Joe Leydon of Variety criticized the plot but appreciated the performances of Hogan, Wood, Wesson, Hayes and Field, as well as the animatronic work on the film. Dwayne E. Leslie of Boxoffice noted the scene where a hammerhead shark attacks a seabird, which brings to mind similar footage from National Geographic, may be shocking for very young children. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 30% approval rating based on reviews from 20 critics. On Metacritic it has a score of 43% based on reviews from 19 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "A−" on a scale of A+ to F. Accolades The film's tagline, "This summer it's finally safe to go back in the water." references the tagline of the 1978 feature film Jaws 2, "Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water..." Home media The film was released on DVD in 2003 by Universal Studios Home Entertainment, available in both 16x9 anamorphic widescreen and 4x3 fullscreen editions. In 2007, a widescreen-only print of Flipper was released in a four film package alongside The Little Rascals, Casper, and Leave It to Beaver. Dubbed "Family Favorites 4 Movie Collection: Franchise Collection", all four films are based on popular TV shows. Flipper was later released on Blu-ray on February 8, 2011. References External links 1996 films 1990s adventure films 1990s children's adventure films 1990s teen films American adventure films American children's adventure films Films about dolphins Films set in Florida Remakes of American films Films shot in the Bahamas Films set in amusement parks Films scored by Joel McNeely Universal Pictures films 1990s English-language films 1990s American films