Compared with it's illustrious peers - very average

Rating: 5/10 (12 October 2004)

Spurred to write after reading the rather blatantly biased front page user comment....
In no way should this movie be mentioned in the same breath as Nemo, Toy Story, Shrek 2, Ice Age etc. It's not in their league - or should that be fathom? It lacks 'wit' and subtlety and tries waaaay too hard to be fast and funny - when it's actually neither. It's bland and very forgettable.
The storyline was un-original and linear - the characters stereo-types. I winced at each 'fish related' gag - and found the main character annoying. The whole was predictable and ironically - colourless.
I think that the energy of this medium wains. The wow factor of the comp. animation has worn off - and the focus falls more and more on the storyline and characters. It's not enough to pack each scene with visual detail and hire charismatic voice-overs. Ice age was a lesson that less can be more - and it's a shame that Sharks Tale didn't work this out. They thought underwater detail and light effects and a few fin-gags was all that was needed. Not for this viewer it isn't.
What bothers me is that this is top of the box office in the states. Hoping they have a school holiday over there at the moment....Is it me - or does the lowest common denominator get lower and lower each year?