The 1963 film that inspired a popular television series about a chatty; lovable dolphin gets a sunny makeover in this 1996 update. Elijah Wood plays Sandy; a bleak adolescent from Chicago struggling with the recent divorce of his parents and wanting only to immerse himself in familiar comforts. Instead; Sandy is sent to Coral Key; an island off Australia; to spend a summer with his Uncle Porter (Paul Hogan); a benevolent old fisherman. The sights and pleasures of the island; including a pretty neighbor named Kim (Jessica Wesson); aren't enough to shake off Sandy's gloomy outlook. But when he meets Flipper while boating with Porter; his morale improves considerably; then gets another boost when Flipper develops a loyal attachment to him. A subplot about a crooked charter-boat company dumping toxic waste off the coast feels like a necessary evil; just to give the screenwriter something to do. Other than that; the film is quite fun and charming; and Hogan is a pleasure to see with his cracker-barrel wisdom. Great fun all around for ages 6 and up. --Tom Keogh