While better than your average Saturday morning cartoon, the FREE WILLY cartoon is not nearly as good as the FREE WILLY movies. Instead of having to face whale poachers, Jesse has to face a villian called The machine in almost every single episode. The FREE WILLY movies were cute, but the FREE WILLY cartoon is just plain stupid.
7 Reviews
Cute cartoon
Sparrow_in_flight10 March 2004
It was a fun cartoon, but it will never beat the movie. The kid who did the voice of Jesse sounded sort of like Jason James Richter, which was a plus for the cartoon. Willy and Jesse were constantly trying to save the ocean - of course, what else would the show involve? Actually, I think there may also have been a few episodes where they tried to avoid Willy getting captured again - what sticks in my mind the most was that it seemed that nearly every episode, there was a "Willy jump" like at the end of the movie. And Jesse was almost always in his wetsuit. It was a nice kids' show while it lasted, but I'm not surprised it only lasted one year. If by some random chance it shows up at an odd time on a random cable channel, and you happen to be a fan of the movie, then try watching it.
Imagine Captian Planet, But, more Focus on the Ocean
Transient-Orca23 August 2007
Growing up as an innocent, whale-hugging, environmentally concerned little girl at age 5, had it's perks in the early 90's.
In the early to mid 90's we seemed to have a sudden wave of child based cartoon shows that focused on teaching children about environmental issues. These shows, though corny in every sense of the word, actually seem more educational than the crap I see today, that tries to get the attention of the same age group.
Two of these shows I watched all the time, was "Captian Planet and the Planeteers" and "Free Willy". Though "Captian Planet" was more educational, "Free Willy" was the basic idea only in the ocean, and a little more up beat.
Though, I have very little memory of the whole TV show, I do remember episodes that talked about the issue of oil spills, captive animals doing shows for people, ocean pollution and the marine animals themselves. These were episodes that sometimes portrayed humans in a pretty dark way. Many of the villains being either half human half machine, or being derived from machines.
This ends up dividing good people from bad, and how the innocent animals and environment end up being hurt, all because of people. But Willy and Jesse always ended up saving the day, and though not really teaching children in a direct way such as "Captian Planet", children still get the basic idea, that humans are harming the environment and the animals in it.
This show is actually, overall, very cute and very fun for children, as long as you don't look to deeply into the messages as I do now. In fact this show tends to inspire children, more than teach them.
In the early to mid 90's we seemed to have a sudden wave of child based cartoon shows that focused on teaching children about environmental issues. These shows, though corny in every sense of the word, actually seem more educational than the crap I see today, that tries to get the attention of the same age group.
Two of these shows I watched all the time, was "Captian Planet and the Planeteers" and "Free Willy". Though "Captian Planet" was more educational, "Free Willy" was the basic idea only in the ocean, and a little more up beat.
Though, I have very little memory of the whole TV show, I do remember episodes that talked about the issue of oil spills, captive animals doing shows for people, ocean pollution and the marine animals themselves. These were episodes that sometimes portrayed humans in a pretty dark way. Many of the villains being either half human half machine, or being derived from machines.
This ends up dividing good people from bad, and how the innocent animals and environment end up being hurt, all because of people. But Willy and Jesse always ended up saving the day, and though not really teaching children in a direct way such as "Captian Planet", children still get the basic idea, that humans are harming the environment and the animals in it.
This show is actually, overall, very cute and very fun for children, as long as you don't look to deeply into the messages as I do now. In fact this show tends to inspire children, more than teach them.
If Willy really could talk, he would have demanded a better series.
Victor Field15 January 2004
The reason that the TV series of "Free Willy" was out of continuity with the second and third movies is that it came before the second and third movies... but the real reason to not watch is that it just wasn't very good. There have been worse spinoffs of TV shows, but there have also been better. Definitely better.
Elsewhere on the IMDb it's mentioned that Michael Kamen (RIP) did the theme for the brilliant "X-Men" cartoon - this comes as a surprise to me, as I doubt a production company headed by two composers (Saban and Levy) would have turned to outside help for a theme; and why wasn't he credited? Kamen definitely did, however, write the theme for the tele-version of "Free Willy" (though why Basil Poledouris, who scored the movie and the first sequel, wasn't involved is a mystery).
Elsewhere on the IMDb it's mentioned that Michael Kamen (RIP) did the theme for the brilliant "X-Men" cartoon - this comes as a surprise to me, as I doubt a production company headed by two composers (Saban and Levy) would have turned to outside help for a theme; and why wasn't he credited? Kamen definitely did, however, write the theme for the tele-version of "Free Willy" (though why Basil Poledouris, who scored the movie and the first sequel, wasn't involved is a mystery).
Free Willy Necklace
TexasSoxSS192 May 2005
OK I got a question for everyone... does anyone remember the necklace that came on the cover of the Free Willy VHS when it first came out?? That was the coolest necklace and I can't find anyone who remembers it, and I can't find it on ebay. It used to be my favorite necklace, and I lost it when I was like 6 and I was just trying to find other one to see if I could buy it from someone, but there are no records of it ever existing on the internet. I really don't know where else to look if I can't even find it on the internet. So, if anyone knows anything about it, or remembers it, Please email me at TexasSoxSS19@comcast.net I'd really appreciate it!Thanks.
So good, yet so bad
bartallenii20 April 2001
I suppose a cartoon was inevitable, but things could have worse. On the good side, at least the producers tried to make the series action oriented, and some of the plots were pretty decent. And it kept in continuity with the first movie (but not the second and third films)
On the bad side, Jesse was far more annoying than in any of the movies, the villain looked like a Borg reject, and to top it all off, Jesse had the inexplicable power to "talk" with Willy and other sea life. But I suppose it could still be an enjoyable cartoon if you like old Saturday Morning television.
On the bad side, Jesse was far more annoying than in any of the movies, the villain looked like a Borg reject, and to top it all off, Jesse had the inexplicable power to "talk" with Willy and other sea life. But I suppose it could still be an enjoyable cartoon if you like old Saturday Morning television.
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