The True Chicken of the Sea

Rating: 7/10 (30 June 2005)

Set on a reef that resembles a pulsating, bustling, underwater Manhattan, "Shark Tale" is a reasonably diverting DreamWorks film that makes up in charm what it lacks in Shrek-level sophistication. Lets' face it: the "Shrek" movies have set the bar awfully high for animated features and it's hard not to compare every new one that comes our way with those earlier works. Even with that caveat, "Shark Tale" still manages to involve us in the world it's created and to make us laugh from time to time.
Lenny (voiced by Jack Black) is the ultimate evolutionary anomaly - a great white shark who just happens to be a vegetarian. This is a particularly dicey problem because Lenny is no ordinary, run-of-the-mill shark; he is the son and heir apparent of a Don Corleone-type mob boss (Robert De Niro) who worries that his son may not have what it takes to assume his rightful place as "godfather" of the sea. Down at the very opposite end of the food chain is Oscar, a fast-talking, self-described "little fish in a very big pond," voiced by none other than mega-star Will Smith. All his life, Oscar has felt like an unappreciated "nobody," until, one day, through an utter fluke of fate, he inadvertently finds himself heralded as a fearless "shark slayer," a position that gets him into deep trouble when De Niro and his henchmen descend on the reef looking to stir up a little trouble with the defenseless locals..
"Shark Tale" doesn't have quite the sharpness and wit of certain recent animated films, but it is fast-paced and clever enough to keep us entertained for most of its running time. Many of the gangster movie references may be lost on younger viewers, but adults will smile in knowing recognition at the gentle bits of parody thrown in from time to time (we finally get to see that Luca's been doing more than just sleeping with the fishes all these years). The film is lovely to look at, with the urban aquatic landscape beautifully rendered in multi-colored splendor. The three leading actors provide lively and energetic voice work and they are matched by Renee Zellweger, Angelina Jolie, Martin Scorsese and Katie Couric in somewhat lesser roles.
As stated before, "Shark Tale" is no "Shrek" in either the cleverness or laughs departments, but it should keep young and old alike entertained if not exactly enthralled.