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Richard O'Barry, Simon Hutchins, Mandy-Rae Cruickshank, Kirk Krack, David Rastovich ... see more see more... , Scott Baker , Louie Psihoyos , Greg Mooney , Hayden Panettiere

In the 1960s, Richard O'Barry enjoyed a lucrative career as a specialized animal trainer; he captured the five dolphins that were used in the popular television series Flipper, and taught them the tri... read more read more...cks and special commands they used on the show. Four decades later, O'Barry has renounced his former life as a trainer and become an animal rights activist, speaking out against the hunting of aquatic mammals and keeping them in captivity. O'Barry is not welcome in Taiji, a town along the Japanese coast where hunting dolphins is a major part of the local economy, but he and a group of activist filmmakers made their way into the city as well as the carefully guarded harbor in hopes of documenting the abuse of dolphins by fisherman and the poisoning of the waters that has taken a toll on the marine ecology. O'Barry and his colleagues captured some beautiful underwater footage as well as shocking images of how the town's fisherman have sullied the dolphins and their habitat, and director Louie Psihoyos has used this material as the basis for the documentary The Cove, which received its world premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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PG-13, 1 hr. 30 min.

Directed by: Louie Psihoyos

Release Date: April 25, 2009

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DVD Release Date: December 8, 2009

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Flixster Reviews (2,494)

  • blkbomb
    January 30, 2012
    blkbomb
    Richard O'Barry: If you aren't an activist, you're an inactivist. 

    "Shallow Water. Deep Secret."

    You don't have to be a tree hugging hippy to be completely saddened by the events that dolphin activist Richard O'Berry and director Louie Psihoyos are able to capture in this real ... read morelife spy thriller. Obviously it is a documentary, but it would be unfair to only label it as such. It not only informs the viewer on the issue that takes place every September in Taijii, but it also shows it in excruciating detail, and serves as a rallying cry for every person that is enraged by what they see. And to show the shocking conclusion to what happens when the dolphins are enclosed in the Cove, which is off limits to everyone, is not an easy thing to do. 

    Richard O'Berry used to be the trainer for the television hit, Flipper. He captured all five dolphins that were used on the show. He changed his tune on the issue though, and now believes dolphin capturing to be an extreme injustice. He feels as though he has to make up for what he did on the show Flipper. He also believes that he is to blame for a lot of the stuff that has come from the shows popularity. What made him stop being a trainer, and instead become the biggest activist against dolphin capture? He tells us it was one of the dolphins from the show, Kathy, which committed suicide in his arms because of the major depression that plagued it. It's hard not to believe O'Berry. The first time I watched this documentary, I was sort of worried that it was just some nut job blowing smoke. When we first meet O'Berry, he is in a car where he tells the director that they are being followed and if the fisherman could, they would murder him. After twenty minutes, I wholeheartedly believed him. 

    The Cove doesn't go into great detail about why these fishermen do what they do. That isn't because of a lack of trying on their part, but because they really don't have a reason. They have excuses, but they don't make much sense. They say it is their heritage. Well damn, we used to hang women that could do math. It's our heritage, so I guess it's okay. Still, if it were their heritage you'd think more of them would know about it. Countless interviewees attest to never hearing about dolphin fishing and are shocked to hear that people actually do eat them. Then they say that the meat is beneficial to their diet. Too bad it has extremely high levels of mercury, which slowly tear apart all of your sensory functions like sight and hearing, until you finally die. Finally, there is the fact that they want to cut down on the population, saying that the dolphins are actually pests because, get this, they eat fish. They say the dolphins eat to much fish and it is destroying their fishing. It probably isn't the dolphins that are pulling out hundreds of thousands of fish per day because they want to make sushi.

    Where the movie really takes form is in its director and activists decision to sneak into the private cove and set up a bunch of hidden cameras. Doing this is extremely dangerous because if they are caught two things will happen, either they will be arrested(which in Japan is no minor thing) or be killed. They still go through with it and are successful. What comes next is a sobering five minutes where no words are spoken, probably because words can't describe what we are seeing. 

    It all seems so mindless. There seems to be no real point. The way these fishermen act towards the dolphins is the way that the weird kid in your first grade class acts towards ants on the play ground. That kid has a compulsion to stomp every ant he sees, and the action of these men is eerily similar. 

