Don't listen to the critics...

Rating: Null/10 (4 October 2004)

...because I did! I had the opportunity to see Shark Tale on Friday, the day it opened, but I had been checking out the bad reviews and decided that I should pass. After all, I don't want to waste my money on a bad movie!! But as the weekend passed, everyone told me that the movie was great, and that I should go and see it. So on Sunday, I caved and took my family to the 11:30 showing. The crowd was full of young families and we had to sit in the second row because of the parties of little kids all over the place. But it turned out not to be a kid's movie. It's not up to Shrek caliber, but it's definitely a smart, funny film meant for both kids and adults. The little ones were constantly in giggles but there were a few one-liners that went right over their heads and directly hit the adults, so everyone was happy.
The movie is about a fish named Oscar (Will Smith) who wants to do something with his life to become a "somebody" and live at the top of the reef instead of in the ocean ghettos. Already, you can tell that this concept has been covered before and this only leads to more predictability. When the brother of a misfit shark (Jack Black) is killed, Oscar is at the scene of the crime and becomes an instant hero. In a matter of hours, Oscar is whisked to the top of the reef and living a totally different life. He also meets Lola (Angelina Jolie), a fish who suddenly is attracted to this new "somebody". I don't want to give away much more than this, but I can pretty much guarantee that you can guess the outcome of this movie.
Bottom line, although this story has been explored in MANY other movies before, it's given new life with this all-star cast and witty humor that is guaranteed to make you smile. 7/10