Sadly Over-hyped

A Masterpiece!

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

I catched this on satellite before trying to watch a video from my watchlist collection. Because of it's charm I couldn't get my self to stop watching it. Aware and knowing that it has a sequel-B movie vibe on it.That being said I think this movie is pretty decent for it's level. Though not being the ambitious "I want to be a big franchise" type of movie. It still has a well thought plot. And I think those are enough for a good family moment.For size, you can see how the camera works to find the emotion of Willy the whale. Making it live enough to enjoy.

In my opinion, none of the sequels can stand up to the first, though this one is pretty good. I find the acting to be good, for the most part. Elvis is portrayed perfectly as the delightfully annoying pest of a little brother, though his character development is shown well as the movie progresses. It felt nice to watch Elvis and Jesse grow closer until the ending, where it seemed as though they had grown up together and shared a bond. Nadine is a nice addition to the cast of characters, providing Jesse with a love interest. It was nice to watch their bond develop and grow as the movie went on as well. The only complaint I have about the acting is the scene at the dock where Jesse is first reunited with Willy (aside from having seen him from a distance on Randolph's boat). I felt as though there could have been much more emotion shown from Jesse. He was obviously happy to see Willy again, but I expected more excitement and enthusiasm. The storyline is believable and brings attention to the very real problem of oil spills. Some consider it a bit preachy, but I'm glad this movie spreads awareness about the damage oil spills do to the environment instead of just the tourism industry. The robots in this movie were phenomenal, though in the scenes where Jesse introduces Nadine to Willy, and the ending after Willy saves Jesse from the fire, some of the paint on the chin spots is visibly missing (half of one of the spots is gone) and in some scenes it appears as though the spots in Willy's right eye-patch aren't there at all. Minor mistakes compared to how real and believable the robots are, though. Overall, a good movie with a good message to spread. Recommended.

If you've seen my comment on the original "Free Willy", which is not a positive one, you might be wondering why I'm reviewing this sequel, why I would have bothered watching it. Well, the only explanation I can give is that I saw it at school back in 1996, on my last day of Grade 3. While I couldn't seem to remember that much of it from that first viewing, I clearly remember that the climax had my heart pounding, and it was a memorable way to mark the end of my years as a primary student. So, it's another film from my childhood which I decided to revisit, and probably wouldn't have ever ended up seeing at all had I not seen it before. Since I didn't like the original 1993 film when I watched it recently, it's no surprise I'm not too impressed with this 1995 sequel, either.It has been two years since Jesse brought Willy, the orca whale, back to his natural habitat. The two haven't seen each other since then, but Jesse is happy living with his foster parents, Glen and Annie Greenwood. However, the teenager is not happy when he is informed that his birth mother has just died, and his younger half-brother, Elvis, is coming to live with them. Jesse and Elvis do not get along, and their conflict continues on a camping trip with their foster parents, on which they have to share a tent. On this trip, Jesse finally sees Willy again, and also reunites with his friend, Randolph. Randolph introduces his goddaughter, Nadine, whom Jesse quickly falls in love with. Trouble comes when an oil tanker crashes and spills its contents into the water, threatening the lives of the whales! While Jesse and others attempt to save these whales, Elvis has problems of his own.I didn't care much for many of the characters in the original film, but this sequel introduces Elvis, played by Francis Capra, and he might be slightly worse than any character featured in the 1993 smash hit family movie. It seems Capra was given some poor lines in this role, such as what his character says when he realizes his foster parents aren't rich. Of course, not all cheesy lines in the movie come from him. Basically, most aspects of this movie weren't done so well, including the conflict between Jesse and Elvis, which may be a little extreme at times, and the teen romance between Jesse and Nadine. Like the original, there is some tension, and also maybe a few poignant moments, but at times, it may try too hard, or not hard enough. I have to admit, I actually found it mildly amusing when Glen and Annie go out looking for Elvis and Michael Jackson's song, "Childhood" suddenly begins. I'm sorry, I know it's a deeply personal song of Jackson's, about his tragic upbringing, and I know he is now dead, but in this movie, the song seemed to be thrown in, as a poor attempt to push the right buttons on the audience. I didn't even know the artist was Michael Jackson when I watched the film.It seems "Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home" is less popular than the original "Free Willy", even though some critics considered it superior. Personally, I'm pretty much indifferent to both of them. I've explained why I decided to watch and review this sequel, but since I've never seen the final installment in the trilogy, 1997's "Free Willy 3: The Rescue" (which appears to be even less popular), to this day, I don't intend to watch it. I don't like what I've seen in the first two so much, so I obviously don't want to sit through another hour and a half or so of what is probably pretty much the same thing. Despite how long it's been since the last "Free Willy" movie was made, more than one source tells me that there will be a "Free Willy 4" released next year, starring Bindi Irwin, the daughter of late conservationist Steve Irwin (a.k.a. "The Crocodile Hunter"). Apparently, it will be a direct-to-DVD release. No offence to the Irwins, but I will definitely be passing on this one as well.

My Take: Preachy, eco-friendly sequel, but has its moments. Let go of your "Save The Whales" placards, allow FREE WILLY 2: THE ADVENTURE HOME do the job for you. If you thought the original FREE WILLY had enough "Free the Whales" slogans to match a 3-ton Orca's weight, FREE WILLY 2 is even bigger, with its environmentalist propaganda that is! In its story and characters, it lacks that certain oomph of the original, which elevated it from its predictable genre origins. FREE WILLY 2 is much more predictable, with a by-th-numbers storyline that might just entertain the kids and give adults a toothache from all its sweetness. Still, for what its worth, FREE WILLY 2 is enjoyable family affair. I say it's at least worth a rental. For the record, at least its a better bargain than FLIPPER or even, not that it has any connection, JAWS: THE REVENGE.The storyline is more filled of "Save the Whales" slogans than ever before. After leaving Willy (Keiko, assisted by an animatronic and CG double) from his leap of faith in the original's finale, Willy faces a new threat, this time outside the confines of a small tank. Jessie (Jason James Richter), now grown-up, is out to save the day again. The story also provides him a sort-of-girlfriend (Mary Kate Schellhardt) with a deep concern for the environment (Couldn't this movie ever be more nature-friendly?) and even a little brother named Elvis (Francis Capra), who is just so... annoying. Not that the film is crowded with good guys, bad guys and beleaguered whales, but why did they actually think that this kid, annoying and a bit spoiled at some point, would deepen the film's emotional level? Why they think a kid as nearly annoying as Elvis (who's simply annoying quips are more than enough to drive you to the breaking point) would be a good way to stretch Jessie's character, I really don't know.Still, as family entertainment, FREE WILLY 2 does just about enough for a mild recommendation. The photography is adequate, capturing on film a lively shot of its environments and, of course the whales. I've read a trivia about the film that it uses much more animatronic whales than the first film, yet it's really hard to spot in most scenes due to the rather seamless effect. The story is shallow, predictable, but actually quite believable, although the Jessie-Elvis brotherhood is something that can easily be removed without doing any harm to the story. As family entertainment, I at least give it a fair and easy recommendation.Rating: *** out of 5.