Shark Tale (2004) User Reviews

Adults will like this movie better than kids.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 8/10 · 12 February 2005]

It could be just me but I thought that the humor in this movie was perfect. I laughed lot's of times throughout the movie and was very entertained by it. I however think that this movie will not be loved by young children, they simply will not be able to understand most of the jokes and the movie also lacks some 'likeable Disney type of characters' for them.

I never was really interested to go and watch this movie since it got lot's of bad reviews and I thought that the trailer looked horrible and very unfunny. I however decided to pick up this movie nevertheless because I was interested in how the famous voice cast would pull off, Martin Scorsese in particular. I was pleasantly surprised when I watched the movie. the humor was spot on and I was entertained the whole time. I know lot's of people probably are going to hate me for this but I thought this movie was even better and more entertaining than any of the two Shrek movies.

The movie doesn't have a whole lot of story and is pretty average in every way. I however feel that this is one of this movies were the story really is secondary. The movie has your average love story, in which Angelina Jolie's character is really unnecessary and adds absolutely nothing, in my opinion but watching Robert De Niro's character scream and shout and giving orders to Martin Scorsese's character on the other hand was absolutely priceless.

Will Smith was a great main character and just as entertaining as Eddie Murphy in an animated movie.

I predict that the music in this movie will be absolutely hated in 20 years by now, just as much as I hate '80's music in movies now. No, I really didn't liked the songs in this movie mainly because in unlike the Shrek movies, they aren't any evergreens.

If you plan to buy this movie for your kids, think twice, you're probably better of watching "Finding Nemo" with them. If you're a adult or young adult that likes animated movies, this movie might be worth your time and money, although the humor in this movie is really a matter of taste.

8/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Fun for both kids and adults.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 21 December 2016]

This CG animated feature can't boast a truly great story, but it does go far enough on the abilities of its very well chosen cast. It stars Will Smith as the voice of Oscar, a tongue scrubber at a "whale wash" in an undersea kingdom. Oscar talks big and dreams big, and is tired of being a "nobody". So when one of the sons of great white godfather Don Lino (voice of Robert De Niro) perishes, Oscar takes credit for killing the shark, and becomes the toast of the town. He also becomes friends with Lenny (voice of Jack Black), Don Linos' wimpy, vegetarian son.

"Shark Tale" is good entertainment overall, with plenty of amusing character design, and a respectable amount of energy. The filmmakers do come up with a lot of chuckle-inducing jokes, both verbal and visual. But the real hook is in hearing various actors play animated sharks as mobsters. On one level, the movie is okay viewing for younger viewers (although it might be somewhat intense for the youngest of them), and on another level, it's savvy comedy for grownups, with references to well known mob movies of the past.

Smith is a real live wire as the fast talking Oscar, De Niro is a pleasure, and Renee Zellweger is appealing as Angie, Oscars' co-worker who's really in love with him. Angelina Jolie is just right as the self-serving, seductive fish who only attaches herself to Oscar when she thinks he's going places. Various other familiar voices here, too: Peter Falk, Michael Imperioli, Vincent Pastore, and Ziggy Marley and Doug E. Doug as a pair of Rastafarian jellyfish. It's a particular treat to hear the master filmmaker Martin Scorsese, who lends his voice to Sykes, a frequently flustered puffer fish.

The hip, catchy soundtrack also helps to make this an agreeable 90 minute long outing.

Seven out of 10.

Nice to look at, but I have seen superior animated films...

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 10 May 2009]

I did like Shark Tale, but there is a lot wrong with it. I did think the animation was very nicely done, and I liked the references to Jaws and Godfather. But I do think that Finding Nemo was much better than this. Shark Tale could have been a great film, had it not been devoid of humour and heart. My first problem with the film was Will Smith. He tries to be funny, but as the film progresses, he gets tiresome, and at times you feel like you want to reach into the screen and put a hand over his mouth. There were times when the script was funny, and there were some nice ideas, but the pace of the whole film was uneven. The characters could have been developed a lot more, particularly Lenny(a nice surprise from Jack Black), and whereas there were a number of nice visual jokes, there is some very over-familiar material in the script. Kids may find the sharks a bit frightening, and adults won't find much to enjoy, with the exception of the talented voice cast, such as Angelina Jolie, whose Lola(a very beautiful fish) was one of the better characters, Rennee Zellwegger, who deserved better than she was given and Robert DeNiro, whose shark was just a caricature of the Godfather. Though it is Martin Scorsesse who gives the most entertaining vocal contribution. And I did like the music score. All in all, it is nice to look at, but there are some parts of the film that aren't as interesting as intended. I did like the film, but I was kind of confused at who it was aimed at. 6/10 Bethany Cox.

