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I’ve always been a pretty dedicated Disney fan—which is obvious to anyone who’s taken a
gander at my movie collection. So DreamWorks animated films always seemed like a cheap
knock-off to me. It felt like they were missing something. When I saw the previews for
Shark Tale I was still a bit leery—despite the fact that it looked like a fun
movie. When it came to the local cheap theater, though, I figured it was worth a
buck—even if I didn’t like it.
Shark Tale is part The
Godfather, part Jaws, part Aladdin, and
part The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It’s the story of Oscar (Will Smith), who works
as a tongue-scrubber at the local whale wash—but he dreams of someday being
somebody. One day, he just happens to be nearby when a shark is accidentally
killed by a falling anchor. Oscar takes credit and becomes a local hero—they call him
the Shark Slayer. What Oscar doesn’t know, however, is that the shark he claims to have
killed was the son of Don Lino (Robert De Niro), the head of the shark mafia.
Meanwhile, Don Lino’s other son, Lenny (Jack Black), blames himself for
his brother’s death and decides to hide from his family. He’s afraid to tell his father
that he’s different—he’s a vegetarian—because he doesn’t think his father will be able to
accept him.
Together, Oscar and Lenny decide to use the situation to help
each other—and themselves—out.
So…first the bad news. Shark Tale
feeds on just about every cinematic cliché out there. And the hip-hop thing is a little
over-the-top at times. And this movie, like other DreamWorks animated flicks before,
just doesn’t seem to have the same heart that you’ll often find in a Disney movie.
The good news, however, is that it’s still a lot of fun. While it
doesn’t have that Disney Heart, it also doesn’t have the Disney Sap that’s often spread
just a little too thick. It’s not a really emotional film—it’s just plain entertaining.
It’s filled with all kinds of pop culture references that will keep the adults on their
toes (though it could be a problem for younger viewers—much of the movie may just go
right over their heads). And after seeing this movie, I swear that you’ll never look at
a shrimp cocktail the same way again.
Shark Tale may not become
an animated classic that’s adored by all for generations to come, but it’s still a fun
movie with plenty of laughs.
Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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