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Le Studio Canal+
Regency Enterprises
Warner Bros. Pictures
Free Willy Collection
How far would you go for a friend?
When maladjusted orphan Jesse vandalizes a theme park, he is placed with foster parents and must work at the park to make amends. There he meets Willy, a young Orca whale who has been separated from his family. Sensing kinship, they form a bond and, with the help of kindly whale trainer Rae Lindley, develop a routine of tricks. However, greedy park owner Dial soon catches wind of the duo and makes plans to profit from them.
daniel_carr
Feb 23, 2026 · via TMDB
The song by Michael Jackson was epic and I saw clips from this movie in there and it motivated me to watch this movie. But I must say I wasn't impressed. It was a feel good movie for sure, but I must say I enjoyed Dolphin Tale more. The story was slow and action sequences seemed a little far fetched like seriously breaking a 3,000kg animal out of jail!
GenerationofSwine
Jan 11, 2023 · via TMDB
I guess Free Willy depends on how old you were in 1993. For the most part, I really like Family Friendly, if they are done right they can be entertaining and uplifting. And, the kid in me can still see how people would love it, and still love it, if they saw it as a little kid. But I was 13 when Free Willy came out, and, honestly, it's not E.T., it's not The Goonies, it's not even Radio Flyer let alone Sandlot. It's a little too trite, a little too earnest, a little too childish and it lacks the fun and sense of adventure that films like Flight of the Navigator and The Explorers still hold. In other words, for a family friendly movie, it's more kid friendly and not family enough, and it doesn't age well. I think if you are older than 10 when you see it, you're likely to throw the 1 star out there because it honestly doesn't have that much to offer to people much older. And, if you are under 10 when you saw it, year, it's probably a nostalgia classic to you. It's just one of the family friendly movies that forgot it's supposed to be fun for the whole family, and that makes it age dependent.
Filipe Manuel Neto
Dec 25, 2022 · via TMDB
**Despite being predictable and loaded with clichés, it is a film that marked a generation, alerted many consciences to very serious issues, and is still very beautiful thirty years later.** This is certainly one of the films that made an impression on people during the 90's, and that maintained its popularity and sympathy for many years. Today I think it has been forgotten, and in part I feel sorry for it. However, I believe that the film has already done its job: not only did it entertain those who saw it and continue to see it, but it also had a certain social role in the way it awakened in younger people (but not only them) a certain awareness of ecology, for the preservation of endangered animals and species. I also believe that the film had a certain responsibility for changing the thinking of zoos and places that keep animals in captivity: instead of being “animal deposits” for public entertainment, they became institutions with ever greater relevance in the preservation of animals: today, they are essential for the survival of species whose natural habitats have been destroyed and which are only perpetuated in captivity. They also take the lead in the assisted reproduction of many animals, such as the Giant Panda Bear, for example, as well as in the rescue, veterinary treatment and preparation of animals that, having been illegally hunted or lived many years in human company, need to return to wildness. Thus, this film turns out to be more relevant for the effect it had on people than by itself. Analyzing it in a simple way, it is a rather sugary film, loaded with clichés and without great artistic quality. A family entertainment film, excellent to watch with the kids and which, for years, was almost institutional on television during the Christmas season. The script is quite simple, and takes a rebellious and angry teenager to regenerate when he begins to have contact with an orca that has lived in captivity for years. The friendship between them is touching and sincere, as well as the boy's efforts, and the friends he makes, to release her to the seas, in a race against time and against the action of the villains, the owners of the park where she is kept, and who don't care about her at all. It is an extremely predictable film, which excessively romanticizes the release of animals kept in captivity, making the public forget that a whole previous preparation is necessary, taking several years, and that we never know if the animal, after years depending on humans, is it really going to adapt. Keiko, the orca that the movie used (and who lived in captivity for years after the movie), would eventually be prepared and released to the sea, but as we know, she never adapted to the wild. The film has a good cast, but a terrible conception of characters. None of the characters are really good and all are clichés: the heroic teenager, the Native American full of ancestral wisdom who knows animals like no one else, the arrogant capitalists with no respect for anything or anyone... Excluding the orca Keiko, it's Jason James Ritcher who will stand out as an actor, in the role of the teenager