I was a nerdy ninth grader in 1993 when Willy was first freed by Jason James Richter. The film was released over summer break and I remember coming back to school and hearing about a few kids who had to see Free Willy with their younger siblings. They tried to convince us that it was actually a really good movie, if you could just get past the unfortunate name. When I finally saw it, I had to agree; Free Willy isn’t that bad. So when a sequel was announced starring Bindi Irwin, daughter of one of my personal heroes Steve Irwin, I was excited that the franchise was going to be introduced to a new generation. But then I was disappointed as it seems they’ve forgotten the elements that made the original so inspiring.
Bindi Irwin, who has succeeded her father’s legacy with her show on the Discovery Kids network, plays Kirra, a girl who is forced to live with her grandfather after her father is hospitalized. Her grandfather Gus (Beau Bridges) owns and operates a rundown tourist attraction carnival on the South African coast. One day, a killer whale suddenly appears in the lagoon near the carnival and Kirra is determined to care for it, hoping to ultimately find its pod. However a rival tourist attraction owner wants the whale, whom Kirra has named Willy, for his own profit. Gus is tempted by the offer as it will save his failing carnival, but Kirra is determined to free Willy.
The premise sounds good enough, but the film lacks the character development and the emotional connection that the first Free Willy did almost 20 years ago. Miss Irwin, while a great host on Discovery Kids, hasn’t developed her acting skills enough yet. She does look like she’s having a blast throughout the entire movie though, especially her scenes with the local boy who works at her father’s carnival. Beau Bridges is always great, as he non-acts his way through films with that effortless Bridges style.
Maybe it’s the modernization of the franchise too. Personally, I was taken out of the movie every time there was a CGI underwater shot of Willy. And there were plenty. This was a huge disappointment. Whatever happened to real life filming? Why must everything be CGI? Free Willy: Escape From Pirate’s Cove could have been so much better than it was, if it had stuck to the core elements that made the original such a hit in 1993.
Presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio, this had the audio and video quality of a direct-to-DVD movie. Nothing too spectacular.
On The Set of Free Willy: Greetings from South Africa – This featurette shows us how much fun they had on set, and all of the cast and crew talk about how great Bindi Irwin was. Beau Bridges became her acting mentor on set. (7:38)
Meet My Wild Co-Stars – Bindi gives a tour of the animals on set, similar to her show on Discovery Kids. (3:09)
Deleted Scenes – There are only two of them, and neither are important to the film. (2:07)
Bindi’s First Movie Video Diary – Bindi talks about the things she did on various days, pretty cute. (4:27)
Trailers – Where the Wild Things Are, The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest (videogame), Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory on Blu-Ray, IMAX Under the Sea, Scooby Doo: Abracadabra Doo, Scooby Doo: First Frights (videogame)
I would love to say that Free Willy: Escape From Pirate’s Cove didn’t appeal to me because it’s only for kids, but it’s not. My animal loving eight-year-old daughter got bored and walked out about halfway through. It seems even children can spot a film that lacks emotion.
Warner Home Video presents Free Willy: Escape From Pirate’s Cove. Directed by: Will Geiger. Starring: Bindi Irwin, Beau Bridges. Written by: Will Geiger, Cindy McCreery. Running time: 102 minutes. Rating: PG. Released on DVD: March 23, 2010. Available at Amazon.com.
