Dolphin Tale
Dolphin Tale Image
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Metascore
64 out of 100

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

User Score
6.3 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 40 Ratings

Your Score
0 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.)
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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. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Peter Hartlaub
    Sep 22, 2011
    75
    Even with the conflict overkill, most of the small moments ring true. Dolphin Tale has more in common with "The Swiss Family Robinson" than most modern live-action family movies, where slapstick and cheap laughs feed short attention spans.
  4. 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: 11 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 17
  3. Negative: 2 out of 17
  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
  2. Aquophis
    8
    I was rather taken aback when I did some background reading subsequently after watching and discovered that the actual events were, in fact, a great deal different from what I saw in the movie.
    Aside from that, it's a happy, charming movie of the feel-good variety, although I was annoyed how the young boy, Slater, was portrayed as "special" and having some sort of profound connection with the dolphin that no one else had.    … Expand
  3. Zilcell
    5
    Predictable fun. Fantastic for family audiences. Acting was good, dolphins interesting to see.
  4. TheGeographer52
    0
    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!F**CK THIS FILM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!MORGAN FREEMAN SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!… Expand

See all 17 User Reviews

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