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| SHARK TALE (2004) | |
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Shark Tale is rated PG for some mild language and crude humor. Young children can enjoy the story with parental guidance, and it offers an entertaining journey for adults.
However, this story is more directed towards the group most people seem to forget most of the time – teens.
Themes in the story are almost solely in regards of coming of age. For example, teens begin to form
their own ideas of the world, they worry about what others think, they might begin to feel that they do not fit into society, they build lasting friendships, they begin to fall in love, and much more.
All of these notions are presented in the film and all of the issues in the story are treated in a proper and decent manner.
In addition, the story has adult themes such as death, love, and dangerous escapes, which
build a bridge for the teens from childhood into adulthood. The film's main theme is how two outsiders are finding their niche in society. One of the outsiders is a shark, Lenny (Jack Black’s voice), that fears his father’s rejection for being a vegetarian while befriending fish that he is supposed to eat. Lenny’s father is the mobster Don Lino (Robert de Niro’s voice) who rules the oceans with fear and terror, and expects that his two sons, Lenny and Frankie (Michael Imperioli’s voice), will take over the family enterprise after his departure. Frankie behaves like a bullying shark, but Don Lino is troubled over his son Lenny who does not eat fish. Don Lino is also concerned about how others might perceive him, and his son. This fear of what others might think seems to be a strong force within Don Lino, as he demands that Lenny begins to act like a shark. The other outsider, Oscar (Will Smith’s voice), who is a small fish that is busy coming up with new schemes while he hangs out at the Whale Wash where he (hardly) works. Oscar’s schemes are based on his vision of being somebody with lots of money and fame, which would help him move to the top of the reef. However, he does not like to work hard, which makes it difficult to get somewhere as he expects something out of nothing. His friend Angie (Renée Zellweger’s voice) who also works at the Whale Wash knows about his dreams, but finds herself only longing for him at a distance as Oscar is too busy noticing what is precious in life. The story begins to turn it’s wheels when Sykes (Martin Scorsese’s voice) the owner of the Whale Wash tells Oscar that he has only 24 hours to return the 5000 shells that he owes him. Panicked, he begins searching for the shells, which he finds, but loses due to one of his dreamy visions. As a result Sykes has no other choice than to get rid of him, as his to lackeys voiced by Ziggy Marley & Doug E. Doug takes him to a remote location to torment him. By chance Lenny appears with Frankie at the location where Oscar is being tormented, which somehow leads to the death of Frankie. Oscar finds his opportunity for fame, glory, and wealth as he returns with Sykes lackey’s who confirm him as a shark killer. Oscar gives little thought in regards to the consequences, as Don Lino demands revenge. Instead Oscar begins to dance in joy as his dream has materialized, as the hype and public attention have blinded him. However, slowly Oscar begins to realize who his true friends are, but the question is whether he is too late to change his frail lie upon which his wealth and fame rest. Shark Tale uses themes from several other films such as Godfather (1972), Jaws (1975), and Night and the City (1950). The aspect of Godfather is evident in the shark scenes, which actually gives the story a little zest as Don Lino mourns his son. Comically, the sharks use the theme score from Jaws as their lead song, which opens the film with a hilarious scene. Oscar’s character seems to be taken directly out of Night and the City where Harry Fabian, acted by Richard Widmark, loses himself in the quest for wealth. Despite the heavy borrowing from other films Shark Tale is a remarkably entertaining story with good morals and interesting notions to ponder. Yet, the true power of the film is in how it bridges teens from childhood into adulthood, which makes this film a truly good cinematic experience. |
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DIRECTED BY |
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Bibo Bergeron Vicky Jenson Rob Letterman |
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USA |
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| REVIEWED | |
| 2/11/2005 | |
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The Internet Movie Database. |
