Free Willy 3: The Rescue

Jesse is sixteen years old and works as an orca-researcher on a research ship called the Noah alongside his old friend Randolph. He's moved away from Glen and Annie who were promised by Randolph to keep him out of trouble. They suspect that Willy and his pod are being illegally hunted by whalers posing as commercial fishermen. Aboard just such a ship, the Botany Bay, Max Wesley, who is ten years old, takes his first trip to sea with his father, John, a whaler from a long line of whalers and learns the true unlawful nature of the family business. During his first hunt, Max accidentally falls overboard and comes face to face with Willy. From this point on, Max is working against his own father, teaming with Jesse to save Willy from becoming a part of an underground market for whale meat. Jesse goes to his and Randolph's head boss Drake about the threat to the whales, but he refuses to take action until Jesse manages to get proof. During their first meeting, Jesse introduces Max to Willy properly after learning of Max's experience and his liking of whales.

Jesse manages to sneak on board the Botany Bay to steal a sample of the spears that are used to shoot the whales and discovers that the whalers are heading back out to go after Willy and his pod, using an audio recording of a song which Jesse plays on his harmonica as a lure for Willy, who won't realize that it's not Jesse until it's too late. Drake plans to call for help the next day, but knowing it will be too late then, Jesse, Randolph and one of their fellow researchers, Drew, steal the Noah research boat from her mooring and go after the whalers themselves. John is angry because he learns that his son isn't on his side and believes that Max tried to sabotage the engine (Jesse had actually been the one who did this), but it doesn't stop him. Max jumps into the water, forcing the whalers to pause their pursuit of the whales to perform a "man overboard" rescue for Max, which gave Jesse, Randolph and Drew enough time to catch up.

After the trio unsuccessfully use a flare gun and their boat's P.A. system to try to bluff the whalers into stopping, Jesse rams the Noah into the Botany Bay just as John fires a harpoon, the jolt causing the harpoon to miss Willy and knocking John into the water. Willy tries to kill him, by biting at him, but Jesse and Max manage to convince Willy to spare him. Max's father then gets trapped under a net and nearly drowns as the net drags him down and ultimately comes face to face with Willy himself. This time, Willy, instead of killing him, saves him by pushing him to the surface and holding him there long enough for Jesse and Randolph to rescue him. The Coastal Marine Patrol arrive, having been summoned on the radio by Jesse before he rammed the Botany Bay, and catch the whalers (who are stunned by Willy rescuing their boss) in the act and arrest them. Being saved by Willy causes John to realize that he was wrong about the whales and he apologizes to Max. John is not sure where to go from here as his whole life has been about whaling, but Max tells him he is his father and forgives him.

Later, Jesse, Randolph, Drew and Max witness the birth of Willy's son (the mother is an orca named "Nicky"). Max thought about using Willy's name until Jesse suggests Max's name for the newborn calf. The film ends with Willy, his family, and the rest of the pod swimming away out to the open sea.

• Jason James Richter as Jesse
• August Schellenberg as Randolph Johnson
• Annie Corley as Drew Halbert
• Vincent Berry as Max Wesley
• Patrick Kilpatrick as John Wesley (credited as "Wesley")
• Tasha Simms as Mary Wesley
• Peter LaCroix as Sanderson
• Stephen E. Miller as Dineen
• Ian Tracey as Kron
• Matthew Walker as Captain Drake
• Roger R. Cross as 1st Mate Stevens
• Rick Burgess as Smiley
• Roman Danylo as Pizza Kid

Free Willy 3: The Rescue marked the only entry to not feature musical contributions from Michael Jackson. Instead of Basil Poledouris, the music was composed and conducted by Cliff Eidelman and performed by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. The score experts from the songs "Connection" and the Free Willy main theme are heard including at the conclusion of film where the song "A New Family" used the latter.

Songs featured in the film but not on the soundtrack are "China Grove" by The Doobie Brothers, "What Do You See?" by Skydiggers, "Big Sky" by The Reverend Horton Heat and "Pressin' On" by Little Charlie & the Nightcats.

The soundtrack was released on July 29, 1997 by Varèse Sarabande.

Free Willy 3 received generally mixed reviews from critics.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 44% with an average rating of 5.2/10, based on reviews from 16 critics.[4] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[5]

Siskel & Ebert called Free Willy 3 the best movie in the series.[6] Roger Ebert gave it a thumbs-up and 3 out of 4 stars in his review, writing that "the series has grown up" and "smart kids will enjoy it".[7][8][9]

• Free Willy 3: The Rescue at IMDb
• Free Willy 3: The Rescue at Rotten Tomatoes