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The Cove is kind of a hybrid of environmental/animal-rights polemic and a thriller in the mold of a heist movie, only more along the lines of Inception: instead of taking something out, these people (camera technician wizards from ILM) are putting something in. In this case it's at a cove in a small village, Taijii, where fishermen are (somewhat not so) secretly killing dolphins en masse, and the cameramen are after a simple thing: put believably disguised rocks that have cameras inside that can film outward and capture on tape what is going on, due to the strict lack of access during the day. We get the background on Richard O'Barry, the original trainer of Flipper, and how he spent thirty years of his life after the first ten of working for dolphin training trying to redeem himself for what he's seen as horrific, inexcusable negligence of dolphins. I mean, after all, they can commit suicide for Pete's sake.

The segments with O'Barry, and the delving deep into the world of dolphin abuse and their captivity around the world, but most of all the sort of unspoken horror that goes on at the cove of Taijii, are fascinating and moving. And we get a good point of view into how O'Barry operates in this small village (he has to, for one, always have on a mask over his mouth as he drives to not attract attention as a non- Japanese non-fisherman). He is notorious, but his points are almost all valid. His conviction is so strong that it almost competes to take over what is, arguably, even more fascinating: how he gets together a group of tech-savvy people and divers and so on to make these cameras and do whatever it takes to plant them at the cove.

If the film possibly gets off track at any time it's just one or two minor places, like a diversion into the fishing industry and how it ties in with the dolphin saga (it just barely does, mostly by proxy of it being one of Japan's economic mainstays). But this is so minor a point that it's forgivable. What puts The Cove over the top as a must-see is the merging of the passionate subject matter with the purpose of artistry in the filmmaking. Perhaps by accident, the images of the climax of the film are staggering: the red of the blood of the dolphins pouring out into the water, it overtaking all of the blue of the ocean, and the harsh, Japanese-violent images of dolphin slaughter. It's like we're witness to a massacre that has a haunting beauty to it because of the juxtaposition of colors and how the cameras capture it. In the more conventional sense, there are also those wonderful scenes showing the film crew at night, in dim light and infra-green, sneaking around and freezing at the slightest sound or figure, even if it's a marmot.

The film provides a shocking topic that will get people talking, which is important, but it also needs to be a well-directed and told film, which it also is. The message is clear- so clear some may contest how truthful everything in the movie is, though it's hard for me to see what would be obfuscated all things considered (i.e. an Oceanic Preservation Society Production)- and film buffs looking for a strikingly shot documentary, with glorious images of dolphins at sea and their personalities (yes, personalities) shining through, will be excited.

There are few movies that I can say resulted in lasting change in my life or personal behaviour, but a couple of days after watching this movie the visceral response remains with me. I will never set foot on a marine mammal park again. If that was part of the goal of this movie then mission accomplished Louis Psihoyos and Ric O'Barry.

This movie is about the exploitation and brutality man has shown towards a gentle, intelligent and harmless creature. It can be added to a long list of films with a simple message - man is raping his environment, exploiting life, and quite frankly caring for little else than the profit nature holds.

The movie will hold you to the last 10 minutes, at which point it becomes apparent to all why Ric O'Barry's life has changed. It must be seen as the story tellers wanted it to be seen.

If I have any criticism of the film it's the amount of time dedicated to dramatizing the message with the Special Ops segments. I appreciate the risk taken to get this footage however I think the danger element was overstated by the film. You gain the belief all through the film the OPS is being followed closely by authorities, that they're every move is being noted, their purpose known, they're faces ingrained in the minds of the people, yet on two occasions they load up a van full of crew and high tech equipment and head unchallenged into the "great secret". This aspect of the film, along with the early segments showing paranoid Ric O'Barry moments in which he says things like "they would kill me if they could" leads me to believe the filmmakers we hedging between taking the viewer on a adrenaline fuelled trip of espionage and a journey of education and awareness.

It has it's moments of contradiction as well. It goes to some great length to show that Japanese don't eat dolphin meat but this is not adequately reconciled with the fact that the Taiji school program served dolphin meat to it's children as part of it's mandatory lunch program.

An obvious cherry picking of interviewees in the cities of Japan with questions about their food supply chain elicited responses that I would expect to find in most urban centres. I live in Toronto, where I suspect many people would be surprised to find restaurants here serve alligator and other exotic protein. I know that slaughter houses provide my area beef but I would be hard pressed to tell you where they are or the methods employed. The effort to show the Japanese as oblivious to the scandals going on right under their nose failed to be convincing in my opinion.

Still, a very informative and inspiring film. I would recommend it to anyone who cares about these creatures. I have had the benefit of encountering these wonderful animal at open sea and know them to be curious, intelligent, playful, with strong ties to the family unit. They are better than we are and this film helped me realize this.

Winning almost every award it was nominated for, including the Sundance Audience Award, this film tells the tale of dolphin abuse throughout the world, but especially in Japan.

