Story
Vincent (voice of Vincent Tong) is a young humpback whale who loves swimming in the ocean with his parents.
One day, Vince and his parents arrive at the scene of a dying reef. Vincent’s father sings his song, miraculously restoring the colour and life to the reef. Vincent wants to be just like his father, but he’s told he must find his own song. One night, Vincent leaves the safety of his parents to try to find his song. He’s in danger of being wiped out by a fishing trawler when his parents arrive just in time to save him, but they die during the rescue.
Vincent grows up feeling responsible for his parents’ deaths. He also feels that he’s a failure. When a poisonous leviathan is released from a block of melting ice, Vincent knows he must find a way to save the ocean and all its creatures.
Vincent’s constant companion and nanny, a fish named Walter (Bruce Dinsmore), tries to stop Vincent from doing anything reckless, but Vincent is determined to travel through a deep trench to find the mythical Star Pool. There he hopes to find his parents and get their advice on what to do. On the way, he meets a feisty, deaf young orca named Darya (Jenner Wheeler-Hughes), who wants to help Vincent.
As Vincent, Walter and Darya pursue the treacherous leviathan, they must navigate constant danger and unfamiliar deep waters in the hope of helping Vincent find his own voice and save the ocean and all its creatures.
Themes
Conservation; ecology; loss of both parents; grief; afterlife; animals in peril
Violence
The Last Whale Singer has some violence. For example:
- A ship lightly hits Vincent, but his parents take the full blow to save their son.
- A huge iceberg breaks off and falls into the ocean, causing a large disruption in the waters.
- The leviathan’s tentacles trap Vincent, dragging him down into the ocean.
- Darya gets trapped in a fishing net.
- Walter hits Darya to wake her up.
- The leviathan destroys the grotto and the statue of Vincent’s parents. He chases Darya, who knocks him out. He falls to the bottom and is trapped with a rock on top of him.
- Vincent is trapped in the leviathan’s tentacles and is about to be eaten when he’s saved by Abe, the white whale.
Sexual references
There are no sexual references in The Last Whale Singer.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
There’s no use of substances in The Last Whale Singer.
Nudity and sexual activity
There’s no nudity or sexual activity in The Last Whale Singer.
Product placement
There’s no product placement in The Last Whale Singer.
Coarse language
The Last Whale Singer has some mild name-calling and insults, including ‘bully’ and ‘stupid’.
Ideas to discuss with your children
The Last Whale Singer is an animated adventure that depicts the dangers and threats to the oceans, including melting ice, poisonous substances and mounds of rubbish that choke oxygen.
The Last Whale Singer has some good messages for children, but it’s also intense and emotional, making it unsuitable for young children and best suited to viewers aged 8 years and older.
These are the main messages from The Last Whale Singer:
- Find your own voice.
- Protect and look after the ocean and its creatures.
Values in The Last Whale Singer that you could reinforce with your children include courage, bravery, resilience and overcoming self-doubt, friendship, compassion, care for others and selflessness.
The Last Whale Singer could also give you the chance to talk with your children about real-life issues and questions like the following:
- The Leviathan was a normal squid until he was transformed into a monster by radiation fallout. Is he to blame for his aggression and anti-social behaviour?
- Vincent knows his job is to protect all creatures in the ocean, which includes the leviathan. Why does some aggressive and anti-social behaviour happen, and is intervention better than punishment?