Sure, she’s starred in her own television show, Bindi the Jungle Girl, and has spent a good deal of her life in front of cameras and live audiences, but that’s no guarantee of acting ability. Face it—the kid’s a natural.
It can’t hurt that young Ms. Irwin shares much in common with her character, Kirra. The daughter of an Australian veterinarian, Kirra lost her mother at a young age. The story doesn’t dwell on this detail, allowing that the characters have moved past this tragedy in their lives. One can’t help but find that comforting in light of the untimely loss of Bindi’s dad in 2006.
When Kirra’s dad suffers a debilitating fall, his only option is to send her to stay with his late wife’s father for the summer. It’s a bit disturbing that he would put his precious daughter in the care of a man whom he knows to be lacking in morality and good judgment, and who lives ia continent away (the grandfather is in South Africa while Kirra and her dad live in Australia). We can quickly set that aside in the interest of a good story.
We meet Kirra’s grandfather, Gus (Beau Bridges) as he’s losing big in a game of poker. It’s a tribute to the acting skill of Mr. Bridges that we find the character likable in spite of his myriad shortcomings. While this character seems at first to emerge as the antagonist, we quickly see that there are deeper layers to the story.
When a storm hits, doing minor damage to her grandfather’s already dilapidated ocean-front amusement park, Kirra makes an amazing discovery. A baby orca has gotten trapped in the cove at the edge of the park. Now Kirra, along with her new friend Sifiso —a local boy who works for her grandfather and has a talent for singing opera—has a new purpose: to help “Willy” find his pod.
Her first obstacle is to overcome her grandfather’s opportunistic approach to the situation. He immediately capitalizes on the public’s interest in viewing the park’s newest inhabitant and has a hard time seeing past his own capitalistic ambitions.
Here, the story deepens, as the true antagonist comes to the fore. Rolf, the wealthy owner of a rival, sleeker amusement park, wants to buy Willy for a half a million dollars. Now Kirra’s grandfather is put in a difficult position: does he accept the much-needed money, or help his granddaughter do the right thing?
This movie got a big thumbs up from my daughters and me. It’s entertaining and sweet, and we loved the relationship between Kirra and her grandfather. His character in particular had a nice arc throughout the course of the story. Even if the story’s outcome seems inevitable, the way it’s carried out is fun and tension-filled. There’s a beautiful “Ah” moment toward the end that was unexpected and perfectly timed.
All that aside, it’s the scenes between Kirra and Willy that are the backbone of the film. It was hard for us to tell which shots of the whale were real, because it all seemed authentic. We looked forward through the entire film to learning more about that, only to find that “special features” are only available on the Blu-ray version of the film. What a disappointment.
Overall, this is a great movie for families. Some moments might be a bit intense for younger kids, and there will be opportunities for discussion of the grandfather’s behavior and Kirra’s defiance of his authority, but it delivers a lovely message of perseverance in the face of major obstacles.
* * *
Christian World View- Not overt one way or the other. The main characters are “good people” but make no mention of God. The Grandfather is clearly not a Christian. He gambles and drinks and at the beginning puts money ahead of everything.
Language- No bad language to speak of. There is a brief exchange about the appropriateness of the name “Willy”, but its alternate meaning is only alluded to.
Violence/Peril- Kirra’s dad suffers a serious fall from a barn loft, which is alarming but handled in a way that isn’t graphic.
Substance Use- There is a scene in which the grandfather and the antagonist are seen drinking beer.
Male/Female Relationships- Preteen Kirra has a sweet, innocent friendship with a boy named Sifiso. The bikini-clad supposed girlfriend of the antagonist makes a few brief appearances, but there is no hint of inappropriateness (other than her helping him cheat in a card game).
Moral Lessons- Kirra knows all along what is right. Her grandfather is the one to learn a major lesson about greed and putting family first.
Similar titles- Flyaway Home, Flicka 2
Cast:
Bindi Irwin- Kirra
Stephen Jennings- Rolf
Beau Bridges- Gus
Siyabuela Ramba- Sifiso
Director- Will Geiger
Release Date- March 23, 2010
Rating- PG (Thematic Elements)
Genre- Family/Adventure
Runtime- 101 Minutes
