SHARK TALE
US, 2004, 90 minutes, Colour.
Voices of: Will Smith, Rene Zellwegger, Angelina Jolie, Robert de Niro, Martin Scorsese, Jack Black, Peter Falk.
Directed by Bibo Bergeron, Vicki Jenson.
This is one of those films where you wish you could review more enthusiastically, but can’t. Having seen it with an audience of children, I am conscious that they did not laugh very much and the littlies were restless. While there is plenty of colour and movement on the screen, the tale is really geared for grown-ups, as is the smart dialogue and the movie references and parodies. This means that it is quite entertaining, but (as many of the children said, it is not Finding Nemo).
The idea of having a sub-marine New York City, complete with shops, TV, traffic and the Mafia (the sharks) is an amusing one. Much of the enjoyment comes from life in the sea being a parody of land life. With the Mafia, there is a plot of standover tactics by the Don (Robert de Niro), his younger son being unable to be a killer (Jack Black) and a hero fish who is believed to be a shark killer, fosters the legend and enjoys the celebrity (Will Smith) much to the disgust of his girlfriend (Renee Zellwegger). Martin Scorsese voices his agent and Angelina Jolie is the fish fatale. You will notice Peter Falk’s voice as well as a consigliere.
All this is very clever, especially with the animation figures looking like Smith, Scorsese and de Niro. But, it is more of a pastime than a classic animation film.
1.The popularity of the film? Not a total success?
2.The impact for children? Enough action and humour? For adults – and their knowing their movies, for film buffs?
3.The animation style, computer graphics, traditional animation? The drawing of the city under the sea, the anthropomorphising of the fish? The blend of comedy, action, pathos? The songs?
4.The quality of the voices, the characters looking like the actors voicing them? The sound, the tone, the jokes?
5.The underwater city, the parallels with American cities, especially New York? Audiences enjoying the detail and the parallels, the style, the dwellings, TV reporters, whale wash…?
6.The movies associated with the stars and the film drawing on these: the work of Will Smith and his kinetic style, Renee Zellwegger as heroine, Angelina Jolie as villain, Robert de Niro as Godfather, Jack Black and his comic voice, Martin Scorsese as the agent, Peter Falk as the counsellor? The blend?
7.The work of Don Lino, the sharks, Lino and his sons, the parallels with the Godfather? Lennie, soft, a vegetarian? The contrast with Frankie? The expectations of Don Lino? The tension for Lennie and his failure to be a proper shark?
8.Oscar’s story, the voice of Will Smith, his girlfriend, Renee Zellwegger? Working at the whale wash, the owner, the Martin Scorsese clipped enunciation? His ambitions, wanting to become a hero, love for Angie, love for gambling, the races? Sykes and his character, domination, sending Oscar out to sea?
9.Lennie and Frankie, Lennie having to learn to kill, his not wanting to eat Oscar? Frankie and his being killed by the anchor? An opportunity for Oscar, the celebrity, the shark slayer, the response of Lola coming on to him, Angie?
10.The character of Angie, nice, the relationship with Oscar, at the whale wash, feeling betrayed? Saving Oscar? Lola, the contrast with Angelina Jolie’s style, the vamp, exploiting Oscar?
11.Lennie hiding, Oscar and his pretending to kill Lennie? The bond between the two? His helping Lennie to survive?
12.Lola, her attitude towards Angie, her vengeance on being rejected by Oscar? Going to Don Lino? Taking Angie, using her for bait?
13.Lennie and his saving Angie, the dolphin disguise?
14.Don Lino, his pursuit, his attitude towards Oscar, going to the whale wash?
15.Oscar, Sykes, their being hauled before Don Lino, the counsellors, the meeting, the judgments? Oscar’s confession?
16.The happy reconciliation – and the reef being safe?
17.Oscar and his final celebrity after his honesty? Sykes and his being opportunistic?
18.The range of supporting characters, Peter Falk as the counsellor, the television interviewer and the style of interviews under the sea? Friends? The social background? The world of the sharks? The city world of the fish?