Mildly amusing, but no bite.

[wxid · 6/10 · 21 September 2004]

Shark Tale is doubtlessly going to be endlessly compared to Pixar's "Finding Nemo". It is unfortunate that Shark Tale comes out the lesser of the two movies, but truly comparing the two is generally a fruitless exercise.

Opening with a detailed dive into the city of the fish Shark Tale presents a world of sight gags and moderate puns. From the star fish walk of fame through the dolphin police, through to the shots of "the top of the reef", the sequence is a bustling hive of activity. At this point I would make one valid comparison with Nemo - the graphics. Shark Tale fails to really seem as if anything is happening underwater. Yes, there are fish in the shot and yes everything intellectually should be under the sea, but where Nemo oozed and flowed in a very fluid vista Shark Tale shows colour and spectacle, but without that organic ocean feeling. This is not to say Shark Tale's graphic work is bad, simply that it does not feel waterborne.

With that aside, the cartoon images in Shark Tale are well presented, with the anthropomorphic fish taking on the facial characteristics of their voice actors. Never has (or will) a fish ever look more like Wil Smith , or acted like him. This is Wil Smith in full Fresh Prince wise-cracking mode made piscine in Oscar. Renee Zellwegger is instantly recognisable in her fish counterpart Angie, as is the vampy Angela Jolie (Lola).

The story itself revolves around Oscar's passage from an unhappy, dreaming, nobody to a famous, unhappy, somebody to a happy nobody. It's a generic, oft-repeated tale, albeit set in a world full of mafioso sharks, vengeful shrimp, and whales with poor personal hygiene.

As such, the story itself is both predictable and can be safely ignored. You can feel each step of the way long before it hits the screen. It has no surprises, and so the movie resorts to banter and set pieces to amuse.

It doesn't often succeed with these. Of the set pieces the shark funeral is by far the best part of the movie. It is hilarious and somehow moving at the same time. Lenny (Jack Black) and Don Lino (Robert De Niro) make an amusing scene in a restaurant debating with the food. The remainder, including Oscar's big fight scene, are generally uninvolving unless you have an interest in keeping an ear and eye out for the multitude of pop references - many of which are simply thrown in for no reason other than that somebody thought they should be there. Oscar's non sequiturs at the end of the great shark fight are particularly pointless and unfunny.

Some in jokes and references do work - having Ziggy Marley solemnly tell Oscar (Smith) that he's singing reggae wrong is clever. Some gags also work - the pizza ordering Octopus is a gem.

But despite playing heavily on racial stereotypes the movie as a whole feels rather bland - as if it was designed by marketers and a committee rather than by people who had a funny tale they wanted to tell.

The actors supplying the voices vary in effectiveness. Wil Smith is effectively Wil Smith, love it or hate it. Zellwegger gives a decent, if shallow, performance as the love interest, and Jolie's Lola is barely on screen long enough for her to make an impact. De Niro makes the movie as Don Lino, shark godfather, and without his presence it would be fair to say that the movie would simply be too weak to sustain interest.

The music is very MTV, and the end song sequence is atrocious - though kids will probably love it, parents should bring ear plugs for the time when Oscar releases "Missy and Christina" until you leave the cinema.

Shark Tale offers an amusing hour and a half for the children but a rather predictable and only occasionally amusing time for adults. It lacks the magic, sparkle, and dare I say bite, that was so desperately needed.

Six starfish out of a possible 10.

Have Animated Features Jumped the Shark?

[EmperorNortonII · 8/10 · 18 November 2004]

"Shark Tale" is the latest animated feature from DreamWorks, the same studio that gave us "Antz" and "Shrek." This new story can be called a cross between "Finding Nemo" and "The Godfather." It's no "Shrek," but it's still enjoyable. The voice talent was well cast, with Will Smith as Oscar, the ambitious "small fish in a big pond" who finds himself an instant celebrity; Jack Black as Lenny, a peaceful vegetarian shark; Robert DeNiro as Don Lino, Lenny's father, the head of a shark mob, etc. The animation looks good, and a lot of movie references are clever. Sometimes, though, the producers of the movie seem to be trying too hard. But even if it doesn't always hit the mark, "Shark Tale" is worth a look.

Something was missing.

