Don't listen to the negative reviews

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

I just finished watching this movie on-demand. Whenever I watch this movie, it takes me back to the year this movie came out, 1993. I remember seeing this when it was in the movie theaters, and how my mom bought this movie on a videotape which my parents still have from back then. I remember this movie as part of my childhood, I became obsessed with Free Willy after seeing it. Man, that was a long time ago over 20-years ago. Sometimes, you wish you could relive the days of your childhood. Besides that, I have to say that no matter how old I get, I feel like people will always remember my generation the Millennials form of entertainment we had especially as kids. Some of the kids today prefer what we grew up with compared to what they are growing up with.So, here is what makes this movie great. Well, again if you saw this movie when you were a kid, it will take you back to your childhood, be a trip down memory lane. You'll even understand the movie now better than when you were a kid. It can be a fun educational form of entertainment. I remember studying Killer Whales/Orcas as a kid. This movie will tell you a lot about them that you probably don't even know as an adult. It's a really happy and entertaining kind of movie. When I watch this movie, it makes me really happy. It's beautiful to see the kind of friendship we see between a kid named Jesse who was abandoned by his mother, and a killer whale held alone in captivity. I'm sure the actor who played Jesse, Jason James Richter is most remembered for this movie, I can't think of any other movies or TV shows he's been in besides these Free Willy movies. They've done 4 Free Willy movies. I've only seen the first two, but the first one is the best. I feel like the second one doesn't seem canon as often times sequels don't seem canon. The 4th one which I haven't seen has a new actress and is a different story. They occasionally do that with movies. Have a movie that's part of the franchise, and while it's a relatable story it's completely different. Like with Home Alone. The first two are the ones we remember the most with Kevin McAllister and his family. They've done 3 more since then, and the last 3 are not relatable minus the slapstick humor and having a kid who is supposed to be Kevin McAllister in the 4th movie.I can't think of too many movies at the top of my head, but there are lots of movies showing the friendship between a kid and an animal. Recent movies which are based on true stories are the two Dolphin Tale movies. I've seen them, and they are wholesome movies that will help you feel good. However, they definitely are not as entertaining as Free Willy. Free Willy is arguably the best movie showing the friendship between some kid and an animal. I'm sure that if you saw this, you'd be entertained and the friendship we see would make you feel good. It will definitely make you happy if this movie were part of your childhood. Oh, the joy of pleasant childhood memories!!

The early 1990s had a row of kid movies that now are cult.Count in movies like Problem Child and Home Alone.Also this movie Free Willy from 1993.This is about a boy that befriends a whale in an amusement park.Villains will kill the whale, so the boy and his friends must free Willy.This ends in the trademark Picture with the whale jumping over the boy.Stay at the end credits.Beautiful locations and music.Some good, but also corny acting too.Deserved some Academy Awards for sound and music.Now find this movie in the local mall or second hand store.8/10

This is a feel-good family film that very much follows the heart-warming and fun adventure elements of Flipper, Lassie and all those animal movies. It involves a boy who risks everything to save a killer whale from extermination by the owners of the aquarium where the creature lives. James Jason Richter did a nice job portraying Jesse, and he has a touching on-screen chemistry with the magnificent orca. The chemistry also demonstrate the friendship, courage and innocence in a teenager's life - some very meaningful and encouraging things, which are sorely missing in some of today's teenage-catered movies and TV shows. I first watched this movie in middle school; it has a bit of a slow plot at times, but it does have its fun adventures and breath-taking scenery, reminding you of a care-free atmosphere and the miracles of life. Overall, it is a heart-warming and innocent film that is great for the entire family.Grade B

OK, so "Free Willy" makes a point about animal rights, but it really could've dealt with the topic more seriously. I later saw Keiko while he was in the Oregon aquarium (and he showed the audience a little more than they bargained for, let's just say). They later moved him to Iceland, where he died in 2003. Personally, I don't think that they had to compose a new song for the movie, since the previous 25 years had produced a number of environmental songs (one of the best was Joan Baez's theme song for "Silent Running", a movie that now seems so realistic as to be redundant). But anyway, the movie is worth seeing.Oh, and props to Groucho Marx for the pun that I used in the review title.