A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures

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A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures
US DVD cover
Directed by	Ben Stassen
Screenplay by	Domonic Paris
Produced by	Gina Gallo Mimi Maynard Domonic Paris Ben Stassen Caroline Van Iseghem
Starring	UK version Gemma Arterton Dominic Cooper John Hurt Kayvan Novak Robert Sheehan US version Anthony Anderson Ed Begley, Jr. Pat Carroll Tim Curry Stacy Keach Yuri Lowenthal Kathy Griffin Melanie Griffith Jenny McCarthy
Edited by	Julien Ducenne Aurelie Rosman
Music by	Ramin Djawadi
Production companies	StudioCanal nWave Pictures Illuminata Pictures
Distributed by	StudioCanal (France) Kinepolis Film Distribution (Belgium)
Release dates	12 June 2010 (2010-06-12) (California) 11 August 2010 (2010-08-11) (France)
Running time	86 minutes
Countries	Belgium France
Languages	English French Dutch
Box office	$70,627,617[1]

A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures (known as Sammy's Adventures: The Secret Passage in the progress) is a 2010 animated romantic adventure film co-produced and directed by Ben Stassen. The film was released on 12 June 2010 in California, and on 11 August 2010 in France. The British version features the voice talents of Dominic Cooper, Gemma Arterton, John Hurt, Kayvan Novak, and Robert Sheehan; the US version features the voice talents of Yuri Lowenthal, Anthony Anderson, Tim Curry, Kathy Griffin, Melanie Griffith, and Jenny McCarthy.^[2]

In October 1959, Sammy, a green sea turtle, hatches on a deserted beach and is caught by a seagull while trying to climb up a sand slope. He manages to escape along with another hatchling sea turtle named Shelly, who was also caught by another seagull. Sammy falls onto an old raft and gets carried into the Tasman Sea, losing Shelly. He spends the next 50 years traveling the world changed by global warming into the Tasman Sea.

The day after he hatches, Sammy befriends a Leatherback Sea Turtle named Ray, who also hatched the day before. The two friends grow up together, traveling around the Ocean on their raft. One morning, Ray takes Sammy underwater and introduces him to his newfound friend Slim, the day octopus, but they get forced to take shelter from an oil spill caused by an oil tanker shipwreck. As Sammy and Ray grow more prominent and the raft begins losing parts, it suddenly collapses, leaving Sammy and Ray without their home. While they argue, Sammy, Ray, and hundreds of fish are caught in trawler nets and separated. Hours later, Sammy is thrown back into the sea unconscious but gets saved by a dolphin.

Sammy makes it to shore and, the next day, finds himself in an enclosure, taken in by human hippies led by a woman named Snow and in the company of a British shorthair named Fluffy. Eventually, Sammy shares the enclosure with a larger turtle named Vera; however, Vera is released into the sea when the Hippies realise the two are not mating. Not long after that, the unauthorized hippies are evicted from their beach by the police, leaving Sammy behind due to Fluffy's tricks.

Sammy returns to the ocean and gets rejoined by Vera. On a food search, Sammy and Vera rescue a female turtle, who turns out to be Shelly. Sammy and Shelly travel the oceans and search for the secret passage Sammy heard of. Finally, the two turtles brave the dangers of the Panama Canal but are separated as they try to pass a lock. Sammy follows her trail to the Antarctic, where Ecologists pick him up and take him to California, where he is reunited with Snow (who now works as an Ecologist) and Fluffy once again.

Soon after he is released back into the ocean, two female leatherbacks ask Sammy to help a trapped turtle in a container. His rescue is none other than his old friend Ray. With help from Ray's partner, Rita, Sammy explores a wrecked ship and finds Shelly flirting with another turtle. Rita reveals that a turtle named Robbie is only a playboy. To win Shelly's heart, Ray enlists the help of a toothless great white shark so Sammy can stage a rescue. He gets finally reunited with Shelly, the two turtles mate. Along with Ray and Rita, they return to their journeys. The movie ends as Sammy, now a grandfather, helps one of the new hatchlings and gives the little one a nudge towards its journey.

Music for the film was composed by Ramin Djawadi. American pop singer Bruno Mars contributed several songs to the film, including his hit singles "Count On Me" and "Talking to the Moon". Michael Jackson's cover of "Ain't No Sunshine" contributed to Sammy's Adventures after his adventure was done. Other songs can also be heard in the film, including "Free" by Donavon Frankenreiter, "Happy People" by Dry Spells, "Love Today" by Mika, "Star Jingle Bells" performed and arranged by Justin Lavallee, "California Dreamin'" by The Mamas & the Papas, "Love Will Find a Way" by Mishon, "You're Not Alone" by Self, "Love Child" by Fibes, Oh Fibes, and "Shark in the Water" by V V Brown.

Sammy's Adventures received mixed reviews from critics and audiences. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 44% of 18 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.5/10.^[4]

Sandie Angulo Chen of Common Sense Media rate the film three stars out of five, stating that the film's "noticeable improvement to Stassen's other historical drama Fly Me to the Moon." She also notes that the story is "more accessible to kids," the characters are "better developed," and the messages aren't as "preachy." She said about the film is too similar to Pixar's Finding Nemo, but, in conclusion, "it may not be Pixar, but it's a surprisingly educational pick for younger kids with a curiosity about the sea."^[5] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian rated the film two stars out of five, writing that the film comparison of Finding Nemo, "of which its visuals and script are a feeble copy, it looks underpowered and the voice-work is often a bit laboured." He also wrote that the film's message is "laudable" for "something earnest, lifeless and school-projectish about the whole affair."^[3] Beth Cook of The Mancunion wrote of the film that the animation is "unparalleled." She criticised that the film's "lack of direction almost ruins what otherwise could plausibly be described as an 'emotional rollercoaster'," initially rapid pace of the film, and "annoyingly rushed" ending. She also notes that the message of the film is "irritatingly moral undertone."^[6]

A sequel to the film, entitled A Turtle's Tale 2: Sammy's Escape from Paradise, also known as Sammy's Great Escape in the UK, was released in Belgium on 15 August 2012.^[7][8]

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