Free Willy 3: The Rescue
Encyclopedia
Free Willy 3: The Rescue is a 1997 family film
directed by Sam Pillsbury
, and starring Jason James Richter
and August Schellenberg
. Released by Warner Bros.
under its Family Entertainment
banner, the film is the second sequel
to the 1993 film Free Willy
, the first being the 1995 film Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home
.
, Max, who is ten years old, takes his first trip to sea with his father, a whaler
from a long line of whalers, and learns the true unlawful nature of the family business. During his first hunt, Max is thrown 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 $200-per-pound sushi
. Jesse introduces Max to Willy properly after learning of Max's experience and how Max likes whales. Jesse tries to get his and Randolph's head boss to take the threat to the whales seriously, but he refuses to until Jesse manages to get proof with help from Max.
Jesse manages to sneak on board the Botany Bay to steal a sample of the spear guns 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. Jesse's boss 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 persuit of the whales to perform a "man overboard" rescue for Max, which gives Jesse and his two companions enough time to catch up. Max's father is angry because he learns that Max 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 Botany Bay with the Noah just as they fire a harpoon, the jolt causing the harpoon to miss Willy and knocking Max's father into the water. Willy tries to kill him, 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 Max's father to realize that he was wrong about the whales, and he apologizes to Max. The father 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 "Nikki") and Jesse decides to name him Max when given the choice. The film ends with the two whales, their calf, and the rest of the pod swimming away out to the open sea.
Family film
A family film is a film genre that is designed to appeal to a variety of age groups and, thus, families.In December 2005, Steven Spielberg's 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial came first in a poll of the 100 Greatest Family Films. The genre today generates billions of dollars per annum.Family...
directed by Sam Pillsbury
Sam Pillsbury
Sam Pillsbury is an American film director and producer.Connecticut-raised Sam Pillsbury emigrated to New Zealand at the age of 14. Aged 23, he began working at the Government-owned National Film Unit, joining a group of emerging filmmakers who were investigating new subjects and styles.Pillsbury...
, and starring Jason James Richter
Jason James Richter
Jason James Richter is an American actor.At the age of three, he and his family moved to Hawaii, where a Japanese casting agency discovered him and signed him up for three TV spots...
and August Schellenberg
August Schellenberg
August Schellenberg is a Canadian actor. His ethnicity is Mohawk and Swiss-German. He was trained at the National Theatre School of Canada.His first film was Rip-Off in 1971. In 1981, he did voices for the animated film Heavy Metal...
. Released by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
under its Family Entertainment
Warner Bros. Family Entertainment
Warner Bros. Family Entertainment is the family film label of Warner Bros., established in 1992. It is best-known for producing numerous family films and television series in either live-action or animation .-History:The division was founded in 1992 to produce more family-friendly films.The first...
banner, the film is the second sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to the 1993 film Free Willy
Free Willy
Free Willy is a 1993 family film directed by Simon Wincer, and released by Warner Bros. under its Family Entertainment label. The film stars Jason James Richter as a young boy who befriends an orca whale, named "Willy."...
, the first being the 1995 film Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home is a 1995 family film, directed Dwight H. Little, and released by Warner Bros. under its Family Entertainment banner. It is a sequel to the 1993 film Free Willy, also starring Jason James Richter and August Schellenberg. Free Willy 3: The Rescue, was subsequently...
.
Plot
Jesse is sixteen years old and works as an orca-researcher on a research ship called the Noah alongside his old friend Randolph. They suspect that Willy and his pod are being illegally hunted by whalers posing as commercial fishermen. Aboard just such a ship, the Botany BayBotany Bay
Botany Bay is a bay in Sydney, New South Wales, a few kilometres south of the Sydney central business district. The Cooks River and the Georges River are the two major tributaries that flow into the bay...
, Max, who is ten years old, takes his first trip to sea with his father, a whaler
Whaler
A whaler is a specialized ship, designed for whaling, the catching and/or processing of whales. The former included the whale catcher, a steam or diesel-driven vessel with a harpoon gun mounted at its bows. The latter included such vessels as the sail or steam-driven whaleship of the 16th to early...
from a long line of whalers, and learns the true unlawful nature of the family business. During his first hunt, Max is thrown 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 $200-per-pound sushi
Sushi
is a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients . Neta and forms of sushi presentation vary, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is shari...
. Jesse introduces Max to Willy properly after learning of Max's experience and how Max likes whales. Jesse tries to get his and Randolph's head boss to take the threat to the whales seriously, but he refuses to until Jesse manages to get proof with help from Max.
Jesse manages to sneak on board the Botany Bay to steal a sample of the spear guns 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. Jesse's boss 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 persuit of the whales to perform a "man overboard" rescue for Max, which gives Jesse and his two companions enough time to catch up. Max's father is angry because he learns that Max 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 Botany Bay with the Noah just as they fire a harpoon, the jolt causing the harpoon to miss Willy and knocking Max's father into the water. Willy tries to kill him, 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 Max's father to realize that he was wrong about the whales, and he apologizes to Max. The father 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 "Nikki") and Jesse decides to name him Max when given the choice. The film ends with the two whales, their calf, and the rest of the pod swimming away out to the open sea.
Characters
- Jason James RichterJason James RichterJason James Richter is an American actor.At the age of three, he and his family moved to Hawaii, where a Japanese casting agency discovered him and signed him up for three TV spots...
as Jesse - August SchellenbergAugust SchellenbergAugust Schellenberg is a Canadian actor. His ethnicity is Mohawk and Swiss-German. He was trained at the National Theatre School of Canada.His first film was Rip-Off in 1971. In 1981, he did voices for the animated film Heavy Metal...
as Randolph - Annie CorleyAnnie CorleyAnnie Corley is an American actress who has appeared in a wide variety of films and television shows since 1990. Her most notable role to date was playing Meryl Streep's daughter in the film The Bridges of Madison County....
as Drew Halbert - Vincent Berry as Max Wesley
- Patrick KilpatrickPatrick KilpatrickRobert Donald Kilpatrick, Jr. is an American character actor with over 85 film and TV appearances to his credit. He made his film debut relatively late in 1985 with The Toxic Avenger.-Life and career:...
as John Wesley - Tasha Simms as Mary Wesley
- Peter LaCroix as Sanderson
- Stephen E. Miller as Dineen
- Ian TraceyIan TraceyIan Tracey is a Canadian Leo- and Gemini Award-winning actor. Over the years, Tracey has participated in over seventy films and television series. Tracey has starred in series like Da Vinci's Inquest and Intelligence, both CBC television series produced by long-time colleague Chris Haddock...
as Kron - Matthew WalkerMatthew WalkerMatthew Walker may refer to:* Matthew Walker , New Zealand-Australian actor* Matthew Walker * Matthew Walker * Matthew Walker , American actor* Matthew Walker -See also:...
as Captain Drake - Roger R. Cross as 1st Mate Stevens
- Rick BurgessRick BurgessRichard Burgess may refer to:*Rick Burgess comedy/talk radio host in Alabama, part of Rick and Bubba*Richard Burgess , *Richard Burgess , English soccer player...
as Smiley - Roman DanyloRoman DanyloRoman Danylo is a Canadian comedian, improviser and actor based out of Vancouver, British Columbia. He currently stars in the CTV television network show Comedy Inc.-Career:...
as Pizza Kid