Cast: Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick Jr., Kris Kristofferson, Nathan Gamble, Cozi Zuehlsdorff, Ashley Judd
Direction: Charles Martin Smith
Genre: Drama
Duration: 1 hour 47 minutes
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Story: After Winter's companion dolphin passes away due to old age, the team of marine experts at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium (who had earlier rescued and rehabilitated Winter in Dolphin Tale) try to find her another dolphin companion before they lose custody of her to another facility that can offer Winter better care.
Review: Finding a new companion for Winter is a high-priority task for the folks at Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA), because dolphins are social creatures and get depressed when in isolation, leading to all sorts of health problems.
Aquarium head Dr Clay Haskett (Connick Jr) and the teenaged Sawyer (Gamble), who had bonded with the bottle-nosed dolphin in the first movie, are aware of this. Sawyer, incidentally, is now established as an instructor at the aquarium. Dr Clay faces added pressure from the aquarium's investors because, being the star attraction, Winter is their money-spinner. Clearly, no one is happy with the prospect of letting go of Winter.
In another development, Sawyer is also offered an important study programme that would involve him being at sea for a period of time and thus separated from his beloved Winter. He cannot go until a new companion is found for the depressed dolphin.
Meanwhile, an injured dolphin is found and everyone - Clay's daughter Hazel (Zuehlsdorff) included - hopes this new addition to the aquarium will bond well with Winter. But the new entrant, appropriately named Hope, does not warm up to Winter because of the latter's prosthetic tail. So, Dr Cameron McCarthy (Freeman) designs an even more natural-looking appendage which does the trick.
What is appreciable about the film is that Smith makes no attempt at giving the dolphins an anthropomorphic treatment. While the plot can feature some overly emotional parts, this is by and large a tale gently told with sensitivity as well as the benefit of some serious research having gone into the behaviour of these intelligent creatures.
Featuring a few beautiful scenes that will probably warm the heart of the most hardened cynic, Dolphin Tale 2 makes for some wholesome family fare.
In another development, Sawyer is also offered an important study programme that would involve him being at sea for a period of time and thus separated from his beloved Winter. He cannot go until a new companion is found for the depressed dolphin.
Meanwhile, an injured dolphin is found and everyone - Clay's daughter Hazel (Zuehlsdorff) included - hopes this new addition to the aquarium will bond well with Winter. But the new entrant, appropriately named Hope, does not warm up to Winter because of the latter's prosthetic tail. So, Dr Cameron McCarthy (Freeman) designs an even more natural-looking appendage which does the trick.
What is appreciable about the film is that Smith makes no attempt at giving the dolphins an anthropomorphic treatment. While the plot can feature some overly emotional parts, this is by and large a tale gently told with sensitivity as well as the benefit of some serious research having gone into the behaviour of these intelligent creatures.
Featuring a few beautiful scenes that will probably warm the heart of the most hardened cynic, Dolphin Tale 2 makes for some wholesome family fare.