
The whale, Tilikum, has a sketchy past - from bites, aggressive behavior to three deaths. The film educates the viewer about the intelligence and emotional complexity of the creatures and uses that as the basis for the argument that these "incidents" are often not accidents, but rather the actions of a highly intelligent creature that has been held in captivity for way too long.
Why keep it as part of the act if it is putting trainers in danger? The simple answer is what you would expect, money. Tilikum, as displayed in somewhat unsettling detail, is used to breed other killer whales - a multimillion dollar business. When there is no logical answer, the real answer is usually money.
The doc may be a bit one-sided (most docs are.) Seeing that Sea World was unwilling to be interviewed for the film there is not much of a counter argument. Since its premiere at Sundance, the doc has lead to terrible press for the amusement parks and the cancellation of several musical acts that had scheduled performance there. Since then they have purchased several full page ads in national publications refuting some of the claims of the film.
It is hard to watch this film and not be affected. I have viustied the park numerous times over the years. Can I take my family to see a show that provided me with so much joy during my youth? That's something I will need to answer for myself. Like an effective documentary should do it has me thinking, questioning and discussing.
8.5 out of 10
Find it streaming on Netflix
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