Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Shark Tale

This is topic Shark Tale in forum Film Handlers' Movie Reviews at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Paul Konen (Member # 41) on 09-29-2004, 10:58 AM:

Rather entertaining. Visuals are great.

(Mike Olpin might have to change his signature from his Nemo one)

EDIT: Because Richard asked, but he can keep the kiss. [Confused]

[ 09-29-2004, 10:08 PM: Message edited by: Paul Konen ]

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 09-29-2004, 01:03 PM:

No, I'm about to dust off my "Pixaroligist" sig for Incredibles.
I don't do the Dreamworks knock-off crap.
When is Katzenberg going to stop copying others more tallented than himself?

Posted by David Favel (Member # 1125) on 09-29-2004, 04:26 PM:

Actually i don't think he has stolen/copied ideas.
Considering the production time that precedes a movie it would be virtually impossible to clone a hit, then release within 6 months of said hit.

Re Shark Tale, I was expecting a movie that took the piss, mainly out of the mafia. The reality was an undersea urban black community.
No stand out moments. 6/10

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 09-29-2004, 05:18 PM:

No, it's not impossable. In 1998 Dremworks was gearing up to relese their first feature length animated film "Prince of Egypt". They knew that Pixar's "A Bug's Life" would dominate that holiday season. So, just a few weeks after PIXAR anounced Bugs (1996), DreamWorks contracted PDI to create a movie called "Antz" that would actually precede Bug's life by a month, hopefully stealing some of its thunder. Both studios had ample time to work on their competing projects.

There are at least half a dozen other cases that I could point out.

Now, that said, I hope Shark Tale does allright at the box (Its always sad to see any animation tank ala "Titan AE")

It should also be noted that PDI, has redeemed themselves with several original ideas, including Shrek and Madagascar. Shark Tale is produced by the old traditional animation unit at DreamWorks (El Dorado, Sinbad), not the PDI unit.

--Lets open another thread if someone wants to continue this topic

Posted by Richard Greco (Member # 2032) on 09-29-2004, 09:01 PM:

Paul, I know I'm a bit picky, but could you set the title to the proper movie name, "Shark Tale" Please? For Me? I'll give you a kiss [Big Grin]

Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 09-29-2004, 09:59 PM:

quote: Mike Olpin
I don't do the Dreamworks knock-off crap.

Well said.

To quote Tim Arista, "you see finding nemo, you rip it off; its what dreamworks does"

It looks stupid to me.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 09-30-2004, 02:37 AM:

I wasn't expecting much, because like Mike, this is just more Dreamworks wanna-be Pixar knock-off crap. But even not expecting much, I was REALLY bored during this! Pixar takes unbelieveable things and puts it in a semi-realistic environment, and that's why it works...but this was just stupid.

Save your energy and sleep instead.

Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 09-30-2004, 08:08 PM:

Surprisingly, this wasn't *THAT* bad. It is, after all, a real rip-off of Finding Nemo, but that's beside the point.

I think this will do well given the lack of any *true* competition for the family audiences this month. I'm guessing that it makes 50mil this weekend alone. I don't see anyone making return trips to this, as it wasn't THAT good. Then again, with the 8000+ prints available, everyone CAN see it on opening weekend. Isn't that all our industry is good for anymore? [Roll Eyes]

Posted by Greg Davis (Member # 2687) on 10-01-2004, 02:57 AM:

Shrek: Funny, original, and different from pixar (large amount of pop-culture undertones.

Shrek 2: See above. a little less "good writing"

Shark... Tale....: Finding Nemo Ebonics. If I were african american I would be offended. Also if I were Italian. Not that a lot of great Irish movies have come out, but this one takes the cake for making me want to see what could be done in characters without all of that ... stereotype... stuff. Will smith bombed big in I-Robot with merchandising, now it seems he may have had a big part in scripting. Bad news.

