Shark Tale (2004)

When a son of a gangster shark boss is accidently killed while on the hunt, his would-be prey and his vegetarian brother both decide to use the incident to their own advantage.

Directors:

Bibo Bergeron, Vicky Jenson,

Writers:

Michael J. Wilson (screenplay), Rob Letterman (screenplay),

Stars:

Will Smith, Robert De Niro, Renée Zellweger

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Will Smith	...	Oscar (voice)
Robert De Niro	...	Don Lino (voice)
Renée Zellweger	...	Angie (voice)
Jack Black	...	Lenny (voice)
Angelina Jolie	...	Lola (voice)
Martin Scorsese	...	Sykes (voice)
Ziggy Marley	...	Ernie (voice)
Doug E. Doug	...	Bernie (voice)
Michael Imperioli	...	Frankie (voice)
Vincent Pastore	...	Luca (voice)
Peter Falk	...	Don Feinberg (voice)
Katie Couric	...	Katie Current (voice)
David Soren	...	Shrimp / Worm / Starfish #1 / Killer Whale #2 (voice)
David P. Smith	...	Crazy Joe (voice)
Bobb'e J. Thompson	...	Shortie #1 (voice)

Storyline

The sea underworld is shaken up when the son of the shark mob boss is found dead and a young fish named Oscar is found at the scene. Being a bottom feeder, Oscar takes advantage of the situation and makes himself look like he killed the finned mobster. Oscar soon comes to realize that his claim may have serious consequences.

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Plot Keywords:

fish | shark | mobster | vegetarian | anchor | 

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Taglines:

A new school's gonna rule...

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some mild language and crude humor

Details

Official Sites:

DreamWorks Official site [it]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 October 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sharkslayer

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$75,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$468,690 (Japan) (11 March 2005)

Gross:

$4,151,626 (Japan) (8 April 2005)

Company Credits

Production Co:

DreamWorks Animation, DreamWorks SKG, Pacific Data Images (PDI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Anthony Anderson was cast as a sperm whale, but the role's suggestive dialogue got his character cut down. Anderson has only a few non-risqué lines: when the whale meets Angie, and when Oscar cleans the whale's eye.

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Goofs

Lenny tells Frankie that he's cold because he's cold blooded. In fact, great white sharks are one of four types of shark that are warm blooded.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[a shark slowly approaches a worm, who frantically struggles to get free of his line... ]
Lenny: Hi, I'm Lenny.
[the worm faints]
Lenny: Ooh! Little buddy, did I scare you?

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Crazy Credits

During the closing credits, there is a final scene in which Lola finds a surprise waiting for her in Oscar's penthouse suite.

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Connections

References Pinocchio (1940)

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Soundtracks

"Lies & Rumors"
Written by Proof (as D. Holton), Kon Artis (as D. Porter), Swift (as O. Moore),
Kuniva (as V. Carlisle), Bizarre (as R. Johnson) and M. Chavarria
Performed by D12
D12 appears courtesy of Shady / Interscope Records

User Reviews

Have Animated Features Jumped the Shark?

"Shark Tale" is the latest animated feature from DreamWorks, the same studio that gave us "Antz" and "Shrek." This new story can be called a cross between "Finding Nemo" and "The Godfather." It's no "Shrek," but it's still enjoyable. The voice talent was well cast, with Will Smith as Oscar, the ambitious "small fish in a big pond" who finds himself an instant celebrity; Jack Black as Lenny, a peaceful vegetarian shark; Robert DeNiro as Don Lino, Lenny's father, the head of a shark mob, etc. The animation looks good, and a lot of movie references are clever. Sometimes, though, the producers of the movie seem to be trying too hard. But even if it doesn't always hit the mark, "Shark Tale" is worth a look.