▁view ers ▁of ▁this ▁gentle , ▁animated ▁musical ", ▁adding ▁that ▁" the ▁action ▁seems ▁flat ▁and ▁low - rent ▁compared ▁to ▁those ▁earlier ▁mov ies ", ▁and ▁that ▁it ▁" does n ' t ▁have ▁the ▁v ivid ▁characters , ▁first - rate ▁animation ▁or ▁sense ▁of ▁advent ure ▁that ▁turns ▁mov ies ▁like ▁The ▁Lion ▁King ▁into ▁end lessly ▁watch able ▁favor ites ". ▁ ▁Washington ▁Post ▁Staff ▁W riter ▁Hal ▁Hin son ▁wrote , ▁" the ▁ban ality ▁of ▁the ▁story , ▁the ▁p all id ▁look , ▁the ▁flat ness ▁of ▁the ▁characters ▁add ▁up ▁to ▁a ▁product ▁that ▁is , ▁at ▁best , ▁second ▁rate ". ▁SF G ate ▁said ▁the ▁" gn ash ing ▁wh ale ▁scenes ▁are ▁inten se ▁enough ▁to ▁push ▁the ▁G - rating ▁en velope ". ▁The ▁Sp okes man - Re view ▁wrote , ▁" it ▁is ▁only ▁an ▁average ▁effort ▁in ▁virt ually ▁every ▁respect ". ▁The ▁Record ▁said ▁" The ▁orch estr ation ▁is ▁too ▁fancy , ▁too ▁loud ▁and ▁often ▁d row ns ▁out ▁the ▁lyr ics . ▁This ▁is ▁a ▁kid ' s ▁movie , ▁but ▁mus ically ▁it ▁sounds ▁like ▁a ▁full - cost ume ▁Broadway ▁show ▁with ▁full - support ing ▁ch orus ▁line ". ▁It ▁added ▁" It ' s ▁a ▁little ▁disturb ing ▁to ▁see ▁a ▁children ' s ▁movie ▁that ▁perpet u ates ▁the ▁err one ous ▁image ▁of ▁k iller ▁wh ales ▁as ▁violent ▁cre atures . ▁It ▁is , ▁however ,