[Rex_Stephens · 4/10 · 14 November 2004]

I can't explain why I didn't like Shark Tale too much. Visually there is a creative backdrop which is absolutely beautiful. I wonder if they just took pictures of New York, doused it underwater and worked around the scenery. Because with the exception of that imagery, Shark Tale has a very loud, very brash, in-your-face mentality that takes away from the movie. Other features like The Little Mermaid and Finding Nemo invite you to the paradise of being under the sea. Shark Tale throws you in the middle of the loudest club and tells you to get down on it. I don't buy it and with the exception of some visual gags, nobody else could neither. This is also another movie where Will Smith can get back into his Fresh Prince gear and get away with it and Jack Black could play a gender confused shark and be accepted for it as well. I wanted to enjoy the scenery and the sight of an underground New York. Shark Tale offered it but instead beat us silly with all the hoopla we see everyday on the television set. What a disappointment. Enjoy the humor and expect nothing more.

Not too bad, but not too good either.

[baba44713 · 5/10 · 21 December 2004]

Round two of the Pixar/Dreamworks choose-a-theme competition scores once again for Pixar.

Remember when a few years ago there were two animated ant movies to choose from? I think they even came at the same time in the theaters in my country. One was AntZ, the other was A Bug's Life. The first one was rumoured to be more suited to adults, the other a kiddie movie. While that statement had some merit, at the end it turned out that A Bug's Life was a far better movie entertainment-wise, despite cuter characters and simpler story and all that kiddie-like appearance. AntZ were just plain dull.

Pixar seems to like choosing a simple story, one that a kid can understand, and than building upon it creating a wonderful movie for all ages. Dreamworks builds his scripts on pop-culture references and more adult themes, and while it works sometimes (Shrek was fantastic), at other times it just falls flat.

Some say it's unfair to compare Finding Nemo and Shark Tale, them being totally different movies with the only matching characteristic being antropomorphic fish, but it seems that the comparison is inevitable. It's the ants thing all over again. Finding Nemo was simply wonderful, great movie with a perfect sense of humour and memorable characters. Sure, they were cute and cuddly, but they had a soul.

Shark Tale, again, tries to appeal to the adults, but this time the results are even worse. The characters are not so important as the cast is, even so much that we are being sledgehammered on the head in who's playing who. A word to the wise - I don't care how big the names doing the voicework are, I want to immerse in the movie's story. When I saw Shrek, I didn't see Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy there, I saw Shrek and Donkey. Here I see De Niro, Smith, Scorsese and so on. At one point I even caught myself wondering why the other fish keep calling Will Smith "Oscar".

As for the story, it kind of drags along. I couldn't really sympathize with the lead character - he is at the same time stupid and so full of himself that I didn't care about his motivations or the messes he got himself into. Also, somehow the story didn't map so well in the underwater world. What is the Shark mafia exactly ? Are they supposed to be predators or criminals? Basically the mafia thing is here only to serve as a playground for mob-movie references, but it serves no purpose story-wise. Also, the entire world seems very unbelievable. Flahing electrical neon signs? Fire hydrants? It actually backfires, since instead of getting a kick out of fishes living like humans, mostly you feel like you're watching an alien movie, with the aliens resembling our world's fishes in some ways.

All in all, I did enjoy the movie, but only in the sense that I didn't feel cheated out of my money. A couple of the jokes worked, some pop-culture references were funny, the movie was not too boring. But when I remember that after Nemo or Incredibles I was smiling even a few hours after the movie, then I see that Shark Tale ain't what it possibly could be. It's just a popcorn movie, easily forgettable. And rightfully so.

Those other reviews are bull; this movie is great!

[hanik_1999 · 9/10 · 14 June 2005]

I have to confess my shock at seeing the 5.9/10 average rating for this movie and overall mediocre reviews. This movie is great! And I'm not a kid, either...I'm 26 years old and thoroughly enjoyed this movie at the age of 25. The soundtrack is unbelievable and fits in seamlessly with the action and comedy of the movie. You really have to hear Mary J. Blige's rendition of Cheryl Lynn's classic disco anthem, "Got to Be Real." Anyway, besides the fantastic soundtrack, every character in this movie matches beautifully with his or her celebrity voice. I particularly enjoyed Will Smith's and Martin Scorcese's characters; brilliantly done. Really, if you're looking for a fun, enjoyable movie that you can laugh and even dance along to, this is the movie for you. Young and old alike should enjoy this. I've seen it 3 times, and always have a good time watching it. Watch it!

