Film Review: Shark Tale
In this blog post, we will review the animated film Shark Tale. If you have not seen it and are not keen on spoilers, please revisit this post after watching it. If you don’t care to watch it but are interested in learning about this movie and my opinions, what are you waiting for… let’s dive into this review!
Written by Elexus Liggins | Edited by Samantha Zisk
Title of Movie: Shark Tale
Exernal Link for Movie Details From IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0307453/
Time: 1HR & 30 Minutes
Date Created: 2004
Category: Family/ Adventure
Cast: Will Smith, Robert De Niro, Renee Zellweger, Angelina Jolie
Directors: Bibo Bergeron, Vicky Jenson, and Rob Letterman
Writers: Michael J. Wilson, Rob Letterman, Scott Aukerman
Why I Picked This Movie
Shark Tale is an underrated gem that DreamWorks Animation produced. Let’s raise a toast to one of the best movies from the 2000s-where the people behind the movie showcased their creativity in the opening credits; where they perfectly curated the soundtracks; and where they always managed to sneak humor in after a profound moment. This movie subverted our human life into the deep depths of the coral reefs with the ocean wildlife starring as the main characters. Shark Tales has many well-known celebrities, such as Will Smith, Robert De Niro, Renee Zellweger, Jack Black, and Angelina Jolie. The balance of humor, its intricate plot, and its impact on the audience make it timeless and robust. In addition to the other topics, I want to mention how much I appreciated the perfect soundtrack and unique visuals that improved the movie experience.
Healthy balance of seriousness and not-so-serious moments
Shark Tale is a blend of profound and comedic moments, and the creators juggled the mixed scenes well. The transitions between scenes are smooth and appropriate without being distracting. I’d like to share a few of those moments below.
One of the funnier scenes that shines is when Luca, Don Lino’s henchman, has to change the song as it gets stuck. It lands on the song “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-A-Lot. This slight fumble was quite funny, especially when Don tells Sykes he’s fired and owes him five thousand clams.
We are privy to seeing Oscar’s private imagination where his delusion takes place. His grand dream of becoming a millionaire by winning a bet he placed on the seahorse’s Lucky Day creeps into the picture. As Oscar, the main protagonist, contemplates betting versus paying his debt back to Sykes, he takes a moment to recall the last words he heard from Angie, his friend and love interest. Oscar distorts Angie’s quote, “Dreams can begin small,” by imagining her saying he can bet all the money. It’s funny because this portrayal of her is out of character.
At this moment, we are introduced to Lola, a fish represented as extremely attractive and superficial. Her ears perk when Oscar says he would be “Oscar, the millionaire.” Lola approaches him because of this and discovers he’s not rich. Before she leaves, Lola rejects him. She says “he’s cute, but he’s a nobody.” Immediately after, Sykes’s henchmen show up and secretly witness the rejection. They use Oscar’s low moment to make fun of him. These two hilarious jellyfish mimic the rejection with hot dog wiener sticks.
Finally, I would like to share a moment I found funny for its simplicity. Before the comedic moment happens, Lenny has to prove himself since he failed to eat shrimp earlier at the diner with their father. Don sends Lenny and his brother to prove he is a real shark. We see Lenny and Frankie bonding by poking fun at each other, but then it gets serious when Frankie becomes frustrated at Lenny for not eating the fish. Frankie is frustrated by that and ends up targeting Oscar to show Lenny what a real shark is. Amid the tense scene, Frankie gets knocked out by an anchor. Lenny rushes to Frankie in distress and asks if he’s okay. Frankie responds he is cold after getting hit. Lenny takes the patient and calm route, stating it is because “they are cold-blooded.” Frankie dies after slapping Lenny and calling him a moron. I just love how literal the joke was. These are some of my favorite comedic moments in this movie. The clever and tactical wit of the writers was top-tier.
