Stometer Save your money for something good and enjoyable

ChicRawIdol A brilliant film that helped define a genre

Adeel Hail Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

MartianOctocretr5 In the late 80's, a family of whales become trapped under the polar ice cap near Barrow, Alaska, before they can begin migrating southward. Local news, and a an angry environmentalist stir up support for the trapped whales, making the plight of the whales world news. Soon efforts to help them are undertaken as the new aquatic celebrities fight for survival.There's certainly a point of view taken to one side of the environmental issue, but this movie is gentle and sentimental enough to get away with it. There's one event in the whales' battle for survival that is handled especially well on an emotional level, without becoming schmaltzy or exploitative. It's hard not to be involved with the endangered animals or what their fate may be after this sequence.Acting is generally effective, although I hope the environmentalist played by Drew Barrymore was not as abrasive and irritating as shown in this movie. Barrymore is a great actress, but I was hoping one of the whales, or anybody, would slap her face and shut her up in a few places.Overall, some harmless feel-good material. A nice family movie.

SnoopyStyle This is based on a true story of a family of whales stuck under the freezing ice in Alaska and what happens next. A local news reporter recruits his ex, a Greenpeace volunteer, to save the family of gray whales. Then the whole world started to notice and the world's media descends on them all.Drew Barrymore is a bit too annoying as a Greenpeace activist. She's too shrill and needed to tone down her performance. John Krasinski is great as the everyman. Ted Danson relishes his role as an oil tycoon a little too much. He may have been miscasted. Kristen Bell is good as the ambitious reporter.

Scott Olinger The second grade Open Court textbook includes "The Story of the Three Whales." I thought I would show this movie as we read the story. I was dismayed to find that there were several uses of profanity in this movie, which I would rather not have when I am showing a movie to my students. Teachers should watch the movie first and decide if you want to show it.Further, there are, of course, many scenes that are not part of the story in the textbook, so you could skip over those if you decide to show it. It does carry a disclaimer about being inspired by a true story, so the movie never claims to be historically accurate.

Ryan_MYeah Big Miracle looks deceiving due to its advertising. Looking like a sappy, clichéd mess of a cash in. Even at first impression, it's deceiving. Characters like the oft-seen charismatic ex-boyfriend, the spunky animal rights activist, the street-smart young kid, the pretty fish out of water journalist, the local elderly wiseman, the mean old oil tycoon turned good guy, the unlikely geniuses who provide comic relief, and even the self-absorbed douchebag news anchor had me fearing for its quality.However, something about this true story just sticks. The script is overly clichéd, but there's a surprising heart and lack of cheap corniness to it that feels more honest than its sappy sounding premise may let on. It also boasts another surprising element: actual intelligence. It may not be groundbreaking, but it's done plenty of justice by an excellent cast. Even if it's not always focused, the powerful ending is happily earned, adding up to a satisfying family drama.***1/2 / *****