    At the very end of the movie, they give details on just how you can help the cause if you are affected by what you see. Richard O'Berry says he wants to see this slaughter ended before he dies, and for his and the dolphins sake, I hope his wish can come true. The fact that the video has been publicly displayed, yet the slaughter still occurs annually is mind boggling.
  • fb619846742
    November 25, 2011
    fb619846742
    A riveting, powerful documentary that centers in on Japan's greedy, despicable slaughter of dolphins and whales along their coasts. While it is not necessarily the best, most engrossing documentary from this particular year (that belongs to "Anvil! The Story of Anvil"), it is a s... read moreubject that definitely demands attention. By showing the courage these activists (led by Rick O'Barry, whose passion is commendable and genuine) possess, one immediately becomes emotionally involved and interested in their cause. It is definitely a film that angers you, moves you, and stays with you after it is over, and these are all signs of a phenomenal film.
  • lewiskendell
    October 8, 2011
    lewiskendell
    An interesting documentary about the dolphin entertainment trade, dolphin fishing in Japan, and the overall human impact on our oceans.
  • SirPant
    March 7, 2011
    SirPant
    The Cove is a heartbreaking documentary. Heartbreaking documentaries are a dime a dozen but The Cove is also uplifting, inspiring and above all exciting. Richard O'Barry's story needs to be told, spread the word before it's too late. The only criticism I have for this awesome doc... read moreumentary is that it could have done with issuing instructions on how to support the cause. Many documentaries pull at the heartstrings and ask for support, but this is the only one so far that has got me to put my hand in my pocket and donate! A must see education.
  • sanjurosamurai
    February 11, 2011
    sanjurosamurai
    flipper meets ocean's 11, and o'barry is the john newton of the dolphin world (although i would never compare the two on a value scale) as a perpetrator of a great evil who converts and commits his life to abolishing what he once helped to build. this film is full of philosophic... read moreal intrigue and begs many questions. for example, why is it that killing dolphins for food is so evil when no one cares that we kill millions of cows and chickens for the same purpose every year? the film poses that question, and never gives even the most remote attempt at an answer other than to say that people dont consider dolphins to be food. well apparently someone does, because theyre making money on it. I have my own answers to each of the questions posed in the film, like should we eat dolphins? is dolphin meat unhealthy? are we in danger of over fishing the oceans? but in the end, do we have any objective standard to help us answer these questions? the films weakness is its assumption that everyone agrees with them, since this is a propaganda piece, and their assumption that their perspective is objective. aside from this, from a purely opinionated perspective, i happen to largely agree with their stance so i found the film informative and terribly sad to watch. im also not foolish enough to believe that there isnt an air of hypocrisy in which animals we subjectively choose to protect, and which ones we eat at will. what decides the distinction? ask a hindu if theyre cool with american hamburger consumption. we have to know there is a cultural distinction here despite the filmmakers attempt to prove otherwise. overall this is a wonderful and thought provoking film.
  • CloudStrife84
    November 15, 2010
    CloudStrife84
    Few documentaries have ever moved me and affected me as much as this one did. It's so amazingly compelling, that it managed to keep me awake, despite a strong urge to go to bed at the time (I was watching it really late in the night). The subject of the film, concerning the blood... read morey and careless slaughter of dolphins in Japan, was one that struck me right in the heart. It's one thing to catch fish and sea creatures for need of food, but to obliterate an intelligent species in this sordid way, for reasons that are anything but justified, is a true crime against nature. It's unsettling on many levels, and as an animal-lover, very difficult to watch. Ric O'Barry is incredibly brave for risking his own life to expose these horrors. A genuine hero, who deserves our praise and admiration. Because if it wasn't for him and his courageous team, these disturbing atrocities may never have reached the awareness of the outside world. In summary: One of the best documentaries I've ever seen, and a very important one at that.
  • bbcfloridabound
    August 29, 2010
    bbcfloridabound
    Another Documentary this one about the killing and capture of dolphins in Japan. The export to Dolphin shows all over the world. This film shows a group of people trying to put an end to this. Movie wise it shows you what National Geographic will not show you. Do I go to dolphin ... read moreand sea lion shows anywhere I am at, you bet. Do I support the capture no, but that will not keep me from watching a animal show and paying close attention to weather they are well kept. 3 1/2 stars
  • blacksheepboy
    May 30, 2010
    blacksheepboy
    Both thrilling and devastating, this daring documentary exposes the revolting covert massacre of dolphins in Japan, urging us to act against the horrors that men do to animals all over the world. Some may feel that the filmmakers' arguments are not very consistent, but no one can... read more deny there is a vast material here for discussion.
  • PedroPauloA
    April 23, 2010
    PedroPauloA
    Shallow Water. Deep Secret

