Flipper (1996)

Flipper tries to do for Dolphins what Free Willy managed for Whales. Unfortunately Flipper is nowhere in the same park as the well made Free Willy. About the only worthwhile thing Flipper offers is some decent underwater photography, but those in search of these kinds of marine views would do better checking out a National Geographic special on PBS. The film is intended to appeal to the under-12 crowd, but I have a hard time recommending it even for them. Flipper is calculated, market-driven entertainment -- recycled formulas staking out the early summer family film niche in hopes of making money. With better children's fare on the way, including the inevitable new animated feature from Disney, it's a good idea to throw this one back. Based on the 1963 movie which spawned a television series, Flipper has all the formula ingredients that saturate '90s family films. It's a cloying mixture that threatens a cuteness overdose. There isn't a moment of originality in this movie, which follows a routine path from start to finish.

Fmovies: Nothing special, but it is not the worst film of its kind. Standard plot and shallow characters. The film could have balanced the larger storyline with some interesting characters and purpose. Sadly this is just okay and never attempts to be anything more than cute.

Liked but not loved 'Flipper' as a child. Still feel the same as a young adult. It's a long way from a masterpiece (though it never was trying to be) and will never be one of my favourites, but it does exactly what it strived to do and ticks most of the right boxes.

'Flipper' won't blow the mind. While it is good that the story is easy to follow, at times it did seem a bit too basic and safe, for a feature length it's slight and it can be pretty predictable, nobody for example will be surprised by how the film ends. The dark shadiness of how the human villain is written, played by Jonathan Banks, does not gel with the innocent, fun-loving, light-hearted atmosphere of the story, almost like he accidentally walked straight from a different film.

That Banks didn't seem to know whether to overdo the sliminess or give an indication that the villain also wasn't that smart didn't help. The dialogue sometimes is a little cloying.

However, 'Flipper' looks very pleasing. It's a beautifully shot film and even more pleasing to the eye are the idyllic locations and the stunning underwater sequences. The music is upbeat and charmingly whimsical. It's all very capably directed too.

Most of the time, 'Flipper' is very charming and sweet, epitomising childhood innocence and has a lightness that stops the film from feeling heavy. It has a lot of fun and a heart of gold, so much so that although it's a problematic film it is difficult to be too hard on it. It teaches a valuable message that for the type of message that it is is handled in a way that while not exactly restrained doesn't beat one around the head.

Elijah Wood is appealing in the lead role and Paul Hogan plays it straight very effectively. Apart from Banks, the rest of the cast also do admirably with amiable if somewhat one-dimensional characters. Stealing the show is the dolphin, impressively rendered with a mix of show-stopping animatronics and the real thing but also with a personality that melts the most cynical of hearts. Wood's chemistry with the dolphin is the film's driving force and is a large part of what makes the film charming.

