User reviews

"Eye of the Dolphin", with a title like that you would expect the film to be a cheesy family flick or sweet adventure for the little ones. Well, although it is a film a family can watch and enjoy together and has dolphins swimming around and jumping about in a beautiful location, cheesy and sweet are not words I would choose to describe this movie.

Eye of the Dolphin is an eye opening, thoughtful, and engaging experience. With a lovely cast starring Carly Schroeder, your not so typical teenage girl. Granted young girls like make-up, boys, and talking but they are at a stage in their life where the slightest troubles and tragedies can throw their whole world askew into the dark abyss of adolescence.

Although they are young they have an innate ability to relate and associate themselves with those who they find similar. And who better to do that than Alyssa, a troubled teen who has just lost her mother, is being expelled from school, and is forced to live in a new place where she knows no one especially the father she thought she didn't have.

This film explores the nature of the father and daughter relationships. At a time that is the most difficult for the majority because it is at a period where dad and daughter are the most distant from each other. Coming from two completely different worlds where both suddenly have to discover new ways to relate and communicate.

We are also given snippets of questions and ideas to ponder. How to stand up for what your passionate about. No matter how estranged, how important family is. What is valuable to a community? Where is the line drawn between science and spirituality?

To add to all of this is the element of adventure Alyssa brings to the screen. Who wouldn't love the ability to communicate with animals and swim free in the wild with dolphins? There is also one last thing that ties this all together for the film, its beauty. Not only is it shot on location in the Bahamas but the cinematography is gorgeous. The colors draw you into the tropical and underwater world of Alyssa and Rosca her new dolphin friend.

All in all this is a film that pleasantly surprises and succeeds on many levels. Most of all when you walk away you will say to yourself..."I wish I could swim with dolphins!"

Usually I love films with animals very much, but "Eye of the Dolphin" disappointed me. The acting of the cast is mediocre and not interesting. Somehow I just don't like the guy who plays the father. His personality did not convince that he was a scientist who is passionate about dolphins. The story moves so slow and the whole thing was predictable. The ending is not even believable. The dolphins are cute but somehow it's just nothing different from the way we saw them at the show. The best thing about this movie is the scenery of the beach and its wild life. It makes me want to go visit Bahamas one day.

In conclusion, this is not like a horrible movie or anything. It's just boring and predictable. I watched through the whole thing. I just don't want to watch it again.

This film is perpetrating an ideal that dolphins are happy, human loving animals. Its disappointing to see this portrayed again. It is also disappointing to see dolphins used in this manner for film making (something that is thankfully illegal here in the UK under animal cruelty laws). The film portrays dolphins in the wild as friendly and sociable with humans, in fact wild dolphins prefer to keep clear of human contact if possible and can pose a threat, yet this film will suggest that it is acceptable to ride a dolphin under water, something no one involved in marine zoology would ever advise (both through cruelty and the much increased risk of attack from the animal and these are animals that can and have killed). Contrary to a previous review any true environmentalist should not be happy with the wild life treatment and portrayal in this film and certainly no one working with wild dolphins will be.

I enjoy dolphins. I was happy to watch this movie on netflix. It was done okay. Though it seems to be a story about a daughter and a father. I do not know what the plot is really about. It was fair movie in that case.

Though there seems to be part of the dolphin what they can teach us in their ways. The cast was good. I would watch with children. There a little drinking and I would only allow children around 13 with this movie. Other then that it find. Teenagers around 13 an up is good for this movie. I would let parents decide for their children.

Alyssa is a troubled 14-year old. What a surprise.

Suspended from school a year after her mother has drowned, her grandmother Lucy, who doesn't want to be called grandma -- doesn't that explain Alyssa? -- at wit's end, decides to take Alyssa to her father, James, whom Alyssa thought was dead for years.

Some family.

He studies dolphin communication at Smith's Point, on the Grand Bahama Island. James has not known of Alyssa's existence and is clueless about parenthood. Amazing.

The women arrive at the same time that James may lose his research operation to a tourist attraction. Convenient.

Father, daughter, dolphins, and town are on a collision course. Alyssa and James get encouragement from James's girlfriend and her father. It's the dolphins who can teach, and Alyssa who discovers how to listen.

What a pitch. The film is just OK, but it's not surprising it made no money.

