Mark Kermode, Observer film critic 

Dolphin Tale 2 review – winning drama above and below the waterline

The continued adventures of Winter the dolphin are heartwarming stuff, if not making quite the splash of the original, writes Mark Kermode
  
  

Still going swimmingly: Dolphin Tale 2.
Still going swimmingly: Dolphin Tale 2. Photograph: Wilson Webb Photograph: Wilson Webb/PR

You’d have to be hard-hearted indeed not to be moved by the real-life tales of rescued dolphin Winter and silver surfer Bethany Hamilton, both of whom have served as inspirational figures for those who have lost limbs but not courage or ambition. The first Dolphin Tale recounted the creation of Winter’s prosthetic tail; this sequel finds her resident in the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida, where Hamilton makes a typically delightful cameo appearance. This time, the drama is driven by the loss of a long-term buddy that leaves Winter under threat of imminent relocation. As before, there are mirrored tribulations above and below the water line, with life lessons learned en route. It doesn’t have the focus or splash of the original, but Charles Martin Smith’s sequel winningly wears its heart on its sleeve and Winter plays herself to a crowd-pleasing tee.

 

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