The family film market can be a strange game, and occasionally the strategies that seem to make the most can backfire. I wonder if that might be the case with Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove. In many ways a film designed purely based on theoretical data suggesting that you will put in your cart based on the information on the cover, it might alienate more people than it should based on similar theories.
Free Willy is a well-known staple of family-friendliness at this point, but apart form the fact that there is an Orca who (generally) could use freeing, the film has no solid connection to the franchise. The Free Willy name may at this point repel as many viewers as it attracts, and the film doesn't particularly need the name.
The inclusion of Bindi Irwin attracts a certain market, and Beau Bridges lends some credibility to the people who actually pay. Put it all together, and so long as someone you know touches the box, the marketing team says the odds are good that you're going to buy.
Well, that's how it seems anyway.
The whole thing has an odd feel about it, and (surprisingly) largely because the movie doesn't need the addition of franchise name-dropping, especially one with some thirteen years since its last installment.
Bindi Irwin plays Kirra Cooper, the daughter of an exotic animal vet (I guess), who is forced to stay with her grandfather for a few weeks when her father is an a mild-ish accident that puts him in the hospital. Gus (Beau Bridges), the grandfather, owns a dive of an aquatic-ish theme park in South Africa, and he has a hard time connecting with his granddaughter.
Cheerful Kirra tries to get to know her grandfather, and what happened in his life to separate him from the rest of his family. She learns that Pirate's Cove is a bit of a struggle, especially since a new theme park opened up nearby. But, when a baby Orca washes into Pirate's Cove's... lagoon?... during a storm, the money problems may be over. With a new attraction, there may be hope, but feeding a whale might cut into the profits, especially considering Gus' meager ability to make the most of the unwitting star.
Now Kirra has to figure out how to convince Gus not to sell Willy to the nogoodnik water park down the road, and if she's really lucky she might even convince him to free the whale altogether. She soon learns, however, that what sounds like the animal-friendly obvious answer might not mesh well with the realities of the situation.
As family movies go, there's a lot to enjoy here, even if it doesn't quite make it to the level of next great thing. There's a very safe kind of fun going on, and given the subject, there's a refreshing temper to the level of sappiness. Irwin is better than you'd expect, and while there is a clear feel of "straight-to-DVD" about it, it's better than most things in that category.
It's unlikely to blow you away, but it has its moments, and the kids will probably love it.
Special Features
The DVD release isn't exactly packed, but there are a few bits that add to the value of the purchase.
Bindi's First Movie - Video Diary is actually a decent featurette, and the younger crowd that knows who she is will appreciate it. It's largely just what you expect, some behind-the-scenes moments coupled with "diary" footage with Bindi relaying her thoughts about doing the film.
A couple of other featurettes are on board, and you know where you stand with them as well. An On the Set featurette takes you around the location filming, and Meet My Wild Co-Stars gives you a look at the animals and how working the production with a whale, a penguin, and more works out.
They may not sound like all that much, but they know the audience, and they are geared toward entertaining young audiences to a degree.
The release also includes some deleted scenes and outtakes.
Considering the kind of release we have here, this is actually a pretty solid effort at including bonus material.
Own it on DVD and Blu-Ray today!
Win it!
Leave a comment below and you are automatically entered to win your very own copy of the standard DVD release. U.S. only. Winner will be randomly selected April 23rd.
Also, you can download a very cool Online Free Willy Kit for kids that has lots of great stuff that goes along with the film. It's a zipped .pdf, and you can download it here.
Check out a few clips below.
RU?
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About Marc Eastman
Marc Eastman is the owner and operator of Are You Screening? and has been writing film reviews for over a decade, and several branches of the internet's film review world have seen his name. His reviews have brought him personal praise from the director of a major motion picture, and have been used as required reading in a course at a major University. These priceless rewards, along with just bags of cash, keep him from straying from freelance writing. He is also a member of The Broadcast Film Critics Association and The Broadcast Television Journalists Association.
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