... but I think they're only wizened to this specific brand of corporate-run captivity ruled by ignorance. At least that's all we're shown. There's never really the "anti-captivity, period" message, only the "this is NOT how to do it" angle. The former trainers express shock and outrage at the separation from family members, the holding the whales with more aggressive non-family members, etc... but if SeaWorld had sheltered these whales "properly," would they still have a problem with it? They seem to blame the powers-that-be for creating the environment that led to the accidents... but even if they were given free rein, we don't really see any of them reach the conclusion, "no matter HOW the orcas were treated, something probably would have happened, cuz you can't control 12,000 pound water mammals."

The filmmaker only shows us limited peeks at any realization that the relationships these trainers felt were creations of their human mind. Their attachment and trust in the animals can't be proven to be reciprocated, really, and I think that the narrative focusing on the SeaWorld dickery slightly undercuts how powerful that final moment should be. They shape the narrative into corporate indifference leading to animal psychosis instead of focusing on the more interesting elements, which you point out in your review.

Still totally worth seeing and a compelling story regardless-- I was just somewhat disappointed at the narrative's insistence upon its conflated arguments. Not that the corporate angle doesn't have its own share of interesting tidbits, but I think even if SeaWorld had given the whales a shitload of space and been allowed to stay with their families, there still would've inevitably been some sort of accident. By placing the blame specifically on mistreating the animals, it leaves open for interpretation a world in which captive whales are treated properly and intermingle perfectly peacefully with humans, which I just personally struggle to buy.

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