Authentic and unique
Shark Tale is authentic and unique. Viewers can be immersed in this animated movie with its three-dimensional structure. There is an extraordinary level of richness in texture and depth to the environment and characters. It is an aesthetically pleasing experience for the audience also. One thing that I love about this movie is the opening scene showcasing the studio that produced the movie. Viewers see a pink worm flung around and dropped in the ocean. The movie immediately introduces you to Lenny, a shark, who assists the worm’s escape from the hook he’s wrapped on. After that scene ends, you see the voice actors’ names pop as the camera takes you deeper into the reef’s environment, where the movie will predominantly take place.
The next scene features Katie Current, a fish reporter, announcing that the sharks are gone. We pan from an empty part of the fish’s equivalent of a city’s downtown to a bustling city in the reef. The next scene shows the ocean environment where the movie takes place, drawing parallels to life on land in America. While navigating life under the ocean, we hear “Three Little Birds” by Sean Paul & Ziggy Marley. Other instances include a fish reporter covering a fish accident similar to a car crash, a fish waiting at a light like a driver, and lobsters acting like trains on underwater tracks. A minute detail I appreciated in this scene is how the team involved in making the film made the fish’s traffic light system tailored to their environment by having the red light say“Don’t Swim,” and then it would shift to green which says “Swim”. One of my favorite scenes in the introduction is the cut scene which zeros in on the “Sushi Bowl” establishment. The chef fish becomes twitchy and so frustrated that they stab the counter with the knife. I found this part hilarious because it seems like a running joke. The scene conveys that the “Sushi Bowl” is unpopular because fish would eat other fish, which is cannibalism. Also, I felt the visible frustration and twitch of that character and it was such a mood.
This movie also does an excellent job of using the uniqueness of the environment to elevate the scenes and storyline. They change many existing brands and languages to match the ocean environment. It’s shown as Oscar gains fame from adopting the moniker “Oscar The Sharkslayer.” For example, “Gup” instead of GAP, “Coral Cola” instead of Coca-Cola, “Fish King” instead of Burger King, and “Southside Reef Square” instead of Times Square. In addition to that, I loved the creativity of ocean water creatures having their own magazine lines that fit into their universe. We see Oscar on the cover of the following magazines, “Fin,” “Fathom — swimming at the speed light,” and “Floating — On the Reef,”. A few personal favorites will be the following ocean magazine titles, “Crustacean,” “Modern Fry,” and “Newsweek,”. The “FQ” magazine in Shark Tale is like the GQ magazine that started in New York dedicated to men’s fashion, style, and lifestyle. Another gem of magazines would be “Teen Fish” in Shark Tale, which would be like the American Teen Vogue magazine edition. The Teen magazine reference is special to me because I was a huge follower of the J-14 and Seventeen magazines in that era. We did not have the money to pay for the magazines so, I always made sure to read them during the grocery runs we made. I was a huge fan of the quizzes they curated, too. The bonus Shark Tale magazine that warms my heart is “Pisces,” and that is because it is my zodiac sign.
An excellent example of the uniqueness in the film is when Oscar and Lenny sneak their way into Oscar’s spare garage so that Lenny can hide there. The song “Good Foot” by Justin Timberlake and Timbaland plays while they move around different places. They hid in sewers and behind a brick wall to escape a whale cop painted to mimic a cop car. They could not have used a more fitting song. This was perfect. You see Oscar hopping around and getting into these incredible “USPS” blue mailbox-looking things fitting for the ocean environment. As viewers watch this scene, it felt very illegal to see them commit the egregious crime of bringing a shark into the environment of the vulnerable fish. Bringing your most prominent and scariest predator directly into the safe space of the prey — wild!
Another example that works really well is when Oscar leads the fight to his job at the whale wash, an environment where he will have the most advantage. Don and his henchmen were set up to lose in this, as they were unfamiliar with the place. It was funny when Oscar tried to trap Don in the mechanical piece which keeps whales in place; he trapped his friend Lenny instead. Shortly after, many of the spinning arms on the machine entrapped Don. A comedic moment in this scene was when the headphone guy placed a clean air fresh tag onto Don’s face and told him to have a good day. The headphone guy was so distracted that he didn’t even know it was a fight. He deserves an award for the most focused employee who does not care because he is there for his paycheck!
