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Dolphin Tale
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Metascore
64 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 31 Critics What's this?

User Score
6.4 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 33 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Starring: Ashley Judd, Harry Connick Jr., Morgan Freeman
  • Summary: Dolphin Tale is inspired by the amazing true story of a brave dolphin and the compassionate strangers who banded together to save her life. Swimming free, a young dolphin is caught in a crab trap, severely damaging her tail. She is rescued and transported to the Clearwater Marine Hospital, where she is named Winter. But her fight for survival has just begun. Without a tail, Winter's prognosis is dire. It will take the expertise of a dedicated marine biologist, the ingenuity of a brilliant prosthetics doctor, and the unwavering devotion of a young boy to bring about a groundbreaking miracle—a miracle that might not only save Winter but could also help scores of people around the world. The real Winter, who plays herself in Dolphin Tale, today serves as a symbol of courage, perseverance and hope to millions of people—both able and disabled—who have been touched by her remarkable story of recovery and rehabilitation. (Warner Bros.) … Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. Tampa Bay Times
    Reviewed by: Steve Persall
    Sep 21, 2011
    83
    Director Charles Martin Smith presents the kind of movie that gives squeaky-clean a good name.
  2. Arizona Republic
    Reviewed by: Randy Cordova
    Sep 21, 2011
    80
    Cozi Zuehlsdorff winningly plays a young girl who works at the hospital. With her big smile and natural warmth, she is a charmer. Even better is Gamble, who gives a smart and sensitive performance without relying on any of the normal mannerisms that often afflict child actors.
  3. Empire
    Reviewed by: Eve Barlow
    Oct 10, 2011
    60
    A good shout if your kids like this sort of thing, otherwise best head to your local aquarium.

See all 31 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 14
  3. Negative: 1 out of 14
  1. Ironmonger
    9
    I believe that it is a very good movie.The plot is a little predictable because the commercials showed the dolphin swimming with its new tail and it is a true story so you could just look it up to spoil it. The plot being predicatable doesn't make it any less impactful. Any marine biologist would be thinking, "ya, dolphins do love to play like that and lot." The only reason I am not giving it a ten, is because you can't relate to the dolphin as much as if the same thing happened all around a human. The older cousin did lose control of his right leg, yes, but the story is about the dolphin. You can tell when the dolphin is sad, but you can't understand the life of a dolphin, so you don't understand 100% why losing its tail is more than just less swimming.… Expand
    • 1 of 2 users said yes
  2. RobinsNest
    5
    If it wasn't based on a true story I would rate a zero. It's strictly for kids as the adults play to and through the kids. Mr Connick should stick to music. He sleepwalks through his dialogue , and is just not believable. The kids add some spice and Mr Freeman does his usual, but the pelican is the standout here. A hint of romance but never developed. Everybody gets together to save the tale / tail and we all smile at the end. So if you really have nothing to do one day and have small children, take the kids but don't expect much.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. LandF
    2
    For a film that's supposed to be based off a true story, the whole film feels as fake as the many prosthetic tales made for the star of the film; a dolphin named Winter. The movie is about a young boy named Sawyer, who is very anti-social, and not doing very well in Summer school. One day, he finds a beached dolphin entangled in a rope and a crab trap. The boy immediately has feelings for the dolphin, and stops by the marine animals hospital everyday to check on the creature. It appears there is little hope for the dolphin to survive, do the dolphin's tale (or more specifically; lack of). Among many problems with this film, the biggest is the movie's lack of a reason to exist. The story has obviously been greatly fabricated from it's source, the acting is passible, the attempts at humor will only make kids laugh, and there are some parts that are so unbearably cheesy, even a child may feel skeptical. I myself, laughed only once during the film's entire duration; nearly two hours. The film is not exciting, and it's very slow and un-rewarding. It's not unwatchable, it's just very boring. There are countless cliches in this film, more than I'd like to count. Every soap opera idea in the book has been yanked out of the book and thrown into this movie. I imagine some kids might enjoy this film, as long as they don't have a short attention span, but any one else will be able to see through this cheese fest.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 14 User Reviews

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