Bardlerx
Strictly average movie
Kailansorac
Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.
Michelle Ridley
The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity
Staci Frederick
Blistering performances.
Jackson Booth-Millard
I assumed this film would follow similar territory to what Free Willy (released a year before) did, just with a different lovable sea creature, it was certainly I film I knew at the time would get the family going, directed by George Miller (The Neverending Story II: The Next Chapter, Robinson Crusoe). Basically set in 1962 in Rockport, Maine, nine-year-old Toni Whitney (Napoleon Dynamite's Tina Majorino) and her family find and adopt an orphaned baby seal, they name it Andre (played by Tory the sea lion). Andre is manageable as a pup, but as he grows up he starts getting into mischief, some of the fishermen in the town are antagonised, by this point Toni has formed an inseparable friendship and bond with Andre. One of the fisherman upset is Billy Baker (Keith Szarabajka), because Toni's father Harry (Keith Carradine, David's brother), he was appointed Harbour Master instead of him, particularly because of the seal, so the friendship between the seal and Toni is threatened. The humorous antics of Andre gains media attention, so this upsets the fishermen even more that think their business will be run down, in the end Toni knows that Andre should be returned to the sea, so he is released and freed. Also starring Chelsea Field as Thalice Whitney, Shane Meier as Steve Whitney, Aidan Pendleton as Paula Whitney, Shirley Broderick as Mrs. McCann, Andrea Libman as Mary May, Joshua Jackson as Mark Baker and Jay Brazeau as Griff Armstrong. There is not much of a storyline, but this is based on a true story about a real family, the seal (well, sea lion) is obviously very cute as it blows raspberries, burps and does dancing tricks, and the sentimentality is definitely milked, it is perhaps too mawkish for my liking, but it is something kids will enjoy, not a bad family comedy drama adventure. Okay!
jeanmcinnis
Great story ruin by not using the right seal and its a family's and new england aquarium story True stories should use the true seal and location Maine is cheaper than the west coast. Go to rock port Maine and see the harbor where he lived and died. Also to his weather home at the new england aquarium is a story all its self and his trip north harbor by harbor is one of a kind story ruined by cheap Hollywood.I say get a new writers for the true Andre story harbor seal and all and not one little girl but 3. The father who loved him and went swimming with him and he played best man at his wedding. The acting was good but the story was lost in the bad screen play
Matthew_Capitano
It would be so nice to invite Andre over for dinner.... smothered in melted butter with an apple stuck in his mouth.A 'family film', supposedly based on a true story, "Andre" is an obnoxious seal whose most endearing quality is when he makes a fart sound with his lips -- aww, how cute. "Dad, can we keep him?".Keith Carradine obviously didn't have anything better to do when he accepted the role of an irresponsible seaport patrolman, Tina Majorino is cute as the little girl who befriends the slippery beast, and pretty Aidan Pendleton plays Tina's older sister who has more brains than anybody else in township because she hates Andre almost as much as I do and would like to see him cooked by 6:30 tonight.You know, seal really is good if you season it right.
bettiem
Great acting by a beautifully trained seal (how do they do it?) based on a true story. One more animal movie for children and families, but with a twist. The interaction of seal and humans is heart warming. Prepare for a lump in the throat with a happy/sad ending.