Movie Review Friday: The Cove

Escape to the movies with one of our Movie Review Friday selections. Each week we review a film with an environmental theme that’s currently in theaters or available on DVD. Seen a good eco-flick lately? Send us a short review and look for it in the next Movie Review Friday.

The Cove (2009)

In theaters now

The Cove, at once stunning and educational, is laser-focused on a high-security cove in Taiji, Japan, and uncovers the almost unbelievable truth behind the Japanese export of dolphins and dolphin products.

Far from your standard documentary, this one is action-packed, enlisting the talents of some of cinema’s most skilled people to produce what could easily be one of the year’s best, and most jaw-dropping, environmental documentaries. 

Viewers are guided through Flipper star Richard O’Barry’s dedication to saving the dolphin population (which he feels he has been forever compromised by the TV show that he was a part of) that migrates along the coast of Taiji. Using spy-like technologies and top-notch investigative reporting, O’Barry and Louie Psihoyos, the film’s director, tell the story of the capture of the dolphins, and of the lies and deception that surround the disturbing efforts unfolding in Taiji to build a market for dolphin products.

Not only about the harm done to the shrinking population of dolphins, The Cove also reveals the dolphin trade’s toxic and deadly ramifications on humans.

Whether you’re an environmental activist, a fan of dolphins, or are merely nostalgic for the Flipper television series, you’re sure to learn from and embrace The Cove – and quite possibly be moved to take action on behalf of your fellow mammals.

-- Gary Reinecke