No relation to the Arthur C. Clarke and Jenny Oldfield YA novels that share that same title, director Mike Disa's family-friendly tropical feature, shot in the Bahamas, declares its debt to Ivan Tors' original Flipper (1963) and subsequent TV series by dubbing its cetacean star "Mitzi"—that also being the name of the original Flipper animal thespian.
This 21st-century Mitzi is the excited, anthropomorphized porpoise pal of 14-year-old Annabel (Tyler Jade Nixon), whose marine-researcher parents are ten years dead (the usual in pictures like this), having tragically perished whilst freeing young Mitzi from a fisherman's net. Ever since, Annabel (and the research facility, which doesn't seem to do any real research) have been under the guardianship of Annabel's grandfather Jonah (Peter Woodward), a onetime British history professor who has adapted to a fishing guide's easygoing and ramshackle life (a marital breakdown hinted as part of his career change).
Jonah adores Annabel (and Mitzi) and tries to provide for the girl. But Annabel has another set of grandparents, wealthy New Yorkers determined to seize custody of the adolescent. Thus they hire a slimy, eccentric Bahamian lawyer (Bob Bledsoe), who in turn tricks an island social worker (Dionne Lea) investigating Jonah. In the end, dolphin Mitzi saves the day.
Allegedly filmmaker Disa intended the picture as a booster for the Bahamas after the glorious islands' ordeal in Hurricane Dorian. Unless one objects to the script's emotional manipulations, it's inoffensive sun-and-surf stuff, with a few noteworthy details to ponder how much has changed since the Flipper days, such as a nice racial mix to the cast and acknowledgment of such former taboos as marital infidelity.
Credit should go to the (human) performers, very likely names most viewers won't recognize (except possibly Parks & Recreation actor Bledsoe) but who still come through with the familiarity and entertaining characterizations of scene-stealing troupers. As for Mitzi the miracle porpoise who can seemingly comprehend human speech and motivations, that's typical in these waters. A strong optional purchase for J collections. (Aud: P)