FREE WILLY 3: THE RESCUE (Warner Bros.) Starring: Jason James Richter, August Schellenberg, Annie Corley, Vincent Berry, Patrick Kilpatrick. Screenplay: John Mattson. Producer: Jennie Lew Turgend. Director: Sam Pillsbury. MPAA Rating: PG (mild profanity) Running Time: 85 minutes. Reviewed by Scott Renshaw.
After three feature films, the FREE WILLY franchise appears ready at last to take its natural place in the CBS Saturday night prime time lineup. The 1993 original was the de facto pilot, introducing Jesse (Jason James Richter), the troubled teen who learns responsibility through his love for a killer whale named Willy. In two sequels, 1995's FREE WILLY 2: THE ADVENTURE HOME and the new FREE WILLY 3: THE RESCUE, Jesse and Willy worked to help other mixed-up kids while teaching important lessons about environmental responsibility. Now, with the guidance of Jesse's wise Native American mentor Randolph (August Schellenberg), they can continue that mission every week on "Free Willy: Touched by an Orca."
Sure, it's easy to take cynical swipes at family entertainment, especially formulaic family entertainment like FREE WILLY 3. And perhaps it deserves better. After all, there is a modicum of intelligence to John Mattson's script, which pits Jesse and company against the crew of a whaling boat. Sam Pillsbury's direction is pleasantly restrained, particularly when dealing with his young actors. There is an interesting sub-plot involving the son (Vincent Berry) of the whaling boat captain (Patrick Kilpatrick) which teaches a lesson about standing up for your convictions. All that, and not once does anyone get kicked in the groin or break wind.
But family audiences deserve better, too. They shouldn't have to settle for merely competent film-making like FREE WILLY 3 simply because it's less noxious than the alternatives. Every one of the things FREE WILLY 3 has going for it is something the delightful SHILOH also managed to do -- and do better -- without making the villain so predictable he refers to whales as "fish," or padding the running time with several minutes of second unit nature footage. There is nothing actively insulting, offensive or annoying about FREE WILLY 3. There is nothing actively entertaining or enriching about it, either, unless it is to learn the sheer tonnage of blood which accompanies the birth of a baby orca.
Certain self-appointed guardians of cinematic morality have pronounced that American parents are clamoring for worthy films to show their children. I'm still waiting for the din to reach my ears. I certainly didn't hear anyone clamoring for yet another FREE WILLY film, especially after the over-plotted and half-baked FREE WILLY 2. It's too easy for parents to settle, too easy for producers to give parents as much as they will tolerate and nothing more. It's easier still for parents to rent videos for the kids, or to turn on America's Night of Television, where they may be seeing Willy again before long. Welcome home.
On the Renshaw scale of 0 to 10 orcangels: 5.
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