Shark Tale



I rate this movie, 6/10. What a disappointment, I must say. With Finding Nemo having found a HUGE audience and for good reason, you'd question how sensible it was for another "fish" movie in the world of 3D to be made so soon.



Obviously they were both being made at the same time, but this film can't even swim in the same ocean as Nemo; nowhere close. This film is a marketing vehicle that reeks of focus groups and the involvement of the "suits".



I'm willing to bet that product placement, celebrity voiceovers, and pop-stars of the moment soundtrack numbers were in place before the script was even written.



Even if the script had already been written, what was to be expected when the assembled writing team had brought us such magic as Freddy vs. Jason and ... well, that's it. I'll admit, I enjoyed Freddy vs. Jason a WHOLE lot more than this, it was fun! This is just mediocre.



Where DreamWorks succeeded with Shrek, they absolutely fail with Shark Tale. Will Smith's Oscar is downright annoying, I kept hoping he'd get hooked and end up in a frying pan somewhere.



It's not so much his performance as the way he's written. He's just so "street" and it doesn't work. Neither does the mafia stuff that pokes fun at films that most kids have never seen.



Honestly, the best voice work came from a non-actor, Martin Scorsese. It's a cute film in places, but has a much rougher edge than their other success Shrek, and is nowhere near as funny, not even close.



Is it horrible? No, but it's not worth shelling out $7.50 for myself to watch it and eat overpriced popcorn in the theater. When you compare Shark Tale to films like Nemo, Monsters Inc., or even DreamWorks own Shrek, it doesn't live up to the quality of those films.



I've read somewhere that a sequel has already been ordered before the verdict has been rendered on this one. That's either sheer brilliance or utter stupidity. I guess it must be testing well with some focus groups. Bless the suits, one and all.



Signing Off,

Shah Rizal Isaac