Warner Brothers' Blu-ray release of Dolphin Tale was easy to recommend because of the film's up-lifting story and appealing characters. Moreover, the special features included a featurette describing the actual events on which the movie was based.
Unfortunately, the recently released BD version of Dolphin Tale 2 lacks that welcome bonus. The movie itself has similar virtues to its predecessor and is sufficiently different to be seen as more than just a rehash. However, while you could infer from the description of this sequel that it was - like the original - inspired by true events, there is little in the extras that sheds light on what those events where.
What we do get is a bunch of PR promos, two music videos, and a blooper reel. The promos consist of brief clips and sound bites from the cast and crew. At under five minutes in length each, they are too short to even be considered featurettes. Moreover, some clips appear more than once, suggesting that these promos were not originally meant to complement each other. After watching them you'll have a strong sense of how much the ensemble cast enjoyed reuniting to make this movie but know virtually nothing about the story that inspired it or the real people involved.
None of this should detract from the fact that Dolphin Tale 2 is a fine family film with an involving story and inspiring message. Hence, it would likely be well received by any child that finds it in their festive stocking. Aside from the HD-quality video, though, there's nothing that makes the Blu-ray version worth the few extra dollars more than the DVD.
Unfortunately, the recently released BD version of Dolphin Tale 2 lacks that welcome bonus. The movie itself has similar virtues to its predecessor and is sufficiently different to be seen as more than just a rehash. However, while you could infer from the description of this sequel that it was - like the original - inspired by true events, there is little in the extras that sheds light on what those events where.
What we do get is a bunch of PR promos, two music videos, and a blooper reel. The promos consist of brief clips and sound bites from the cast and crew. At under five minutes in length each, they are too short to even be considered featurettes. Moreover, some clips appear more than once, suggesting that these promos were not originally meant to complement each other. After watching them you'll have a strong sense of how much the ensemble cast enjoyed reuniting to make this movie but know virtually nothing about the story that inspired it or the real people involved.None of this should detract from the fact that Dolphin Tale 2 is a fine family film with an involving story and inspiring message. Hence, it would likely be well received by any child that finds it in their festive stocking. Aside from the HD-quality video, though, there's nothing that makes the Blu-ray version worth the few extra dollars more than the DVD.
