Free Willy Blu-ray Movie

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Free Willy Blu-ray Movie United States

Warner Bros. | 1993 | 112 min | Rated PG | Jun 24, 2025

Free Willy (Blu-ray Movie)

Price

List price: $19.98
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Third party: $11.60 (Save 42%)
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Movie rating

6.2
 / 10

Blu-ray rating

Users0.0 of 50.0
Reviewer4.0 of 54.0
Overall4.0 of 54.0

Overview

Free Willy (1993)

An embittered 12-year-old boy in foster care forms a unique bond with a killer whale in captivity. When the boy discovers that the whale's life is at risk, he risks everything to free his friend.

Starring: Jason James Richter, Lori Petty, Jayne Atkinson, August Schellenberg, Michael Madsen
Director: Simon Wincer

FamilyUncertain
DramaUncertain
AdventureUncertain

Specifications

  • Video

    Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
    Video resolution: 1080p
    Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
    Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1

  • Audio

    English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
    French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
    Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
    Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
    Portuguese: Dolby Digital 2.0
    Thai: Dolby Digital 2.0
    Japanese: Dolby Digital 2.0
    Spanish=Latin & Castillian; Japanese is hidden

  • Subtitles

    English SDH, French, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Danish, Finnish, Korean, Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Swedish, Thai

  • Discs

    Blu-ray Disc
    Single disc (1 BD)

  • Playback

    Region A (B, C untested)

Review

Rating summary

Movie4.0 of 54.0
Video4.0 of 54.0
Audio4.0 of 54.0
Extras1.5 of 51.5
Overall4.0 of 54.0

Free Willy Blu-ray Movie Review

Whale hello there!

Reviewed by Randy Miller III June 25, 2025

Just in time for summer movie nights, Warner Bros. has quietly re-released a number of popular OOP catalog titles on Blu-ray. There's nothing Earth-shattering here about these discs: no new transfers, audio upgrades, or bonus features are included, they're simply a cheaper and more accessible MOD (pressed) alternative to paying exorbitant prices from third-party sellers. Today's re-release is Simon Wincer's Free Willy, a dark but likable 1993 family favorite featuring Jason James Richter, Lori Petty, Michael Madsen, Michael Ironside, and a titular orca who drives of life at sea.


For a synopsis and appreciation of the main feature, please see Michael Reuben's 2015 Blu-ray review.


Free Willy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality  4.0 of 5

Details about the 1080p transfer can be found in our 2015 review, as the A/V specs remain the same. By today's standards this transfer would earn a 3.5/5 at best, but I'm keeping the same rating since this is the same disc.


Free Willy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality  4.0 of 5

Likewise, the review linked above also provides details about the solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix.


Free Willy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras  1.5 of 5

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with familiar cover artwork and the same mix of bonus features as found on the previous Blu-ray, which are listed below for your convenience and detailed in the linked review.

  • A Conversation with Bob Talbot - Wildlife Cinematographer (5:31)

  • Michael Jackson "Will You Be There" Music Video (3:49)

  • Whale Ballet Montage (2:45)

  • Theatrical Trailer (1:59)


Free Willy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation  4.0 of 5

Simon Wincer's Free Willy is a popular 1993 family drama that's a real favorite around these parts... and if you're a long-time fan but never bought the now-OOP 2015 Blu-ray, now's your chance to own the same disc for a reasonable price. While an overdue 4K UHD edition -- or at least a fresh scan, Dolby Atmos remix, new bonus features, or maybe even a double feature with Free Willy 2 -- would have been appreciated, this is better than nothing since the existing A/V merits still hold up decently well by modern standards. Recommended if you don't have a copy already.


Other editions

Free Willy: Other Editions