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Brett Beach: I was predicting no more than single digits. In the plus column, an actor I like - Charles Martin Smith of American Graffiti, The Untouchables and Never Cry Wolf - as director. In the negative column, everything else, including that horrible TV spot I saw which I thought at first had to be an SNL skit spoofing a family movie, a direct to On Demand sounding title, and that haphazardly assembled cast.

Although I didn't know it in advance, I have heard that this was sold as a faith-based family movie similar to how Soul Surfer was last spring. WB obviously got the word out to the right parties, as cute dolphins alone don't pull in the crowds. Worth mentioning for historical purposes: with this opening weekend, the film has grossed nearly 90% of what Smith's 1997 opus Air Bud, did in its entirety.

Bruce Hall: Uh...I'm pretty sure it wasn't Harry Connick Jr. Maybe my theory that Morgan Freeman can make anything look credible is true. I remember recently seeing an early '70s television spot he did for Listerine. It was a terrible commercial but because of Freeman's calm, avuncular presence I was ready to drink the stuff right out of the bottle.

Seriously, though, I wonder if this wasn't due to the fact that the only other family friendly fare available this weekend was a 17-year-old film that every loving parent should already have in their DVD collection. Plus, as cheesy and maudlin as the trailers made this thing look, it's been getting very favorable reviews. It may actually be - dare I say it - a decent film. I'll never know, because I was busy watching Jason Statham NOT kill people. But it's no small feat to earn back most of your $37 million budget on a weekend where everyone wanted to party like it's 1994. I think this is a big win for Warner Bros, calm, avuncular actors, jazz pianists, and people who enjoy amusing double entendres like "Dolphin Tale".

Get it? It's a "tale" about a Dolphin with a mechanical "tail"!! Bwahaha! Be still my beating heart. Who says Hollywood is out of ideas?

Max Braden: That's about four times more than I would have expected had I even thought it was going to make an appearance. Clearly we have underestimated these cyborg dolphins and their genius marketing skills. Also: (cute animals) + (Morgan Freeman) = (big balls of money). Just casting Morgan Freeman could turn a remake of Old Yeller into the feelgood movie of the year.

David Mumpower: I am not stunned that the movie is appealing to the masses in that it’s thematically similar to Free Willy, one of the most unlikely films ever to get a sequel (along with today’s Viking Night subject, Highlander). If you had told me two months ago that this movie would open to this level, however, I would have laughed in your face. Literally and certainly. Relative to scale, this is one of the most shocking debuts of 2011.

Reagen Sulewski: First, Lisa Simpson rescues one from a pop can ring and now this. C'mon humans, fight for your spot at the top of the food chain!

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