In conclusion, decent likable film but not one of those "bowl the viewer over" films. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Flipper fmovies. Universal Studios version of "Flipper" (1996) is a great heartwarming film for the entire family with good values and sentimentality. It is the story of Sandy Ricks, a teenager from Chicago who reluctantly spends his vacation with his Uncle Porter Ricks in the Bahamas. This ultimately changes the teenagers life and he grows up in the process. He learns to appreciate nature and to have a respect for the environment. I grew up in the 1960's and the NBC television show "Flipper" was my favorite childhood show. Elijah Wood is perfectly cast as a 1990's Sandy Ricks and gives an excellent performance. As much as I liked the NBC television show and MGM theatrical feature films with Luke Halpin as Sandy in the 1960's I liked this feature the best! I feel Elijah Wood is the best Sandy Ricks. With respect to Luke Halpin I feel Elijah Wood has more of a range of acting talent and emotes more as an actor which makes his performance excellent and more believable. I think Elijah Wood is the best young actor working today in films. Director Alan Shapiro also wrote the screenplay and has done an excellent job as both writer and director of this film. Paul Hogan gives a comical and likable performance as Sandy's Uncle Porter Ricks. Mr. Hogan's performance perfectly offsets Elijah's role as Sandy. I am a big fan of underwater films. This film was beautifully shot in the Bahamas like "Thunderball" (1965 UA) was. The director of photography was Bill Butler A.S.C. who lensed the film "Jaws" in 1975. Mr. Butler is a very talented cinematographer. The underwater director of photography was Pete Romano. He did a superb job with the underwater cinematography. I enjoyed the film score by Joel McNeely. This good film score featured Crosby, Stills and Nash among other talented artists. This motion picture was shot in Panavision like "Thunderball" in the aspect ratio of 2.35:1 If possible try to see this film in a scope version as originally framed and visioned by Alan Shapiro and Bill Butler. Another very nice thing is that Mr. Shapiro gave the "original" Sandy Ricks (Luke Halpin) a small part in this remake. He portrayed Bounty Fisherman #3 in this film. This was a very kind gesture on Mr. Shapiro's part! As you can tell I am a real true fan of this film. Sadly this beautiful film was met with harsh words by the majority of movie critics. I originally saw this movie on my birthday, May 31st of 1996 in a movie theater. It meant a lot to me. I have it on numerous video versions. The VHS versions are in "pan and scan". The laserdisc version is "letterboxed" 2.35:1! I even have a VCD in 2.35:1 from Hong Kong which is "letterboxed". But my most prized possession is an "original" 16mm theatrical feature print which I will treasure for the rest of my life! Thank you Mr. Shapiro, Elijah Wood, Paul Hogan and everyone involved for making this a memorable movie for me to enjoy!

P.S. I must add that the quality of the Universal DVD is superb! It is the best DVD as far as quality I have ever seen. The color and resolution is spectacular. The soundtrack is great. I think Universal must have used the same transfer for the DVD that they did for the laserdisc version. The 35mm scope print is "mint" and Alan's film really has a wonderful look to it. A great tribute to a wonderful film! The DVD's resolution is even superior to the laserdisc quality! It's just spectacular! Thank you Universal Home Video for the great quality

This is a spin off of the TV series Flipper. But I don't remember much about the TV series so I don't know the difference from one another.

This is about an average boy teenager named Sandy. Who is spending the week with his Uncle which he's unaware on what he's like.

Sandy isn't too excited in seeing him because he really wanted to go to a Red Hot Chilly Peppers concert.

His uncle is Porter an Austrailian/American seaman who enjoys fishing for a living. And lives in a rigidly old hut that might not look to satisfying to guests.

Sandy finds it unbelievable that he's related to this guy. things seem boring till he encounters a dolphin who is very playful. Sandy finds a new friend to be with through out his vacation.

This movie isn't too bad. Cool thing is it had Ejiah Woods as Sandy and Paul Hogan as Porter. I recommend it for 8 and up. Rent it first before buying it.

This is a feel-good family film that very much follows the heart-warming and fun adventure elements of the 1960s Flipper TV-series. It involves teenager Sandy Ricks (Elijah Wood), who is sent by his mom to live in the Coral Key with his Uncle Porter Ricks (Paul Hogan). At first, Sandy wasn't too keen on his new home, but that soon changes when meets a dolphin named Flipper. This friendship leads to a stronger relationship between uncle and nephew fascinating adventures for Sandy.

As Paul Hogan hasn't done much films since his Crocodile Dundee days, it was great seeing him in the Porter Ticks role, in which I think he gave a comical yet touching performance. Elijah Wood did a nice job portraying Sandy Ricks, and he has a touching on-screen chemistry with the wonderful dolphin. Luke Halpin, the original Sandy Ricks from the TV-series, plays one of the bounty fisherman in the movie. The story is a little slow at times, but the fun dolphin adventures make up for it.

The oceanside scenery is breath-taking and beautiful, reminding you of a care-free, relaxing and therapeutic atmosphere. Overall, it is a heart-warming and innocent film that is great for the entire family and a great substitute to many of the over-the-top action and teen-flick nonsense youngsters endure.

Grade B