---
title: "Shark Tale"
year: 2004
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/shark-tale"
fi1m_id: "shark-tale"
imdb_id: "tt0307453"
tmdb_id: 10555
wikidata_id: "Q120367"
fi1m_score: 40
critics_score: 40
critics_reviews: 11
published: "2026-10-05T03:30:56.758550+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-05T03:30:57.312586+00:00"
region: "AE"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Shark Tale (2004)

Directed by Vicky Jenson, Bibo Bergeron, Rob Letterman · 1h 30m · Animation, Action, Comedy, Family

## Identity

Shark Tale

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/shark-tale
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** shark-tale
- **IMDb ID:** tt0307453
- **TMDB ID:** 10555
- **Wikidata ID:** Q120367
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0307453/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/10555, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q120367

**Fi1m score: 40** · Critics 40 from 11 reviews

*In a sentence:* The whale wash has more going for it than most of the fish

> *Shark Tale* has an amusing underwater city and a voice cast willing to work, but its recycled gangland jokes and thin characters make a short family film feel like a long evening.

## Synopsis

An underwater version of Manhattan is home to a fish voiced by Will Smith, Angie (Renée Zellweger) and Lenny (Jack Black). Around them, sea creatures go about recognisably human business, with a whale wash among the city’s amenities. Don Lino (Robert De Niro) and Sykes (Martin Scorsese), a puffer fish, bring Mafia dealings into this aquatic neighbourhood. The opening introduces a city where everyday bustle sits alongside gangland conversations, and where the inhabitants borrow their habits, their entertainments and their business arrangements from the people on dry land.

## Review

*Shark Tale* is a busy, poorly judged family comedy with a few good voices and too little for them to do. Directors Bibo Bergeron, Rob Letterman and Vicky Jenson build an underwater city around human appetites, familiar screen gangsters and conspicuous consumer goods. There is an amusing film somewhere in that arrangement, particularly when the fish get on with running the place. Too often, though, the joke amounts to recognising something that was already a joke on dry land.

Daniel St. Pierre’s production design supplies the most persuasive reason to stay: an undersea Manhattan with enough urban bustle to make the whale wash seem a sensible local business. That detail made us smile because it gives the creatures something to do besides impersonate people. Gil Zimmerman’s cinematography keeps the city visually lively, though the crowded images can make it difficult to know where to look. We wanted longer to enjoy the setting without another reference demanding attention.

We laughed at the early exchanges between Don Lino and Sykes, where Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese make the gangland fuss briefly worth listening to. Martin Scorsese’s puffer fish is particularly welcome: his voice gives the character more comic life than the writing supplies. Will Smith brings energy to his part, and the cast cannot reasonably be accused of withholding effort. The difficulty is that lively delivery keeps having to compensate for thin characters.

The writing credits belong to Michael J. Wilson, Rob Letterman and Lona Williams, and the script leans heavily on Mafia comedy, film references and readily packaged lessons. The adult jokes are meant to give parents something to enjoy alongside their children. Some do, but recognition is too often treated as sufficient reward. The brand jokes are especially wearing, because there is so little amusement beyond the fact that a familiar commercial idea has been transferred underwater.

John Venzon and Peter Lonsdale’s editing does little to relieve the sense of a film keeping itself occupied. At 90 minutes, it should be a brisk evening; instead, the constant business makes the weak story harder to ignore. Hans Zimmer’s music cannot make the moral lessons feel earned, because the characters have so little substance before those lessons arrive. We kept looking for a pause in which one of these fish might become more interesting than the next gag.

As a family animation, it also makes an awkward choice about its creatures. Their human qualities leave little room for curiosity about the ocean, while the character design is often less inviting than the city surrounding it. A fish need not behave like a fish for a comedy to work, but there ought to be pleasure in watching it move through this particular place. Here the Mafia routine and the consumer jokes keep pulling attention back to familiar human business.

The voices and the whale wash prevent this from becoming wholly dispiriting, and there are enough isolated comic touches to explain a warmer response. We cannot recommend a family film that offers its characters so little beyond a recognisable type and a lesson to learn. Anyone drawn chiefly by the cast may find a few agreeable minutes. For a shared evening, choose something that gives the children as much consideration as the adults spotting references.

*Fi1m score 40, published 5 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics find Shark Tale disappointing, with praise concentrated on the comic voice performances rather than the story or characters. Even some unfavourable reviews enjoy the gangland exchanges and Martin Scorsese’s puffer-fish performance. The colourful undersea city and occasional peripheral jokes also earn approval, while the more receptive critics find enough irreverent humour and film references to make it serviceable family entertainment.

The main complaints concern recycled jokes, thin characterisation and a story that struggles to sustain its promising premise. Critics differ over the adult-oriented references: some find them amusing, while others see stale Mafia comedy and intrusive commercial gags. The spread is wide despite the predominantly negative response: RogerEbert.com finds the film entertaining and praises its energy and voices, albeit with reservations about how it compares with earlier animation. Slant Magazine’s objections go further than weak storytelling, singling out racial and ethnic stereotypes and consumerist messaging.

## Straight answers

**Is Shark Tale worth watching?**

*Shark Tale* is hard to recommend for a family evening: we score it 40/100 for its thin characters and recycled gangland jokes. The lively underwater city and willing voice cast offer occasional amusement, especially for adults spotting references, but the weak story makes its 90 minutes feel longer than they should.

**How long is Shark Tale, and what is it rated?**

*Shark Tale* runs 1h 30m. It is an animation and action film.

