Eye of the Dolphin

Dodgy performances, cliched script and predictable outcome notwithstanding, this Bahamas-set, ‘Free Willy’-style, aquatic family drama is actually rather engaging. Alyssa (Carly Schroeder) is a fourteen-year-old tearaway who has been living with her grandmother (Ross) since losing her mother in a boating accident. Miserable, mixed-up and into drugs, Alyssa is taken by granny to the Bahamas to meet the father she never knew she had. Initial relations with Dr Hawk (Adrian Dunbar), a marine scientist who studies dolphins, are strained, but it isn’t long before Alyssa discovers an ability to communicate with the cute sea creatures. This is a fine film for over tens, although one should be aware that the lead character does smoke a joint in an opening scene. It’s conventional stuff to be sure – padded out with unnecessary shots of frolicking dolphins – but it’s warm-hearted and eco-aware. And the setting is wonderful.