Intriguing dynamic characters
Yes, we have an array of characters that riff well off each other. The film does an excellent job of keeping the characters in line with themselves.
One thing I appreciate is a character portrayed as the ideal character but, instead, is antagonistic. Lola is the fish that every other female fish would aspire to embody because of her sexy, feminine looks. According to the movie, the audience must believe that her beauty is the end all be all. How do they do this? They introduce Lola flipping her hair as it sparkles around her dramatically! She kisses Oscar. I disagree with the behavior she commits to, but I commend her for her confidence and strategy to get what she wants. Lola is clearly a high-maintenance person with princess looks but a horrendous attitude if you cross her. She is also quite fickle because if you don’t do what she wants, she will show you her true colors. When Oscar realizes he is in love with Angie, Lola asks, “Are you dumping me?” We can see her raging fury before she whacks Oscar for rejecting her. The final moment where she proves to be more of an antagonist than a love interest is when she shows up to the sit-down. The sit-down was between Don and his henchmen against Oscar, Lenny, and Sykes. Oscar is surprised at her presence, and she hits him with the line, “There’s one thing I like better than money, revenge.” Not only is this a sign of a significant lack of healing, but an even clearer sign that Oscar and Angie are a better match for each other.
Oscar, one of the movie’s main protagonists, is charming, kind, and caring. On the flip side, he is naive, reckless, and embodies a false bravado. He is pretty charming as he has a big personality that comes with his big dreams — most of the other creatures in the reef that know him like him a lot. He’s creative and theatrical. Oscar’s good at creating advantageous scenarios, like the fake Sharkslayer story or bringing a fight to his workplace. Oscar extends kindness to everyone in the movie, even peculiar and quirky creatures. He is also a fish who cares for others as much as possible. If he can’t take care of them in the way that is needed, he does his best within his capacity. This false bravado of his is apparent as he wears this facade to hide the fact he’s an incredibly insecure fish. One can infer that this started back when Oscar was in grade school and was bullied for believing his father was the coolest dude. This insecurity plagues his adulthood as he feels he is a nobody. He has these aspirations to become somebody by up-leveling his life in a grand way.When Oscar and Angie discuss his debt, he calls himself a nobody. Oscar has a reckless nature to him that keeps him in an insatiable state. He has fallen for the get-rich-quick schemes as Angie shared earlier. With the way she said it, it is implied that he has been a repeat offender. Oscar failed at winning the gambling bet at the seahorse race, which he viewed as his one opportunity to acquire wealth and status. When a second opportunity appeared, Oscar refused to let it go, even if it went against a set of ethics.
Oscar thinks a lot more in the short term, so he doesn’t have a problem lying. I say he is also reckless in assuming that he wouldn’t face adverse consequences for his actions. This is shown when Angie asks him if he expects to get away with all the lies and the fact that he’s slain a shark. Oscar admits he believed himself to be someone who’s absolved from consequences. Becoming a somebody led him to justify his crooked ways by telling Angie, “Don’t take it personally. I lied to everybody.” Oscar is seen as immature and reckless, yet, the audience cannot resist all the positive characteristics that make him redeemable. In the end, he rectifies it all and becomes more stable. The last piece here is that Angie confesses her immense love and shares her frustration and disappointment. She has been tired of hearing that everything in Oscar’s life, including her, was never good enough. In this scene, viewers see Oscar has not only forgotten where he comes from but has also forgotten who he is. Amid acquiring this newfound fame and status, he has done it at the expense of others. He has been ungrateful and unappreciative of everything in his life. Angie has gone above and beyond for Oscar; he has taken her for granted.
