Glucedee
It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.
Humaira Grant
It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
Zlatica
One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.
TheUnknown837-1
The boy is back. The whale is back. Most of the supporting cast from the 1993 cult classic "Free Willy" is back for the sequel, which hit theaters before an excited crowd of youngsters and their parents in 1995. But the cheer-inducing magic that I loved so much in the original has gone in "Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home" which isn't quite the adventure that the title seems to hint at. The title just seems more marketable and that's the way the movie feels, too. It's got the typical monotonous, rushed feeling that I tend to find most sequels have and while it's far from a disaster, it is a letdown from the warmness and nostalgia-stirring charm that I adored so much in the original film.In the last movie, the beloved orca Willy (Keiko) leaped to safety from greedy marine park owners and escaped to the wild while the little boy he befriended, Jesse (Jason James Richter) finally came to peace with his foster parents. Two years later, Willy is still running free in the wild with his kin and the boy is reaching that age. You know. The age where girls send his heart pumping and the news that he has a half-brother strikes him like a ton of bricks. His estranged mother has passed away and so he and his foster parents have to take the unwanted, obnoxious brat from New York (Francis Capra) on their camping trip. Jesse's not so interested in camping, but more in meeting up with his old friend (August Schellenberg), his pretty goddaughter (Mart Kate Shellhardt), and of course, lovable Willy and his family. But things take a turn for the worse when an oil tanker runs aground in the cove where the whales are living and it's then that I realized "Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home" should have been titled "Free Willy 2: The Escape" because that's more of what it's about. Or why not just "Free Willy 2"? Oh, yeah. Marketable.Everything that I loved so much in the first movie has been watered down here. First of all, the sheer awe and magic of the killer whales. Whereas I could really feel the majesty and the amazing presence of Willy and the other whales in the first film, here it seems more like placid outtakes from a rather cheap documentary, as if the cast cheering at the sight of Willy were doing so at pictures and not the real thing. Amazing as it sounds, but even though his namesake is the title of the movie, Willy has very little to do with the movie at all. He's really just there for more marketing value. It's not until the third act, the only energized moment in the picture, that he really comes into play and even though, just briefly.Furthermore, the character dynamics are diminished. The sequel tries to explore the further complications of Jessie's life, but it only cracks open the doors of opportunity, never exploits them. The dynamic between him and his foster parents is just dimmed-down reruns of the same stuff we saw in the first movie. Even his relationship to the whale is dumbed away. But how about his new cast mates? Well, Mr. Capra does what he can, but he has one of the most aggravating characters in children movie history to play here. Even when his heart gets put into the right place, he's really hard to put up with and as a result, becomes hard to care about. And pretty and talented as she is, as Jesse's love interest, Miss Shellhardt does not have much to do and their romance is contrived, tiresome, tedious, and boring. As most teenage love stories are. Maybe that's just the key. Maybe the reason I've never bought teenage love stories in movies is because I don't believe in them. I don't buy the gimmicks they use here, especially considering the age. But that's a subject for another day. The point is: their scenes together go on forever but leave about as much impact as a speck of sand on the wing of a plane.The first two acts of "Free Willy 2" are really slow-going. Not until the third act does the movie even pick up a little. The director, Dwight H. Little has talent. He knows how to use a camera well and he has skill with working around actors and his crew. The movie is well-shot...most of the time. The whale scenes aren't very well-staged. But what ultimately founders the movie is the severely diminished screenplay. Now I saw this movie more than ten years ago, as a child, having fallen in love with the original film. But whereas the first "Free Willy" stuck in my memory into my adulthood, this one did not. I only remembered flashes of it. Looking back on it again, I can clearly see why.
Tommy Davis
In my opinion, none of the sequels can stand up to the first, though this one is pretty good. I find the acting to be good, for the most part. Elvis is portrayed perfectly as the delightfully annoying pest of a little brother, though his character development is shown well as the movie progresses. It felt nice to watch Elvis and Jesse grow closer until the ending, where it seemed as though they had grown up together and shared a bond. Nadine is a nice addition to the cast of characters, providing Jesse with a love interest. It was nice to watch their bond develop and grow as the movie went on as well. The only complaint I have about the acting is the scene at the dock where Jesse is first reunited with Willy (aside from having seen him from a distance on Randolph's boat). I felt as though there could have been much more emotion shown from Jesse. He was obviously happy to see Willy again, but I expected more excitement and enthusiasm. The storyline is believable and brings attention to the very real problem of oil spills. Some consider it a bit preachy, but I'm glad this movie spreads awareness about the damage oil spills do to the environment instead of just the tourism industry. The robots in this movie were phenomenal, though in the scenes where Jesse introduces Nadine to Willy, and the ending after Willy saves Jesse from the fire, some of the paint on the chin spots is visibly missing (half of one of the spots is gone) and in some scenes it appears as though the spots in Willy's right eye-patch aren't there at all. Minor mistakes compared to how real and believable the robots are, though. Overall, a good movie with a good message to spread. Recommended.
TheLittleSongbird
I really enjoyed the first film, it was sweet and cute, and elevated to a greater level by that wonderful killer whale Keiko who played Willy. This sequel is not as good, but it is decent. I do agree the story isn't as good or as believable this time around, the script lacks sparkle and the direction isn't as clever. But it is beautifully filmed, with lovely cinematography and scenery, and the score is really pleasant. Free Willy 2 mayn't be the most fast-paced movie ever made, but it moves briskly, and the message is admirable. What makes the movie charming though is the cast, Jason James Richter is still very likable and Francis Capra is funny and natural here. Mary Kate Schellhart and Michael Madson also do nice work, however it is the orcas that steal the show, every scene with them in is utterly riveting. Overall, inferior but nice and pleasant. 7/10 Bethany Cox
Clutter
Compared with The Big Blue, Free Willy 2 just have the ocean in common . The rest is more related with Baywatch, except in Baywatch when you're bored you can check out pieces of meat and here it rather deals with fish . Even if the commercial target is the young audience, must the screenplay be a total nonsense ? However, some scenes are so much ridiculous (the guy chatting up the girl by smooching a whale, or recognizing Willy just by hearing his ultra-sonic waves, or practising rodeo on the whale) that you sometimes forget a little how much you're bored . The wreck of the oil tanker is so credible that we can wonder if James Cameron wasn't inspired by it to make Titanic . As for the suspense at the end ... it's unbearable : will the kids die by burning slowly and atrociously in the oil fire or not ? Really, it's terrible . I don't even explain to myself why this movie isn't forbidden to people over 8 .
