So I needed a nice and depressing movie before heading back to work on monday (yes, I worked Monday, but took Tues-Wed off), and The Cove delivers! Whoo-hoo!

You gotta love a movie that exposes the evils of humanity, and its willingness to exploit the animals of the earth.

The movie is actually very exciting and very entertaining because it largely focuses on the efforts made by the filmmakers to get footage of a dolphin slaughter in an isolated and highly secured cove in rural Japan.

They employ every spy technique in the book, including employing Industrial Light and Magic to build them fake rocks and birds nests to hide hi-def video cameras in. They use night vision, infrared, and RC helicopters, all to get this footage.

Is the movie sad? Yes, very. Is the world a corrupt place? You know it to be true. This movie focuses on one little facet of our depravity.

It also illuminated the criminally immoral act of dolphin captivity: the Sea Worlds and Marinelands that we all love really are terrible. They are slavery-prisons for these highly intelligent creatures. Not that I have been to such a park in 25 years, but I vow to never go to one again after seeing this film.

There was also a special feature on the DVD, which must have been a "subplot" of the movie removed in the editing room, that focused on the insanely high levels of mercury in the fish we eat - especially the high end fish like tuna and salmon, and in the chemical thermerosol, used as a stabilizer for vaccines (thank you H1N1 for scaring me into getting a vaccine this year!). Bobby Kennedy Jr., who is a highly respected environmental lawyer, features prominently in this special feature. This segment is perhaps even more worthwhile than the film itself. You may find yourself feeling much less enthusiastic about Sushi and that tuna sandwich I had before watching the movie...

So how about that Orca whale killing a trainer at Sea World?! Kinda proves the point of this movie. These creatures are simply not meant for captivity. It's more than cruel to keep such sentient beings caged and treated in such a belittling way.

Boycott Sea World! Boycott Marineland! (Despite that jingle we've all heard our whole lives!)

Amen!
I heard this film is really good, but am reluctant to see it because of the topics at hand. I am aware of humanity's depravity and cruelness to other species, and even the mercury content in our sushi, tuna and salmon.....so I don't really need the point hammered home. I can appreciate a good downer flick here and there, but this is one I just can't bring myself to watch. Thanks for being the vicarious guinea pig, Jeffy!