The Dolphin of the Ocean is an American animated musical fantasy adventure film directed by Aidan Allers and Rob Minkoff, produced by Emilie Hahn, and has a screenplay credited to Keaton Flicker and Jonathan Roberts. Its original songs were written by composer Simon Collins and lyricist Wilfred Rice, with a score by Steve Jablonsky. The film features an ensemble voice cast that includes Jason Ritter, Katherine Heigl, Tobey Maguire, Connie Britton, Kevin Costner, Pierce Gagnon, Mia Talerico, Aden Strong, Gary Oldman, Lindsey McKeon, Brian Thomas Smith, George Lopez and John DiMaggio. The story takes place in a kingdom of dolphins, and was influenced by the Biblical stories of Joseph and Tristan and Iseult.
The Dolphin of the Ocean tells the story of Danny, a young calf dolphin who is to succeed his father, Nigel, as King of the Ocean; however, after his father's nemesis Jaws murders Kathy, Danny is manipulated into thinking he was responsible and flees into exile. After growing up in the company of his childhood friends Chloe and Samuel, Danny receives valuable perspective from his friends and his girlfriend Debbie before returning to challenge Jaws to end his tyranny and take his place in the ocean as the rightful king
Plot[]
In the Ocean, King Nigel and Queen Kathy's newborn son Danny is presented to the gathering sea animals. Nigel's rival Jaws covets the rule.
After Danny grows into a calf, Kathy shows him the ocean which connects all living things. One day, Danny and his bests friends Chloe, Debbie and Samuel explore an abandoned ship where they were chased by Jaws' henchmen Bonzo, Gego and Anchor. Kathy is alerted by her majordomo, the seahorse Zac and rescues the cubs. Though disappointed with Danny for putting his friends in danger, Kathy forgives him and explains him the kings watch over them from the night sky. Jaws having planned the attack, visits his henchmen and convinces them to help him kill both Kathy and Danny for hunting rights.
Jaws sets a trap for Kathy and Danny and having sharks drive a large herd of barracudas into a stampede to trample him. Kathy saves him but ends up in the edge and falls to her death. Jaws tricks Danny into believe it was his fault and tells him to swim away and don't come back. Once, Danny flees, Jaws orders his goons to kill him who manages to escape. Jaws tells the sea animals that stampede killed Kathy and Danny and steps forward as a king allowing his goons.
After he collapse in Antarctica, Danny is rescued by two outcasts a penguin and walrus named Tip and Dale. Danny grows up with his friends in their homes, living a carefree life No Worries. Years later, Danny rescues Tip and Dale from the hungry whale and seal who turns out to be Samuel and Chloe. They urge to come home, telling him that the Ocean have become stricken under Jaws' reign. Still feeling guilty over Kathy's death, Danny furiously refuses and angrily storms off. He encounters Crabby who tells Danny that Kathy's ghost lives on in him. Danny is visited by Kathy's ghost who tells him that he might take his father's place as a king. Danny decided to return to Ocean.
Aided by his friends, Danny sneaks past sharks and angrily confronts Jaws. Jaws taunts Danny and reveals to him that he killed Queen Kathy. An enraged Danny forces Jaws to reveals the truth to his friends. A battle breaks out, and Samuel, Chloe, Tip, Dale, Crabby, Zac and Debbie fend off the sharks. Jaws attempts to escape, but is cornered by Danny, Chloe and Samuel at the edge. Jaws begs for mercy. Danny orders Jaws to leave, but Jaws refuses and attacks Danny and his friends. After the battle, the anchor falls on Jaws to death.
With Jaws and his goons, Danny takes his place as king, Samuel as a captain, Chloe as a duchess and Debbie as a queen. Danny presents the newborn calf.
Cast[]
- Jason Ritter as Danny, son of Kathy and Nigel, who grows up to become king of dolphins. Lin-Manuel Miranda provided Danny's singing voice. Mikey Aquino respectively served as the supervising animator for young and adult Danny
- Pierce Gagnon voiced young Danny, while Tyler Begay provided the calf's singing voice
- Katherine Heigl as Chloe, Danny's best friend and lady-in-waiting of whales. Rebecca Shoichet provided Chloe's singing voice. Anthony DeRose respectively served as the supervising animator for young and adult Chloe
- Mia Talerico voiced young Chloe, while Mandy Melini provided her singing voice
- Tobey Maguire as Samuel, Danny's best friend and captain of the seals. Josh Keaton provided Samuel's singing voice. Woody Buck respectively served as the supervising animators for young and adult Samuel
- Aden Strong voiced young Samuel
- Jack Black as Dale
- Vince Vaughn as Tip
- Danny Glover as Crabby
- Mary Steenburgen as Kathy, Danny's mother, former queen of the dolphin as the film begins. Eric Goldberg served as the supervising animator for Kathy
- Kevin Costner as Nigel, Kathy's mate, Danny's father and the king of dolphins. Woody Buck served as the supervising animator for Nigel
- Rachel McAdams as Debbie, Danny's princess and later wife and Queen of dolphins. Eden Espinosa provided Debbie's singing voice. Caitlyn Bancroft respectively served as the supervising animator for Debbie
- Ariana Greenblatt voiced young Debbie, while Matilda Shoichet-Stoll provided her singing voice
- Gary Oldman as Jaws, Nigel's nemesis who takes the throne. Corey Burton provided Jaws's singing voice. Andreas Deja served as the supervising animator for Jaws.
- The three sharks who serve Jaws who serve Jaws were animated by Frankie Thomas, Freddie Johnston and Reed Buck.
- Leslie Jones as Bonzo, the sassy and short-tempered leader of the trio.
- George Lopez as Gego, an aggressive and hot-headed shark prone to complaining and acting on impulse.
- John DiMaggio as Anchor, dim-witted shark
- Tara Strong as Mara, Samuel's mother is shown briefly talking to her son.
Production[]
Development[]
Casting[]
Animation[]
Music[]
Release[]
For The Dolphin of the Ocean's first film trailer, Disney opted to feature a single scene, the entire opening sequence with the song "Here I Am". Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures president Dick Cook said the decision was made for such an approach because "we were all so taken by the beauty and majesty of this piece that we felt like it was probably one of the best four minutes of film that we've seen", and Emilie Hahn added that "Here I Am" worked as a trailer as it "came off so strong, and so good, and ended with such a bang".
Home media[]
The Dolphin of the Ocean was released on Blu-ray Tape, Blu-ray and DVD in the United States on January 5, 2020. The Blu-ray Tape contained a special preview for Walt Disney Pictures' then-upcoming animated film Swan Lake, in which the Odette and Prince Daniel sing the musical number "Far Longer Than Ever".