Worth a watch

[suhasds82 · 7/10 · 14 May 2005]

The star power in this movie really made the difference...u can see really see Robert De Niro in the way the shark moves and talks. Martin Scorcese as Skyes is pretty cool...and Will Smith isn't too bad either. The only part that I would be critical about is that the story isn't very original.At times its even predictable. But all in all the movie is funny...Jack black as Lenny is great. Those who liked Finding Nemo would probably like this movie too..(Although it isn't as good as Finding Nemo) Worth a watch...for kids as well as for adults.Angelie Jolie was a great choice to play the part of Lola.The animation in this film is brilliant...buts thats something v have come to expect of animated films..isn't it!!

"Shark Tale" is a "fishy" tale, all right, but a worthwhile one

[dee.reid · 7/10 · 11 March 2005]

I have to admit going into this review that I didn't at all have the slightest hopes of liking "Shark Tale." From the previews last fall, it reminded me a little too much of Pixar's "Finding Nemo." Not so, as I would later find out. "Shark Tale" draws much of its inspirations, as noted by critic Roger Ebert, from "Casablanca," "Jaws," and "The Godfather" - all movies that are considered to be modern American classics.

"Shark Tale" plays out like an amalgam of all three classic films, and has a plot that shares uncanny parallels to the current events debate about morality and homosexuality in America. The film is set in and around a coral reef that is controlled by a "Godfather"-like mob family of great white sharks. Don Lino (Robert De Niro) is as ruthless as they come, and his two sons Frankie (Michael Imperioli) and Lenny (Jack Black) both have their eyes set on controlling the family and the reef when Lino retires.

The sharks, who run their business out of a spruced-up version of the sunken Titanic, have a reputation for routinely shaking down clients and otherwise being pretty hard on the reef, but Lenny doesn't have that killer instinct in him - he's a vegetarian - and at dinner one night, he sets a shrimp free. This comes as a shock for Don Lino, as Lenny's behavior suddenly becomes a huge embarrassment for him.

On the reef, a hustling fish named Oscar (Will Smith) is aspiring to rise out of his lowly existence working at a whale wash. He's thought up a number of schemes in the past that have all failed and his closest friend is his boss's secretary Angie (Renee Zellweger), who also has a crush on him.

Things become complicated for all the characters when Frankie is accidentally killed by a fisherman's anchor being dropped on his head while he was trying to convince Lenny to be a killer shark by feasting on Oscar, who's indebted to Don Lino for a failed horse-betting scheme. Oscar, who bore witness to the whole incident, seizes the opportunity and using his boss Sykes (Martin Scorsese) as a shameless fight promoter, becomes a hero around the reef as a shark slayer, and Lenny is forced to go into hiding as a result.

"Shark Tale" is entertaining to say the least, with enough in-jokes and gags to certainly reel in unsuspecting viewers. Even though this is a children's film, there is a lot of thematic material that is just too serious to not go at all unnoticed.

The animation is beautiful (though not as good as anything done by Pixar in the last 10 years) and it really gives the deep blue that admirable quality. The voice-acting is pretty impressive too, with all of the actors doing their best, including Angelina Jolie as the gold-digging Lola.

7/10

Lifeless product of Hollywood groupthink, devoid of even the slightest inspiration

[filmbuff-36 · 4/10 · 2 December 2004]

Had "Shark Tale" had even an iota of the wit and charm that seems to have little trouble finding its way into Pixar's creations, the movie might have been more enjoyable. At the least the filmmakers could have snuck in some funny social commentary through the veil of animation.

What we have instead is an urban, glib, lifeless product that is market-tested and ready for consumption. An empty ghetto-fabulous morality tale loaded with pop culture references and plenty of bling-bling but no heart.

Under the ocean, Oscar (voice of Will Smith) is a tongue-scrubber at a "whale-wash" and part-time hustler. He wishes for a better life, hoping to swim his way to the top of the fish social ladder, though his coworker Angie (voice of Renee Zellweger) thinks he should be happy with who he is, and tries to subtly drop hints that she's quite taken with him.

Meanwhile, great white shark and local crime boss Don Lino (voice of Robert De Niro) is planning to turn his family business over to his two sons, Frankie and Lenny. But Lenny (voice of Jack Black) is harboring some serious issues concerning eating other fish, and the godfather is worried his weak son with reflect poorly on him.

Oscar has problems. In debt to his boss Sykes (voice of Martin Scorsese), he soon ends up in hot water. However, fate runs him smack into Frankie and Lenny. During the scuffle, an anchor accidentally kills Frankie and Oscar is mistakenly given credit for the kill. Now a media celebrity for being a "shark slayer," Oscar rides his status all the way to the top, with Sykes managing his interests and the sharks fuming that their top spot in the food chain is quickly losing its power.

