Plot: What’s it about?
A boy often has an animal companion of some kind, usually a canine friend, but sometimes a horse or feline pal. But twelve year old Sandy (Luke Halpin) has an animal friend unlike any other, one that other kids would love to have as their own. But Sandy’s pal doesn’t live in his house, instead his buddy lives in the free waters of the ocean. You see, Sandy’s new friend is a dolphin and to Sandy, this aquatic friend is known as Flipper. The two are the best of friends, swimming together and having all sorts of fun, out in the clean, clear waters. When Flipper was speared, it was Sandy and his father that nursed the dolphin back to health, which was good news for Flipper, since he would have died out without the helping hands. In the process, Sandy falls in love with Flipper and the two become best friends, until Sandy’s father Porter (Chuck Conners) passes on some bad news. When Flipper is back to full health, the dolphin will be released back into international waters, where dangers of all kinds await, not to mention the lack of Sandy’s friendship. But when Sandy is circled by some vicious sharks, Flipper comes to the rescue and the two are reunited. One good turn resulted in another, just as friends always come through. But will the two be able to maintain their friendship, even as Flipper returns to freedom?
No, this isn’t the horrific remake that featured Paul Hogan, this is the original movie, though that isn’t much solace, as this version sucks too. I don’t have a problem with animal driven movies, even ones aimed at young audiences, but this tale of a boy’s love affair with a dolphin was enough to put me into a coma. But for some folks, Flipper passes as solid entertainment, evident by the sequel and eventual television series. Luke Halpin stars in the entire run of Flipper’s fame and even returned in the remake, so he must have loved the concept. Or maybe he just loved the paychecks, after all, his career never went much beyond this dolphin’s side. Although he did take a role in Mako: The Jaws of Death, so at least he had some kind of sense of humor. I endured this session with Flipper at the same time I screened several older Disney live action pictures, which is perhaps why this movie seemed so lame. I don’t consider Disney’s live action output to be that stellar on the whole, but that studio’s work is head and shoulders above this. The acting is about what you’d expect from a normal television series, while the writing is thin at best and you can tell some of the dialogue was drawn out of a worn old hat. If you’re a Flipper fan, I won’t stand in your path, but for all others, consider this a warning against this dull borefest.
Video: How does it look?
Flipper is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The image is pretty sharp and I found minimal flaws, even the print used looks clean, aside from some slight grain. The print hasn’t been restored, but you can tell a solid source was used. The colors are bold and never smear, while flesh tones seem natural and consistent, no problems there. The contrast is more than solid also, though perhaps not as sharp and stark as I would have liked. In the end, this treatment meets or exceeds all expectations, so kudos to Warner here.
Audio: How does it sound?
All the splashes, whistles, and blowhole explosions sound solid in the included mono option, which hasn’t been ravaged by the tolls of time. The musical soundtrack is not one of my favorites, but it comes across well here and helps keep the ears entertained. There isn’t much here in terms of sound effects, but the ones that do surface sound solid, but not as rich as a more action driven film would allow. The dialogue is the heart and soul of this mix and it sounds terrific, very crisp and clean, always at a proper volume also. Not much else to discuss here, a basic mono soundtrack that more than handles this material. This disc also includes a French language track, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the cartoon Salt Water Tabby with Tom and Jerry, as well as the film’s theatrical trailer.