    "Epic, A place no other documentry has ever taken"

    Epic, thrilling, mind puzziling, active. No words fit perfectly to describe this movie. The activist call couldnt have been made any more entertaining, the movie puts us on the edge of the seat, m... read moreakes our hands sweat, our heart pump with adrenaline, and at the same time, most importantly it shows us and awaken us to things we never knew were happening.

    O'Barry should be standing next to Lennon and Ghandi. His political and social activist thoughts about the secrets in a small town in Japan, on dolphin slaughter. Make this movie epic, it is like watchin a Bourne movie in real life.

    The Movie is puzziling, held on to a specific plot making it all seem planed, it not only involves the audience with its message, but cinematically it makes every person have a say. I highly recomend this movie to every one, this might have been the best documentry ive seen so far. It has a special message to everyone. No words can describe this "Epic" and i repeat "Epic" documentry. Surely a Must see

    Richard O'Barry: If you aren't an activist you're an inactivist
  • briandeguelle
    April 21, 2010
    briandeguelle
    Shocking is the word that this documentary is trying to get out. This movie kept me glued to the very end and you will see some unbelievable scenes that will shock you and disgust you. I don?t want to give anything away because if you don?t know too much about this then the shock... read more value is a 10+!! I urge anyone that if you watch only one documentary this year then this as to be the one!

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Critic Reviews

Christine Champ
May 6, 2011
Christine Champ, Film.com

The Cove does what every great documentary with a cause should: It educates, entertains, and inspires audiences to take action. Full Review

Jonathan F. Richards
August 23, 2009
Jonathan F. Richards, Film.com

The Cove is guerrilla journalism at its best. Structured and paced by director Louie Psihoyos as a thriller/caper movie, it brings audience-grabbing cinematic conventions to work in telling its story ... Full Review

Ruth Hessey
August 21, 2009
Ruth Hessey, MovieTime, ABC Radio National

In effect, by looking at nature The Cove shows us what it means to be human. Full Review

Kerry Lengel
August 19, 2009
Kerry Lengel, Arizona Republic

As the subject of a documentary, this grim enterprise distinctly lacks the warm and fuzzy appeal of The March of the Penguins. So director Louie Psihoyos ingeniously reinvents his film as a spy caper. Full Review

Michael Posner
August 7, 2009
Michael Posner, Globe and Mail

There are five minutes in this documentary that ought to be mandatory viewing. The entire 90 minutes is utterly compelling, but the five alone are worth the price of admission. Full Review

Amy Biancolli
August 7, 2009
Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle

Psihoyos and his team got the footage they were after -- thanks to meticulous planning, lots of furtive sneaking around and the judicious placement of underwater microphones and cameras disguised as r... Full Review

Adam Graham
August 7, 2009
Adam Graham, Detroit News

Beyond the high-stakes game of cat and mouse, the film explores the mysterious relationship between humans and dolphins and the unexplainable connection between our two species. Full Review

Andrea Gronvall
August 7, 2009
Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader

Directed by Louie Psihoyos, this well-intentioned documentary exposes the harvesting of dolphins by Japanese fishermen, yet its theatrics suggest a cross between reality TV and Mission: Impossible. Full Review

Lisa Kennedy
August 7, 2009
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

The Cove is one of the best in a growing class of nonfiction films Full Review

Peter Howell
August 7, 2009
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

The Cove plays like the James Bond version of an environmental doc. It could also be viewed as a horror movie for the carnage it depicts. Yet it's quite simply one of the year's best movies. Full Review

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The Cove Trivia

  • In the movie the little mermaid what is the first thing u see when Ariel enters her cove of treasures  Answer »
  • In the TV series M*A*S*H, where was Hawkeye Pierce's boyhood home?  Answer »
  • What song does Ariel sing in "The Little Mermaid" when she is in her cove?  Answer »
  • Where had Billy and Norman went to fish [ where the boat hit the rock ] in On Golden Pond ?  Answer »
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