Shark Tale is a 2004 American computer-animated comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation. It tells the story of a young fish named Oscar (voiced by Will Smith) who falsely claims to have killed the son of a shark mob boss to win favor with the mob boss's enemies and advance his own community standing. The film additionally features the voices of Jack Black as Lenny, Renée Zellweger as Angie, Angelina Jolie as Lola, Martin Scorsese as Sykes and Robert De Niro as Don Lino.
Despite the film's mixed to negative reviews, Shark Tale proved to be a box office success, opening at #1 with $47.6 million, which was the second highest opening for a Dreamworks Animation film at the time, behind Shrek 2 ($108 million). It remained as the #1 film in the U.S. and Canada for its second and third weekends, and made $367 million worldwide against its $75 million budget. It was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
A sequel titled "Shark Tale: Super Shark" to be set on released on Netflix and on 17 November 2023.
Plot[]
An underachieving bluestreak cleaner wrasse named Oscar (Will Smith) fantasizes about being rich and famous while making his way to work as a tongue scrubber at the local Whale Wash, a job in which he is following in his father's footsteps. Soon after arriving he is called to the office of his boss, a puffer fish named Sykes (Martin Scorsese), to discuss the fact that he owes "five thousand clams" and has to pay it back by the next day. After explaining this to his angelfish best friend Angie, (Renée Zellweger), she offers him a chance to pay back the money by pawning a pink pearl that was a gift from her grandmother. Oscar brings the money to the race track to meet Sykes, but becomes distracted by his dreams of grandeur and, upon hearing that the race is rigged, places it all on a long-shot bet by the name of "Lucky Day". Such a million dollar bet is noticed nearby by a beautiful lionfish named Lola (Angelina Jolie), who flagrantly seduces an excited Oscar, but Oscar is disappointed when she leaves upon learning that he is a whale washer. Sykes is furious that Oscar bet the money but nonetheless agrees to see how the race turns out. Moments before their "horse", "Lucky Day" crosses the finish line, he trips and falls on line. The race is lost and Oscar is set to be punished in a secluded area for his impulsiveness.
Meanwhile, on another side of the ocean, in the wreck of the RMS Titanic, a family of criminally-inclined Great White Sharks has a problem with one of their sons, Lenny (Jack Black), who is a vegetarian. Lenny refuses to act the part of a killer and wishes to not have to live up to those expectations. His father, Don Lino (Robert De Niro), orders Lenny's more savage big brother Frankie (Michael Imperioli) to tutor Lenny in the family business. After the two sharks depart their father, Frankie sees Oscar being electrocuted by Ernie and Bernie (Doug E. Doug & Ziggy Marley), Sykes' two jellyfish thugs, and sends Lenny off to attack. The jellyfish spot Lenny and flee, leaving Oscar alone with him. Instead of attacking Oscar, Lenny frees him, upsetting Frankie, who becomes annoyed and charges at Oscar. Frankie is killed, however, when an anchor falls on him. Lenny flees, overcome with grief and guilt. As no other witnesses were present, and Oscar was seen near the body, everyone comes to believe that he killed Frankie, and opportunity that Oscar decides to exploit for fame.
Oscar returns to the city with a new title of the Sharkslayer. Sykes becomes his manager, Lola becomes his girlfriend, and Oscar moves to the "top of the reef" to live in luxury. At the same time, Don Lino has everyone out looking for Lenny, and when several get close to Oscar's neighborhood, Oscar's neighbors expect him to drive them away. When Oscar runs into Lenny, Lenny, who does not wish to return home, forces Oscar to let him stay with him, since he is aware of Oscar's lie. Soon Angie finds out about the lie and threatens to tell everyone, but Oscar and Lenny convince her to keep quiet, though she is heartbroken by Oscar's dishonesty. Oscar's situation is not helped by the shallow Lola, who indicates to him that her interest in him extends only as far as he remains famous. With Don Lino planning revenge, Oscar and Lenny stage an event in which Lenny pretends to terrorize the town and Oscar must defeat him, throwing him into the depths of the ocean. Though this further cements Oscar as the Sharkslayer, it greatly angers Don Lino. Oscar leaves Lola for Angie after Angie reveals that she had feelings for Oscar even before he became famous, but this leaves the rebuffed Lola determined to get revenge.
