.

The Teaching of Willy

[OMTR · 10/10 · 7 September 2021]

A wonderful environmental and pedagogical drama about life balance and (self) respect, for the whole family and society. A masterpiece, which is emphasized by one of Basil Poledouris' best compositions.

Evan_patriot already said it... childhood nostalgia at its finest

[bellino-angelo2014 · 8/10 · 2 October 2022]

I must have seen this movie at least 2,3 times during my childhood as it was aired often on channel 6 and has some sort of cult following. Few days before Easter I finally re-watched it after like, 14 years, and it held the test of time.

Jesse is a troubled kid that doesn't succedd in anything except for causing trouble but not being sufficiently reprimanded by his adoptive parents Glen (Michael Madsen) and Annie Greenwood. For some acts of vandalism he has to work in an acquarium where a captured orca named Willy has become the new star of their shows. Jesse gradually becomes friends and as he becomes smitten, he stars to change because he feels affection for something. So with the help of trainer Rae (Lori Petty) he will do anything for freeing Willy and make him return to the sea.

The best character of the movie is probably the whale because it's not only full of emotions, but irresistebly cute. Jason James Richter is an ok child actor, while Lori Petty, Michael Madsen in a rare soft guy role and Michael Ironside as the villanious director of the acquarium are background characters but very good. And it also gives a nice nostalgic feel of the 2000s especially for folks who used to watch it often on TV.

Overall, one of the most nostalgic movies especially for folks of my age group (I am 23 at the moment) and apart from this, decent entertainment all around. Not to be missed.

FYI: Not only I have fond memories of this movie, but Lori Petty put a like on a comment I did to one of her posts last month.

Jesse and Willy...

[Thanos_Alfie · 5/10 · 31 January 2021]

"Free Willy" is an Adventure - Drama movie in which we watch a boy tries to rescue a killer whale from an aquarium because the aquarium owners will kill it. The boy risks everything to save the whale and he is devoted on his goal.

I liked this movie because it had a simple but interesting plot with a good direction by Simon Wincer. The interpretations of Jason James Richter who played as Jesse and August Schellenberg who played as Randolph Johnson were very good and made the movie even better. It's a classic afternoon family movie that I am sure that the whole family will enjoy. Therefore I recommend everyone to watch it because I believe that everyone can gain and learn something by watching this boy trying to save Willy.

I'm having a whale of a time with Free Willy. It's a semi-good family movie

[ironhorse_iv · 6/10 · 11 June 2015]

Whale! Whale! Whale! What do we have here? It's Free Willy and I love blubbering about Free Willy. It's a whale of a tail. It's one of my favorite nostalgia, early 1990s kid films. Directed by Simon Wincer, Free Willy tells the story of a delinquent boy, Jesse (Jason James Richter) who become friends with a captive killer whale, Willy (Keiko). Seeing that Willy was upset due to the absence of his family and the fact, that Willy didn't like his small living conditions; Jesse set up a plan to kidnap Willy, and tries to set him free in the wild. Can Jesse and Willy escape from the cruel owners of aquarium or will Willy end up, being fish food? Watch the movie to find out! Without spoiling the movie, too much; I found the movie to be a bit predictable. After all, the title of the movie, kinda gives it, away. It's not like the movie posters, DVD covers, and trailers, pretty much spoils the outrageous end of the movie, as well. The film's ending has been spoofed several times in popular culture, due to how over the top, it was. It was a bit unrealistic. The movie also suffers from overused clichés. I really didn't like the sub-plot of Jesse's handling of his new foster parents. It seem a bit forced and underdevelopment. I really didn't buy into the whole surviving on his own, as a runaway bit. Around thing that was hard to believe, was the chemistry between the whale and the main actor. It was too similar to previous movies of a child bonding with a wild animal like 1966's Namu. I really found the whole idea of Willy connecting with the child, a little impractical. For a creature that been left alone in a small dark tanks for hours, I would have, thought the orca would be a little more aggressed and bite Jesse's head off or try to drown him. It's seem a bit, off. After all, they are killer whales! I guess, Keiko was just that well-trained. While, the film does make a good persuasive case against keeping these creatures in captivity for the purposes of human entertainment by highlighting incidents that Willy has. The movie is a little one-sided argument about whales being in captivity. I find it a tad odd that this movie is basically condemning the very thing it is exploiting which is using captive wild animals for entertainment purposes. The movie also fails to tells how important, some aquariums are, for sick killer whales. Now, every aquarium seem a bit evil. Like the 2013's documentary, Blackfish; viewers of this movie, might not understand, that some places, like SeaWorld honestly, tries hard to keep whales, healthy, enough to return to the wild. Still, when this movie did came out, I was one of those, who really believe that the whale that play Willy should have been free. At least the filmmakers followed their own preaching, and campaigned for the freeing of Keiko, the actual killer whale who stands in for an animatronic Willy in many scenes. The plan for Keiko to return to the wild was a topic of much controversy at the time. Some critics felt that a return to the wild, was somewhat impossible, because of the years of him being in captivity. They were somewhat right, most of the attempts of him going back into the wild were mostly unsuccessful, due to the fact, that he often return, seeking contact with human beings and allowing children to ride on his back. He was so dependent on humans that he really couldn't connection with other whales. In 2003, Keiko sadly die in one last attempt in the wild at the young age of 26 due to Pneumonia. He will be miss. Despite, him, not living long in the wild, I still came out from this movie learning more than I came into the film. I love the fact that this movie help spark the Save the Whales Foundation into a success organization. I love the fact that this movie had singer Michael Jackson produced and performed "Will You Be There", as one of the theme songs for the film, which can be heard during the film's credits. The song won the MTV Movie Award for "Best Song in a Movie" in 1994. It was also included in Michael Jackson's Dangerous album. It's one of his best songs, ever. It really help the save the whales program. The main theme by Basil Poledouris was also amazing and majestic. Even the harmonica music that Jesse plays, wasn't that bad. While, the music was good. The acting, not so much. While, some of the characters strongly express of human emotion like James Jason Richter who work well, on-screen with Keiko. Others were kinda one dimensional. The worst, had to be the over the top money hungry, villain played by Michael Ironsides. He was really hammy. The movie made great use of stock footage of whales. It was really nice, seeing them, in their natural habitat. The movie was followed by three sequels 1995's Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home, 1997's Free Willy 3: The Rescue, and 2010's Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove, and a short-lived animated television series. I don't recommended watching the sequels, but I do want you to check out 2010's Keiko: The Untold story. It's a documentary film about Keiko that is worth seeing. Overall: Despite its cheesy nature, Free Willy is great movie for fans of Marine life. I really enjoy this film.

