Movie Review: Flipper (1963)

Stars: 3 out of 5
Pros: Fun moments

Cons: Slow story

The Bottom Line:

The movie is slow

But there are some fun moments

Franchise gets better

The Timeless Tale of a Boy and His Dolphin

I love most anything having to do with the water, which is why I have done my best to catch the adventures of Flipper over the years. Frankly, I've done a very poor job of it, but thanks to DVD's, I can fix that, starting with this movie from 1963 that started the franchise.

Sandy Ricks (Luke Halpin) is the son of a fisherman living in the Florida Keys. When a hurricane hits their island, Porter Rick's (Chuck Connors) boat is destroyed and he must head to the mainland to get it fixed.

Sandy, meanwhile, accompanies his friend Kim (Connie Scott) on a fun filled day of swimming and fishing. The day ends on a sad note when a dolphin gets hit with a spear. Even though it is badly hurt, Sandy can't stand to see it killed, so he brings it home and nurses it back to health. But what will his dad say when he returns?

It's been years since I've seen anything having to do with Flipper, but even I noticed some of the differences right away. In this movie, Sandy has a mother played by Kathleen Maguire and younger brother Bud (from the TV show) is no where to be found. And let's not forget the case of Porter Ricks, who not only gets a new profession for the TV show, but a different actor. Basically, the only human to make it intact to the TV show is Luke Halpin as Sandy.

Okay, that's really nothing but interesting trivia. How is the movie itself? To be honest, it is okay at best. Let's start with the story. It advances, but very slowly. The movie starts with the hurricane, which really doesn't even involve Flipper. Heck, we're half way through before he even shows up. And while the movie picks up then, it still moves forward very slowly. And it doesn't help that the story is predictable. Having said that, there are some very fun moments watching Sandy and Flipper together.

The acting doesn't help things. It reminds me of many films from the period with its slightly over dramatic nature. Now don't get me wrong, it gets the job done, and is usually fine. But there aren't any strong performances here.

There are plenty of effects shots near the beginning. They are fine. Naturally, they don't hold up to today's standards, but considering the movie is 40 years old, I can live with them. The later shots of Flipper and his underwater world are of mixed quality. Some are amazing, and some are adequate. You can tell when they used a stock shot, however. The quality of those really goes down.

While it sounds like I am being especially hard on the film, that's mainly my disappointment coming through. While there's nothing special about it (like I hoped there would be), there's nothing truly awful either. Flipper will bore some kids, but those with a love of animals will find it entertaining.