Oscar buys some Valentine's Day gifts for Angie, but before he can present them to her, he finds that Don Lino has kidnapped Angie in order to force a sit-down. Lenny comes along, now disguised as a dolphin named Sebastian. They arrive at the meeting to find Lola next to Don Lino, while Angie is tied up and presented to Don Lino on a plate, who prepares to eat her if Oscar does not comply. Lenny grabs Angie into his mouth, but later regurgitates her, and when Don Lino realizes that "Sebastian" is really Lenny, he chases Oscar through the reef. Oscar heads for the Whale Wash and ends up trapping both sharks. He is given an ovation by the other fish, but Oscar confesses that he is not a "Sharkslayer", and that it was a falling anchor that killed Frankie and Lenny says he ran away because he was fed up with Don Leno constantly wanting him to be like Frankie. Oscar then tells Don Lino that everyone likes Lenny for who he is, strongly urging him not to prejudge people before he knows them properly and to not make the mistake he made in prejudging his wealth and fame. Realizing that Oscar is right, Don Lino apologizes to Lenny and reconciles with him while making peace with Oscar, stating that he and his gang bear him no ill will. Oscar forsakes all the wealth he has acquired, makes peace with the sharks, becomes manager of the Whale Wash (now frequented by sharks), and starts dating Angie and enjoys a happy, honest life.
In a post-credits scene, Lola comes to see Oscar in the top of the reef, wanting to make amends with him for what she did, but all she finds is a hermit crab named Crazy Joe (David P. Smith) waiting for her.
Cast[]
- Will Smith as Oscar, an underachieving worker in the Whalewash of Reef City. He wants to be rich, but his schemes always fail and he owes 5,000 clams to Mr. Sykes.
- Jack Black as Lenny, a great white shark who is a closeted vegetarian.
- Robert De Niro as Don Lino, Lenny and Frankie's father, the leader of a mob of criminally-inclined sharks. He wants Lenny and Frankie to take over the business and run it together, and is infuriated when Oscar gets in the way.
- Renee Zellweger as Angie, an angelfish, Oscar's best friend and coworker. Angie harbors a secret unrequited love for Oscar.
- Angelina Jolie as Lola, a seductive female gold-digger lionfish whom Oscar develops a romantic interest in.
- Martin Scorsese as Sykes, a porcupinefish and a loan shark whom Oscar owes five thousand clams to. He once worked for Don Lino but was thrown out and called in his debts to pay off the gangster.
- Ziggy Marley and Doug E. Doug as Ernie and Bernie, two Jamaican jellyfish and Mr. Sykes' henchmen. They enjoy jabbing Oscar with their vicious stingers when he is in trouble with Sykes.
- Michael Imperioli as Frankie, Lenny's brother, the more savage son of Lino. Like Lino, he is embarrassed by Lenny's vegetarian tendencies.
- Vincent Pastore as Luca, Don Lino's "left-hand, right-hand man". Luca is an octopus with a tendency to state the obvious.
- Peter Falk as Don Feinberg, an elderly leopard shark who is a friend of Don Lino. He performs karaoke (badly) at the sharks' headquarters.
- David P. Smith as Crazy Joe, a deranged hermit crab who is Oscar's other friend. He normally lives in a dumpster near the Whalewash.
- Katie Couric as Katie Current, the local reporter, in the U.S. release. At the time, Katie Couric hosted Today in America. In the Australian release, then local Today co-host Tracy Grimshaw dubbed the lines. Fiona Phillips of the UK's GMTV performed the voice for the UK release of the film. Cristina Parodi of Italy's Verissimo provided the Italian version of the character.