Lenny, one of the movie’s main protagonists, is knowledgeable, caring, and friendly. On the flip side, he is quirky and a vegetarian. He is the complete opposite of Oscar. Early in the movie, Lenny’s father, Don Lino, speaks positively about him and shares that he is intelligent. Viewers see that when Lenny develops an elaborate plan to prove Oscar is the Sharkslayer. Lenny is caring. He ensures the survival of others, even if he is their supposed predator. Despite his father’s demand to eat the shrimp, Lenny saves and sets them free. He takes care of Oscar, Frankie, and Angie by being of service to them or simply providing entertainment. Lenny is chatty and silly, so he is enjoyable to be around. Viewers see this when he discovers Oscar is the Sharkslayer. Lenny cracks a joke while he is blackmailing Oscar for his blatant lies. Finally, his insecurity comes from others, especially his father.
Don is judgemental with an authoritarian parenting style. He cares more about his reputation than his children’s happiness and fulfillment. That is shown in Don’s treatment regarding Lenny’s vegetarian status and inability to be “normal”, like his brother or other sharks. Don tells Lenny that he will learn to be a proper shark, whether he likes it or not. Lenny is constantly criticized by his father. We see this when Don Lino asks another character, “What’s wrong with him? Frankie is perfect.” While one son is praised and the other is put down, Lenny is outside the ship as he overhears his father’s criticism. At this moment, Lenny decides to leave and not rejoin the sharks in his father’s lair. The reason I say I don’t believe Lenny is inherently insecure is because he tells other creatures that he is vegetarian, but his father does not take this well. Throughout the movie, Lenny becomes more confident in who he is, and viewers can see him take joy in exploring his identity. Even if Angie or Oscar shush him, there is a level of acceptance that he gets with them that he never got with his brother or father. Lenny was fearful of Don Lino and utterly disappointed in his lack of acceptance. Thanks to Oscar’s help at the car wash, Don and Lenny clear up the misunderstandings and repair their relationship.
Ernie and Bernie, the two henchmen that work for Sykes, are the hilarious jellyfish duo. These two are constantly providing trouble or comedy. It is well executed and balanced in the movie. One of the first examples of their comedy is when they show up to witness Oscar’s rejection. They don’t waste any time and decide to use this new moment to make fun of him. Another funny scene featuring the henchmen is when they take Oscar far out into the ocean to provide a punishment by stinging him. Viewers see them joke around. Bernie questioned why his tentacles sting other creatures but cannot sting each other. Right then, Bernie stings Ernie. Ernie dramatically flails around, falls towards the ground, and feigns being injured. Bernie is proud of his joke. The jokes aren’t witty or clever but are more fun and light-hearted. Without them, the movie would not be as funny!
What is a community without children? These are some of my favorite underrated groups of characters that I did not even realize were a gem until I rewatched the movie again. This ocean environment has “The Shorties.” They are the fish kids highlighted in the movie. The Shorties are naturally funny and have no qualms about telling you how it is. They are a breath of fresh air and represent their free nature by expressing themselves and doing whatever they want. Viewers are introduced to their natural humor in the movie’s beginning when Oscar is cosplaying his fantasy in front of a billboard. Oscar playfully says, “Even a superstar Mac Daddy like me has to have the basic necessities.” The shorties are the first creatures to call him out by roasting him, “Yeah, like money,” and “You so broke your bologna has no first name.” The fish kids did not need to tear him down, but they packed a punch to ground him back into reality. Their snarky remarks do not affect Oscar, so he tells them, “Shouldn’t y’all be at school or something?” They immediately clap back, saying, “Shouldn’t you be at work or something?”
Another funny moment is witnessed when Oscar and Lenny are discussing the mystery of “The Sharkslayer.” In the middle of that, we hear, “You put your fins on the wall where I can see ‘em.” The comedic part was wherever the voices came from, they sounded tough. This led to Oscar and Lenny’s quick compliance to the demands made by the tough-sounding voices. Fear made them think they were in trouble with someone in power, so they obeyed quickly. Oscar investigates the situation, and it turns out “The Shorties” are out late at night in the tunnel graffitiing. Oscar tells them he’ll tell their moms but, most importantly, that it is dangerous at night. The fish kids listen to Oscar by leaving but decide to go graffiti Crazy Joe, the hermit crab instead.
