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Movies / Upcoming / Shark Tale
Shark Tale

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Shark Tale (2004)

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34 %
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Reviews Counted:169

Fresh:58

Rotten:111

Average Rating:5.1/10

Consensus: Derivative and full of pop culture in-jokes.

Runtime: 90 mins

Genre: Comedies

US Box Office: $160,762,022

Synopsis: Oscar (Will Smith) is a fast-talking little fish who dreams big. But his big dreams land him in hot water when a great white lie turns him into an unlikely hero. At first, his fellow fish swallow... Oscar (Will Smith) is a fast-talking little fish who dreams big. But his big dreams land him in hot water when a great white lie turns him into an unlikely hero. At first, his fellow fish swallow Oscar’s story hook, line and sinker and he is showered with fame and fortune. It’s all going along swimmingly, until it starts to become clear that Oscar’s tale about being the defender of the Reef is all wet. Oscar is finding out that being a hero comes at a Market Price when his lie threatens to make him the Catch of the Day. Now he has to tread water until he can get the scales to tip back in his favor again. "Shark Tale" stars the voices of Will Smith as Oscar, a hustler, who has always been able to fin-agle his way out of trouble, until now; two-time Academy Award® winner Robert De Niro ("Raging Bull," "The Godfather, Part II") as Don Lino, a great white shark at the top of the Reef’s food chain; two-time Oscar® nominee Renée Zellweger ("Chicago," "Bridget Jones’s Diary") as Angie, a beautiful angel fish who harbors a secret crush on Oscar; Academy Award® winner Angelina Jolie ("Girl, Interrupted") as Lola, the femme fatale, a dragon fish who uses her feminine wiles to get what she wants; Jack Black ("School of Rock") as Don Lino’s son Lenny, a great white shark who is a closet vegetarian; and multiple Oscar®-nominated director Martin Scorsese ("Gangs of New York," "Goodfellas") as Sykes, a puffer fish who is full of hot air and never misses an opportunity to make a few extra clams. Rounding out the main cast are: veteran actor Peter Falk ("Columbo") as Don Brizzi, a shark who is long in the tooth, but still has plenty of bite left; Michael Imperioli ("The Sopranos") as Don Lino’s oldest son Frankie, a chip off the old shark; Vincent Pastore ("The Sopranos") as Luca, an oily octopus, which makes him the perfect right-hand man; and Doug E. Doug and Ziggy Marley as Bernie and Ernie, two Rastafarian jelly fish with a stinging sense of humor. "Shark Tale" is directed by Eric "Bibo" Bergeron and Vicky Jenson, with Rob Letterman serving as co-director. Bill Damaschke, Janet Healy and Allison Segan are producing. [More]

Starring: Will Smith, Renée Zellweger, Jack Black, Martin Scorsese

Starring: Will Smith, Renée Zellweger, Jack Black, Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Angelina Jolie, Ziggy Marley, Peter Falk, Vincent Pastore, Michael Imperioli

Director: Vicky Jenson, Bibo Bergeron

Director: Vicky Jenson, Bibo Bergeron
Screenwriter: Mark Swift, Damian Shannon
Producer: Allison Lyon Segan, Bill Damaschke
Composer: Hans Zimmer
Studio: DreamWorks Distribution LLC

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Reviews for Shark Tale

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41 - 60 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
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It offers some nice animation and design, a not-unappealing theme, a few really good gags, some beguiling supporting characters -- and the flattest leads imaginable.

Full Review Source: Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) | comment Comment
10/07/04
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
10/06/04
Boston Phoenix
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
10/06/04
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
10/06/04
Sunday Times (Australia)
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The plot is extremely predictable, there’s too much product placement, and the thing’s boring in spots.

Full Review Source: Greenwich Village Gazette | comment Comment
10/06/04
Eric Lurio
Eric Lurio
Greenwich Village Gazette

The film vacillates between a mob picture and a Will Smith comedy and does neither one particularly well.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
10/06/04
Ethan Alter
Ethan Alter
Film Journal International

Ignore the complainers and see this film.

Full Review Source: San Diego Metropolitan | comment Comment
10/06/04
Jean Lowerison
Jean Lowerison
San Diego Metropolitan

Too much in-joking and stereotypes drown the film in its own conceit. Beautiful visuals but tired and recycled premise.

Full Review Source: Sympatico.ca | comment Comment
10/06/04
Angela Baldassarre
Angela Baldassarre
Sympatico.ca

...something smells mighty fishy about the lackluster Shark Tale...doesn’t take the bait as a viable vehicle that can stand on its own melodious merit

Full Review Source: Movie Eye | comment Comment
10/06/04
Frank Ochieng
Frank Ochieng
Movie Eye

There are laughs, yes, but nothing so witty you'll remember it later, and nothing so touching you'll get a lump in your throat.

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
10/05/04
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com

If you want animated undersea entertainment, go find Nemo.

Full Review Source: Quad City Times (Davenport, IA) | comment 1 Comment
10/05/04
Linda Cook
Linda Cook
Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)

A colorful, vibrant and charismatic treat that plays to both kids and adults...

Full Review Source: Entertainment Today | comment Comment
10/05/04
Brent Simon
Brent Simon
Entertainment Today

With all the talent involved, Shark Tale should have been so much better than this.

Full Review Source: Three Movie Buffs | comment Comment
10/05/04
Scott Nash
Scott Nash
Three Movie Buffs

Too many stars as the vocal talent sink this soggy saga

Full Review Source: jackiekcooper.com | comment Comment
10/04/04
Jackie K. Cooper
Jackie K. Cooper
jackiekcooper.com

Nearly every joke involves placing a stereotype regarding urban culture or organized crime onto a fish of some kind.

Full Review Source: Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) | comment Comment
10/04/04
Josh Larsen
Josh Larsen
Sun Publications (Chicago, IL)

This kindergarten bait is going to flood the boxoffice because of a juvenile hunger for tidbits they can get their hooks into.

Full Review Source: Cinema Signals | comment Comment
10/04/04
Jules Brenner
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals

A surprising dearth of action means kids may tire of this comparatively talky and character-driven film.

Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews | comment Comment
10/04/04
John P. McCarthy
John P. McCarthy
ReelTalk Movie Reviews

It is not in the same level of Finding Nemo but I still think it is worth seeing.

Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper | comment Comment
10/04/04
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Ebert & Roeper
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Shark Tale is not without charms, but they are lost at sea. A shallow one at that.

Full Review Source: Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL) | comment Comment
10/04/04
Jeffrey Westhoff
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

. . . more concerned with keeping the puns flowing than with actually telling a good story

Full Review Source: Sean the Movie Guy | comment Comment
10/04/04
Sean McBride
Sean McBride
Sean the Movie Guy
 
 
41 - 60 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
all

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