Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995)

User Rating:

4.3/10   

Director:

Dwight H. Little

Writers (WGA):

Keith Walker (characters)
Karen Janszen (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

19 July 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Adventure | Drama

Plot:

Jesse becomes reunited with Willy three years after the whale's jump to freedom as the teenager tries to rescue the killer whale and other orcas from an oil spill.

Plot Keywords:

Whale | Oil Tanker | Killer Whale | Fire | Half Brother

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Jason James Richter	...	Jesse
Francis Capra	...	Elvis
Mary Kate Schellhardt	...	Nadine
August Schellenberg	...	Randolph
Michael Madsen	...	Glenn
Jayne Atkinson	...	Annie
Mykelti Williamson	...	Dwight
Elizabeth Peña	...	Kate Haley
Jon Tenney	...	John Milner
Paul Tuerpe	...	Milner's Assistant
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Bill Wilcox
John Considine	...	Commander Blake
Steve Kahan	...	Captain Nilson
Neal Matarazzo	...	Helmsman Kelly
Al Sapienza	...	Engineer
Wally Dalton	...	Engineer
Clifford Fetters	...	Engineer (as Cliff Fetters)
Julie Inouye	...	Reporter
Basil Wallace	...	Reporter
Janet Wu	...	Reporter
Doug Ballard	...	Veterinarian
June Christopher	...	Veterinarian
Marguerite Moreau	...	Julie
Christina Orchid	...	Donut Shop Lady
Edward J. Rosen	...	Environmental Man
Isaac T. Arnett Jr.	...	Camper
Scott Stuber	...	Policeman
Chanel Capra	...	Teenage Girl at Ferry
Laura Gary	...	Whale Spotter
John Harms	...	Protester
Susan Brooks	...	Protester
Jeff Brooks	...	Protester
Joan Lunden	...	Herself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Keiko	...	Willy (uncredited)

Directed by
Dwight H. Little

Writing credits (WGA)
Keith Walker		(characters) (as Keith A. Walker)
Karen Janszen		(written by) and
Corey Blechman		(written by) and
John Mattson		(written by)

Produced by
Richard Donner	....	executive producer
Sherry Fadely	....	associate producer
Jennie Lew Tugend	....	producer
Mark Marshall	....	associate producer
Douglas C. Merrifield	....	associate producer
Arnon Milchan	....	executive producer
Lauren Shuler Donner	....	producer
Richard Solomon	....	co-producer
Jim Van Wyck	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Basil Poledouris

Cinematography by
László Kovács

Film Editing by
Robert Brown
Dallas Puett

Casting by
Lynda Gordon
Judy Taylor

Production Design by
Paul Sylbert

Art Direction by
Gregory Bolton

Set Decoration by
Casey Hallenbeck

Costume Design by
Erica Edell Phillips

Makeup Department
Whitney James	....	makeup artist
Charlene Johnson	....	hair stylist
Christine Lee	....	hair stylist (as Chris Lee)
Pamela S. Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Joseph P. Kane	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jayson Merrill	....	assistant director
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	second unit director
Lisa C. Satriano	....	assistant director
John G. Scotti	....	second assistant director
Jim Van Wyck	....	assistant director

Art Department
Brady J. Condit	....	set dresser
Erik Grasteit	....	assistant property master
Denise Heinrich	....	art department coordinator
Michael Hendrick	....	set dresser
Steven Curtis Husch	....	leadman
Bill Iiams	....	construction coordinator
Billy Ilams Jr.	....	construction foreman
Sherman Labby	....	production illustrator
David Russell	....	storyboard artist
Mindy R. Toback	....	set designer
Franz Wise	....	carpenter
Jeff J. Davis	....	construction crew chief (uncredited)

