Shark Tale
DreamWorks Distribution | Release Date: October 1, 2004 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
48
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 36 Critic Reviews
Positive:
9
Mixed:
23
Negative:
4
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
Represents solid family entertainment, and will find a special place in the hearts of those who adore the "Godfather" movies and the TV series "The Sopranos." Read full review
88
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
By riffing off two iconic American narratives of the last 35 years, "The Godfather" and "The Sopranos," it has changed the template for animation, making a timely film that still deals with timeless children's themes. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Boasts a really spectacular cast to voice those reasonably funny jokes. Read full review
75
Miami HeraldConnie Ogle
What Shark Tale lacks in originality it makes up for with sassy humor, bright, effective animation and terrific vocal work. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
Not wildly imaginative, and it has a tepid mix of movie references. But the physical environment and characters make it irresistible. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
By avoiding the usual animation cliches, by keeping the story moving, the pictures pretty and the characters consistently amusing, director and co- writer Rob Letterman cobbles together an entertaining 90 minutes. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
This dazzling CGI feature by DreamWorks Animation appropriates the vivid undersea psychedelia of "Finding Nemo," though in contrast to that movie, the father-son parable here is just an excuse to burlesque "The Godfather" for the 100th time. Read full review
63
USA TodayClaudia Puig
Story is everything and Shark's is rather thin and soupy, despite the winning improvisational skills of stars Will Smith and Jack Black. Read full review
63
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
Shark Tale is "Finding Nemo" with bigger-name stars, far less heart and, the guess here is, about one-third the staying power. Read full review
60
NewsweekDavid Ansen
Full of invention, but under the colorful icing is a slightly stale cake. Read full review
60
VarietyTodd McCarthy
With the combination of mobster characters and heavily R&B, hip-hop and disco/soul tune orientation of the soundtrack, pic has a more streetwise feel than most animated fare, which is not to say that it has street smarts. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
Comes off as an overly jokey but often quite entertaining spoof that should please families everywhere. Read full review
58
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
The noisiest laughs in this watery animated comedy are reserved for those who value self-referential winks above all else. Read full review
58
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
It's overblown and greedy and feels like more of a merchandizing scheme than a movie. Read full review
58
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
Noisy, garish, cluttered, simplistic and often dark in content, it nevertheless sings and preens and jokes and tugs at you with such persistent verve that, exhausted, you give in. Read full review
50
TimeRichard Corliss
The film has a hectic, sitcom air and a full-of-himself hero who is as likely to grate as to ingratiate. Read full review
50
Rolling StonePeter Travers
It's stale, like something you wrap in yesterday's newspaper. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
The screenplay isn't remotely as funny as it tries to be, and the visual style is equally unexciting. Read full review
50
The New York TimesDana Stevens
Reasonably good fun, even if, in the end, it's not really very interesting. Read full review
50
PremierePeter Debruge
If you were hoping to find another "Nemo," you're likely to be let down by this insincere and borderline unpleasant alternative. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
It does not have as much invigorating freshness as audiences have come to expect in computer animation. Read full review
50
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
Where Finding Nemo suggested that under-the-waves adventure was limitless, Shark Tale suggests that this sea is over-fished. The krill is gone. Read full review
50
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The movie lacks a port of entry for young viewers -- a character they can identify with. All of the major characters are adults with adult problems like debt, romance, and running (or swimming away from) the mob. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
Though Shark Tale will make waves at the multiplexes and move a lot of plastic toys at Burger King, the movie lacks real heart. It feels like a cold-blooded, always moving, profit-making machine. Read full review
40
Village VoiceEd Park
Shark Tale's shallow plot and leagues of padding put it fully in the shadow of last year's animated underwater offering, the nifty, heartfelt "Finding Nemo." Read full review
40
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
Every single joke, character detail, music montage, and pop-culture reference looks extensively market-tested, whether via screenings, focus groups, or other box-office successes. Read full review
40
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
Falls prey to the lazy assumption that a parade of whiz-bang CGI will cover for the absence of a muscular story. Read full review
40
Dallas ObserverRobert Wilonsky
It's stunning, really, to consider how much time and expense went into something so chintzy and dull--a script full of non sequiturs shouted by a screen full of chum. Read full review
40
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
The story leaves you snoozing with the fishes.
40
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
One soggy, charmless heap of chum. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
There’s a surprising lack of surprises in DreamWorks’ answer to Disney/Pixar’s runaway smash "Finding Nemo." Read full review
40
EmpireLeslie Felperin
Although the vocal performances often amuse and delight, the overall design is charmless. Read full review
38
Boston GlobeTy Burr
Where "Nemo" was clever, soulful, and marvelous to look at, "Tale" is manic and surprisingly ugly, with a script that leans on the shallowest aspects of hip-hop street cred while pimping for corporate product placement at every turn. Read full review
30
Washington PostDesson Thomson
This movie just doesn't match its predecessors. Read full review
25
New York PostLou Lumenick
A shipwreck. They say a dead fish stinks from the head first - but the animated shipwreck Shark Tale arrives reeking all over. Read full review
20
Film ThreatPete Vonder Haar
Joyless, soulless. Read full review
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