The Last Dolphin King (2022) User Reviews

Assessing a dolphin trainer's life, and dolphins in captivity

[paul-allaer · 7/10 · 1 December 2022]

As "The Last Dolphin King" (2022 release from Spain; 84 min.) opens, talking heads are buzzing about Jose Luis Barbereo, "the best dolphin trainer ever". In early 2015, the Georgia Aquarium offers him a Vice President position, truly the crowning achievement of a 30+ year illustrious career. Then out of nowhere, activists release a shocking 90 seconds video, showing him to abuse the animals during training...

Couple of comments: apparently Jose Luis Barbero is legendary in the Spanish world of entertainment, but I'll be upfront and tell you I have never heard of him. This documentary is a two-in-one: on the one hand it assesses Barbero's life as a dolphin trainer, and on the other hand it assesses whether animals in captivity should be "entertainment" for the masses. One thing is for sure: the movie does not avoid the difficult topics, in fact au contraire. It is absolutely clear that these dolphins "did not choose this" and yes, they are abused, even if not all of them and not all of the time. There is good reason why the Ringling Brothers circus closed its door, and the same should be the case with the many dolphinariums around the world. Back to the documentary: it makes for difficult viewing at times, but I found this to be very much worth checking out.

"The Last Dolphine King" premiered on Netflix a few days ago. Netflix suggested it to me based on my viewing habits, and I took them up on it. If you are interested in better understanding the real cost of dolphins-in-captivity-for-entertainment, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

Fascinating, disturbing, and thought-provoking

[margaretkoren-45044 · 7/10 · 1 December 2022]

The documentary is well-made as it considers many different perspectives as well as the historical and ethical context of using dolphins for entertainment or in later years as 'therapy.' The dolphin trainer's main assistant and family are very sincere. The film is rightfully sympathetic toward them.

I felt that the film was too sympathetic and glorifying to the trainer himself. They keep repeating his name as though to raise him on a pedestal as a celebrity. Regardless of whether he abused the animals himself, the whole system of captivity for the dolphins reeked of animal abuse, especially the way the animals were handled (very roughly) when being moved, or having blood drawn, or having a swallowed ball extracted from the animal's throat. Those scenes portrayed seeming lay people without any veterinary training or ethical oversight from animal protection authorities. Very disturbing! I had not seen any images of dolphins that horrifying since the film, 'The Cove' came out quite some time ago.

The film also paints Spain in a bad light as the blurb at the end says that Marineland in Mallorca is still open, and Spain holds the highest number of captive dolphins in tbe world. If anything, I hope the film will be a wake up call to the country as well as the international community to keep pressing to stop the mistreatment and exploitation of these poor animals.

Hard to Feel Sorry for Humans Involved

[mariya_mirabella · 2/10 · 22 December 2022]

This documentary charts a life of a dolphin trainer in Spain following an expose portraying him (rightly or wrongly) as an animal abuser. The guy seems to have been quite famous in his field, and the film has a lot of input from his family and friends, as well as lots of detail of how the situation described came about. But, to be honest, all of this information did not register - all I could see was the absolutely hellish suffering of the animals involved. I still feel sick thinking of it; some of the footage shown in passing is pretty unwatchable.

The documentary is a bit plodding, and I would imagine it loses a lot because of translation. Judging from the title, the film was supposed to have been focused on the trainer and his dramas, with treatment of the dolphins shown as a footnote to the story. Instead, for me, the story of the trainer guy was completely insignificant compared to the horrors of what had happened to the animals. Poor dolphins.

Very strange tone. An animal abuser being celebrated

[neonheart21 · 1/10 · 6 January 2023]

This documentary was quite disturbing to watch, particularly the way in which the animal-abusing trainer is portrayed as some sort of saint. On one hand they are admitting that he committed all of these atrocities towards the animals (and people!) but also saying what an amazing guy he was? Hitler also loved animals but I really don't agree with referring to him as a legend with the soundtrack of an emotional piano in the background.

I wish this documentary had focused more on the animals' suffering, without brushing past and using the excuse "it was a different time." The animal activists were also portrayed as liars and the bad guys.

The treatment of the dolphins brought me to tears which turned to anger and confusion when the abuser is being defended and put on a pedestal by other old-fashioned dolphin trainers. Not to mention the son admits he no longer works with animals because he doesn't feel the same about them since his father died ended his life because he couldn't deal with the consequences of his own actions? Yes, that is what he went with.

Really strange tone and I don't recommend this unless you hate animals.

¿Qué le pasó al rey de los delfines? Review

[mhellie-62672 · 10/10 · 28 March 2023]

Jose Luis Barbero loved dolphins and this documentary shows him being a fantastic dolphin trainer... he was known as the world's best trainer (the "Dolphin King").

He wanted people to be aware to conserve dolphins - he loved them and they performed as he trained them.

Convinced that abuse happening at the Georgia Aquarium ("because it was common knowledge"), animal activists supposedly took videos of dolphins being abused there. The videos, taken over a period of years, were grainy and heavily edited in order to do the most damage to Jose Luis. The video showed a dolphin being kicked by a trainer. It was debatable whether the person in the video was even Jose Luis.

Jose Luis was verbally rough on his human workers. The animal activists threatened Jose Luis and his family with death and made his life miserable.

Watch this film! End Cetacean Captivity Now!

[nancyannesmith · 10/10 · 30 January 2023]

"Based on my personal experience with whales and dolphins in the wild and my observations of these magnificent animals in captivity, I believe there is no justification for allowing them to be used as performers in theme park shows and that breeding them in captivity to sustain a captive population solely for entertainment and profit is unacceptable. The concept of watching cetaceans perform tricks in theme parks is anti educational and is inhumane. These are animals that live in family pods for their whole lives with life spans similar to our own. Capturing whales and dolphins for entertainment and profit forces them to live in artificial families, in spaces that are insufficient, and rewards them with food for doing tricks they do not do in the wild.

Today, we have the interactive film and video technology to show cetaceans in the wild to audiences around the world. For the amount of money a family spends to go to an animal park, they can have an on the water experience seeing whales in their natural environment. It is long past due for us as a thinking and caring human species to adopt and require practices that respect whales and respect their right to live in their natural wild environment.

Anywhere on the planet we are connected to the ocean. We have the opportunity to do what needs to be done to protect our life support system and improve the quality of life not just of the marine environment - of the marine mammals -- but for ourselves. This is the choice we have. If we protect the ocean, we protect ourselves."

Jean-Michel Cousteau

"There's about as much educational benefit studying dolphins and whales in captivity as there would be studying mankind by only observing prisoners held in solitary."

Jacques Cousteau

"Whales and dolphins, like chimpanzees, are highly intelligent and intensely social creatures, forming close emotional bonds between family and group members. I have watched them leap in the freedom of the ocean and feel deeply saddened and angered to see them in cruel captivity, swimming endlessly and hopelessly around their sterile concrete prisons. As David Kirby so eloquently documents in this timely work, whale and dolphin captivity only benefits the captors. It is impossible to read "Death at SeaWorld " and come to any other conclusion."

Dr. Jane Goodall.