Free Willy 3: The Rescue

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Free Willy 3: The Rescue
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Sam Pillsbury
Written by	John Mattson
Based on	Characters by Keith A. Walker
Produced by	Jennie Lew Tugend
Starring	Jason James Richter August Schellenberg Annie Corley Vincent Berry Patrick Kilpatrick
Cinematography	Tobias A. Schliessler
Edited by	Margaret Goodspeed
Music by	Cliff Eidelman
Production companies	Regency Enterprises Shuler Donner/Donner
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date	August 8, 1997 (1997-08-08)
Running time	86 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$3.4 million[1]

Free Willy 3: The Rescue is a 1997 American family film directed by Sam Pillsbury and written by John Mattson. Released by Warner Bros. under their Warner Bros. Family Entertainment banner, it is the third film in the Free Willy franchise, and the final installment of the original storyline as well as the final one to be released theatrically. Jason James Richter and August Schellenberg reprised their roles from the previous films and they are joined by new cast members Annie Corley, Vincent Berry and Patrick Kilpatrick.

Free Willy 3: The Rescue premiered on August 8, 1997 to mixed reviews from critics and was a box office bomb, grossing in at $3.4 million.

The film is dedicated to Free Willy co-writer Keith A. Walker who passed after production was completed.

Plot[]

Jesse is sixteen years old and works as an orca-researcher on a research ship called the Noah alongside his old friend Randolph. He's moved away from Glen and Annie who were promised by Randolph to keep him out of trouble. They suspect that Willy and his pod are being illegally hunted by whalers posing as commercial fishermen. Aboard just such a ship, the Botany Bay, Max Wesley, who is ten years old, takes his first trip to sea with his father, John, a whaler from a long line of whalers and learns the true unlawful nature of the family business. During his first hunt, Max accidentally falls overboard and comes face to face with Willy. From this point on, Max is working against his own father, teaming with Jesse and Randolph to save Willy from becoming a part of an underground market for whale meat. Jesse introduces Max to Willy properly after learning of Max's experience and how Max likes whales. Jesse goes to his and Randolph's head boss Drake about the threat to the whales, but he refuses to take action until Jesse manages to get proof.

Jesse manages to sneak on board the Botany Bay to steal a sample of the spears that are used to shoot the whales and discovers that the whalers are heading back out to go after Willy and his pod, using an audio recording of a song which Jesse plays on his harmonica as a lure for Willy, who won't realize that it's not Jesse until it's too late. Drake plans to call for help the next day, but knowing it will be too late then, Jesse, Randolph and one of their fellow researchers, Drew, steal the Noah research boat from her mooring and go after the whalers themselves. Max manages to buy them a little time by jumping into the water and forcing the whalers to pause their pursuit of the whales to perform a "man overboard" rescue for Max, which gives Jesse and his two companions enough time to catch up. John is angry because he learns that his son isn't on his side and believes that Max tried to sabotage the engine (Jesse had actually been the one who did this), but it doesn't stop him.

Jesse, Randolph and Drew use a flare gun and their boat's P.A. system to try to bluff the whalers into stopping, but when it doesn't work, Jesse rams the Noah into the Botany Bay just as they fire a harpoon, the jolt causing the harpoon to miss Willy and knocking John into the water. Willy tries to kill him, by biting at him, but Jesse and Max manage to convince Willy to spare him. Max's father then gets trapped under a net and nearly drowns as the net drags him down and ultimately comes face to face with Willy himself. This time, Willy, instead of killing him, saves him by pushing him to the surface and holding him there long enough for Jesse and Randolph to rescue him. The Marine Patrol arrive, having been summoned on the radio by Jesse before he rammed the Botany Bay, and catch the whalers (who are stunned by Willy rescuing their boss) in the act and arrest them. Being saved by Willy causes John to realize that he was wrong about the whales and he apologizes to Max. John is not sure where to go from here as his whole life has been about whaling, but Max tells him he is his father and forgives him.

Later, Jesse, Randolph, Drew and Max witness the birth of Willy's son (the mother is an orca named "Nicky"). Max thought about using Willy's name until Jesse suggests Max's name for the newborn calf. The film ends with Willy, his family, and the rest of the pod swimming away out to the open sea.

Cast[]

• Jason James Richter as Jesse
• August Schellenberg as Randolph Johnson
• Annie Corley as Drew Halbert
• Vincent Berry as Max Wesley
• Patrick Kilpatrick as John Wesley (credited as "Wesley")
• Tasha Simms as Mary Wesley
• Peter LaCroix as Sanderson
• Stephen E. Miller as Dineen
• Ian Tracey as Kron
• Matthew Walker as Captain Drake
• Roger R. Cross as 1st Mate Stevens
• Rick Burgess as Smiley
• Roman Danylo as Pizza Kid

Soundtrack[]

Free Willy 3: The Rescue marked the only entry to not feature musical contributions from Michael Jackson. Instead of Basil Poledouris, the music was composed and conducted by Cliff Eidelman and performed by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Though an expert from the Free Willy main theme can be heard including at the end of the movie through the song "A New Family".

Songs featured in the film but not on the soundtrack are "China Grove" by The Doobie Brothers, "What Do You See?" by Skydiggers, "Big Sky" by The Reverend Horton Heat and "Pressin' On" by Little Charlie & The Nightcats.

The soundtrack was released on July 29, 1997 by Varèse Sarabande.

Track listing[]

Reception[]

Free Willy 3 received generally mixed reviews from critics.

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 44% based on reviews from 16 critics.^[2]

Siskel & Ebert called Free Willy 3 the best movie in the series,^[3] Roger Ebert gave it a thumbs-up and 3 out of 4 stars in his review, writing, "the series has grown up" and "smart kids will enjoy it."^[4][5][6]

References[]

External links[]

• Free Willy 3: The Rescue at IMDb
• Free Willy 3: The Rescue at Rotten Tomatoes