This gets a passing grade because it's an important subject and has some compelling moments, but as a film, I thought this was quite weak, or at least lacking.
I got the sense that a great deal of footage was shot around a broad subject, without much in the way of structure or narrative planned ahead, and then the finished film came together in the editing. There are a few stories going on at once, and while the interviews and editing do their best to connect it all, but I didn't buy it. It felt less like a full feature film and more like watching a 6-part miniseries where you only catch 20 minutes of the first episode, 20 minutes of the second, and so on.
Hunting an endangered species like the elephant only for their ivory is terrible, and I admire the people in this film for devoting themselves to making it a thing of the past. It's important to expose the individuals and institutions who allow such a trade to happen, and if this film has changed the world at large for the better, then it deserves praise. But if you want a story, or something that progresses in a logical fashion, or just something that's compelling in a way that the best documentaries out there are, you may not find it with The Ivory Game.
Despite featuring competent visuals, music, and knowledgeable interviewees, it doesn't flow at all and is surprisingly unengaging. It's a noble film and overall not a terrible one; more just one that isn't very involving or exciting. If it sounds really up your alley, I could give it a hesitant recommendation, but otherwise I'd say go watch any of the other 5,000,000 documentaries currently on Netflix.
