Animation is a big business now, with mega-million-dollar productions from companies like Pixar that gross mega-million-dollar box office returns. It's a tough place to play domestically, but there are thriving markets outside the US where animation is produced, just as there are active independent film industries in countries like India that rival the US in volume. Animation tends to be easier to transfer across cultures, partly because it only requires a rewrite and recording of the voice acting to become relevant. Localization of some non-animation films would be impossible, because the actors, the costumes, and the settings are often so culturally anchored. The Dolphin: Story of a Dreamer comes from South American director Eduardo Schuldt and is based on a book by the same name from author Sergio Bambaren that sold over 15 million copies in 40 languages. Clearly the message of The Dolphin is transferable.

With that said, the animation quality feels a bit down-scale from the films that kids are paying $10 per ticket to see these days in theaters. Comparing to straight-to-DVD productions is more apples-to-apples, and The Dolphin: Story of a Dreamer comes out with high marks. The translation feels natural in most places, with just a few instances of stilted dialogue, or scenes that feel poorly timed because the English version had to stretch to fill the space originally blocked out for Spanish. The actual content feels perfectly translated, and kids will immediately relate to Daniel Alexander Dolphin's plight. It's really the story of every teenager, feeling confined and in need of escape from the family nest. In The Dolphin, this message is blended with the idea that kids today aren't given enough freedom to explore their dreams, which can lead to discontent, doldrums, or bad behavior. The underlying message is that if children are repressed or tightly controlled, they can turn their creative impulses toward bad ends. The main character in The Dolphin: Story of a Dreamer goes on his personal dream journey through the film, but also manages to help a fellow dreamer that has become lost.

All the metaphorical stuff may be lost on younger kids, but it will resonate with the near-Tweens in your home. Don't expect older kids to get sucked into The Dolphin: Story of a Dreamer, because of the lower quality animation. Taken for what it is, the film does a nice job and has some well planned sequences that are funny, scary, and inspirational. Good music and some solid English voice acting make this a straight-to-DVD release that deserves a look. Younger kids may be very frightened by the intensity of some scenes where Daniel is being pursued by his anti-dreamer counterpart, a giant barracuda. Although there's a wonderful resolution to this, it creates loads of tension for little ones. If your brood is up for a few thrills and chills, The Dolphin: Story of a Dreamer makes for some quality entertainment.