Though garnished with some heavy dollops of cheese, Dolphin Tale is a surprisingly solid, earnest family picture.
70
Village Voice
Village Voice
By the end of the movie, Winter has become a mascot for human disability, especially for children, and Dolphin Tale has enough depth and sensitivity to tap into emotion without feeling manipulative.
67
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
While the plot occasionally feels like "Free Willy" without the drama, it's a cute story if you don't mind temporarily trading in your cynicism for a bag of popcorn.
63
Slant MagazineNick Schager
Slant MagazineNick Schager
If its plotting can be slight, the film's restraint and earnestness help prevent it from ever tipping over into outright mawkishness, and its performances similarly avoid over-the-top histrionics.
63
Orlando SentinelRoger Moore
Orlando SentinelRoger Moore
No, this isn't how it really happened. But director Charles Martin Smith ("Air Bud") wrings plenty of heartfelt tears and a few laughs out of this fictionalized account.