Great story. Excellent movie.

[Kim-445 · 10/10 · 21 January 2006]

I just love it when there is a story that has two negative forces coming together, and somehow, magically healing each other. Jesse, roughened from his abandonment and time on the streets, and Willy, kidnapped and separated from his family are the duo. It is a great story, and a wonderful film.

It is so rare, that of all the movies and books and media that I have consumed in my 25 years of life, I can only think of one other story that has this same type of magical quality (The Secret Garden). This movie is also great for environmental reasons, and as an avid watcher of Captain Planet, I fell in love with this movie when I was a child.

As an adult, I have an annual pass to Seaworld, and I love killer whales. They are so intelligent, and extremely beautiful. Willy is no exception. Free Willy!

I grew up with this beautiful movie

[numenorsniper-66396 · 9/10 · 22 February 2021]

Last of Us 2's aquarium scenes reinspired me to watch Free Willy again for the first time since probably the 90s.

It's heartbreaking how awful we humans treat animals, especially Orca whales.

Free Willy holds a special place in my heart as I grew up watching it in the 90s. It's also the first time I remember seeing Michael Madsen, a staple guy of Tarantino's (my favourite director) movies.

Free Willy ignited my interest in Orca whales as kid, and is a great companion movie to the documentary Blackfish.

Free Willy

[jboothmillard · 5/10 · 14 July 2005]

I always remembered seeing this film somewhere in the middle, and when I finally watched it from the very beginning, I could see the big deal with it, i.e. the strong friendship with a boy and a whale. It starts with the capture of an innocent young killer whale who is taken away from his family, and he ends up in a tank in a marina. Meanwhile, 12-year-old Jesse (Jason James Richter) is the street kid who has caused trouble for ages, and he is caught vandalising the marina, so he is forced to clean up the mess. As Jesse continues his work, he starts to notice and befriends the killer whale, named Willy (played by Keiko the killer whale), the whale even saves his life. But what is even better is that the staff, including Lori Petty (Rae Lindley) and Randolph Johnson (August Schellenberg) start to notice that Jesse can teach Willy tricks. So they decide to open The Willy Show, with the help of marina owner Dial (Michael Ironside) and Willy's capturers and carers. But unfortunately, it does not go well because of Willy's tank having viewers banging on the glass of the tank, mixed with his missing of his family. So with some help from Lori, Randolph and his carers, Glen (Michael Madsen) and Annie Greenwood (Jayne Atkinson), Jesse and Willy set off towards the ocean to free him. The moment where Willy leaps over the rock wall is obviously the pinnacle of the film, and the end credits feature the great Michael Jackson song, "Will You Be There". Sadly the beloved Keiko died in 2003 of pneumonia, he will be missed by children and adults alike. It was number 74 on The 100 Greatest Family Films. Worth watching!

A sentimental and enjoyable movie with charming scenes and attractive messages

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 31 May 2023]

This is a good-looking family drama with marvellous scenes, natural ecologism , gorgeous outdoors and high sensibility . When a boy learns that a beloved killer whale is to be killed by the aquarium owners, the boy risks everything to free the whale . Willy is trapped and his family swims mournfully away . Cut to an angelic street-kid , Jesse (Jason James Richer) , caught graffiti-ing Willy's tank , the only way to escape baby jail he discovers is to go to well-meaning but stiff foster parents (Michael Madsen , Jayne Atkinson) and clean up the tank under the tutelage of Haida Indian Randolph (August Schellemberg) . A 12 year old street kid !. A 3 ton orca whale !. A friendship you could never imagine !. An adventure you'll never forget !. Make room in your heart for a six-ton Pet!!!He is the biggest hero in the whole wide world of adventure!. When You're Six Tons -- And They Call You Killer -- It's Hard To Make Friends...