Situations soon escalate and Oscar and Lenny reach an agreement: if they fake a battle and Oscar emerges triumphant, he can keep his credibility as a shark slayer and Lenny can start a new life.

"Shark Tale" openly references "The Godfather" and "Jaws" at every opportunity, which in and of itself isn't too bad except that so little is made of the main plot itself that the whole move feels like a patchwork of other, better movies, just with a meaningless hip-hop attitude. The special effects are up to par but there's nothing really special about them. The audience needs a story and characters, not just choreographed dance sequences and goofy product placements.

All this might have been negligible had the movie actually been funny. This, sadly, is not the case. I only recorded one good laugh during the screening I attended, and that involved a shark voiced by Peter Falk whose flatulence had the expected effect on a henchmen. When a fart joke is the best you have to offer, then you've got serious problems.

The story also steals shamelessly from the 1942 Disney cartoon "The Reluctant Dragon," which featured a fixed battle between a loudmouth braggart knight and a pacifist dragon to keep the locals off both their backs. That story was at least short and cute, neither of which can be said about this debacle.

Along with the plot, voice acting is pretty lifeless as well. Smith gets to indulge his ego, playing his own persona on screen once again, this time in fish form. De Niro and Scorsese seem to be having fun spoofing their own tough guy roles, but that's about it from them. The biggest surprise is how much of a laid-back performance Black gives. His trademark manic desperation is nowhere to be seen, playing instead a shockingly normal character. Had he cut loose, the scenes he's in might have been more enjoyable. What's stranger is his hiding of his vegetarian leanings from his dad is handled like an allegory for a gay person coming out to his parents.

When is Hollywood going to realize it doesn't matter how many famous actors you get to do voices for your characters; if the story sucks, then no amount of acting talent is going to save it? There are three Academy Award winners in this cast, just don't use that as a benchmark for excellence.

This all amounts to another animated project from DreamWorks high on energy and low on inspiration. After "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmarron," "Road to El Dorado" and "Sinbad" all tanked, it's clear that the "Shrek" series is the only good thing the studio has going for it right now.

Of course, there's no escaping comparison to that other computer animated fish movie, either, and that's when this film looks most wanting. Where Pixar's "Finding Nemo" swam the full depths of the ocean, "Shark Tale" seems content to just tread water in the wading pool.

4 out of 10 stars. Pretty to look at, but any movie that tries to push this much "coolness" down your throat is just asking to be despised.

Deserves a Higher Rating

[Victorious_One · 9/10 · 11 September 2005]

I just can't understand why "Shark Tale" is so underrated. I have watched this movie about 3 times and yet, I still can't get enough of it. The fact is that the characters were very entertaining, the animation was brilliant, and the story was great and was sending messages along with it, such as accept your destiny, be happy with who you are, accept others for who they are, and you don't have to live "on top of the reef" to be a "somebody." This movie also exposes us to the pop culture. What more does this movie need to to make it a good one? I mean this movie has it all: laughs and everything. Then why is it so underrated? I really don't know. I do know though, that "Shark Tale" is one of the best movie I have ever watched.

Fun for adults

[rbverhoef · 7/10 · 18 April 2005]

I liked 'Shark Tale'. It is funny and has quite some original elements I will not spoil for you. But while I was watching I realized how many jokes were there intended for adults and how little for children. Since I guess you have to label this as a family film I was wondering if that was really the intention of the filmmakers. I mean, the main inspiration comes from R-rated films 'The Godfather' and 'Jaws'. Other little jokes and one-liners find their origin in films like 'Scarface', 'Gladiator' and 'Apocalypse Now', again R-rated.All those great laughs, for me at least, will not be funny or even remotely understood by children.

That said, let's approach this film as a comedy mainly made for adults. Again, adults will probably find this very funny, even funnier when you have seen quite some films. The story tells about Lenny (voice by Jack Black), a shark who happens to be a vegetarian, a disgrace for his father Don Lino (Robert De Niro). This shark makes a deal with a small fish named Oscar (Will Smith). On the reef where Oscar lives they think Oscar killed another shark, Lenny's brother, so Lenny and Oscar try to keep the rumor that way. Subplots involve Oscar's longtime friend Angie (Renée Zellweger) who is secretly in love with him, a new fish Lola (Angelina Jolie) who likes Oscar now he is famous, and Sykes (Martin Scorsese), a fish who used to be Don Lino's partner but now teams up with Oscar. Sykes has two helpers, the funny sidekicks any Disney-film would be proud of.

