Dolphin Tale - 7 stars out of 10

Dolphin Tale - 7 stars out of 10

"Dolphin Tale" is an inspirational story that the whole family can enjoy, catering to both children and adults.  While at first glance (due to release dates and content) it seems logical to compare this film with "Soul Surfer," they are entirely different.  I personally prefer "Soul Surfer" due to its gritty internal conflict (since the amputee is human) and important Christian message, but this film is definitely better for families as it focuses on the recovery instead of the devastation.  My main criticism of this film is that it relies on child actors and, while they are good, it does feel very "kiddy" at times.  You can see that the producers wanted to hide this by giving Morgan Freeman (who is amazing as always) top billing when he realistically has less than 10% of the film's dialogue and screen time.  The same goes for Ashley Judd, who is in a very small percentage of this film.  The majority of the screen time belongs to Nathan Gamble and Cozi Zuehlsdorff and, although they have great chemistry, the delivery of their lines sometimes lacks refinement.  Regardless, the film makes up for this in many other areas, particularly through Winter (the dolphin)'s performance and the simple fact that this inspirational story is true.  The relationship that develops between Sawyer and Winter is very moving, as he helps the dolphin to swim but she helps the boy to find his place in the world in return.  There is one moment in this film (when the mother and daughter drive down from Georgia) that is guarenteed to put a lump in your throat.  And the closing credits with the actual video of many events from this film is pretty awesome, too.  It definitely cannot compare to "We Bought A Zoo" in the Inspirational Films of 2011 category, but "Dolphin Tale" is a great opportunity for a family to sit down and learn some  important lessons about compassion, selflessness, and the power of friendship.