{"id":15637,"date":"2014-12-08T02:12:39","date_gmt":"2014-12-08T07:12:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=15637"},"modified":"2015-06-18T02:33:13","modified_gmt":"2015-06-18T06:33:13","slug":"why-young-animal-lovers-should-watch-the-dolphin-tale-movies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2014\/12\/08\/why-young-animal-lovers-should-watch-the-dolphin-tale-movies\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Young Animal Lovers Should Watch the \u201cDolphin Tale\u201d Movies"},"content":{"rendered":"

You would think a movie with such a goofy name like \u201cDolphin Tale,\u201d centered on a dolphin with literally no tail would be just an unbearable cutesy movie. Truthfully, \u201cDolphin Tale\u201d is very much a film about nature, wildlife, and the very fragile balance that can be ruined when man is reckless.<\/p>\n

Much of the first moments of \u201cDolphin Tale\u201d are depicted with large splashes of dolphin and underwater life suddenly disrupted by fishermen in the waters. The introduction of Winter, the dolphin ends when we see a fisherman drop a crab cage in to the water. This is unfortunately not the last time we\u2019d see her. When we do get to meet her once again, she\u2019s been beached, is dying from dehydration, and her tail is horribly caught in the very crab trap we saw moments before.<\/p>\n

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Our main character Sawyer decides to boldly help Winter, despite the warning from a local fisherman on the beach to stay away lest he be attacked, but Sawyer cuts her tail loose, allowing her to move. What\u2019s important about the scene is not just that we\u2019ve seen what can happen when humans aren\u2019t responsible, but also that Winter, despite adorable, is still dangerous. Dolphins are wild animals, and Winter could inflict some damage on young Sawyer out of fright or a need for survival.<\/p>\n

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Sure, the first \u201cDolphin Tale\u201d could be accused of copying \u201cFree Willy,\u201d but I\u2019d argue that \u201cDolphin Tale\u201d is superior, and in many ways, a lot more mature in its approach toward wildlife. \u201cDolphin Tale\u201d and its sequel this year are much more beneficial to wildlife and garner better messages overall about sea life and the struggle to preserve their habitat.<\/p>\n

The \u201cDolphin Tale\u201d movies don\u2019t preach to kids, but instead emphasize the importance of oceanic wildlife, and stress the fact that they are indeed wild animals. The dolphins and many animals featured in both films are dangerous, despite being adorable, and there\u2019s an immense exploration of how dolphins can hurt as well as entertain. When Winter is fitted for her artificial tails, she rejects them immediately, thrashing violently, while the humans can do nothing but stand back wait for her to calm down. Even disabled, Winter can harm the animal rescuers in her water tank.<\/p>\n

Both films even manage to squeeze in a ton of interesting information about sea life that make the pair of movies a learning experience. Did you know it\u2019s a law that dolphins have to have a mate in their tank since they\u2019re social creatures? And dolphins have to accept one another, or else they can\u2019t co-exist in their tank. That and so much more are relayed through the constant battles to help these injured animals.<\/p>\n

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Many films paint sea animals as cute mascots, while dolphins are depicted as spiritual beings that can practically heal wounds, but \u201cDolphin Tale\u201d actually tries to show them in as realistic a light as possible. Sure, they\u2019re amazing creatures, but trying to tame them is as harrowing as trying to tame a wild tiger or brown bear. Sometimes they can be docile, and other times they\u2019ll kill you simply because it\u2019s their nature to survive. Even the dolphin Winter, whose fin is missing, is programmed to survive, no matter how much she bonds with our characters.<\/p>\n

And what\u2019s interesting is that the human characters (even the trained specialists) display caution with her, even during a sequence in \u201cDolphin Tale 2\u201d where our characters Hazel and Sawyer celebrate her newfound attitude by swimming beside her. And when Winter has a hard time adjusting to her life without her friend Panama in \u201cDolphin Tales 2,\u201d she attacks Sawyer, knocking him unconscious, and spraining his wrist to the point where he\u2019s incapable of swimming. Which is ultimately a surprise twist considering Sawyer builds a strong connection with her throughout \u201cDolphin Tale.”<\/p>\n

The \u201cDolphin Tale\u201d movies are mainly about the people that spend their lives trying to save ocean wildlife, and how their world centers on the welfare of these beasts. They respect them; they treat them with as much humanity possible, and take it very hard when they\u2019ve lost one of their own. Hazel finds it nearly impossible to function when Winter has to have her fin amputated in the first film. And the death of Panama in the sequel is a gut wrenching moment, as Sawyer finds new horizons awaiting him, but decides to put his life on hold to help Winter adjust with her grief and loss.<\/p>\n

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Even the blossoming romance between characters Hazel and Sawyer lives and breathes on their life in the animal hospital and how they function alongside the rescued wildlife in dire need of help. There\u2019s even a touching scene involving a green sea turtle named Mavis who is cared for when he\u2019s discovered by the pelican Rufus. Mavis is a small sub-plot in the sequel (found snared in fishing hooks) but he helps display how every animal is important, and every life counts when it comes to preserving the waters.<\/p>\n

True, the films can take a turn for the silly on occasion. The special effects in the first movie are dodgy at best, but that\u2019s only what comes with most kids films these days. The sugary tone doesn\u2019t overpower the intended message that we have to show great respect for nature. Everything in nature is about balance and showing consideration for others.<\/p>\n

Humans affect the water, the oceans affect us, and it\u2019s an endless cycle that can have unfortunate consequences if human beings don\u2019t display an iota of responsibility or restraint. Above all else, all life should be valued. The \u201cDolphin Tale\u201d movies serve a strong purpose. They\u2019re entertaining, and touching, but they\u2019re also unique learning tools for any lover of animals, or wildlife in general.<\/p>\n