In addition to their humor, these kids have exceptional talent. They graffitied the billboard where Oscar was earlier seen daydreaming. In the middle of the night, inside the tunnel, before Oscar interrupted them, they were tagging the wall with Oscar displayed as The Sharkslayer. Viewers eventually even see them spray paint one of the sharks at the movie’s end after a car wash. I kept writing the word “graffiti” because that is probably how the writers want you to see it. However, I would rather define it as a work of art overall with a splash of graffiti aesthetic. All three fish kids have unique artistic abilities, so I would hope they’d use it for big projects such as murals or something of the like.
Intricate Plot
Shark Tale does a beautiful job of tying all the loose ends and coming full circle. Viewers are introduced to an ambitious, charming, yet selfish fish, Oscar, who dreams big for the wrong reasons. He phoned a friend to rescue him from his irresponsible behavior. The movie would have ended immediately if Oscar paid off the money he owed and put his life back together. But that would be too easy and quick for a movie. The writers wrote him committing to actions aligned with his ambitious and selfish nature. Oscar meets Lenny, the second protagonist of the movie. Viewers see both of their lives propel upward after Oscar lies about being a Sharkslayer. Tensions are high when both Oscar and his love interest fight for his lack of authenticity and ungrateful nature. Ironically, Oscar has to rescue Angie from Lenny’s family and this results in a major fight at the whale wash. Ultimately, everything collides together and there are no loose ends for the movie, as each individual and group conflict is resolved seamlessly.
Intrinsic Value:
Shark Tale adds value to my life and enhances it. The lessons that this movie teaches can be essential. Not only does the viewer see why certain things should not be done, but viewers can also see the consequences that occur as a result of them. The first lesson is that nothing good comes from lying. This is important because Oscar lied to achieve his dream and it cost him. Dreaming big is good, but not at the expense of others. It’s important to remember our roots and maintain good relationships while pursuing our goals, even if it means facing hard truths. Viewers can also learn from this movie that telling the truth is no easy feat. Not only will the truth set us free, but working with others can take us far.
The second lesson is acknowledging that being unique from others is okay, and we should be celebrated, cherished, and valued for who we are. I would love to highlight how well they cared for Lenny’s self-development. We know he is a vegetarian, quirky, and intelligent. However, throughout the movie, he constantly faces negative criticism about it. The most extensive judgment comes from his family and his father, which doesn’t end until the movie’s over. I believe Frankie had more grace towards Lenny as he volunteered to take Lenny’s position so his brother wouldn’t have to. Frankie and Lenny had the typical sibling relationship, teasing one another. But they knew they were different and took care of each other. For Lenny to be loved, seen for who he is, and appreciated, it took him to be taken in by Oscar. Oscar was judgemental but always ended up being accepting. I believe that Oscar and Lenny’s relationship reassured each other that they were good enough.
The third lesson is the lesson of what matters most; it is that you have to believe you are somebody. Oscar’s insecurity wouldn’t allow him to love himself or for others to show him love in return. Here, viewers can infer that his limiting beliefs for himself most likely don’t originate from him. He described himself as a “Little fish in a big pond. I’m a nobody.” Oscar wants to be at the top of the reef where “the somebodies” live and wants to be rich and famous, but he’s stuck down in the bottom of the reef. This movie proved we should not allow the judgment of others to destroy our self-esteem and self-worth. There is an indirect message that you are worthy and more than enough. We are the only ones who should ascribe our value. Everyone has value simply because we exist.
Finally, the last lesson is remembering who you are and where you come from. Oscar loses himself with his newly gained fame. Instead of being humble, he’s become arrogant and full of himself. He lets the new fame and status go to his head. Viewers see that specifically occur when Angie is upset with Lola and Oscar making out. However, Oscar is oblivious to why Angie is upset. In confusion, he asks what is wrong with him, and Angie says, “Sometimes I wanna take your big dumb dummy head and just agh.” Angie explains this to get Oscar to see how disingenuous Lola is. Angie probes him by asking him if he thinks Lola would be interested if he were not rich and The Sharkslayer. To that question, Oscar elaborates why he believes in Lola’s interest. “At least she treats me like I am somebody. Nobody loved me when I was a nobody.”
