Explain "Free Willy" to me

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   Stevennix2001posted 12 years ago

   Okay, I figured to spice things up in forums, I would like to ask all my hubber pals and whatnot, to explain "Free Willy" to me.  When this film came out, all I heard was how great it was by a lot of people, but when I saw it as a kid...I had an epiphony...the film sucks.  Don't get me wrong, I would never condemn anyone for liking this movie, as i can certainly understand why people love it so much.  However, for me, it just comes off as generically cliched Hollywood film that plays with the emotional strings of it's audience, while ripping off various different concepts of the "boy and (insert random animal here)" scenario.  Yes, I do understand the story, and I do know it's about a boy that becomes friends with a whale, and tries to free him.  Yes, we got that, but everything about the film is cliched ridden as hell, and predictable to boot.  Plus, none of the characters are remotely interesting.  Therefore, I just don't see it.  However, i could be wrong on this assessment, but this is my opinion on the movie, but I want to know yours.  Explain to me why you think "Free Willy", aka "most over rated and over hyped film of all time", is a good movie.

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      janesixposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      No, you're right. The movie sucked.

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         Stevennix2001posted 12 years agoin reply to this

           Well, I'm glad I'm not alone in that level of thinking then. 

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      CarltheCritic1291posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Free Willy is based on a true story about a whale... It's just really silly and stupid, but I enjoy it every time I watch it (granted I usually make fun of the film every time I watch it, but it's just silly fun) add it to a list of my guilty pleasures

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         Stevennix2001posted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I know it is, but I don't see how that matters though.  Besides, just because a film is based on a real life story doesn't mean it's automatically good.  If that was the case, films like the "Gridiron Gang" should be automatically nominated for various Oscars, for that same reason. 
         
         That's a good point there.  Well, I can certainly understand that logic.  To be honest, that's the exact same reason I watch many Adam Sandler films, even though I know most of his comedies are generally very bad movies, but I also find myself having a great time making fun of those same said films while watching them.  Same thing with "The Room" (starring Tommy Wiseau); even though the film is really bad, I just like making fun of it while watching it, as it's one of those guilty pleasures to watch.

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            CarltheCritic1291posted 12 years agoin reply to this

            The only other thing that people seem to remember about that film, is the famous "whale jumping over the kid" scene. It was well shot, but it's still stupid. And as you mentioned just because the film is based on a true story, it doesn't make good, it makes it more hilarious that there are sequels ("what you keep getting caught?" after the first film I would be like "you get caught again you're on your own!")

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         recommend1posted 12 years agoin reply to this

         The true story is that "Willy" the whale lived a miserable captive existence and eventually died in a small crappy pool. The total cliche as that Willy never got his freedom and his eventual demise was smothered by press and entertainment industry and disappeared from view in a flash - that is the real guilt in any pleasure the movie gave anyone.  Now if the 'hero' kid had grown up and bought the animal and released it THAT would have been ok.

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            CarltheCritic1291posted 12 years agoin reply to this

            agreed

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   logic,commonsenseposted 12 years ago

   I always thought free willy was when I didn't charge women for sex!

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      Stevennix2001posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Logic, you and Greek are the only two people that i would ever expect to hear that kind of joke from.

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   etower036posted 12 years ago

   Free Willy was to me more then just a story about a boy and (insert animal, alien) It was the bond between two souls.
   He (Jesse) like Willy, wanted to find a home, his family. Jesse struggled with his captivity being a foster child, Jesse wanted to break free of this invisible chain which he felt was strangling him, and find his family.
   When Jesse and Willy met, they instantly connected, a secret bond held their trapped souls, and they could feel each others pain.
   Willy did not trust his handlers, Jesse did not fully trust his foster parents.
   Once again the bond of friendship extends beyond humans, and intertwines, wraps our existence with every living creature.
   This movie told the story of two souls, Willy became Jesse's brother, and Jesse became Willy's soul mate; And, the bond they had was worth the sacrifice to save one another.
   The scene at the end was not just about Willy jumping over Jesse to escape his captivity, but it was also the moment of release for Jesse. He had to let go of Willy even though it meant never seeing him again. That moment it was a silent goodbye, a mere second of Jesse reaching out to Willy and saying, "You are free my brother."

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   bloggernotjoggerposted 12 years ago

   There are different types of viewers out there, most notably, the younger children that are not familiar with film cliches. To first times viewers, this is the film they will reference certain ideas by. In ten years, there will be another film that will do the same for a still younger crowd.
   
   Also, a lot of people did not go to film school and watch films at face value.
   
   But, I know what you mean. It can sometimes be annoying when certain films receive an overabundance of accolades. They are often compared to and placed on the same pedestal as some really great works of art.

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   Paradise7posted 12 years ago

   What got me about that story wasn't the whale but the kid.  He thought his mom was going to come back for him, and it was obvious to all the adults in the movie, plus the kid's homeless-kid friends, she wasn't.  The most touching scene in that movie was when the foster father very gently prepared the kid for this eventuality.
   
   I thought his part was so well-played.  I believed him as an almost-lost and resentful abandoned kid, trying hard to tough it out on his own while waiting for the invisible mom to come back.  That got my heart, and made the film unforgettable to me.
   
   I don't think I ever really believed the business with the whale.

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