Clichezinho, but so cute, simple and delicate... Cute ...

"Eye Of The Dolphin" has all the features that are tailor made to result in a successful movie: it's set in a beautiful location (the Bahamas), it's about animals to appeal to animal lovers, it's specifically about dolphins and raises the question of whether they should be held in captivity so it has a certain environmental appeal, and it has a very pretty young star in Carly Schroeder as Alyssa. While all those things usually work together well and result in a pretty good movie, somehow "Eye Of The Dolphin" seemed lacking. The story was in general just too perfect - a too easy reconciling of a father and daughter (Adrian Dunbar and Schroeder) who had never met, a too simplistic set-up of the problem - Dunbar's "Hawk" wants to study the dolphins while the townspeople in the surrounding area want to use them to bring in tourists, and the whole angle around Alyssa being able to communicate with the dolphins just seemed to easily and too quickly developed to be believable, and the townsfolk are converted to Hawk's side far too quickly, just because they see Alyssa swimming with the dolphins? You also come away from this not really knowing much more about the dolphins than you knew going into it. They seem cute and playful and friendly and smart. That would have been my impression all along.

Don't get me wrong. There's nothing in particular "wrong" with this movie. At the start there was even a sort of edginess around Alyssa that had some promise for plot development, but that kind of fizzled. This is fine family fare; kids will enjoy it. It's just that there are far better and more entertaining movies you can watch with your kids. (4/10)

Saw this film at a film festival.. I liked it a lot. Carly did a great job as the kid lead in the film. All the characters did their roles very well. I know Dolphins are very smart, but it must have been difficult to get three dolphins to perform in co-ordination the way they did. Story line has a good moral message, and the Dolphins and the kid are heroes in the end. This is just the kind of film I like to take my grandkids to see. The photography of the blue Bahama waters and the dolphins was first class. Makes you want to go there and lay on the beach. It was great to see Catherine Ross in a film again... although not a big part, she handled it like a pro. I give this one a 9.

First, for all of you dolphin lovers and anything ocean friendly related:You will love the message that this film delivers. It demonstrates that while people may have an interest in learning more about dolphins and ocean creatures, that interest shouldn't let people forget about dolphins and take them away from their natural habitats and ways. This film says that we can learn about the world around us while preserving its natural beauty and keeping it safe. Second, the movie has a great story with a great set of actors. It it something that will get the whole family to sit together in their living room, take in the movie and have a nice discussion about it afterward. The kids will love the dolphins,the teens can relate to the main star, the parents will like laughing at the dad's first attempts at parenting and everyone will just love the scenes that show what the Bahamas has to offer. I think that a movie that can get my 16 year old brother's attention and keep my dad awake is worth seeing.

To be honest, I wasn't looking forward to this film, but I came away from it really impressed. Even though it's somewhat corny at times, it deals with some fairly complex issues. There was emotion, drama, and even some well-placed humor. The film looks great, and has some impressive performances, especially from some of the more minor characters. Plus, there were the dolphins. Ahhhh, the dolphins. Very cute, and very funny, as always. Granted, it's not my kind of movie, but it's very well made, and definitely enjoyable. I would highly recommend this to anyone into teen/family dramas, or anyone who's a fan of dolphins.

I took my 5 year old son to a festival screening of EYE OF THE DOLPHIN expecting a "family film", but it actually turned out to have a lot more substance than I expected. My son was captivated by the beauty and the dolphins, but I think (especially since now I know the MPAA rating is PG13) the film aims for a slightly more mature audience. I could see this film being great for teens and tweens.

Performances in the film were pretty good. I mean how can you go wrong with an Oscar nominee (Katherine Ross) teaming with veteran actors like Jane Lynch, George Harris, and Adrian Dunbar. On top of that the young actress that played Alyssa did an excellent job as the troubled teen turned good and I'm sure that she is going to be very successful.

Overall my family enjoyed the film. I'd mostly recommend the film for parents to take their tweens and teens to (it might go over the heads of little kids).

Eye of the Dolphin is a good movie. Generally, when I watch animal movies my expectations are low (I wasn't especially impressed with Air Bud or any of its many sequels), but I decided to give this one a shot because I saw a trailer and thought that it had some cool underwater sequences. It turned out to be better than I had expected. There is so much natural beauty in the film and Eye of the Dolphin also kept my interest with character development and story line.

