Dolphin Tale 2 (2014), PG, ★★★

Hello, Winter!

I wonder what it's like to train dolphins or become a marine biologist. Watching the dolphins or whales perform any tricks in front of an audience is exhilarating. Personally, I have been to SeaWorld and a few aquatic shows. I also rode a dolphin which was once-in-a-lifetime experience. The only factor that I did not insert into my mind was how silky a dolphin's layer of skin felt. It literally felt like soft sheets. I do recommend riding a dolphin or watching the shows. But, also, going into these movies, I never get excited for these movies as they do not get quite exciting as we delve into the dolphin's or whale's story. I liked Free Willy as a kid, but never liked the sequels. However, I was surprised by the result of this latest sequel as the first movie was a good experience. The second movie proves that its predecessor was not a fluke.

Sawyer (Nathan Gamble) is now an integral employee at the Clearwater Marine aquarium, a more improved and refurbished and bigger aquarium than from the first movie. He saved "Winter" and now we are introduced to another dolphin, Mandy. CMA has rescued Mandy after being sunburned and having respiratory problems and gets rehabilitated at CMA.

Sawyer gets approached by a professor from Boston for the Semester at Sea program, where one high school student is selected for the program per year, where he obtains a full scholarship and Lorraine (Ashley Judd), her mother, gets excited for this opportunity. Sawyer, however, hesitates because he does not want to leave Winter for an extended period of time. It's a small cliché whether or not a character gets a big opportunity and the character has to face a big decision to leave someone or something.

When Sawyer returns to the aquarium, an elder dolphin named Savannah has died and every employee at CMA are upset, especially Winter. A USDA inspector has come to the aquarium to check on the animals and warns Dr. Clay (Harry Connick, Jr.) to match Winter with another dolphin within 30 days. It brings pressure to Dr. Clay, especially when Winter gets aggressive as Sawyer feeds the dolphin and hurts Sawyer. It becomes stressful for Sawyer, Dr. Clay and Winter as they realize everything is changing.

Connick Jr., Freeman, and Zuehlsdorff trying to solve a problem.

This is a sweet, mildly entertaining movie about people and children caring for not just dolphins, but animals in the marine environment. It's appealing to see smart and charming characters solve problems and take risks to provide and nurture dolphins with care, love, support, and a prosthetic tail. The latter does sound silly, but it's true. Every time you have to think about how do the animals feel when there is a dirty ocean near the beach? We do not get the whole picture of how the healing process of a dolphin works, but no matter.

All the performances are still charming: Judd's, Freeman's, Connick Jr.'s, Gamble's, etc. They provide the credit for the entertainment. The dialogue seems a bit trite and gets a bit slow to get going. And, the movie veers with episodic plot points that seem a bit disjointed, but it comes back together in the end. The movie provides some great aquatic cinematography, and witnessing children playing with dolphins is a pleasure to watch. As suspense and thrills increase, the movie becomes a sensation. The first movie and this sequel are innocent family-friendly films that captures the true heart for the marine life. This movie was a surprise.

***