Shark Tale

The latest film from Dreamworks attempts to build on the Pixar Finding Nemo popularity. Place a bunch of colorful creatures under the sea and let the tide roll in bringing children audiences and lots of money. While I can’t deny that the animated feature is going to bring in loads of money, I think that those expecting Finding Nemo II are going to be rather disappointed. Shark Tale is likeable enough with its hip hop sensible chic but it is short on laughs, memorable characters, and storyline.

Shark Tale begins by telling the tale of Louie, a vegetarian shark voiced by Jack Black who just doesn’t have the killer instinct to take over his father’s business. His father is Don Lido the godfather of the underworld, or at least undersea, voiced with restraint by Robert De Nero. Then the film jumps to the story’s hero, Oscar, a little fish in a great big ocean who dreams of being a somebody. Will Smith voices this colorful little hip hop fish with loads of ambition but little brains. His gal pal Liz, played admirably by Renee Zellweger, keeps bailing Oscar out of all of the jams that his shortsightedness, laziness, and general inconsideration for others get him into. Of course Oscar has heart, and courage, and these are to make up for all of his other shortcomings and allow him to grow into the fish that everyone wishes he were.

From an unfortunate mishap Louie’s brother ends up dead, Louie goes into hiding, and Oscar is found with the dead shark and lauded as Shark killer. Oscar’s little white lie leads him to fame and fortune on the reef and he starts living the high life on his supposed deed with femme fatale Lola, voice by Angelina Jolie. Of course the Don and his minions, including a squid named Luca, come after the supposed Shark killer. Louie and Oscar come across each other again and agree to help each other. But a twosome that could have rivaled many other buddy films like Monsters Inc is not in the works here. Oscar hides Louie and then goes off to do his own thing. The two stage a great display for the sharks and the fish of the reef, but they never have the repartee of equals since Oscar belittles the shark and treats him as a child. Liz and Oscar have a falling out about the lying and the whole thing leads to a sit down between the sharks and Oscar.

The problem with this film is that it is a children’s cartoon that spoofs a genre of films that most children have never seen. In fact the movies that this film references from Jaws to the Godfather were released twenty years before the core audience was ever born. So though some of the lame jokes may cause chuckles for the adults, like sharks singing the Jaws theme as they hunt, they completely leave children in the dark. After all what 6 year old knows what sleeping with the fishes means?

The colors in the film were tremendous, almost overwhelming, and remind me of the ‘Under the Sea’ number from The Little Mermaid, but the look of the film is not enough to carry the story. Oscar is not very likeable, he is a small fish with a big ego but he comes across as self centered and conceited throughout the film. Liz is willing to take all kinds of abuse before she finally calls it quits but she is a likeable character and the animation and the casting of Zellweger as the voice were perfect. She is the lone voice of reason and restraint in an ocean that seems full of selfish irresponsible characters. Jack Black as Louie could have been hilarious, but Black and the animators play it safe and Louie comes across as a weak pansy, whose masculinity and intelligence may be in question. In essence being a vegetarian shark is considered a life style altering choice akin to being homosexual and the character is generally degraded for laughs. His association with Oscar gives him the will to stand up to his father but the audience is never given a reason either for his life choices or his change of will.

In essence this is a pretty movie that lacks the characters and the heart of Finding Nemo and does not live up to the Shrek legacy that Dreamworks has created. Children may enjoy the pretty colors but they will likely miss many of the cultural references and adults may not find enough depth to the story to hold their attention. Rated PG this movie may be a little too violent and crude for the youngest children. Personally I am waiting for the Incredibles from Pixar.