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Conference bookie::movies

Title:Movie Reviews and Discussion
Notice:Please do DIR/TITLE before starting a new topic on a movie!
Moderator:VAXCPU::michaudo.dec.com::tamara::eppes
Created:Thu Jan 28 1993
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1249
Total number of notes:16012

242.0. "Free Willy" by 16821::POGAR (SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE - THE CURE FOR INSOMNIACS) Tue Jul 06 1993 18:27

    My daughter and I saw a sneak preview of FREE WILLY yesterday. It's the
    story of the friendship between an Orca killer whale (Willy) and a
    12-year old boy. The boy is in trouble (aka juvenile delinquent) and
    has to "pay" for some vandalism he participated in at an amusement
    park. The boy (can't think of his name) becomes fascinated with, and
    then friends with, Willy the Whale.
    
    The movie is rated G -- I'd rate it a VG, for Very Good. The theatre
    was packed, with probably a 2:1 ratio kids to adults. Excellent movie
    -- _I_ even got misty-eyed in parts.
    
    Of course, there was the expected "Save the Whales" message at the end
    of the show (1-800-4-WHALES).
    
    As a "family" film (snicker along with previous notes), I'd give it a
    must-see 4/4.
    
    In general, probably a 3.5/4.
    
    Catherine
    
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242.1Otto24728::WOODWed Jul 07 1993 13:249
    
    
    
    What next...A friendship between a young girl and an octopus.
    I know...Otto the octopus...look with wonder as they swim together
    and otto sprays her with ink...That otto...what a comiedien
    
    
                 -=-=-R~C~W-=-=-
242.211843::WOOLNERYour dinner is in the supermarketThu Jul 08 1993 13:558
    re .0, thanks for the review!  My (8-year-old) daughter and I thought
    the "coming attractions" snips looked great.
    
    BTW, was anyone in here who saw the snips of "Free Willy" reminded of a 
    "Prince of Tides" subplot (in the book, anyway; I haven't seen the flick 
    yet)?
    
    Leslie
242.3ACESMK::ELKINSAdam Elkins @MSOWed Jul 14 1993 17:027
        
    Yes!  I thought of "Prince of Tides" also when I saw the trailer
    for "Free Willy."  I'm sure that's where the idea came from.
    I loved that part of the book.   It was not included in the movie
    by the way.
    
    Adam
242.4I don't get it16564::NEWELL_JODon't wind your toys too tightWed Jul 14 1993 17:084
    Would someone please explain the PoT/FW trailer connection.
    
    
    Jodi-
242.5Put your money where your mouth is8269::BARRIANOchoke me in the shallow water...Wed Jul 21 1993 11:1114
I saw this movie yesterday. TOTALLY predicable from beginning to end.
Most scenes seemed to be constructed to prompt a politically correct response.
I'm getting a little tired of some film makers, who seem more interested in
manipulating the emotions of their audience, than emtertaining them :-(.

Also, if the message of the movie is:  Whales should roam free (and I don't
disagree with the idea) than why didn't the producers of the movie spend a
small fraction of the money, they spent on the movie to buy and free the 
Mexican whale who played Willy?  Or at least buy it a bigger tank?

Looks like, they'll jump on the Save the Whales band wagon to sell tickets, as
long as it doesn't cost any money :-(

barry
242.6REGENT::POWERSThu Jul 22 1993 10:3311
>     <<< Note 242.5 by 8269::BARRIANO "choke me in the shallow water..." >>>
>                    -< Put your money where your mouth is >-
>
>I'm getting a little tired of some film makers, who seem more interested in
>manipulating the emotions of their audience, than emtertaining them :-(.

So what is entertainment if it's not the manipulation of emotion (and thought)?

Rathole acknowledged....

- tom]
242.7I hope it'll entertain a 6 yr old58379::DAYLife&#039;s A Dance You Learn as You GoThu Jul 29 1993 07:598
    
         Sounds like free Willy is a pretty good movie. I am planning to go
    see it this weekend and taking my niece with me, I'm curious however as
    to whether she'll actually enjoy it. She's a six year old, however is a 
    movies buff, oh well I guess we'll just have to see what happens.
    
    Rose..
    
242.8lame recap of PoT subplot11843::WOOLNERYour dinner is in the supermarketThu Jul 29 1993 13:2821
    re .3 and .4, the Prince of Tides subplot is (hazy in my mind now,
    but...) about a ghostly-white dolphin (porpoise?) who inhabits the
    waterways in South Carolina where the teenaged Tom Wingo lives.  It's
    kind of an other-worldly good luck mascot, til some Bad Guys catch it
    and ship it down the coast, Florida I think, to some sort of captive 
    environment.  Tom and brothers sneak off (in their dad's truck?) in the 
    middle of the night and effect its rescue.
    