- Shelley Morrison as Mrs. Sanchez.
- Phil LaMarr as Prawn Shop Owner.
- David L Yanover as Taxi Fish.
- Latifa Ouaou as Whale Wash Co-Worker 1.
- Sean Bishop as Whale, Great White 4, and Killer Whale 1, and Tip Fish 1.
- Steve Alterman as Tip Fish 2.
- Bobbe J Thompson as Shortie 1.
- Karnali Minter as Shortie 2.
- Emily Lyon Segan as Shortie 3.
- James Madio as Great White 2 and Hammerhead 1.
- David Soren as Worm on the hook, Starfish 1 with Mussel Crowe, Killer Whale 2, and Shrimp.
- James Ryan as Oyster, Starfish 2 with Jessica Shrimpson, Starfish 3 with Cod Stewart, Cashier, and Clown Whale.
International Dubbing[]
Danish[]
- Casper Christensen: Oscar
- Dick Kaysø: Don Lino
- Iben Hjejle: Angie
- Peter Secher Schmidt: Lenny
- Tammi Øst: Lola
- Lars Knutzon: Sykes
- Ali Kazim: Ernie
- Janus Nabil Bakrawi: Bernie
- Peter Zhelder: Frankie
- Peter Aude: Luca
- Peter Belli: Don Feinberg
Additional Voices[]
- Annevig Schelde Ebbe
- Birgitte Hall
- Donald Andersen
- Jarl Thiesgaard
- Jens Jacob Tychsen
- Lars Thiesgaard
- Lasse Lunderskov
- Lene Bærkgaard Williams
- Mads Eggert
- Peter Aude
- Puk Scharbau
- Stefan Geweke
- Søren Ulrichs
- Thomas Mørk
- Tillie Bech
- Tine Sehested Høeg
- Torben Sekov
- Vibeke Dueholm
Critical Reception[]
Shark Tale received mixed to negative reviews from critics with a 36% based on 183 reviews with an average score of 5.15/10 on Rotten Tomatoes.
Songs[]
- Christina Aguilera (featuring Missy Elliott) - Car Wash (Shark Tale Mix)
- O.Banga - Ready, Ready
- Sir Mix-A-Lot - Baby Got Back
- Ziggy Marley & Sean Paul - Three Little Birds
- Kool & The Gang - Ladies Night
- The Five Stairsteps - Ooh Child
- Ludacris (featuring Bobby V. and Lil' Fate) - Gold Digger
- Madness - The Prince (Wubble-U Remix)
- Mary J. Bige (featuring Will Smith) - Got To Be Real
- JoJo - Secret Love
- Justin Timberlake (featuring Timbaland) - Good Foot
- Boots Randolph - Yakety Sax
- Avant - Can't Wait
- Elvis Presley - A Little Less Conversation (Junkie XL Remix)
- India Arie - Get It Together
- Cheryl Lynn - Secret Kind Of Life
- Four Tops - I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)
- D12 - Lies & Rumours
- The Pussycat Dolls - Far As We Felt Like Goin'
Supplements[]
DVD[]
- Rough Waters
- Star Fish
- The Music of Shark Tale
- A Fishified World
- Gigi the Whale
- A Tour You Can't Reef-Use!!
- Filmmakers' Commentary
- Previews - Shrek 2, Balto III: Wings of Change, The Land Before Time XI: Invasion of the Tinysauruses
- Cast
- Filmmakers
Trivia[]
- This movie can be featured on the Game Boy Advance Video.
- It is paired with Shrek 2, Wings of Change, and Invasion of the Tinysauruses.
- There are five previews on the DVD of Shark Tale.
Sequel[]
In August 2023, the title was revealed as "Shark Tale: Super Shark" and was announced for a 17 November 2023 release on Netflix.
Gallery[]
