Shark Tale

Hmmm, so you might be saying "Finding Nemo's" smaller less good brother (or rip off). And in some respects you would be right. This is a cartoon. This is a cartoon about fish. This is a cartoon about fish that talk. Sounds like Finding Nemo to me? Unlike Finding Nemo this is actually a comedy and is meant to be that way.

Whats the plot?

Under the ocean, Oscar (voice of Will Smith) is a tongue-scrubber at a "whale-wash" and part-time hustler. He wishes for a better life, hoping to swim his way to the top of the fish social ladder, though his coworker Angie (voice of Renee Zellweger) thinks he should be happy with who he is, and tries to subtly drop hints that she's quite taken with him.

Meanwhile, great white shark and local crime boss Don Lino (voice of Robert De Niro) is planning to turn his family business over to his two sons, Frankie and Lenny. But Lenny (voice of Jack Black) is harboring some serious issues concerning eating other fish, and the godfather is worried his weak son with reflect poorly on him.

Oscar has problems. In debt to his boss Sykes (voice of Martin Scorsese), he soon ends up in hot water. However, fate runs him smack into Frankie and Lenny. During the scuffle, an anchor accidentally kills Frankie and Oscar is mistakenly given credit for the kill. Now a media celebrity for being a "shark slayer," Oscar rides his status all the way to the top, with Sykes managing his interests and the sharks fuming that their top spot in the food chain is quickly losing its power.

Situations soon escalate and Oscar and Lenny reach an agreement: if they fake a battle and Oscar emerges triumphant, he can keep his credibility as a shark slayer and Lenny can start a new life.

(stolen from IMDB)

The "cast list" reads like a who's who in Hollywood (see the names above!). The animation is such that the "fish" do actually look like the people voicing them - eg: Oscar/Will Smith, he has big ears!

If you are a fan of cinema then you will love this film. There are complete take-offs of the Godfather and Jaws throughout the film. The animation is vibrant and in your face. This film does not even try to be "fish" like, characters (actors/actresses?) wear clothes, live in housing in cities, have electricity, watch tv, for crying out loud they all speak the same language! (that never happens in the real ocean....) This season has quite a few very strong contenders for best cartoon of the season and Shark Tale is one of them.