Bland

Being harshly critical of a movie like Charlie Martin
Smith’s A Dolphin Tale 2 is akin to kicking a puppy that’s been chewing on
your shoes in the teeth.  Yes, corrective
measures should be taken with the dog but that sort of overkill is
criminal.  Giving a lukewarm review to
this harmless film won’t land me in jail but I can’t help but feel like a bit
of a moustache-twirling villain in tossing a few unfavorable salvos in the
direction of this innocuous entertainment. Then again, wasting my time is
something that rubs me the wrong way and there’s no way I’ll get back the 107
minutes I wasted on this waterlogged affair.

 Picking up where the first feature left off, we’re reacquainted
with now high-schooler Sawyer Nelson (Nathan Gamble), who helped save the
dolphin Winter, who was found without the lower portion of his tale, making it
nearly impossible to propel himself through the water.  Through the efforts of doctors Clay Haskett
(Harry Connick Jr.) and Cameron McCarthy (Morgan Freeman), the creature was
outfitted with a plastic prosthetic that was fashioned to its tail that enabled
to swim.  Their work helped get the
required funding to set up the Clearwater Marine Hospital, which has become a
haven for many injured seafaring animals.

Though it is satisfying work, it’s not without its
challenges and the crew is faced with a whopper when Winter’s companion, an
older dolphin named Panama, dies.  What
with the former not allowed to be released into the wild, health guidelines
stipulate that he be paired with a female dolphin for companionship in order to
ensure his emotional health.  Finding a
proper candidate for this position proves difficult but Haskett’s daughter
Hazel (Cozi Zuehlsdorff) thinks that Mandy, a dolphin receiving treatment at
the hospital, may fit the bill.  Her
father’s not so sure.

There are very few surprises where the story is concerned
here making the already bloated running time seem even longer than it is.  Martin Smith, who also wrote the script, is
hobbled by having to stick to the facts in telling this true tale; while he
tries to generate some dramatic tension with Sawyer, who’s torn over whether he
should accept a scholarship opportunity during Winter’s time of need or not, as
well as a threat that the hospital may be closed down by either the USDA or
heartless investors, none of this gains any traction.  Obvious performances from the two young leads
and simplistic dialogue don’t help the film’s cause either.

Look, it’s obvious that Haskett and his team at
Clearwater are doing fine, vital work. 
Footage run during the closing credits shows them rescuing one animal
after another with a degree of earnest purpose that’s commendable while the
sight of young children who’ve lost limbs bonding with the real Winter would
bring a tear to the most hard-hearted among us. 
The purpose of the Dolphin Tale films is to spread the word about the
hospital’s work and, in the end, hopefully prompt visitors to drop by and make
a donation.  There’s nothing wrong with
that; I just wish these extended commercials had been done with a bit more
smarts and skill.  

This article appears in Sep 11-17, 2014.