What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Shark Tale is a hip-hop/mob computer-animated film filled with all-star voices (Will Smith and Jack Black, among others) and some bright musical numbers. There's some cartoon violence -- sharks act like they're in the mafia (lots of "Fuhgeddaboutit!"), only they chase and eat fish. A fish and a shark have a pretend fight in front of all the other fish, where they throw and spin each other as though they're in a professional wrestling match. In another scene, a shark dies and there's a parody of a mafia funeral. There are dozens of gags and pop-cultural references, and well-known products are parodied in undersea fashion, such as "Coral Cola." There's nothing too off-color, but there's one fish fart joke.
- Families can talk about why fame and fortune are so important to Oscar. Do you think the emphasis on celebrities in the media is affecting kids you know?
- Why it is so hard for Oscar to see how Angie feels about him -- and how he feels about her?
- Why do people like Lenny have a hard time feeling accepted and loved for who they are? What can friends and family do to support them?