Jason James Richter, Lori Petty, Michael Madsen

Fishermen separate a young orca whale (Willy) from his parents and he ends up in a fish bowl at a marina. Meanwhile, a street kid runs afoul of the law and gets caught vandalising the marina, but his ...( read more  read more... )social worker gets him off the hook (so to speak) provided he cleans up his mess at the marina. While there, he befriends the whale and teaches him tricks, something the trainer hasn't been able to do. But when Willy is a dud in front of the audience, the marina owner plans some bad things, and the boy and his friends must try to free Willy.

Flixster Users

48% liked it

660,150 ratings

Critics

50% liked it

20 critics

PG, 1 hr. 52 min.

Directed by: Simon Wincer

Release Date: July 16, 1993

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: June 5, 2001

Get It:

Stats: 23,029 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Your Rating



clear rating

Flixster Reviews (23,029)


  • September 29, 2009
    Boy meets whale, boy looses whale, boy finds whale and sets him free. Willy should have bitten his head off though as it would have been more entertaining!
  • May 23, 2009
    I truely have no comment on this film...
  • August 18, 2008
    I was a soulless youth and had very little patience for dumbass animal movies. This was one of them. Flash forward to a slightly tipsy night in Tahoe, ten years later, and I find that my feelings about dumbass animal movies have not changed.

    Lori Petty deserves some sort of awar...( read more)d made out of plastic for having the worst Hollywood career trajectory ever. Tank Girl...Free Willy? The next logical step is Backdoor Sluts 9.
  • August 17, 2008
    This movie was cute :) It showed a little kid's determination to save an animal he loved.
  • July 2, 2008
    I remeber this one from junior high. It came out alongside one of the sappier Michael Jackson songs. I liked it though.
  • November 21, 2009
    such a sweet movie and the whale is so adoreable
  • November 20, 2009
    well umn just seen this movie 4 the 1st time n think that this is a good movie 2 watch.......its got a good cast of actors/actressess throughout this movie....i think that michael ironside, august schellenberg, jayne atkinson, jason james richter, lori petty, michael madsen play ...( read more)good roles/parts throughout this movie.....i think that the director of this family/kids/drama movie had done a good job of directing this movie because you never know what 2 expect throughout this movie.....i think that this is a really good family/kids movie 2 watch its got a great cast throughout this movie i think that this is an enjoyable movie 2 watch with a good cast throughout this movie
  • November 19, 2009
    PRETTY GOOD FLICK FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY
  • November 18, 2009
    I thought it was a cool movie when I was a child, so I guess it's good
  • November 11, 2009
    THis was my favorite movie when I was a kid. WILLY was the homie =(

Critic Reviews


Comments


  • dustinolsonis
    October 21, 2007
    that's good but give it a shot
  • Monogbizzaro
    July 18, 2007
    I love the movie Free Willy! Its my most favorite movie in the world! I love whales. And free willy seemed to be the thing that got me into them. Its so sad the whale who starred as Willy (was really named Keiko) died. RIP
  • meganrose903
    May 19, 2007
    Sup peoples! Watch this movie or your dead!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • LaggiexArexThexy
    January 7, 2007
    the very first movie i have ever seen. i had it memorized when i was six. totally brings back great memories...
  • Criswell
    August 8, 2006
    The first movie i've seen :P It's a classic!

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Official Trailer

More Like This


Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • The Pink Panther
    The Pink Panther (53%)
  • Flipper
    Flipper (82%)
  • Free Willy 3: The Rescue
    Free Willy 3: The Rescue (86%)
  • A Little Princess
    A Little Princess (53%)

Facts


No facts approved yet. Be the first

Free Willy : Watch Free on TV


Free Willy Trivia


  • A 12 year old boy befriends a 7,000 lb killer whale & sets him free?  Answer »
  • What was the movie where they try to free a killer whale?  Answer »
  • Randolph: You must have something special, that's why Willy didn't eat you up. Maybe high blood, medicine roots... Jesse: No way. Randolph: Then you're just one lucky little white boy, you like the sound of that better?  Answer »
  • In what movie did a boy named Jesse save a whale?"  Answer »

Recent News


No recent headlines. Got one?

Most Popular Skin


No skins yet. Interested in creating one?