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DOLPHIN TALEMovie Reviews
Family drama inspired by the amazing true story of a brave dolphin and the compassionate strangers who banded together to save her life. Cast:Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Kris KristoffersonDirector:Charles Martin SmithRelease Date:September 23, 2011DVD Release:December 20, 2011From:Warner Bros.Rating:PGLength:1 hr 52 minIn 3D
Dolphin Tale played to good reviews. • Colin Covert wrote in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "...a swell yarn about a boy and his bond with an injured bottlenose. Sometimes inspirational films have no craftsmanship to accompany their uplift. Not so here." • And Nathan Rabin wrote for the AV Club, "...as casual as a pleasant afternoon nap and about as substantive." More Reviews Below...
Dolphin Tale Positive Reviews (37 Reviews, reviews below)
Mara Reinstein, Us Weekly: VERY GOOD(cg) "For such a kid-friendly effort, it contains mature themes of perseverance, self-worth and acceptance -- all handled with a deft touch."(See all of Mara Reinstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 67 words, 09/22/11
Keith Staskiewicz, Entertainment Weekly: GOOD(cg) "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."(See all of Keith Staskiewicz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 115 words, 09/23/11
Claudia Puig, USA Today: VERY GOOD(cg) "...not only kid-friendly fare, but a lovely family movie.... Nathan Gamble and Cozi Zuehlsdorff, both engaging young actors, hold their own among a cast of veterans."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 430 words, 09/23/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a sweet, feel-good film about a boy who helps save a dolphin, and how the dolphin then helps save him.... a pleasant family film with an improbable true story at its heart."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 590 words, 09/23/11
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (12 Reviews)
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: MODERATE "Everything is made obvious enough that no 6-year-old could miss it. As for older viewers, they have to wait to the very end for their rewards..."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 233 words, 09/23/11
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...the story packs in far too much, from multiple crises to several montages. But the actors are appealing, the dolphin charming, and the story unabashedly wholesome."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 177 words, 09/23/11
Michael Phillips, Los Angeles Times/Chicago Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Because the Morgan Freeman character is played by Morgan Freeman, he is able to set Kyle straight and cure his psychological ills with just a bromide or two."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 556 words, 09/23/11
Kyle Smith, New York Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a reasonably uplifting kids' movie if you don't think about it too much.... effective as the movie is, it nevertheless left me slightly put off."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 686 words, 09/23/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a sweet, feel-good film about a boy who helps save a dolphin, and how the dolphin then helps save him.... a pleasant family film with an improbable true story at its heart."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 590 words, 09/23/11
Aaron Hillis, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "Charles Martin Smith's boy-and-his-dolphin melodrama at least earns your empathy... has enough depth and sensitivity to tap into emotion without feeling manipulative."(See all of Aaron Hillis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 216 words, 09/21/11
Bruce DeMara, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a reasonably well-made and likable story about the courageous efforts of a small, determined band of people who come to the rescue of a badly injured sea creature."(See all of Bruce DeMara's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 385 words, 09/23/11
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "...a potentially appealing story about a rescued disabled dolphin gets smothered with inspirational family values guff."(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 571 words, 09/23/11
Andrew Parker, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "Overstuffed with every cliché from the inspirational movie playbook... never amounts to more than a series of scenes designed to pluck moviegoers' heartstrings."(See all of Andrew Parker's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 166 words, 09/22/11
KEY CITIES (12 Reviews)
Sean O'Connell, Washington Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...you should have no trouble plugging into the film's relaxed and enjoyably unhurried pace... a heartwarmingly hokey and accessible production."(See all of Sean O'Connell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 600 words, 09/23/11
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...exceptionally touching.... Nathan Gamble is excellent as Sawyer, a troubled 11-year-old... his vinegary performance cuts through the considerable schmaltz..."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 271 words, 09/23/11
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...an adorable kids' film... a fictionalized account of how humans helped a dolphin survive a near-fatal injury, and how that dolphin became an inspiration to others."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 441 words, 09/23/11
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a swell yarn about a boy and his bond with an injured bottlenose. Sometimes inspirational films have no craftsmanship to accompany their uplift. Not so here."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 424 words, 09/23/11
Randy Cordova, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT(cg) "...attacking a film like this for being a tad cloying seems to be missing the point. It's an intrinsic part of what 'Dolphin Tale' is. It's like getting mad at a dog for barking."(See all of Randy Cordova's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 414 words, 09/22/11
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: VERY GOOD(cg) "...excellent... maybe not be up to 1996's 'Fly Away Home' in the kid-helps-wildlife genre but eye-opening and heartwarming and sensibility-expanding all the same."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 422 words, 09/23/11