who saves the day. He does what it takes, and I think he was relatively credible in his effort. Michael Madsen also deserves praise for his work, in a film that, incidentally, will be one of the most popular of his artistic career. Lori Petty and Jayne Atkinson are pretty good, August Schellenberg does what he can with the cliché given to him. The rest simply doesn't matter. Technically, the film stands out for its good cinematography. A lot of '90s movies seem ancient when we see them now, but this is one of those laudable exceptions that deserves to be mentioned. The filming locations, as well as the sets, also deserve a positive note for their visual beauty. The sound effects are very good, and the visual and special effects deserve praise, in particular the animatronic whale, which is quite realistic. Finally, a note to praise the quality of the main theme of the soundtrack created for this film, which is one of the most beautiful of its time.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Fandango At Home
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Spectrum On Demand
Jason James Richter
Jesse
Keiko
Willy
Lori Petty
Rae Lindley
August Schellenberg
Randolph Johnson
Michael Madsen
Glen Greenwood
Jayne Atkinson
Annie Greenwood
Michael Ironside
Dial
Richard Riehle
Wade
Mykelti Williamson
Dwight Mercer
Michael Bacall
Perry
Danielle Harris
Gwenie
Moultrie Patten
Homeless Man
April Ferry
Costume Design
Simon Wincer
Director
Douglas C. Merrifield
Associate Producer
Arnon Milchan
Executive Producer
Richard Donner
Executive Producer
Jennie Lew Tugend
Producer
Lauren Shuler Donner
Producer
Basil Poledouris
Original Music Composer
Michael Jackson
Theme Song Performance
Keith Walker
Screenplay
Keith Walker
Story
Take The Bridge
Black Mountain
Julian Assange: Silenced
The Shawshank Redemption
Spirited Away
The Wild Robot
Star Wars
Central Station
Sundarbans, le dernier royaume du tigre
Jurassic Park
Annaluise & Anton
A Bronx Tale
Monsters, Inc.
Robbi, Tobbi und das Fliewatüüt
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Finding Nemo
Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
Aladdin
Strangers on a Train
Gandhi
A Grand Day Out
Birdman of Alcatraz
Au Revoir les Enfants
Abesalom and Eteri
Kolya
International Velvet
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Lost in Translation
Kung Fu Panda
Shrek 2
Two Alone
Superman
The Jungle Book
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Lisbon Story
Mrs. Doubtfire
Emilia
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
12 Mighty Orphans
The Cider House Rules
Ghost World
Cars
Bambi
Captain America: The First Avenger
Whale Rider
Elephant
Meet the Robinsons
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King Kong
A Knight's Tale
Antonia's Line
Smallfoot
23
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Home Makeover
The Missouri Traveler
Bully
The Boys Next Door
Requiem
Night at the Museum
Emma
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
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Live and Let Die
Mickey
The Whipping Boy
Thor: The Dark World
Bean
Next Goal Wins
Mr. Bean's Holiday
Shanghai Noon
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
Shrek the Third
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
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The Secret Garden
The Three from the Filling Station
The Little Polar Bear
Strip Search
Jurassic Park III
Mala Noche
Jingle All the Way
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip
Black★Rock Shooter
City Streets
Morgan, la orca valiente
Susikoira Roi
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home
Wuthering Heights
Three Days of Anarchy
Crocodile Dundee II
Video Kings
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot
Oliver Twist
Jem and the Holograms
The Flintstones
The Games Maker
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
El Paso
Twisted Pair
The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas
Lenny The Wonder Dog
Little Miss Thoroughbred
Vollidiot
The Devil Outside
Wildfire
One Night Only
Singing Water
The Deciding Kiss
Before Christmas
The Last Dinner
Fortune of Chance
Blind & Deaf
Snack
Swapped
The Wild Robot
A Dog's Journey
Finding Nemo
The Wolf and the Lion
Life of Pi
My Penguin Friend
Balto
Blue Miracle
The Jungle Book
Storm Boy
Finding Dory
Elio
Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure
The Good Dinosaur
Peter Rabbit
Once Upon a Forest
A Shine of Rainbows
The Land Before Time XI: Invasion of the Tinysauruses
The Land Before Time X: The Great Longneck Migration
Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove
The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire
The Legend of Ochi
Free Willy 3: The Rescue
The Jungle Book
Earth to Echo
Jul 16, 1993
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Versus
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Stripper Wives
1999
Sally's Beauty Spot
1990
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
Trivia
Leaderboard →Playing as a guest — sign in to save your score and rank on the leaderboard.
Movie Trivia
Guess the movie from a clue — tagline, plot, cast and more. Pick from four posters.
What movie experience do you prefer?
What is your favorite movie genre?
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