**Where can I watch Shark Tale in the UAE?**

*Shark Tale* is available to rent from Apple TV from AED 14.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How does Shark Tale compare to Finding Nemo?**

*Shark Tale* is the weaker family film beside [*Finding Nemo*](https://film.one/film/finding-nemo), which gives its undersea inhabitants more character and its adventure more feeling. We prefer *Finding Nemo* for a shared evening, despite its sometimes insistent parenting advice; *Shark Tale* puts more effort into Mafia routines and consumer jokes than into making us care about its fish.

**What should I watch after Shark Tale?**

After *Shark Tale*, try [*Finding Nemo*](https://film.one/film/finding-nemo) (2003, Fi1m 85): Another undersea community, with far more attention paid to its inhabitants. Then [*Chicken Run*](https://film.one/film/chicken-run) (2000, Fi1m 84): Film references serve a proper escape story, with characters worth worrying about; and [*Ernest & Celestine*](https://film.one/film/ernest-and-celestine) (2012, Fi1m 84): A gentler animal society, with a friendship given time to matter.

### Reviews we read (11)

- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (3/4): Ebert finds the film entertaining but less successful than its animated predecessors. He praises its colorful energy and comic voice performances. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/shark-tale-2004)
- **Screen Daily**, Lee Marshall (64/100, inferred): The page identifies this as Screen's review of the 2004 film, but its verdict is not visible. The paywall also prevents identifying what the critic singled out for praise or complaint. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/shark-tale/4020099.article)
- **Radio Times**, Sloan Freer (3/5): Freer finds the film entirely serviceable. Its irreverent humour and adult-friendly movie skits keep it buoyant, though its humanised sea life lacks natural magic. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-m088f5/shark-tale/)
- **The Guardian**, Rob Mackie (60/100, inferred): Mackie finds the film pleasant enough, though clearly inferior to Finding Nemo. He praises several voice performances and comic touches, while faulting the film’s obvious gags. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2005/feb/11/dvdreviews1)
- **Empire**, William Thomas (35/100, inferred): Thomas finds the film serviceable family entertainment, but says it is less sharp and engaging than it thinks. He praises the voice performances and adult-oriented jokes, while criticizing the character design and product-placement gags. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/shark-tale-review/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (30/100, inferred): Turan finds the film stale and overly busy, with familiar Mafia comedy and canned moral lessons. He praises the visually lively undersea Manhattan and some charming peripheral ideas, including the whale wash. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-oct-01-et-shark1-story.html)
- **Time Out**, LZ (30/100, inferred): The available excerpt suggests the critic is skeptical of the film. It singles out its heavily merchandised computer animation as a concern. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/shark-tale)
- **Slant Magazine**, Nick Schager (1/4): Schager strongly pans the film as grating and misguided. He especially objects to its racial and ethnic stereotypes and consumerist messaging. [Read](https://2022.slantmagazine.com/film/shark-tale/)
- **The AV Club**, Scott Tobias (25/100, inferred): Tobias finds the film impersonal and feeble, despite a promising premise. He praises the lively early gangland scenes, especially the exchanges between De Niro and Scorsese. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/shark-tale-1798200070)
- **Variety**, Todd McCarthy (10/100, inferred): McCarthy pans the film as stale, crass, and built from recycled movie references. He singles out Martin Scorsese’s puffer-fish voice performance as its most amusing element. [Read](https://variety.com/2004/film/awards/shark-tale-1200531140/)
- **Eye for Film**, Angus Wolfe Murray (20/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a disappointing, uninspired follow-up to Shrek. They single out its predictable humor, underdeveloped characters, and weak story as major shortcomings. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/shark-tale-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

## Details

- **Director:** Vicky Jenson, Bibo Bergeron, Rob Letterman
- **Director:** Vicky Jenson, Bibo Bergeron, Rob Letterman
- **Screenplay:** Michael J. Wilson, Rob Letterman
- **Writer:** Lona Williams
- **Cinematography:** Gil Zimmerman
- **Editor:** John Venzon, Peter Lonsdale
- **Music:** Hans Zimmer
- **Production design:** Daniel St. Pierre
- **Producer:** Bill Damaschke, Allison Lyon Segan, Janet Healy
- **Cast:** Will Smith as Oscar (voice); Robert De Niro as Don Lino (voice); Renée Zellweger as Angie (voice); Jack Black as Lenny (voice); Angelina Jolie as Lola (voice); Ziggy Marley as Ernie (voice); Martin Scorsese as Sykes (voice); David P. Smith as Crazy Joe (voice)
- **Runtime:** 1h 30m
- **Release (the UAE):** 10 November 2004
- **Genres:** Animation, Action, Comedy, Family
- **Budget:** $75 million
- **Box office:** $367 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mp2SbaK8dDg

## Where to watch in the UAE

- Apple TV: rent AED 14.99, hd
- Apple TV: buy AED 29.99, hd

*Checked 2026-10-05.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2005: Best Animated Feature (nominated)
- BAFTA Film Awards 2005: BAFTA's Children & Young People Award - Feature Film (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *Finding Nemo* (2003), Fi1m 85: Another undersea community, with far more attention paid to its inhabitants. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/finding-nemo.md)
- *Chicken Run* (2000), Fi1m 84: Film references serve a proper escape story, with characters worth worrying about. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/chicken-run.md)
- *A Town Called Panic* (2009): For animated chaos whose peculiar jokes need no celebrity recognition.
- *Ernest & Celestine* (2012), Fi1m 84: A gentler animal society, with a friendship given time to matter. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ernest-and-celestine.md)
- *The Castle of Cagliostro* (1979), Fi1m 80: For a more nimble animated crime caper, with room for warmth. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-castle-of-cagliostro.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/shark-tale