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Lonely kids, single parents, injured animals, cold-hearted developers, keep-your-chin-up struggles and wise Morgan Freeman.... pretty much hits all the family-film bases."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 478 words, 09/23/11
Mike Russell, Portland Oregonian: MODERATE(cg) "Smith and his screenwriters have chosen to lard the true-life saga up with a bunch of easily digested imaginary detail straight out of the bland Hollywood feel-good recipe..."(See all of Mike Russell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 377 words, 09/23/11
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: WEAK(cg) "The core story about the boy and the dolphin is touching, but it's tethered to creaky subplots that skim the surface of serious issues."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 309 words, 09/23/11
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: EXCELLENT(cg) "Smith presents the kind of movie that gives squeaky-clean a good name. And he does it without compromising the essence of Winter's true experiences..."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 656 words, 09/22/11
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (8 Reviews)
Aaron Hillis, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "Charles Martin Smith's boy-and-his-dolphin melodrama at least earns your empathy... has enough depth and sensitivity to tap into emotion without feeling manipulative."(See all of Aaron Hillis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 216 words, 09/21/11
Eric Eisenberg, Cinema Blend: MODERATE(cg) "It's sorely lacking on meaningful story... to the movie's credit it does have its cute moments and could very well inspire a whole new generation of marine biologists."(See all of Eric Eisenberg's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 690 words, 09/23/11
Alicia Potter, Boston Phoenix: MODERATE(cg) "...aside from the charismatic Winter and Morgan Freeman as the prosthetics expert tasked with engineering her new tail, none of the characters makes much of a splash..."(See all of Alicia Potter's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 152 words, 09/22/11
Nathan Rabin, AV Club: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Who could possibly hate a film built from such a disgustingly wholesome foundation?... as casual as a pleasant afternoon nap and about as substantive."(See all of Nathan Rabin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 319 words, 09/22/11
Stephanie Zacharek, Movieline: VERY GOOD(cg) "...skims along quite nicely, swerving to avoid potential rough patches... as shot by Karl Walter Lindenlaub, it also looks crisp and beautiful..."(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 630 words, 09/22/11
Nick Schager, Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...as squishy as the ocean is deep, yet as far as feel-good family films go... hardly something on which to throw cold water."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 393 words, 09/21/11
Andrew Parker, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "Overstuffed with every cliché from the inspirational movie playbook... never amounts to more than a series of scenes designed to pluck moviegoers' heartstrings."(See all of Andrew Parker's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 166 words, 09/22/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (2 Reviews)
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: MODERATE "Everything is made obvious enough that no 6-year-old could miss it. As for older viewers, they have to wait to the very end for their rewards..."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 233 words, 09/23/11
Michael Phillips, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Because the Morgan Freeman character is played by Morgan Freeman, he is able to set Kyle straight and cure his psychological ills with just a bromide or two."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 556 words, 09/23/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Andrew Barker, Daily Variety: GOOD "...a surprisingly solid, earnest family pic, based very loosely on the story of Winter, the first dolphin to be successfully fitted with a prosthetic tail."(See all of Andrew Barker's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 535 words, 09/18/11
Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "The notion that behind every setback in life lies a potential rainbow is laid on a bit thick... an appealing family film that doesn't know when to quit with the uplift."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 794 words, 09/18/11
Michael Phillips, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Because the Morgan Freeman character is played by Morgan Freeman, he is able to set Kyle straight and cure his psychological ills with just a bromide or two."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 556 words, 09/23/11
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: EXCELLENT(cg) "...irresistibly cute and undeniably well-intentioned. This is thanks in large part to the sensitive direction... takes the standard family film up a few but important notches."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 745 words, 09/17/11
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: MODERATE "Everything is made obvious enough that no 6-year-old could miss it. As for older viewers, they have to wait to the very end for their rewards..."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 233 words, 09/23/11
14.1 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Dolphin Tale's reviews are separated by an average 14.1 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Dolphin Tale (37 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Dolphin Tale's reviews cover 59.5% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 16,207 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 438 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Dolphin Tale Coverage, Volume & Length (37 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 10.6 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Dolphin Tale's reviews on average broke 10.6 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Dolphin Tale's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Dolphin Tale (37 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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