Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Tobias Burrows It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Fleur Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

AloneAgainNaturally Overall, I very much enjoyed the film and the portrayal of a fisherman's life. I liked the hurricane scene, which felt authentic, and the scenes of Pa and Sandy fishing. The relationship between Flipper and Sandy was very sweet. The actor playing Sandy did a fine job as a "fishing boy". The only problem I had with the film was with the characters killing dolphins. That made no sense, as maritime superstition is that it is very bad luck to kill dolphins- fishermen simply don't kill them. Dolphins are usually seen as good luck omens in fishing lore. Early on in the film, Pa tells Sandy about a Greek myth about a dolphin saving the life of a poet. Fishermen have known for years that dolphins are good, so the writing was very weak in this respect. When the boy shoots Flipper with a spear, I was aghast. Most people know not to kill dolphins, and have known for thousands of years. I liked Chuck Connors portrayal as Pa and the actress who plays Sandy's mother. I also liked the plot point of showing the family struggling during a season of red tide- this was very authentic. Even with the inauthenticity of fishermen killing dolphins, I think this is a fine family film.

Wuchak RELEASED IN 1963 and directed by James B. Clark, "Flipper" stars Luke Halpin as a boy in the Florida Keys who saves a dolphin and develops a relationship with the animal. Chuck Connors and Kathleen Maguire play the parents.As far as dolphin flicks go, I prefer 2010's "Beneath the Blue" with cutie Caitlin Wachs, but "Flipper" is worthwhile as heartwarming innocuous entertainment. It's also of historical interest to observe life in Southern Florida in the early 60s. Not only do you get the dolphin, Flipper (Mitzie in real life), but you also get the kid's pet pelican, Pete.THE MOVIE RUNS 87 minutes and was shot in Grassy Key, Florida, and (studio) Miami. WRITERS: Arthur Weiss from the story by Ricou Browning & Jack Cowden.GRADE: B-

evening1 I caught this on TCM and watched it mainly for the nostalgia value. Though I'm 54 now, I still find a lot to like in "Flipper." I enjoyed the small-town hominess of life in the Keys, the traditional values of Sandy's parents, the boy's independence and sense of responsibility, and of course bare-chested Chuck Conners's buff physique. "Flipper" captured Hurricane Hazel quite effectively and it was a pleasure to see how the community joined together to get through a crisis. Of course the friendship between Sandy and Flipper is the heart of the film, and while some of the plot twists were a bit repetitious and predictable, the story still satisfies. However, I was in the minority in my home. "I hated it with every bone in my body," griped my 13-year-old son. "It was stupid. It was so lame," said my 7-year-old. Oh well. I tried. Maybe "Flipper" can't compete with computer games, but it still has a lot to recommend it. And the theme song still rocks!"…Everyone loves the king of the sea…No one you see is smarter than he..."

preppy-3 A "red plague" has hit the Florida Keys and fisherman Porter Ricks (Chuck Connors) and son Sandy (Luke Halpin) can't find fish to make a living. But Sandy saves a dolphin from dying and they became buddies. (I know I know--but this IS a kids film). Flipper (as the kid names him) leads them to a place with plenty of fish and saves Sandy from a killer shark (stop smirking!).OK--the plot is ridiculous and the same shots are used a LOT but it's really hard to hate this film. The underwater photography is impressive and Flipper himself is so cute he's hard to resist. Despite the totally stupid plot I found myself grinning whenever Flipper did cute things like jump out of the water or "talk" to the kid. Also Connors is surprisingly good as a tough (but nice) father and Halpin is easily one of the most likable child actors I've ever seen. He's nice and friendly--he acts just like a kid would. I admit the title song (first played about an hour in) is hysterically bad but I sort of enjoyed it. This is a perfect kids movie--especially if they love animals. I know not everyone loves dolphins but I do and I found this silly movie quite enjoyable. I give it a 6.