Free Willy 3: The Rescue

"Free Willy 3: The Rescue" is an Adventure - Drama movie and the third movie of the "Free Willy" franchise in which we watch teenager Jesse trying to protect Will and his pregnant mate by an illegal whaler threatening them both.

Since I had watched the two previous movies I knew what to expect but I hoped from this movie to be better than the second. Unfortunately, it followed the path of the second movie and it was equally bad. I believe that "Free Willy" franchise has to stop with this movie because it does not have anything more to give. The direction which was made by Sam Pillsbury followed the footsteps of the previous movie without having any suspense and being a bit boring at some points of it. All in all, I have to say that "Free Willy 3: The Rescue" is another average family movie that I do not recommend anyone to watch because I am sure that you can find better family movies than this to watch.

Free Willy 3 is primarily about Max, an intelligent, inquisitive ten-year-old who accompanies his father on a whaling expedition. His conscience bothers him about his father's career, but instead of taking the usual route of performing a string of silly pranks (like you would see in a lot of children's shows), he tries reasoning with his dad. He also asks question after question -- not just about the technical aspects of whaling, but he also delves deeper into the more important questions of life ("Do you always have to do the right thing, even if it hurts?").

One of the things I liked best about Free Willy 3 was the realistic and sympathetic portrayal of the father, even though he was the "villain" of the story. He was a man doing a job that has been in his family for years, and without it he wasn't sure who he was. Despite having a career others disagreed with, he was a caring, compassionate person who loved his son. Other characters are drawn out nicely as well -- Jesse and Randolph, from the first two films, and their new co-workers on the sea -- showing their tempers as well as their more positive sides.

Couple all these features with stunning cinematography and a beautiful score, and you have one fine film!

Sam Pillsbury (who, incidently, was born in the US but raised in NZ despite what this database says) left these shores to direct the excellent "Eerie, Indiana" series and a number of thrillers. I don't think this film will feature prominently on his CV. Basically the script keeps to a format and the format has become so stale everyone performs in a by-the-numbers fashion. I get the feeling this movie was made for profit rather than love of the characters. It focuses on a simplistic "message" rather than the more complex problem of looking at "issues".

We who rule the pit of Sidcup are not amused. They should have learned, but no. I tried to warn them. I even sent twenty armed henchmen to chop their arms and legs off, but no. Jason James Richter, besides having a stupid name, is too old for this thing! Send him to the graveyard with Macaulay Culkin. If they bring out a fourth, I will personally rain fire and brimstone on all those responsible. At least they ditched Francis Capra. Perhaps they should try 'FREE BIDDY', where there's an old woman swimming about, and they chuck fish at her, or feed the latest annoying little kid to her. It would sell a lot more! So now I must take my ship to sea, and personally slaughter as many whales as possible. Why don't you come and get me, suckers?

Okay guys, the fact that this movie got such a low rating really makes my blood boil! If you can't appreciate such a touching film as Free Willy 3: The Rescue, I'd like to see what you guys watch. This movie really touched me, so did the other two movies in the trilogy. I'll admit, this movie may not have been as good as the other two, which is why I'm only giving it a 9 out of 10, but it still is quite the masterpiece. It's better than any of those other bullshit movies about animals, like air bud or MVP! Those movies were garbage and have absolutely nothing on free Willy. Free Willy 3: The Rescue, has, and always will have, a special place in my heart. I grew up with this trilogy and I hold it very dear to my heart. If you're a parent and you want your child to see some quality film making, I advise you to rent Free Willy 3. This movie doesn't have any violence or anything that'll warp your child's mind into growing up to be some crack-head, animal beating criminal, which is what most movies tend to be doing these days. No, this movie will inspire your kid to do good with his life, it'll make your child appreciate the beauty of animal life. If you haven't seen this movie, I recommend you watch it asap. It will appeal to people of all ages.