Agreeable and charming family tale made with sense , sensitivity and wonderful sea images. This is a good-natured family drama with emotion, ecologism, gorgeous outdoors and high sensibility . Many years before , this Orca saga was preceded by a similar film : ¨Namu , the Killer Whale¨ (1966) directed by Laslo Benedek with Robert Lansing . It contains ample and gorgeous sea vistas, being very well photographed the exterior scenes, as well as underwater images with the great Orca whale jumping and diving. This well acted movie has a straight-faced tone which is hard to resist . Including good messages : love for animals , environmentalism , fraternity , fight for survival , need for family coexistence friendship , while boy and whale get on because they are both looking for a family .

Special mention for excellent musical score by magnificent composer Basil Poledouris , including sweeping strings accompanying the opening sequence of balletic whales cavorting in brilliant blue sea , changing abruptly to cacophony as the bad guys with nets chug up in their tugs . The motion picture was well directed by notorious filmmaker Simon Wincer . He is a Western expert , as he emigrated Hollywood from Australia and subsequently directed to Tom Selleck in ¨Monte Walsh¨ , ¨Crossfire trail¨ and ¨Quigley Down Under¨ to Paul Hogan in ¨Relampago Jack¨ and ¨Cocodrile Dundee in L. A.¨ and usually directs episodes for TV mini-series, such as ¨Into the West¨, ¨The Ponderosa¨ , ¨Lonesome Dove¨ and ¨The adventures of young Indiana Jones¨ , among others . Rating : good for the sensitive direction and proficient film-making ; the result is a sort of pacifist-ecological adventure for kiddies and adults. Worthwhile watching . The pic will appeal to animals enthusiasts .

Even though I'm probably too old for it now, it's still a favrioute

[Cabekka · 9/10 · 25 September 2002]

I remember first seeing this for the first time in the cinema back in 1995 when it was first released. I thought it was a really cool film and bought it, nearly 10 years later and I still think it's a good film. It just shows us the pain and suffering animals can go through in captivity and how unhappy they can get. The story is farfetched in some places, but I really like the shots throughout the movie of both the model whales and the real whales out in the ocean. 9/10

Obnoxious Kid Ruins Film

[ccthemovieman-1 · 3/10 · 1 December 2007]

The best things about this Disney "Save The Whales" movie of 1993 were the opening and closing credits. They were beautiful shots, just awesome. Sadly, most of the stuff in the middle wasn't all that good. Oh, everyone likes a nice feel-good story about saving some animal or whale (how about humans?) but what ruined the movie for me was the main character "Jesse."

"Jesse" (Jason James Richter) is another Hollywood film brat, the typical snotty, smart-mouth kid film idiots like to present us, not like your kids.

There are some implausible scenes, such as no adults present when kid is tapping on the glass at the aquarium, but every movie has those, so I'm not going to trash the film for that.

Suffice to say the kid, and the overly PC- Disney folks (i.e. their typical Native American good-guy as the boy's whale-mentor), turned me off, only because there are so many Disney clichés and stereotypes in here it is ludicrous.

Why is it always some rebel kid, some punk who deserves a good spanking, who saves the day, who is shown smarter than most adults? Disney and Spielberg, love that crap.

Michael Jackson sings the movie song's finale. 'Nuff said.

The 10th anniversary

[johnng45 · 8/10 · 26 August 2005]

It's a good movie. I love Animals. this is a good movie bout a killer whale was caught by bad businessman and it's for sale on the show biz reluctantly.After it made friend with a boy. The boy could understand how the feeling of losing family. He rejected the new love of his adopted parents but he learnt how to accept the new love and hope from his new home and family after saving his best friend Willy the killer whale. Basil Poledouris composed the heartwarming and touching score for the movie. Robbie Greenberg shot the wonderful secenery and caught the beauty of Willy. They are very professional.I don't understand why people do not like this movie. It is a good and very underrated movie for the whole family. It certainly much better than some sex and violent movies. I love this movie very much !

Simple and sweet

[briancham1994 · 7/10 · 14 January 2023]

Free Willy is the quintessential 90s family film along the lines of Home Alone - innocent, schmaltzy and full of cloying sentimentality. It contains everything you've seen before and has passed into cliché - misunderstood kid who just wants to prove himself, heartfelt friendship with a precious animal, plot to thwart secret bad guys and so on - but it does so with such determined idealism that you can't help but feel a sheer, overwhelming joy. Free Willy is the family movie to end all family movies, a condensation of so many feelgood tropes that it collapses under its own gravity to form a singularity of Hollywood magic.