Dolphin Kick

Epic Pictures Releasing | Release Date: January 22, 2019

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BrendanMeyerJan 31, 2019

Dolphin Kick - 90 Minutes - Family/Adventure - Rated G

Dolphin Kick opens on a brother and sister, Luke and Skyler Mahoney (Axle McCoy & Tyler Jade Nixon respectively) two kids at their local swimming pool, adjusting to life after theDolphin Kick - 90 Minutes - Family/Adventure - Rated G

Dolphin Kick opens on a brother and sister, Luke and Skyler Mahoney (Axle McCoy & Tyler Jade Nixon respectively) two kids at their local swimming pool, adjusting to life after the sudden loss of their mother. Sunny Skyler keeps cheerful for the most part, Luke’s grieving shows itself in a different form, he’s melancholic in the face of excitement, and he won’t get in the water ever since he lost his mom who taught him how to swim. When we meet Dad, (Travis McCoy,) we find he’s keeping a promise his wife made to Luke and Skyler, a vacation to the same tropical island where they were married. Although we never meet the mother in the movie, her presence is strong and her family quotes her words that echo throughout the film “You could spend your whole life waiting with your toe in the water, or you could dive in.” Arrival to the island is as beautiful as we hope, Luke and Skyler explore the island and discover a playful but lonely dolphin that is separated from his pod, the kid’s aptly name him Echo. The connection between Luke and Echo is special and establishes the beginnings of a needed rescue between the two. The Mahoney’s meet a welcoming group of local marine conservationists who, surprised to learn of the isolated dolphin, inform the kids that Echo can’t survive on his own and finding a pod within the reefs of the island will be no easy task. Will their friendship with Echo and the group’s efforts to reunite him with his pod give Luke the courage to get back in the water? There are a handful of dolphin movies, but Dolphin Kick might be a first of it’s kind. What's most unique is the dolphin scenes took place in open water. In similar films like Flipper, Dolphin Tale, and Bernie the Dolphin, the dolphin scenes are filmed in a gated facility or an aquarium, and the screen time for the dolphin as a main character is quite minimal. Dolphin Kick filmed all the dolphin scenes on and under the open ocean, with lots of engagement between Echo and all other characters, kids who watch will be pleased to see the heartwarming dolphin in every other scene which is altogether a win within the genre. Dolphin Kick was directed by Philip Marlatt, who seems to work towards finding tenderness and genuine behavior in the actor’s performances rather than what we see in most kids movie counterparts, which gives the movie a realer sense of sincerity. One of the stronger points for Dolphin Kick was Marlatt’s commitment to an aquatic theme, from scene-to-scene, in the overall design and world of the story. I could feel the heart that went into this, everyone involved seems like they gave it their all. It’s worth a watch just for the accomplishment, Marlatt and company might be one of the few to pull off such a heavy amount of challenges; kids, dolphins, boats, action-sequences, ocean, all happening simultaneously. According to IMDb, the entire cast had little or no prior film acting experience, so I wasn’t expecting much, but the the performances were surprisingly natural. Most young actors tend to perform big and stagey, but young McCoy and Nixon’s work held some organic brilliance at times, scenes played out quite real considering a dolphin is their new bestie. After taking a closer look at the credits, I found the crew was quite small in size but mighty, the end result offering gorgeous visuals on and around the ocean. Being a kid's movie doesn’t mean the movie has to follow a formula and that’s what I like most about Dolphin Kick. Thankfully, the film doesn't follow the standard plot lines I've come to find lazy and overdone for this genre, there are no mindless hunters, petnappers, or habitat invading estate tycoons. The only love interest between any characters is with the antagonist, Naz, (DeVaughn Gow) and his expecting wife. Naz is no doubt the story's villain, but his motives are relatable, he’s no man of great wealth or malice, his intentions are to provide for his family and not let anything get in the way of it. Our heroes are a group of unlikelys bound together for a shared, selfless common goal, offering viewers a sense of community and purpose. The conservation group holds underwater cleanup dives outside their marine-bio classes and the kids look up to them, learning a lot about dolphins along the way which ties-in cleverly with the unfolding of the plot and their pursuit to find Echo’s pod. We learn how crucial the dynamics of a pod structure are to each member which reflects nicely to the current state of the Mahoney family. Dolphin Kick is about bravery, unity, and believing in one’s self. The film is dove.org certified family-friendly, G-rated, and clean content. I recommend this movie for families with kids aged 7-12, It's sure to keep them entertained from start to finish, promising adventuresome visuals with dolphins under and on the ocean.… Expand

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