What can I say more about this film? The animation is good, although I liked the approach with 'Finding Nemo' better. On the other hand, this is the kind of film where realistic animation probably would be out of place. Now I have mentioned 'Finding Nemo' I could compare it a little more. 'Nemo' is the better film since it is equally funny for adults and close to the perfect film for children. 'Nemo' was simple in its story but very inventive as well in the little things. Think about the fish with short term memory loss. Things like that you will not find in 'Shark Tale' but you will have many laughs and smiles. Especially the one-liners taken from other films were hilarious but I have to say again; you must have seen the other film to really like it. I did, I laughed.

An over-rated Hollywood churner that squanders a cast with only minimal interest

[Quinoa1984 · 4/10 · 1 October 2004]

While Sharktale may appeal to an audience out there, it's hard to tell for which one. The film is not a failure, but thanks to the mega-hype by the Hollywood system, with marketing railing up the walls and the stars of the film (only recognizable by voice and oddly shaped animation on the faces) trumped to bring in the kids and adults, would have to do a lot to live up to it. As it is, the filmmakers bring in not just movie references to not only The Godfather but many other crime films and shows, but urban/hip-hop culture, and corporations like the Gap, Krispy Kreme, Burger King, etc. But the film is such in love with the in-jokes that it leaves the story and characters on the cloth-hanger. The jokes that do work are the ones that aren't as over-the-top as the others, or at least those that don't involve flatulence and over-emphasis on "bling-bling".

This is not to say that there aren't ways to make such elements funny- Shrek 2 just skimmed the line on what was tolerable. But Sharktale gives the audience a story that involves a lot for kids to digest, despite the conventions and clichés of it (little fish wants big things, bets all his money at the sea-horse racetrack and loses, blow-fish boss orders execution, then has a run-in and takes credit for a mobster's son's dead corpse, becomes a celebrity, and is under pressure with the other son who's a bit of a wimp, and with his love interest). As for the adults, the gags and puns sometimes doesn't work either, as did in Shrek or Finding Nemo. Some of the ideal wit that emerged in Dreamworks' first CGI feature, Antz, does come through, like an (all to brief) Abbot and Costello riff by the fish played by Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese. There's even a funny bit with a shrimp cocktail.

One big problem in the film is that the casting, while somewhat efficient, isn't utilized properly. Actors like Will Smith and Jack Black can be funny, but the lines and jokes they pull in the film lie kind of flat in the water. This might not be so for some of the kids and adults in the audience. However, Sharktale does depend on a varying sense of humor. The ideas being some of the casting is of interest, like small roles for Michael Imperioli, Peter Faulk, and Katie Couric. But then they don't get much to do. Are they just there because they're celebrities, or does the script give them something to do? From my point of view, the script doesn't deliver, at least with the kind of abandon it used to.

In fact, Sharktale seems to compensate such things as a marketing-tested script and mis-casting with the usual extravagant and detailed animation. If not for the huge budget to cast the stars, implement the hip-hop soundtrack, and get the CGI, wouldn't this film be made under a direct-to-video or TV standard? There seem to be two double standards that also got to me as I walked out of the theater- 1) in order for the 3-D to work, as in a classic like Toy Story, the character shouldn't be 2-D. When an actor like Robert De Niro has only one emotion throughout the whole film, and changes at the end of the last act, the character as well as the actor playing him is reduced to something of a video-game caricature. 2) If the message of the film is to accept who you are and not to lie in order to get to the top (an admirable message for kids amid all the phooey in the story), then why would the Sykes character, played by Scorsese, have on the "bling-bling" and hip-hop language he hasn't had through-out the rest of the story?

Even just as a stand-alone film, aside from the lineage of CGI in the past ten years, Sharktale is just nothing new. It's the kind of film you're glad to see once, so that you know you saw it, and know why you liked it or dis-liked it. C-

Fun for the kids but adults will get the hidden gags and in-jokes.

[hu675 · 8/10 · 3 September 2008]

Oscar (Voiced by Will Smith) works at the local Whale Wash hoping one day... he could be a real somebody. When Oscar is mistaking for killing the mob boss Lino's son (Voiced by Michael Imperioli). Now Oscar calls himself a shark-slayer to defend his reputation. Oscar finds himself an new friend with the outcast vegetarian shark Lenny (Voiced by Jack Black), who's hiding from the fierce shark in the waters... his father Lino (Voiced by Two Time Oscar-Winner:Robert De Niro). Now Oscar and Lenny have to help each other from the accidental mess, they have made for themselves.

