Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home adds environmentalism to the Native American folklore and culture to provide an artful masterpiece.

Jesse (Jason James Richter) gets a shock when his youth supervisor, Dwight (Mykelti Williamson), brings the news that his mother has died and his 8-year-old half-brother is coming to the Greenwoods for a couple of weeks while Dwight finds him a place to live.

At maximum volume, Jesse makes it known that he does not want a brother. Glen (Michael Madsen) explains how the state views it. Jesse is the child's only living relative and they want the boy to be with that relative until he can be placed. Jesse points out that Anne (Jayne Atkinson) will fall in love with him and want to keep him.

Elvis (Francis Capra) arrives and they all quickly learn that loving this child is going to be a hard job.

The family goes on vacation and joins Randolph (August Shellenberg) at his whale-spotting station. Jesse does not know that Randolph has spotted Willie. Willie is living with his mother, sister and younger brother in a group called "J Pod."

Jesse also gets another surprise: Randolph's niece Nadene (Mary Kate Schellhardt). He is immediately smitten and they become, among other things, best friends -- best human friends, anyway.

Nadene is amazed that Jesse can call Willie and she almost has a coronary when he goes for a ride on Willie's back. Soon the two are friends with Willie's entire family.

Their happiness is shattered when an oil tanker runs aground and pours its cargo into the bay. Luna gets oil in her lungs and beaches herself to die. The whales are trapped in the bay by the approaching oil slick. The owner of the oil company arranges to sell them to an aquarium ... while they are so easy to catch.

Just when Jesse thinks things cannot get any worse, the fumes in the ship ignite and catch the oil slick on fire. The water's surface becomes a rolling inferno and it is headed straight for the whales.

The kids must find a way to free Little Spot from the aquarium's ship, get the whales past the oil slick boom and surface-to-bottom nets, and through the burning oil slick to the open ocean. These quick-thinking kids with their strong adult support system and eager-to-please whale friends, will be put to the test in a life-or-death race against time.

This second installment of the Willie saga falls just short of the original but is still a fantastic film. The first was emotionally-charged, while this one is more psychological and intellectual. It is a nicely written piece with strong character development and intriguing human-animal relationships. It is interesting to see how the kids and whales pair off.

Every actor played their role exceptionally well. Capra shines as the never-silent, bratty new kid who needs to find love and acceptance from somebody. he steals the show, especially when he interacts with the baby whale.

The FX are magnificent. You have to see this one to understand. The scenes underwater beneath the fire are spellbinding. You will likely hold your breath through that entire scene. It is amazing!

When you learn that the whales are often computer-generated or miniatures, you can fully appreciate this film for the masterpiece that it is -- a true work of art. The photography is excellent.

Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home is an outstanding movie in all respects. It is a family film that the entire family can enjoy.