It was good to see a little bit of "edgy" content in the film, perhaps I was expecting more of a "kiddie" movie but the main character, played by Carly Schroeder, depicts the stuggles of a modern teen girl well. Inevitably, some parts of the movie come across as being a bit cheesy, but the movie as a whole works and is definitely worth seeing. The dolphins are amazing and this film does an especially good job of showcasing some of what their superior echolocation allows them to do. Teenagers, environmentalists, animal lovers will enjoy this film.

The film is one of those rare combinations of extreme beauty in the scenery and well mixed versatile cast.

I love the story and the evolution of a troubled girl to one who is able to save the day.

Mainly I loved the local color and setting in the Bahamas. The dolphin scenes were exquisite as was the interaction with them by Carly Schroeder.

The supporting cast was up to the task and very likable. I cared that they would be able to save the dolphin research center.

A wonderful film....

I had absolutely no interest in seeing the film and only did so after I was able to get some promotional tickets. Though the story sells like a coming of age tale, it's much better than that. The beginning is a bit cliché but once the story begins to take hold it becomes a unique and enjoyable film experience.

Carly Schroeder is a fun actress to watch. It will be interesting to watch her acting career develop in the next few years. George Harris and Christine Adams are wonderful and tend to steal the scenes without trying. Jane Lynch is always a welcome addition and adds some class to the whole film.

The story, though obviously geared towards younger girls does not discriminate against age or sex; it's a fun film for anyone.

Take your family to see this movie, both girls and boys. It is the story of a troubled teen who eventually learns to communicate, lastly with her father. The main character is portrayed wonderfully by Carly Schroeder and supported by an excellent cast. The cinematography is superb, both above and below water.

Although there is substance abuse by the main character/troubled teen, it is completely within context for the character development. In fact, the movie goes to great lengths to properly develop all the characters and give them some depth. As to the substance abuse portrayed, it can be a good way to start conversations (communicate) with your child about what they may have or will likely be exposed to in the course of their travels through the teens.

My 14 year old son enjoyed the movie immensely. This is a true family film, not a children's film and should be treated as such. But don't shy away from taking your child, even as young as 8-10 depending on their social development.

Our entire family enjoyed this wonderful family film. We recently noticed that it won a "Parenting Award" from the NAPPA and for good reason IMO. The combination of Animals interacting with humans in family films has always been appealing to audiences and Carly Schroeder has both charisma and a genuiness about her that comes across beautifully on the big screen. But there is much more to this values based film, one that all parents with "tweens" and/or teens should love. Eye of the Dolphin is a true family drama about a parent and a child discovering each other and about communication. It also reminds me of some of the old family entertainment that we all watched as kids, Flipper and Swiss Family Robinson come to mind. The film has plenty of under water and dolphin scenes. A "must see" family film.

I got the DVD from my public library. Hadn't heard of it before but thought how bad could it be with a dolphin. But the movie is cute and funny in a Disney-like way and I can't think of anything offensive for younger audiences (does show drinking and smoking in a few scenes). The ending is a little sugary sweet for my adult taste but the only part of the film that's overdone.

Watching the movie was like taking a mini-vacation away from the freezing Jan. temps outside. After seeing the long slow shots of the turquoise water and coral beach, the brightly painted houses, and hearing the lilt of the local Bahamian supporting cast, you can almost feel the tropical breeze. Makes me want to jump on a plane to the Bahamas right now.

This movie is one that the whole family can enjoy-how rare is that!

Nice family movie and who doesn't love dolphins? Eye of the Dolphin is a family drama that will appeal to anyone who likes movies with the hard edges blunted and the narrative bumps smoothed. There's real heart to be found in the story but it comes along with borderline saccharine sentimentality, a too facile ending, and clean outcomes that aren't earned. The film's final scenes frustrate, not because bad things happen but because there's a sense that the movie has cheated us by substituting a resolution of convenience instead of one of substance. Among its assets, Eye of the Dolphin counts wonderful photography (both above and below water) and an effective performance by leading actress Carly Schroeder. Tween and teen girls will identify with her and the character she plays, and this makes the movie targeted strongly at them. Older viewers who are hoping for something with more heft may be disappointed.