    Detail-oriented noters please augment the above!
    
    re .7, I bet your niece will enjoy the flick... in the beginning
    there's a somewhat distressing scene of Willy's capture, but they only
    play it for anxiety, not tears.  (In other words, you see him being
    surrounded by the nets, calling to his family, but they *don't* drag it
    out through the eventual hoisting onto the boat via sling, etc.)  There
    are many absolutely charming scenes of the boy's interaction with
    Willy.  True, they portray Willy as understanding every word, but what
    the heck.  If it bothers you, you can remind your niece afterward
    that real Orcas don't speak English!
    
    Leslie 
242.916564::NEWELL_JODon&#039;t wind your toys too tightThu Jul 29 1993 13:478
    I don't remember any dolphin sub-plot at all in PoT. 
    I'll have to pick up the book since it sounds more
    interesting than the movie. Altho, I did like the 
    film. Didn't enjoy it, but could appreciate it.
    
    Jodi-
    
    
242.10Anyone Remember This One58379::DAYLife&#039;s A Dance You Learn as You GoFri Jul 30 1993 02:0720
    Hi All,
    
         Since were on a similar topic, does anyone remember the movie
    "ORCA" the killer whale?. Friends and I have had some discussion around
    this, as to the purpose or shall I say plot of the movie. My friends
    say that a killer whale attacks in the movie, I say the whale only
    attacked after the boats crew members catured and killed it's mate
    which expecting at the time. Can anyone clarify this for me, it's been
    a long time since I've seen the movie.
    
          P.S. Hope it was OK to put this in here. 
    	       As well my niece and I will be going
    	       to see "Free Willy" tomorrow, I'll let
    	       you know how it went next week.
    
    
    Thanks 
    
    Rose...
      
242.11Mate Revenge28218::PETERSBe nice or be dog foodFri Jul 30 1993 10:212
    The whale only attacks after his mate is killed. 
                                Jeff Peters
242.12Fantastic58379::DAYLife&#039;s A Dance You Learn as You GoTue Aug 03 1993 02:4012
    Well Folks,
    
    
         I took my niece (Ashley) to see the movie on Friday night, and
    Ashley really enjoyed it, I thought it was great too. I'd give it a
    4.5/5, the end was a little emotional.
    
    Thanks Jeff, I thought this was the case.
    
    Rose..
    
    
242.1310/10!! A+!33018::KOCHIt never hurts to ask...Sat Aug 07 1993 12:5819
    I saw this movie a few weeks ago. I loved it! But sometimes I didn't
    like when everything would go right, then something would happen to
    make it go wrong again. The only part that I couldn't watch was the
    part where Willy And The Boy(I forget his name, someone please help me
    to remember!) where making thier big debut, and the kids were all
    pounding on the glass and stuff. I wanted to rip apart all those kids.
    I hated the guy who owned him. 
    
    But, by the end, where Willy Jumps over the rocks, I found myself
    jumping out of my seat and Cheering. It's a feel good movie. I liked
    the end where they showed all the whales. And I also liked where the
    showed a little clip that said "No animals were hurt or mistreated for
    the making of theis movie" or somehing to that affect.
    
    Again *****/***** 10/10 !!
    
    Could someone help me remember the boys name? My daughter is doing a
    review for it. And also the parents last name and the lady and indain
    guy. THanks a lot.
242.14Raw dataQUARRY::reevesJon Reeves, ULTRIX compiler groupMon Aug 09 1993 21:1614
I don't think this has made it into all the databases yet; here's the
raw cast list data, in the form actor_name|movie|character; you can
pick out what you need:

Richter, Jason James|Free Willy|Jesse
Schellenberg, August|Free Willy|Randolph Johnson
Ironside, Michael|Free Willy|Dial
Riehle, Richard|Free Willy|Wade
Williamson, Mykelti|Free Willy|Dwight Mercer
Bacall, Michael|Free Willy|Perry
Atkinson, Jayne|Free Willy|Annie Greenwood
Harris, Danielle|Free Willy|Gwenie
Madsen, Michael|Free Willy|Glen Greenwood
Petty, Lori|Free Willy|Rae Lindley
242.15Caught,Made Friends,& Freed Willy in 2mins44038::CREIDFri Aug 13 1993 11:366
    
      This movie has not even opened here yet,but i've already seen the 
      trailer.Which to be honest showed everything you needed to see,apart
      from the end credits. No doubt it will be a good movie but don't you 
      just hate trailers which show the beginning,middle,& end of a movie.
    
242.16Quick WillyYUPPY::SECURITYSecurity @LDOTue Feb 15 1994 08:328
    
    Re:last.
    
    I saw this trailer last week and noticed the same.  It was kind of like
    going to a double feature, and the first film was 2 1/2 minutes long.
    
    Scott