For children of the 2000s, Shark Tale is a comfort film. It is the cinematic equivalent of a jelly donut: a little messy, a little artificial, but surprisingly sweet. It teaches a simple lesson (be yourself, don’t lie to be famous) wrapped in the most chaotic packaging imaginable.
The plot centers on Oscar, a fast-talking, ambitious bluestreak cleaner wrasse voiced by Will Smith. Oscar works at the Whale of a Wash but dreams of living at the top of the Reef. His life changes when he is mistakenly credited with killing a shark named Frankie, the son of the great white shark mob boss, Don Lino (Robert De Niro). DreamWorks Shark Tale
Robert De Niro as Don Lino: A direct homage to his iconic roles in The Godfather and Goodfellas. For children of the 2000s, Shark Tale is a comfort film
One of the film's defining features was how closely the characters' designs mirrored their high-profile voice actors: The plot centers on Oscar, a fast-talking, ambitious
The world of Shark Tale is not a realistic ocean; it is a heightened, urban fantasy. The coral resembles skyscrapers and billboards. The "Whale Wash" looks like a car wash, complete with hanging sponges and waxing stations. The fish themselves are designed to look like their human counterparts. Oscar has Smith’s ears and fade; Don Lino has De Niro’s signature mole and brow line; Sykes the pufferfish has Scorsese’s thick eyebrows.