Sound Department
Kevin Bartnof	....	foley artist
Marty Church	....	adr mixer
Tom Fox	....	utility sound
Eric Gotthelf	....	foley supervisor
Jim Hilton	....	sound mixer
Robert Janiger	....	production sound mixer
Martin Maryska	....	supervising sound editor
Chuck Neely	....	sound editor
Troy Porter	....	adr mixer
John Roesch	....	foley artist
Catherine Rowe	....	foley artist
George W. Scott	....	boom operator
Carolyn Tapp	....	foley recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Jon G. Belyeu	....	special effects
Walt Conti	....	effects supervisor: Whale
Pieter Folkens	....	killer whales designer/sculptor/behavior consultant
Casey Pritchett	....	special effects technician
Jeff Weintraub	....	electronics designer
Jeff Weintraub	....	hydraulics designer
Jeff Weintraub	....	mechanical design
Robert Hutchins	....	pyrotechnician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Shawn Broes	....	visual effects editor
Sean Dever	....	3D digital artist
Joe Dubs	....	digital artist
Gil Gagnon	....	associate producer: Cinesite
Carole A. Kenneally	....	visual effects editor
Brad Kuehn	....	digital effects supervisor
Kevin Lingenfelser	....	digital paint supervisor: Cinesite
Kenneth Littleton	....	composite supervisor
Lawrence Littleton	....	composite supervisor
Michael J. McAlister	....	visual effects
Valerie McMahon	....	digital artist
Michael S. Pryor	....	digital coordinator
Pete Romano	....	miniature photographer
John E. Sasaki	....	digital artist
Sean Schur	....	CGI supervisor
Doug Tubach	....	digital compositor
James Valentine	....	rotoscope supervisor
Al Magliochetti	....	digital effects artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Bruce Paul Barbour	....	stunt performer
Jeff Imada	....	stunt coordinator
Barbara Anne Klein	....	stunts
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunt coordinator
Bobby Porter	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
John Agalsoff Jr.	....	video assist operator
Wayne Baker	....	camera operator: miniature unit
Wes Houle	....	rigging best boy
Jimmy E. Jensen	....	assistant camera: second unit
Frank R. Jimenez Jr.	....	lamp operator
Gary Kangrga	....	key grip
Bob E. Krattiger	....	gaffer: second unit
Ron Kunecke	....	night light operator
Rick Maddux	....	assistant chief lighting technician: underwater unit
Michael A. McFadden	....	grip
Ron Newburn	....	lighting technician
Cynthia Pusheck	....	assistant camera
Pete Romano	....	underwater photographer
Kurt E. Soderling	....	assistant camera
Michael B. Corbett	....	lighting technician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Tina Kerr	....	extras casting
Amy L. Klein	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Cheri Reed	....	set costumer
Amy Stofsky	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Brigitte Daloin	....	assistant editor
Sean Hubbert	....	first assistant editor
Chris Maybach	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Tim Boyle	....	score mixer
David Foster	....	song producer
J.J. George	....	music editor
Greig McRitchie	....	orchestrator
Thomas Milano	....	music editor
Ted Perlman	....	music arranger
Lolita Ritmanis	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Ted Moser	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Chris Corrado	....	production assistant
Mike Fantasia	....	location manager
Patricia Fay	....	location manager
Laura Gary	....	studio teacher
Lisa Greenspan	....	assistant production coordinator
Daren Hicks	....	production coordinator: second unit
Eric Layne	....	payroll accountant
Abbie Ludwig	....	staff assistant
Jonas C. Matz	....	set medic
Ed Nyerick	....	assistant marine coordinator
Jennifer Owensby	....	assistant: Mr. Madsen
Korin A. Tarin	....	accounting assistant
P.R. Tooke	....	script supervisor
Michael Vieira	....	production assistant
Forrest Sloan Wright	....	assistant production coordinator
Bill Daly	....	post-production accountant manager (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Alcor Films
• Canal+
• Donner/Shuler-Donner Productions (as A Shuler-Donner/Donner Production)
• Regency Enterprises
• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1995) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1998) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD) (included in Free Willy 3-pack.)
• Warner Bros. (Germany)
• Warner Bros. (Spain)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)

Other Companies

• 550 Records  soundtrack released by
• Movie Movers  cast trailers
• Movie Movers  production trailers

Also Known As:

Sauvez Willy 2 (France)

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild language and mild peril.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

France | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Portugal:M/6 | South Korea:All | Philippines:G | Australia:G | Finland:K-8/5 | Germany:6 (w) | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:U | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Astoria, Oregon, USA

Company:

Alcor Films

Quotes:

Randolph: [Gives Jesse a necklace with an orca on it] My people believe your soul is right here.
[Points to Jesse's chest]
Randolph: So when you wear that, the Orca is close to your soul.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Gray Matters (2006/I)

Soundtrack:

Forever Young

Pretty good and quite underrated sequel.

First of all, I have to say what I liked original Free Willy movie. In fact, I fall in love with it. I suppose it is one of the best family movie and best animal movie so far. For some reasons Simon Wincer, who directed the first movie didn't return for making this sequel, though we can see again all major characters from Free Willy. Our main hero, Jesse is now fourteen years old and he finds out that his mother passed away and he has a stepbrother named Elvis. Elvis hasn't got any relatives except Jesse and he arrives to Greenwood's home. The whole family goes to the holiday trip in a camping near an ocean's cove where Jesse again meets his friend Randolph and Willy. Willy found his family and all seems perfect for the friends but suddenly another danger threatens their friendship. But now it's even more serious. The movie was released in 1995, eight years before notorious tanker "Prestege" shipwrecked near Spanish coast and ruined hundred of miles of coastline, not to mention that millions living creatures got killed in the result. It was a real message and it passed absolutely unnoticed because for many people these movies are just cheesy movies for kids only. And in the real life the main reasons of the monstrous disaster was absolutely same – money. The other problem point of the movie is rather difficult and complicated relation between Jesse and his much younger stepbrother, Elvis (played by Francis Capra). Elvis, who has lost his mother, also feel himself very uneasy about the situation and now both boys have to decide how to deal with this difficult situation. The story is basically good written and leaves some place for action and excellent scenes in the cove, including underwater shots. This time we can see whales in their natural habitat, not in the small pool. Whole movie is well shot and locations for shootings are very suitable and good selected. Jason James Richter is as good as in original movie and Francis Capra also did a very good job as rather annoying Jesse's half-brother. The soundtrack (again written by Basil Poleydoris) is worth mentioning alone because of its rather good musical themes and songs. A very good movie for whole family and not a brainless laughable family entertainment that very often bring to us Hollywood studios. A nice message for young audience that you must always think about defending the wild nature and what in real life there are more important things than money.

My vote 8,2 out of 10 or between B+ and A-.