At the movie’s climax, Angie reveals she’s always loved him, especially before he became a “somebody”. This lesson is extremely important because we should never forget where we come from or who we are. We must not forget to be grateful and appreciative of everyone involved in the process of how we move up in the world. The one-sided relationship between Angie and Oscar was unacceptable. Viewers can learn from this, reciprocity and care are equally important. It is quite appalling to hear that nothing is satisfactory and that everything in your life is bad when you have been there to support them every step of the way. Everyone has been supportive or provided a cushion for him to lean on, but he takes it for granted.
Profoundly alter my perspective/worldview.
When I watched this movie as a kid, I always thought it was funny and had great music. I enjoyed it for its entertaining value. Now, I love it even more and am excited at how it has altered my perspective on life.
As a girl, I always thought being “somebody” was determined by superficial and arbitrary means. According to this movie, do whatever you need to gain success because that is what you desire is a message I have received. However, I have learned as an adult that focusing only on the outcomes of things and not valuing the entire process along the way is unfair to both ourselves and our communities. Thinking of oneself as unimportant can lead to low self-esteem and self-worth. Oscar’s desire for material wealth, status, and fame was supposed to be surface-level, but he was tremendously impacted, as he did not feel he was inherently important. This affected him personally, spiritually, and mentally.
I’ve learned through life experience that our soul is more important than artificial concepts and ideologies. There is more to life than the material. As an adult, I have defined my identity based on my life purpose rather than any other fabricated system or title because I believe humans are meant to enjoy their life. Humans should do this in moderation and in harmony with their fellow creatures and mother nature. In this movie, Oscar got to have it all: romantic love, platonic love, financial stability, and community. To me, that is something to aspire to; at least on the basic level of acquiring and sharing love, being in community, and having all of your basic needs met.
Excelled in Music Selection
I’d love to highlight those mainly involved with the entire movie’s music soundtrack. The tactical selection, the clean transitions, and the crisp quality made the soundtrack absolutely magical. I love the consistent environment involving their characters in EVERY part of the movie, including the credits. Major thanks to ALL the creatives involved directly with the movie, to the talent of writing, art, and the technical aspects of it all. This is one movie that exceeds its comprehensive care by excelling in the execution of the opening credits, the content of the film, and the ending credits. We get a clean transition after the movie finalizes with all the characters making up. It transitions into a bonus scene introducing the ending song of the film, “Car Wash” by Christina Aguilera featuring Missy Elliot. The movie ends after that with the rolling credits playing the song “Lies and Rumors” by D12 as they show the highlighted scenes that take place in the movie. Every inch of this film deserves attention. I am a massive fan of the jam-packed ending credits. The credits start with a summary of the movie’s creators, accompanied by high-resolution stills from the film. The second section of this ending credits transitions to another song.
Conclusion
If I could, I would talk about this movie for days on end. But this is an in-depth review of a movie that I cherished in my youth and hold near and dear, even more so now as an adult. I know I could never get bored with this movie. It excels by providing a healthy balance of comedy, authenticity, and intricate plot. Other elements that make it stand out are its intrinsic value, impact, and how it excelled in the realm of music. Shoutout to everyone who made this masterful art piece!
Finally, a fantastic discovery that I appreciated discovering while writing the review is that one of the directors, Vicky Jenson, also directed one of my other favorite animated movies, Shrek! This fantastic film came after Shrek, so, no wonder it’s a phenomenal project.
If you are curious about my thoughts on Shrek, feel free to check out that review as well. Need more convincing? I made a mini-analysis where I cross-referenced this movie to connect the parallels between our star characters in the films Shrek and Oscar.
Thank you for reading my review! I hope you enjoyed it.
Wishing you a joyful experience of immersion,
Elexus.
