bkoganbing
For Flipper's New Adventure the writers at MGM came together and mixed the plots of The Admirable Crichton and The Desperate Hours and came up with a story that is cute and entertaining, but also for juveniles. I don't think any adults would buy it. A little bit of Bomba the Jungle Boy thrown in as well.One phone call to his father who was studying to be a Park Ranger after giving up his career as a fisherman from the first Flipper movie might have eased Luke Halpin's concern for his pet. But he hears some folks from the Miami Seaquarium are going to take Flipper and so he runs away and finds a nice island off the Florida coast to live or at least until the Seaquarium folks go away. Of course if Luke had made that phone call to Brian Kelly playing his father for the first time, he and Flipper would not have been around to help Tom Helmore's family who are stranded on the same island. He's been kidnapped for the use of his boat by three escaped convicts and they strand Helen Cherry and daughters Francesca Annis and Pamela Franklin on the island Luke took refuge on.Here's where it gets really dumb. These three are fugitives being hunted by law enforcement and they hit upon the brilliant scheme of holding Helmore and family for a getaway insurance. So they go back to that island and take them all save Halpin whom they don't know about. Absolutely brilliant, these clowns would have killed Helmore and kept on going with that cabin cruiser of his in real life. No wonder a kid and a dolphin take them. A bit unbelievable for adults, strictly for kids is Flipper's New Adventure.
BigWhiskers
the only thing I enjoyed from the movie is the scenery. definitely for the under 10 set who wont realize the unbelievability of the plot. sandy runs away with flipper to one of the small islands in the keys i guess . a British family gets hijacked while vacationing on their yacht. the dad is forced to stay with the crooks while the wife and kids are forced to get in a leaky dinghy and get to shore which happens to be the same island sandy is hiding on. he secretly helps the women who don't know how to do anything and accidentally runs into the younger daughter and they become secret friends- she swears to not tell anyone else that he is there.. this is where the unbelievable part goes , i mean don't you think the girl would worry about her dad and try everything to get off the island ,i mean screw sandy -- i want my dad back and i don't care about your childish run away from home thing. i would have told them and made him take the boat back to shore .. plain b/s and the writers not very intelligent.... average and all.
wes-connors
Luke Halpin (as Sandy Ricks) is home alone when he's informed said home is going to be taken away by the state of Florida; apparently, the state has let the land to the Ricks family, and they need it back. Mr. Halpin's father Brian Kelly (as Porter Ricks) is away, and mother Martha has passed away since the original "Flipper" (1963). Halpin is majorly concerned, because losing the home means losing the shore where he lives with pet dolphin Flipper.Halpin and Flipper run away from home; incredibly, they find an isolated island nearby, and take up residence. AND, wouldn't you know it? - kidnappers are also nearby; they snag a British father, and let his wife Helen Perry (as Julia) and daughters Pamela Franklin (as Penny) & Francesca Annis (as Gwen) drift to Halpin's island paradise. Ms. Franklin performs well as Halpin's emerging co-star. Halpin's performance is touching; he and Flipper carry the film.With all of the newness and nuances gone, this sequel is certainly not up to the original. The story is so wildly implausible, Flipper should have shouted, "RE-WRITE!" Just for starters, Ms. Perry and "Gwen" must have very poor vision, hearing, and critical thinking skills not to figure out about Halpin. And, the songs are awfully lush. The ending holds some excitement, if you last. Halpin is still cute - older by a few years, due to the first "Flipper" being on the shelf for a few years. Flipper is still cute, too; and, TV father Brian Kelly is on board, replacing Chuck Connors as father Ricks. **** Flipper's New Adventure (6/24/64) Leon Benson ~ Luke Halpin, Pamela Franklin, Brian Kelly