A good movie has each line scripted and rehearsed and researched to perfection. No time is wasted in blank lines for a cheap laugh that most won't bother to laugh at. Here it seems like they did the whole movies animation and than said "ok now dialogue. Whatever fits. Hire some kids who ride a little bus."

Please dear god, let Pixar redeem us this fall.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 10-01-2004, 10:51 PM:

Haven't seen this yet. Is it a rip-off of NEMO because it's an animated "fish movie" or is it more than that? Similar stories, perhaps?

Is one of the sharks named Bruce by any chance?

Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 10-02-2004, 05:53 PM:

My little boy liked it. I guess thats what really matters anyway. That the target audience makes their parents take them to see it, again and again. He also said if he were Italian or African American he would be offended..wait, he's only 3, he doesnt understand that kind of crap yet. [Cool]

Posted by Aaron Garman (Member # 1653) on 10-05-2004, 12:38 AM:

One word: BORING. It had a few laughs, but overall what a lame story that is overly predicatable and just lacking substance. Bring on The Incredibles.

AJG

Posted by Greg Davis (Member # 2687) on 10-06-2004, 12:27 AM:

Some funny things:
SPOILERS... kinda

Oscar says "you had me at a low" and it pans to Renee Zellwellegererrwelleger (sp) who said that in Jerry Mcguire.

Yah I think thats the only time I laughed. And at the end when Will Smith writes a song. The entire credit soundtrack is a little audience-inappropriate.

Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 10-06-2004, 01:39 AM:

Like others I got a few laughs but overall I thought the story was boring.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 10-06-2004, 12:26 PM:

Greg - what in the world was wrong with the credits? Oh you must mean the SONGS. Well every kid today can mouth all the potty crap that spews from the likes of Eminem and OutKast, and the movie IS rated PG, so I don't see anything wrong with it. The little animated additions during the credits were the best part of the movie.

At least the songs (for the most part) have melodies, which is something you can't always say these days.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 10-06-2004, 05:09 PM:

Oh my, I agree with Brad and Aaron!

And! AGAIN, Jason is out-to-lunch on this one!

It sucked! LIke ALL Pixar stuff...

>>> Phil

Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 10-06-2004, 06:41 PM:

Ummm, Phil, this was Dreamworks, not Pixar [uhoh]

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 10-06-2004, 07:55 PM:

Ummm Dustin... I was making a "comparison" not a literal. [Wink]

>>> Phil

Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 10-06-2004, 10:36 PM:

Ahh
*makes note that Phil has no taste in animated movies*
[Razz]

Posted by Greg Davis (Member # 2687) on 10-07-2004, 12:27 AM:

Thats true. With Will Smith you will always get a 7 for effort... never a 10, but than again its not a 4. Same thing I saw in Home on the Range; producers are starting to realize that those "adult inuendos" used in older disney movies (and rocky and bullwinkle [Wink]

, as well) had a role in keeping the older audience entertained but did little for the kids desire to come back again and again. That was all cut out. Nothing really deep, kinda superficial.

Posted by Robert L. Fischer (Member # 2424) on 10-10-2004, 01:33 AM:

I literally hate this movie. An absolute over-commercialized, unoriginal piece of crap devoid of even more than a few slight laughs. I guess the pop culture references are supposed to be mistakened for clever? At least Shrek's references were cute. Also, the adult innuendo in kids' movies is starting to get old, especially when it's stale and humorless. This isn't the type of crap I want my younger brothers to grow up watching. And, no, I don't mean because it's too offensive because of the adult innuendo -- it's too offensive because it really wears its money whore status on its sleeve, and sickeningly so.

Posted by Brent Neal Jones (Member # 1048) on 11-26-2004, 08:03 AM:

Damn, Robert...well said but I'd hate to be the concessionist at the theatre you saw this thing at if you weren't happy with you popcorn! (LOL)

I have to agree whole heartedly. Not original and I'm NOT a Will Smith fan. However, I liked the Robert Dinero mob bit thought that was pretty good.