What did I just watch?? I was born and raised in Japan. I've never had whale meat. I've never seen 'The Cove'. But, of course, I saw all the media buzz that followed the release of that documentary. I'm not on a crusade to save the world - nor am I completely ignorant to the many terrible things that modern day man imposes on the world. There is an obvious case for advocating against whaling in its current form - to include the glaring issues and affects on the environment and ecosystem, the methods employed, and even the moral debate on the responsibilities of humankind. This documentary - being the first of its kind; a rebuttal to The Cove - had an opportunity to address these topics.
What we get is a scattered string of almost random interviews and stories that ultimately add up to nothing. The importance of tradition and the misrepresentation of the people of Taiji are barely touched upon - and again, offer almost nothing that would prompt the viewer to discover an alternative perspective.
The documentary begins with the promise of showing a different side to the subject matter that may explain or, at the least, shed some light on the controversies. It proceeds to stumble into a jumbled logic that, while obviously trying to portray an objective telling, is borderline unintelligible and lacking any weight. Several inaccurate facts are stated and shared - which further lends to discredit its director and producers as armatures.
In the end, the message is incomplete. The film ends without fully realizing any real counterargument to the film it is challenging. Again, I've never seen 'The Cove'. I cannot argue it's inaccuracies. However, it's message was clearly and very obviously effective. It prompted the creation of this film and spurred people to travel across the world in protest. I fear the only thing this film will prompt is groans of disappointment and the want for two hours of your life back.
What we get is a scattered string of almost random interviews and stories that ultimately add up to nothing. The importance of tradition and the misrepresentation of the people of Taiji are barely touched upon - and again, offer almost nothing that would prompt the viewer to discover an alternative perspective.
The documentary begins with the promise of showing a different side to the subject matter that may explain or, at the least, shed some light on the controversies. It proceeds to stumble into a jumbled logic that, while obviously trying to portray an objective telling, is borderline unintelligible and lacking any weight. Several inaccurate facts are stated and shared - which further lends to discredit its director and producers as armatures.
In the end, the message is incomplete. The film ends without fully realizing any real counterargument to the film it is challenging. Again, I've never seen 'The Cove'. I cannot argue it's inaccuracies. However, it's message was clearly and very obviously effective. It prompted the creation of this film and spurred people to travel across the world in protest. I fear the only thing this film will prompt is groans of disappointment and the want for two hours of your life back.