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8.7/10 --

One of the most emotionally effective documentaries I've ever seen, "The Cove" tackles the Japanese dolphin slaughter that barely anyone in Japan even knows exists (until now, that is). The film's decidedly one sided nature seems more inclined to provoke mass outrage among the public then debate; but then again, there isn't much you can say to defend an act like the horrible slaughter of countless dolphins, anyway...

Brisk, horrific, thrilling, and complete with a cause anybody with a heart can't help but care about, "The Cove" is definitely a winner.

Fantastic film that is sure to expose and push the arrogant protectors of this stealth Japanese industry out of business.

A must see!!! A truly disturbing first hand account of another atrocity committed by man. I feel sorry for the people who are going to have to pay for the selfishness of our species. WHEN WILL WE LEARN????

Inspiring, as well as an intriguing piece of documentary, that gives the spectator a better look at the politics behind the dolphin trade. There is suspense, driven by the attempts of a team of dolphin lovers, to infiltrate "the cove", which is heavily guarded and protected by japanese fisherman. It's not the bourne conspiracy as mentioned by peters travers but it does suscessfully motivate the spectator to support the cause, by banning the dolphin trade.

THE UPS:

1. Powerful story line

2. A look into the politics of the fishing community

3. Xenophobia of Japan is exposed

4. Shocking footage

THE DOWNS

1. Trying to force the tears, and sympathy a tad too much

2. Nightshot, hand held cameras, not esthectically
fullfilling.

3. Lack of explanation on, why physically, a dolphin
is not considered a small whale, preventing it's
protection from the IWA.

4. A man's opinion, even if he has worked with dolphins
his entire life, does not make what he says a fact
until proven by science. The movie lacked some scientific
backbone.

Emotionally stirring and at times difficult to watch, it is no doubt a documentary everyone should see. You will be moved to your core, and if not you are probably Japanese and/or a fisherman.

(****): Thumbs Up

A shocking and unforgettable documentary. Yes, it is one-sided (for the most part) but you eventually find out why the other side didn't really want to talk. One of best of 2009.

I just signed on and read the concensus blurb - "although decidedly one-sided." This made me really mad and is incredibly stupid. What do you want - to get the point of view of the dolphin slaughterers selling poisonous meat with sociopathic lack of compassion for the mammels they are ruthlessly killing? Yes, let's make this a well-rounded effort. None of that one-sided bias!

The Cove is probably the best documentary of the year. It has made many, many Top Ten lists for this year, and has been shortlisted for an Oscar nomination at this year's Academy Awards. Also, it won the US Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. The cool thing about The Cove is that it is not your normal documentary where you learn something, but the entertainment factor is at times, not there. Watching The Cove is like watching part documentary, part espionage thriller. It's entertaining, shocking, disturbing, and thrilling all in the short span of 90 minutes.

The thing that makes The Cove so effective comes from the explosive cinematic craft. its surprising good humor, and its pure excitement. In addition, it is a very gripping and devastating indictment of Japan's barbaric and secretive dolphin harvesting program. It's like watching Ocean's Eleven, in documentary format. You will not be able to erase the harsh images of The Cove from your memory. It's extremely disturbing and may upset many viewers, but the images are simply amazing in this film. To watch the barbaric acts that the Japanese are involved in is shocking. It is impossible to grasp and understand why these Japanese fishermen are killing hundreds of thousands of dolphins. I don't want to give away all that you will learn from this fascinating feature, but you won't forget it.

The great thing about The Cove is it is a documentary that unfolds like a thriller. In the beginning, you will learn all about this horrible trade and what goes on in "the cove". Then, you will meet the "Ocean's Eleven" of the movie, which is a bunch of rich guys with a lot of time on their hands. Luckily, they are putting their time and money into a good thing. As I said earlier, I don't want to give too much away, as it is always better to go into a movie knowing nothing about it. So, my point is, this movie is like a thriller. Sometimes I don't like documentaries because of how damn boring they are, and how they make you feel like you are in school. This one is awesome though and anyone who watches movies love it.

The directing and writing are very good, especially the directing. The editing is fantastic. This movie embodies how a documentary should be made. The three main points a documentary are as follows: 1. history, 2. interviews, 3. conclusion. The history is covered expertly, and makes you feel like you've been working against dolphins for the past 30 years with star Ric O'Barry. Also, it expertly introduces the characters, and shows it's very one sided argument. This was the only thing I saw wrong with this one. I would have liked to see an insight on the Japanese perspective, but still, there is one instant of scenes that try to show that with the people of Japan. Still, a look into these fisherman would have been interesting. I know that would be almost impossible, but just SOMETHING would have been alright. It provides interviews with the team about going to Taiji, Japan and trying to get a look into one of the biggest mysteries around. Finally, the conclusion is shocking, and makes you want to go to Taiji and fight and be an activist against these horrible acts.

Overall, The Cove is a fantastic documentary and quite possibly the best of the year. I have not seen Anvil! The Story of Anvil yet which looks great and is being called the best documentary of the year, but so far, this is my pick for Best Documentary at the Oscars. One more small thing I'd like to address is the images are shocking, but don't not see this movie because of them. It is gripping and unforgettable, something that you will be glad you saw.

This is a very eye opening documentary which gives me a new perspective on dolphin parks. I will never quite look at a can of tuna and dolphins the same way again.

A definite 95%. This was an amazing and truly shocking documentary about the senseless slaughter of dolphins off of the coast of Japan.

I never knew this was even going on until watching this film. The parts dealing with the covert operations headed up by Ric O'Barry, are absolutely nailbiting, but the scenes of the actual slaughters are horrifying.

Louis Pshioyos does a terrific job in putting this thing together. All in all an extremely thought-provoking and terrific documentary that will no doubt end up being nominated for an Academy Award. It will be a goddamn shame if it's not.