A shark of a good time - Shark Tale Reviews

Although no Finding Nemo, Shark Tale is entertaining enough to stand on its own as a comical achievement. The story this time evolves around the lives of sea creatures that inhabit an urban reef. Simply put, there are many laughs are to be had on the innumerable movie and pop culture references by its all-star cast. This zippy adventure follows the lives of several characters, including a fish named Oscar (Smith) who yearns to become a "somebody" by moving upward on the ladder of society, while his "best friend" (Zellweger) years for Oscar's attention. On the other side of the reef, the shark godfather of the ocean (De Niro) is trying to transform his son (Black) from a vegetarian into a ferocious carnivore. Things go wrong when Oscar must pay back debts to his employer (Scorcese), and when he can't deliver he has an unfortunate run-in with a shark. However, through a complete accident, Oscar escapes with his life and becomes notorized as the "shark slayer" of the reef. Eventually, he teams-up with Black to help solidify his new mantle, as well as to help Black escape from his father. What really is astounding is the enormous list of enjoyable characters. No one's part is overdone, and each character provides their own unique source of humor. Visually, the movie is colorful and jazzy, but lacks the fluid motions from its Nemo counterpart. Still, a great soundtrack adds to the overall flavor of the movie, which is indeed delicious. This movie is a great achievement, and well worth a trip to the Box Office.