Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home is a 1995 American family film, directed by Dwight Little, and released by Warner Bros. under its Family Entertainment banner. It is a sequel to the 1993 film Free Willy, also starring Jason James Richter and August Schellenberg. Free Willy 3: The Rescue, was subsequently released in 1997, making a trilogy. A fourth nonconsecutive film, Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove was released on DVD in Spring 2010. Keiko the Orca does not actually appear in this film unlike the original film. Willy is played by a robotic double while the Free Willy Keiko Foundation devised a plan to bring him to the Oregon Coast Aquarium where he would be rehabilitated for poor health.
Plot
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home Trailer 1995 - Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home Trailer 1995 Director: Dwight Little Starring: August Schellenberg, Elizabeth Pena, Jason James Richter, Jayne Atkinson, Michael Madsen, Mary Kate Schellhardt...
It's been two years since Jesse saved and freed his orca friend, Willy. Jesse, now a teenager, has since been adopted by his foster parents, Glen and Annie Greenwood. Jesse and his adoptive parents are preparing to go on a family camping trip to the Pacific Northwest. Glen has been trying to teach Jesse to drive their motorboat, but Jesse is more interested in girls. Before they leave town, however, Dwight, Jesse's former social worker, shows up to inform them that they have found Jesse's biological mother, who abandoned him 8 years ago. Jesse's mother has died and left behind another son, Jesse's 8-year old half-brother named Elvis (Francis Capra). Elvis is morose, overly talkative, and mischievous, and he is also prone to telling lies and easily gets on Jesse's nerves. He is invited on their trip to San Juan Island so that he and Jesse might get to know each other.
At the environmental institute, Jesse reunites with his old Native American friend Randolph Johnson (August Schellenberg) whom Jesse met at the aquatic park when he met Willy. Jesse quickly becomes smitten with Randolph's attractive and kindly goddaughter, Nadine (Mary Kate Schellhardt). Jesse also tracks down and reunites with Willy. Jesse cautiously begins to show his interest in Nadine, and as the awkward teenagers grow closer, Jesse helps Nadine befriend Willy and his orca siblings, Luna and Little Spot. Elvis spies on the two, but at the same time, forms a bond with Willy's brother Little Spot.
As they continue to enjoy their camping trip, an oil tanker runs aground and spills oil into the ocean due to an engine failure, trapping the three young killer whales in a small cove. When word gets out that the orcas are trapped and Luna is dying from the oil in her lungs, John Milner, the CEO of some oil company (Jon Tenney), arrives and announces a plan to move the orcas into captivity where they can recover from their injuries. His real plan, however, is to sell the orcas to marine mammal parks.
Randolph eventually uses an old Indian remedy that he administers to Luna, who recovers. Elvis and Jesse learn of Milner's real plan to lock up the whales, and they confront him, ruining his plans. Then, with Nadine, they get the orcas away from the cove by stealing the boat belonging to Glen and leading them out of the cove to safety. However, the tanker explodes, and the crude oil in the water catches fire. While the three whales swim under the flaming oil safely, the boat hits a rock and starts to sink. Elvis begins to panic and Jesse promises to not let anything happen to him. Nadine and Elvis are lifted into a rescue helicopter summoned by Randolph's distress signals, but Jesse ends up slipping and falls back into the ocean. The helicopter is unable to go back for him due to the heavy smoke and is forced to fly away. However, Jesse is rescued by Willy, who takes him under the flames, and delivers him to Glen, Annie and Randolph. Jesse, after taking a moment to say goodbye, sends Willy off back to his family.
Shortly after, the Coast Guard brings Nadine and Elvis to Randolph's boat. Elvis gives Jesse an old picture of him and their mother, and explains that he once ripped it up out of anger, but taped it back together for him. Elvis tells Jesse that their mother always talked about him and that she felt bad about abandoning him. Jesse thanks him for the picture and hugs him, finally able to put his past at rest. Glen and Annie decide to adopt Elvis so the brothers can stay together.
Cast
- Jason James Richter as Jesse Greenwood
- Francis Capra as Elvis
- August Schellenberg as Randolph Johnson
- Mary Kate Schellhardt as Nadine
- Michael Madsen as Glen Greenwood
- Jayne Atkinson as Annie Greenwood
- Jon Tenney as John Milner
- Mykelti Williamson as Dwight Mercer
- Elizabeth Peña as Dr. Kate Haley
- Paul Tuerpe as Milner's assistant
- M. Emmet Walsh as Bill Wilcox
- John Considine as Commander Blake
- Steve Kahan as Captain Nilson
- Neal Matarazzo as Helmsman Kelly
- Keiko (orca) as Willy
Reception
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home received mostly mixed to negative reviews, and currently holds a score of 36% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 14 reviews.
Music
- Michael Jackson continued his affiliation with the Free Willy franchise, producing and performing the song "Childhood" for this movie.
- The Pretenders performed "Forever Young", heard in the end credits when the orcas finally are released in the ocean.
Title
- On early UK home video promotions, the movie was titled simply "Willy 2: The Adventure Home", presumably because the film's premise, unlike its predecessor, does not involve Willy being freed.
References
External links
- Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home on IMDb
- Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home at Rotten Tomatoes