André - Die kleine Robbe

Andre is a seal pup who is orphaned and taken in by a little girl in New England coastal town. The seal become a local celebrity in town. The seal in the film is almost like a dog, but with flippers. It is a light hearten and touching film. A movie I would recommend for the whole family to watch.

Based on a true story and from a library book, ANDRE shows viewers the love, triumphs, and companionship animals can bring. It does teach the perfect lesson about wild marine animals, too. A lot of "family" movies express this kind of idea, making this one more of the same like the rest, which was expected for me. They now suffer from a lack of originality and a very simple plot. I also hate the wasteful oldies put into this and I've heard enough of them already! Andre's characterization will charm and delight the young, though. I had a feeling this was going to rip off FREE WILLY at the time of its release. Actually, this is not that kind of movie. Parents and siblings will appreciate this one before the evening supper. Give the kids something else other than cute little old playful animals for a change!

Andre is a very sweet type of film, maybe too sickly sweet, but it is very nice and endearing. There are some slow moments in the middling half and some of the writing gets a tad mawkish. That said, the acting is fine, Tina Majorino is really good as the animal-loving daughter who befriends the seal, and it was really nice to see Keith Carradine in a somewhat atypical role as he portrayed the most likable human character. The cinematography is beautiful, the scenery is magical and the music is lovely.

What makes Andre though is the seal Andre, played in real-life by a sea-lion. Andre is one lovable character, he is so cute, endearing and funny. His scenes with Majorino were very touching, and he just steals the film from everybody else with effortless ease. Overall, a very sweet but enjoyable family fare, and I just want to add I noticed no rip-off of anything, then again I am not as observant as some people. 7/10 Bethany Cox

GOOD - What gave this movie appeal and made it a bit different is that a seal is the star. The likable seal, "Andre," (in real life, Tory, the sea lion) has cute face with big brown eyes and likes to stick his tongue out and give everyone "the raspberry." The latter joke is way overdone, but it's okay. The most likable human is the father, played by Keith Carradine. The kids are somewhat spoiled but the little one, the star (Tina Majorino) isn't bad.

THE BAD - Too much typical Hollywood families in which (1) there is a stupid teen romance with a rebellious, pouting female teen; (2) the nasty foe who makes trouble for no apparent reason; (3) the nice-guy husband who gets unfairly blamed or is proved wrong in family affairs (the Liberal mother always winning out).

OVERALL - A little more of the seal and less of the teen girls and other annoying people would have made this a lot better. As it is, one viewing was enough.

This is a great family movie that my kids wanted to see over and over. I would recommend it for older children (6 and up). Beware that I do believe it has a four-letter word placed in there every once in a while, but just warn your kids that it isn't appropriate. The story of Andre the seal is a wonderful story and should be shared. It is heartwarming and has good story lines. It also has a few valuable lessons that you can share with your children. There is conflict that shows resolve. There is a lesson on not jumping to conclusions. This is one of those movies that you should show to your children and discuss afterward. My children still love it.....and they are now 20 and above. The heartwarming true story of Andre' just never gets old....nor will you ever forget it.