THE COVE is a documentary that goes hand in hand with the excellent BLACKFISH in exploring mankind's inhumanity to the creatures of the sea. The focus of this Oscar-winning feature-length effort is on a single cove in Taiji, Japan, where thousands of dolphins are slaughtered every year in order to supply dolphin meat to the markets.You can easily see why this film won all the plaudits: it's so very well constructed. There's a fine mix of interview footage, of background material, of archive material, and of some actual guerrilla-style filmmaking footage of those involved sneaking into the forbidden cove to set up covert filming apparatus. When we finally do see what's been taking place in the cove, right at the climax, it's as shocking and deeply disturbing as you'd expect.Did I enjoy watching THE COVE? No, you can't enjoy something like this, not really. Am I glad I watched it? Yes. Is it thoroughly depressing? Yes. Does it reveal more about how the world works? Yes. And that's the point. Ethical concerns aside, this is an almost perfectly-constructed documentary, one that shocks, saddens, and makes you appreciate those who continue to fight the fight to this day.

There can be no doubt that a biased, "finger-pointing" documentary of this one's one-sided nature would spark all sorts of heated controversy, and angry backlash, and legitimate speculation regarding the motives of its producers.Deciding who is deemed right and who is deemed wrong in this particular instance, where man (once again being the supreme ruler of this planet) makes a significant impact on the survival of all other creatures (big, small, cute, or ugly that roam the Earth), depending on his own self-centred decisions and practises, is a difficult one, indeed.I do not deny that the actions of the Japanese fishermen in the rounding up and the slaughtering of the dolphins (in a secluded cove near the town of Taiji, Japan) is quite shocking to behold....And, believe me, I don't condone what they are doing.....But, have you ever had the eye-opening experience of visiting a slaughterhouse where cattle are butchered, non-stop, day after day, year after year? - Just so that we can have a steak with our "gravy'n'potatoes" dinner? Believe me, it's a gruesome scene that'll shock you into speechlessness, and, maybe, even turn you into a total vegan.Yes. You can easily argue that the slaughtering of cows for human consumption is "OK" 'cause, let's face it, cows are ugly and stupid.But, on the other hand, dolphins are, beyond a doubt, absolutely brilliant creatures who are very self-aware. And, yes, they are cute, too!! All-in-all - The Cove, in its essence, is a very valuable and important portrayal of just one isolated element of animal cruelty. And one must keep it firmly in mind that Japan is not any worse than any other country in this matter.Personally, I found this documentary's glowing hero and dolphin-saviour. Ric O'Barry, to be something of an unreasonable fanatic whose direct involvement in exposing what goes on at Taiji's secluded cove to be somewhat insincere and, yes, even dubious in nature.It seemed obvious to me that this documentary was the work of a very biased group of people who clearly refused to give the other guys their fair chance to state their case and rightfully defend their actions.And, finally - Since O'Barry had the movie effects wizards, Industrial Light & Magic, on his team, I'm almost convinced (beyond a shadow of a doubt) that the gruesome scene showing the water turned blood-red following the dolphin slaughter at the cove was actually a cleverly doctored image which was presented as O'Barry's trump card.This scene's impact was clearly meant to manipulate the easily-swayed emotions of the viewing public. And, to be sure, its results were very-very effective, indeed.P.S. - I am very surprised that this hypocritical and decidedly biased documentary won an Oscar for being the best of its category in 2009.

Let's face it Americans are in no position to start preaching on animal welfare and the environment, after killing pretty much every living thing in their own region. You can already imagine this film without even watching it - the usual Michael Moore type of affair, starting with stacks of emotive footage about dolphins and their intelligence and so on and how these American activist world saviours are going to save them and how the Japanese are all supposedly poisoning themselves with mercury buy eating dolphin meat and so on and so on, whilst completely missing the cultural complexity surrounding the hunting of dolphins and its tradition.The film has few redeeming qualities. The bloodbath footage at the end is just shocking, emotive and leaves us with no answers. To tackle this problem is to understand clearly its cultural basis in places like Japan and the Faroe Islands and this film makes zero effort to do that.It's understanding of the situation is not unlike a bunch of Jewish people going to a pig farm in America to film pig slaughter.

"The Cove" is much more than just a record of that adventure. Like the director's cover story, the movie is a Trojan horse: an exceptionally well-made documentary that unfolds like a spy thriller, complete with bugged hotel rooms, clandestine derring-do and mysterious men in gray flannel suits. Most can agree that even though the information provided in this 2009 documentary film can be rather one-sided, but come on now, look at those adorable squeaking dolphins. In a much more serious tone, the thriller feel the documentary presents itself with easily catches the attention of a high school classroom, no doubt at all. Over all, I recommend this film for it's diverse way of illustrating a occurring social problem and the educational purpose; easily memberable and leaves a major impact of society's awareness to the dolphin slaughter.