Movie Review: Flipper/Flipper's New Adventure

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: The fun of Flipper's New Adventure…

Cons: …more than makes up for the weak Flipper.

The Bottom Line:

First movie okay

But the second very fun

Makes disc worth getting

Double Your Dose of Flipper

It always pays to look around. That's how I found this disc which contains both the original Flipper and the sequel, Flipper's New Adventure. And it sells for the same price the individual DVD's sell for. There is one slight catch with an extra, but on the whole, this is the way to get these movies, in my opinion. And while the first one isn't as good as the second, both movies are worth getting if you've got kids, especially kids who love animals.

Flipper - This is the movie that started the entire franchise. In it, we meet Sandy Ricks (Luke Halpin). He lives with his mother (Kathleen Maguire) and father (Chuck Conners) in the Florida Keys. After a hurricane hits their island, his father must return to the mainland to get his fishing boat fixed. It's during his absence that Sandy meets a wounded dolphin. He can't just leave the animal to die, so he brings it back to his house (located on the beach, of course) and nurses it back to health. But what will his father say when he gets back?

To be honest, this movie is just okay. It spends so long setting up the situations and introducing the characters that what little story there is gets spread very thin and is very predictable. The effects shots, especially of the hurricane, are poor by today's standards. And the acting is adequate but nothing exciting.

I found the differences between the characters here and in the TV series the most interesting. Luke Halpin is the only actor from this movie to make it back for anything else. He has a mother here, and his father has a different job. Fortunately (for me anyway), the second movie starts to bridge those gaps.

Flipper's New Adventure - Porter Ricks (now played by Brian Kelly, who would keep the role for the TV series) is away training to become a park ranger. While he is gone, Sandy is home alone, his mother having died. (Boy, were times different back then.) When Sandy gets the news that they have to leave their home because the government is taking it back, he decides to flee to someplace safe where he and Flipper can live. They find a deserted island. Or at least they think it is deserted. Three escaped convicts have been hiding out there, and when they strand three women there, Sandy and Flipper try to help without giving themselves away. Can they do it?

Now if I'm being honest, this movie isn't that realistic at all. There are several plot holes that anyone would spot, like the mother and older daughter not picking up on Sandy's presence. However, I'm not being picky when it comes to this film because it is fun. It only drags in a couple spots, but is pretty well paced. And the intended audience, kids, will love the adventure. The acting, while still not Oscar worthy, is better then the first movie as well. It's got a better story, more action, and more fun. All in all, this sequel tops the original.

The two movies are presented on this double sided disc in their original wide screen. The picture looks remarkably well for 40 year old films. Most of the time, there is minimal dust and grim, with some scenery shots looking absolutely amazing. On the other hand, they use stock footage upon occasion, especially in the first one, and that looks pretty bad with more grain then the rest of the movie. Both sides feature the original trailers for both films. Both sides are supposed to include a Tom and Jerry cartoon as an extra. The one on side A plays no problem, but the one on the back side doesn't work at all. I've seen other complaints, so I think this is a standard problem with the discs. Personally, I bought the disc for the movies, so it doesn’t bother me.

Flipper is a throw back to a kinder, simpler era in life and entertainment. These films will still capture the imagination of kids, especially if they love animals.