Directed by Vicky Jenson (Shrek), Bibo Bergeron (The Road to El Dorado) and Rob Letterman made an amusing CGI animated film with a lively vocal performances & it has some big genuine laughs. One of the most successful things about "Shark Tale" is the CGI Characters that truly looked and acted like the big Hollywood stars... especially Smith and Oscar-Winning Filmmaker:Martin Scorsese. This was another successful CGI film like "The Shrek Films" or "Madagascar" but not as critically acclaimed.

DVD has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) transfer and an strong Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD has an ingraining commentary track by the filmmakers, featurettes and more. "Shark Tale" is basically an good movie for the kids but adults will probably enjoy this the most. Fans of De Niro's/Scorsese's work will enjoy their CGI animated characters. Worth seeing. (*** 1/2 out of *****).

This is not, repeat, not, a kids's movie!

[Minerva_Meybridge · 10/10 · 2 March 2005]

I don't know what critics were thinking. The writers and animators had a field day. This is a subtle adult comedy that that works like a Woody Allen film. It is not for children. The film is loaded with subtle gags. Take, for instance, the shark character, voiced by Peter Falk. The shark's name is Don Feinstein. Don is an Italian title and this is supposedly a shark mafia, headed by Robert Diniro's character, Feinstein is a Jewish name. And, if you look closely, you notice that Don Feinstein has a "glass" eye like Peter Falk, which doesn't quite sink with the other (no pun intended). When old Don Feinstein passes gas bubbles. the shark behind him takes a moment to inhale them, then passes out. Virtually every scene has something, but you have to look. This is an "insiders" animation film. I guess Dreamworks feels they have enough money to do something like this once in a while. Remember, Dreamworks animation started out by winning Cannes awards for their shorts.

So, if you're not a TV and film buff, prepared to be bored by what appears to be a mediocre story line. Or if you're a teenager who think Columbo is a country in South America... Drown me if I'm lying, but this is a great film! And don't miss the Gigi the Whale short on the DVD.

Just Straight Trash

[TheShiningGuy · 1/10 · 17 February 2021]

This movie is terrible, bad lighting, bad acting, Martin Scorsese randomly being in it for some reason and it being god awful. Christ, this movie had pop culture references that were outdated before it came out. This movie's biggest sin though, is the main character, played by a perfectly good actor - Will Smith. Seriously, this gut lies to everyone, cares about no-one but himself, takes a family air loom from a friend that was given to him out of the kindness of her heart so he could pay of his debt but then he bets it on a horse race because he over hears some random person say that the race is rigged. You don't want to watch the film because you don't care. Also, this movie cost £75 million dollars and it looks ugly as all hell and they didn't properly light some of the shots. It is a massive skid mark on the trousers of Dreamworks.

AMAZING (Really deserves a better rating)

[annaprestes · 10/10 · 21 July 2018]

This was one of my childhood movies. Watching it again I'm just as entertained as I was when I was 6. It's just great. Sad that Dreamworks is not making movies like this and Shrek anymore.

thanks for the entertainment

[CJ13 · 8/10 · 28 October 2004]

I agree with "Ashlevine from New York" post on IMDb. I'm a secondary teacher who enjoyed the little lessons included in a story which I found entertaining at the end of a day when I just needed a bit of fun R & R! Bravado, compensation, excuses, even music, you name it - was there. The NYC graphics were fun, character portrayals amusing.

Okay, I'll even go out on a reef and mention the "Nemo" word.

Sure, that animation was fun...I don't compare Shark Tale to it, just appreciate it equally for its individual personality and the fun it provided to me. Will I purchase it on DVD? You betcha ya!

good effort but somewhat disappointing!

[ajk718 · 8/10 · 8 May 2006]

with big and well-known names such as will smith, Robert De Nero, Renee zellwegger, Angelina Jolie, Ziggy Marley, and Katie couric involved in this animated film, i felt that this movie was going to at least come close to finding nemo, a masterpiece that is and always will be the leader of the "under-the-sea" type animation. shark tale was somewhat disappointing and i did not notice anything hilariously funny about it. in this film, a fish (voice of will smith that wants to make a name for himself in society believing that he is a loser.. coincidentally, while trying to escape a shark, he ends up "killing" it (it was really just an accident). however, the other fish believe that he actually killed the shark and he receives fame and glory as the "shark slayer." anxious for the chance to be somebody, this fish plays along and uses it to his advantage. the most ridiculous part is the fact that these sharks are actually afraid of this puny fish. however, this is nothing compared to will smith's role at the end of this moving in mending the relationship between a father shark and his son who chose a vegetarian lifestyle instead of being like the other sharks. the only "funny" parts in this movie involve the shrimp who appear a few times (at least in think they are shrimp). after seeing finding nemo, this movie was definitely a disappointment.

