I doubt anyone who saw “Dolphin Tale” back in 2011 could’ve imagined such a story was ripe for a sequel. Not only was Winter the dolphin a powerful source of inspiration for visitors to her Florida rehabilitation aquarium, but she proved surprising muscle at the box office, allowing producers an opportunity to continue the drama with “Dolphin Tale 2,” a pleasant follow-up that’s more meaningful than its predecessor, touching on a few choice adolescent dilemmas before it plunges back into Disney Channel-esque habits that are harsh on the senses.
Safe and sound in her Clearwater Marine Aquarium home, Winter the dolphin has experienced a surge in popularity, allowing owner Clay (Harry Connick, Jr.) a chance to expand the facilities, gifting greater educational responsibility to teen daughter Hazel (Cozi Zuehlsdorff) and Winter’s caretaker, Sawyer (Nathan Gamble). When Winter’s aged companion dies, the loss leaves the dolphin depressed, unwilling to wear her prosthetic fin or behave kindly around Sawyer. Threatened with violations that could permanently remove her from the property, Clay isn’t sure about the prospect of another companion, while Hazel and Sawyer frantically search for a way to keep their beloved dolphin where she belongs. Also weighing heavily on the gang is an academic opportunity for Sawyer that would take him to Boston for three months, forcing the teenager to face the possibility of being away from Winter, while Hazel struggles with romantic feelings for her friend. With Winter now comfortable with her prosthetic fin, thriving in her new surroundings, writer/director Charles Martin Smith (who also appears as a federal inspector) doesn’t have any obvious direction for the sequel to go. Swooping in to provide conflict is death, with Winter’s pal passing away due to old age, leaving the physically challenged dolphin without a companion to grow with, which, according to the movie, is against the law. Instead of a second rehabilitation film, “Dolphin Tale 2” becomes a quest for partnership, with Sawyer and Hazel fighting to bring a recent patient into Winter’s pool, forcing companionship, which Clay is firmly against. Granted, the dramatics aren’t much, but with all the faux fin business locked out of the continuation, “Dolphin Tale 2” gets down to business in a hurry, establishing the expansion of the aquarium, Winter’s continued hero status in the community, and her eventual slide into melancholy, disturbing Sawyer, who’s no longer able to communicate with his pal in an easy, relaxed manner.
While the quest to find a roommate for Winter takes up a considerable portion of “Dolphin Tale 2,” the humans are more prominently featured this time around, handing the majority of the movie to Hazel’s surge of confidence, offered new responsibilities around the facilities, leaving her father amazed and a little frightened of her speeding maturity. Hazel is also highlighted as a young girl with a crush on Sawyer, growing jealous of his newfound fanbase, stewing silently while others approach Winter’s trainer with giddiness. Although Sawyer chews on a subplot featuring his participation in a rare educational opportunity, forcing him to decide if he truly wants to leave Florida and all that he loves behind for three months, “Dolphin Tale 2” is more about Hazel’s desires and debates with Clay. Winter is more of a supporting character this time around. While there’s ample time set aside to see the dolphin at play in her pool, the sequel doesn’t play close attention to Winter, preferring to process the delicate emotions of the juvenile characters, with a few, including first love and separation anxiety, refreshingly universal.
Acting isn’t the draw of “Dolphin Tale 2,” with most of the actors under the mistaken impression they’re performing in a silent movie, wildly overplaying what should be subtle moments. Welcome complexity concerning the aquarium’s position of profit vs. responsibility is disappointingly downplayed, losing a bit of necessary grit. “Dolphin Tale 2” misses a few opportunities to define itself along the way, more content to roll around the mud pits of melodrama as a way to connect with the audience. It’s not ideal, but the sequel supplies a tad more concentration on matters of the heart, while still presiding over enough fantasy dolphin interactions to tickle younger audience members.
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