If you love dolphins, as I do, this film will bring tears to your eyes. You will find all those dolphins you love are not happy. You will find out what happens to the thousands that are not selected by dolphinariums. You will find out the extreme measures Japan takes to make sure you never see this film.

But, due to the incredible work of some dedicated individuals, you are seeing what happens in The Cove.

It is not an easy film to watch. I had to pause it and leave the house several times during the film. But anyone who cares about these creatures must watch it.

Enough has been said about this excellent documentary, but I wanted to comment on the negative responses, some of which are posted here and which also can be read on the message board. If you have not seen this movie, DON'T PAY ANY ATTENTION to the moronic comments, view this film and judge for yourself. If you are an intelligent, caring person, concerned about the environment and the animals, you must see this documentary. The film was made with great risks involved and all who took part in making it have to be commended for their courage and desire to show the truth. I saw the film several days ago and I cannot get it out of my head. It is the most disturbing film I have seen since "The Witness" (not to be confused with the one starring Harrison Ford). When I saw the movie, the theatre was practically empty, and that was disappointing because people should be made aware of the horrors documented in this film.

Gorgeous , thrilling and pulse-pounding documentary with strong ecological denounce against Dolphin slaughter , fish food full of mercury due to its high concentration that results to be a serious threat to human health , the Japanese government's methodical buying off of poorer third world nations for their support of Japan's whaling industry and others thorny issues . A great documentary that Won 1 Oscar and another 38 wins & 17 nominations . In Taiji, a location with 3,500 residents. Japan, local fishermen hide a gruesome secret : the capture and slaughter of dolphins . And at a hidden , glistening cove, surrounded by barbed wire and "Keep Out" signs, lies a terrifying and dark reality . Man is their bigger threat when being underhanded market for mercury-tainted dolphin meat and at the same time Man is their only hope .

This thought-provoking film is itself a act of heroism , well produced by actor Fisher Stevens , it stars Richard O'Barry who gives a peculiar view point of cetaceans in captivity and while a very profesional team playing a cloak-and-dagger game with those who would have them imprisoned . And exposing the ruthless practice, risking life and health in the process . Since that time, he has become one of the leading advocates against cetaceans incarcerated in small tanks , pools , ponds and reservoir and for the preservation of cetaceans in the wild. Richard O'Barry was the man who captured and trained the dolphins for the television show ¨Flipper¨ (1964) , though he also trained sea animals as sharks in films as ¨Beyond the Bermuda Triangle¨ , ¨Island Claws¨, and ¨The jaws of death¨ also titled ¨Mako sharks¨ . His sight point about sea animals changed from that experience when as the last straw he saw that one of the dolphins playing Flipper - her name being Kathy - basically committed suicide itself in his arms because of the stress of being in captivity . Richard joins forces with filmmaker Louie Psihoyos and the Ocean Preservation Society to carry out this surprising and interesting documentary . As filmmaker 'Louie Psihoyos ' go about attempting to expose one of what they see as the most brutal acts against wild dolphins in the world in Taiji, Japan, where dolphins are routinely corralled, either to be sold alive to aquariums and marine parks, or slaughtered for meat. O'Barry and Psihoyos are well known as enemies by the authorities in Taiji, the watcher cops who spy and chase and they will use whatever tactic to expel the two from Japan forever . O'Barry, Psihoyos and their team covertly attempt to photograph as a document of engaging proof this cruel behavior. The primary secluded cove where this activity is taking place is heavily guarded . It is here, under cover , masked , discreetely at night, hidden from the fishermen of Taiji, , engage in an unseen hunt to film conclusive evidendeces . The nature of what they do is so chilling -- and the consequences are so dangerous to human health -- they will go to great lengths to halt anyone from seeing it. With a state-of-the-art equipment they go undercover to film the hair-raising , horrifying images about Mular dolphin massacre . They employ among others Hollywood cameramen from George Lucas' ¨Industrial , Light and Magic¨ and deep sea free divers . As ILM technicians created special camouflaged, rock-like, cameras that helped capture some of the footage in the cove . Along the way they are pursued by the Japanese Police and mistreated by fishermen . As an expert team of marine explorers , water-sound and cameramen , special effects artists, , adrenaline junkies and world-class free divers who will carry out an undercover operation to shoot the off-limits cove .They also highlight what is deemed the perilous consumption of dolphin meat which is often sold not as dolphin meat and driven by a multi-billion dollar dolphin entertainment industry and considering the important support most specifically at the International Whaling Commission.

The film won several prizes such as Academy Awards, USA 2010 Winner Oscar Best Documentary, Features ,Louie Psihoyos ,Fisher Stevens . Alliance of Women Film Journalists 2009 Winner EDA Award Best Documentary Feature Film Louie Psihoyos . American Cinema Editors, USA 2010 WinnerBest Edited Documentary Geoffrey Richman . Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival 2009 Winner Audience Award Louie Psihoyos . Awards Circuit Community Awards 2009 Winner ACCA Best Documentary Feature . Boston Society of Film Critics Awards 2009 Winner BSFC Award Best Documentary . Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2010 Winner Critics Choice Award Best Documentary Feature .