Am I the only one who liked this movie?

[TribalWarriorPrincess · 7/10 · 19 August 2006]

I just don't understand why you people hated this film. I mean, the plot was pretty good, and it teaches an important lesson: lying brings nothing but trouble. This is a kids' movie, they wouldn't just go out screaming 'homosexuality is good!". Are you trying to stereotype against vegetarians of something? Cause that's what it sounds like to me! I am putting this post up because I liked the movie and I don't like hearing all this hating! You just have to search for flaws, don't you? If a movie's good, it's good, and if it's bad, it's terrible, but you just have to find every single fault. I just don't get how you can hate a good movie like Shark Tale but love bad movies. Whatever, you're lost. X-(

Great cast done in by rotten script and direction

[dbborroughs · 3/10 · 3 October 2004]

This movie is almost so bad it hurts. You hurt because your body goes stiff from holding a confused look on your face for way too long your muscles freeze up.

This "Its okay to be who you are" tale is one of the most uneven films in memory. A sterling cast is let down by script that is obvious, soon to date, and not funny, as well as direction that hammers home every single point. Things that should put you on the floor with laughter have you shaking your head at how unfunny they are. Only the bits with Marty Scorsese have any real punch and are funny from start to finish (And all of his scenes with De Niro are classic).

Yes, the animation is fantastic. The work on De Niro's Don Lino is simply some of the best character animation ever put on screen and will be a yard stick for years to come. And yes, there are some funny bits, but they operate in a vacuum and so fail to provoke any real laughter.

If you must see this wait for video, or better cable. This is a car wreck.

3 out of 10.

Unfairly slated

[georgevader · 7/10 · 31 July 2005]

I'm a big fan of the new wave of animated movies that have hit the screen's in the past decade, from the groundbreaking Toy Story up until Shrek, Monsters Inc and last year's, um, incredible. The Incredibles, yet this is one film I had avoided, purely due to the poor reviews it had received. A poor mans Finding Nemo was the criticism levelled at it mostly, so after just viewing it what a pleasant surprise it turned out to be!

De Niro is superb as the mafioso Shark, as is Scourcese, who proves to be quite a good comic character actor. The animation is superb with an entire underwater New York-esquire city created with vehicles, taxi's, skyscrapers and shops beautifully recreated. There are plenty of gags with nods to such films as Jaws, The Godfather and Analyse This, and the film never loses pace throughout it's enjoyable 90 minutes.

My only slight criticism would be that Will Smiths character is basically him as a fish, all wise ass, shades,sneakers etc but I supposed this could be levelled at De Niro, but really this really doesn't detract from an enjoyable movie.

All in good fun

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 7/10 · 2 January 2007]

Well, I guarantee you that this is no Shrek, Shark Tale was over all an average attempt at film making for animation, but I have to admit that I still had fun watching it. I recently finally accepted the fact that computer animation is the craze and there will probably from now on be no more regular classic animation, so I've pretty much seen all the new computer animation films and Shark Tale was next on my list. While it wasn't up to par with Shrek 2, I still kinda had fun, especially with the cast.

Oscar is a fish who feels like the ultimate nobody and Lenny is a vegetarian shark who's father is kind of the Godfather of the shark world, so his dad expects him to be a meat eating rough tough shark. When Lenny's brother accidentally dies as he's chasing Oscar to eat him, his brother gets slammed on the head with an anchor and dies. Everyone thinks that Oscar killed the brother and names him sharkslayer, too afraid to go home, Lenny stays with Oscar helping him keep his rep by faking a beat up. But when the father wants to see what the sharkslayer is really all about, Oscar may loose his true love, Angie.

Well, the jokes were a little off every once in a while and it wasn't as impressive as some other animated films, but I still had fun watching Shark Tale. I was absolutely in love with the cast and the animation was pretty good, you have to admit. I would recommend this for a family afternoon, I think you just have to let go and learn how to smile with this film, like I said, it's all in good fun.

7/10

Fun with the kids

[Ashlevine · 7/10 · 28 October 2004]

It is a lot of fun to hear the voices of great actors come out from animated characters. You can always see full in your mind's eyes how each actor looked when they delivered their lines. This film is no exception. The actors must have had great time doing the voices. My children and I enjoyed the film very much. Shark tales also brings into light the good positive message that children must learn. It is a story about accepting oneself and living up to your potentials. It is about pride and true love. Those lessons are well integrated in the tapestry of the story. The animation was very good as well as the sound track.