Shark Tale(2004) Vs. Finding Nemo(2003)
by Eric Maus
"Fish are friends, not food."
Fish make very relatable protagonists. They are small, timid creatures, living in a world flooded with peril and danger, kind of like humans. Give them a voice, a problem or two, and you have the makings of a good story. The animation studios of both Pixar and Dreamworks realized this fact, and created two very similar, and at the same time very different, films: Shark Tale and Finding Nemo.
Finding Nemo is the tale of a clownfish named Marlin, who has tragically lost his wife and all but one of his children in a barracuda attack. Because of this fact, Marlin is a very protective father, and at times smothers his son Nemo while trying to keep him safe. One day, Nemo is captured by a diver and taken to a fish tank in a Sydney dentist's office. Marlin, although very skittish and fearful, is determined to rescue his son. Along with the assistance of a blue angelfish named Dory, who happens to suffer from a severe case of short-term memory loss, he follows every clue he can wrap his fins around in order to help save his son.
In Shark Tale, Oscar (Will Smith) is a small fish who happens to be in a lot of debt, to a much bigger puffer fish named Sykes. Oscar borrows the necessary amount of clams (reef currency) from his girlfriend Angie (Renée Zellweger), but loses them after betting on the losing fish in a seahorse race. Sykes is enraged when he doesn't get his clams (he is also in debt, to the shark lord, Don Lino), so he sends his jellyfish henchmen after Oscar. They find him next to the body of a recently killed shark, and Oscar falsely claims to have done the deed. The jellyfish quickly announce to the entire reef that Oscar is capable of killing sharks, and he takes on the title 'Sharkslayer'. Don Lino is enraged, since the deceased shark was his son, Frankie, and vows vengeance upon the Sharkslayer.
Both of these movies exhibit excellent filmmaking. The underwater worlds created by CG are beautiful; colorful, exquisite, and breath taking. Finding Nemo stays closer to a normal fish's world, with clownfish making their homes in sea anemones, seagulls and pelicans constantly attacking from the skies, and the fish have to go underwater to catch their breath. In Shark Tale, we are presented with more of an underwater human world, with cities, employers, money, social circles, and an Italian mafia represented by sharks. Both films star many amazing actors, from Geoffrey Rush, Eric Bana, and Willem Dafoe in Finding Nemo, to Jack Black and Robert DeNiro in Shark Tale, among others. The plots of both take us on roller-coaster rides; Finding Nemo is packed with suspense and apparent defeats as Marlin searches for his son, while in Shark Tale, Oscar digs himself deeper and deeper into his troubles with his terrible habit of telling falsehoods. The characters these films give us will always be remembered, from Crush the hip turtle and Gill the escape artist in Finding Nemo, to Ernie and Bernie, the jellyfish henchmen in Shark Tale. These movies are well beloved by both children and adults across the world.
These films also have a lot of good things to say. Finding Nemo teaches us many lessons, such as overcoming fear with faith, determination against all odds, and expertly shows us that the best type of parent is a happy medium between the parenting styles of the over-protective Marlin and the freedom-loving Crush. Shark Tale shows us the mess telling lies will eventually lead to. However, running alongside the primary storylines of both movies, are two similar, almost identical subplots. These subplots concern sharks. The sharks in both Finding Nemo and Shark Tale have the same problem; they want to give up their fish eating ways, and befriend their fellow sea-dwellers, instead of devouring them. But the issue is addressed in two very different ways. In Shark Tale, Lenny, (Jack Black) a weakling shark and the son of the mafia boss, Don Lino, loathes the thought of eating fish. Don Lino, presented as an overbearing tyrant, thinks his son is loony, and tries everything he can to get him to be like all the other sharks. Lenny, tired of being made fun of by the other members of the shark clan, decides to run away, and with the help of Oscar, pretends to be a vegetarian porpoise. Eventually, Don Lino finds him, but instead of punishing his son, he learns to love him "just the way he is". *cough cough* We've all heard that before. Now, in Finding Nemo, we are shown something totally different. Marlin and Dory meet Bruce, Anchor, and Chum, three sharks meeting in an abandoned submarine at rest next to an old mine field. They meet annually, to hold each other accountable to their motto, "Fish are friends, not food." Although they fail sometimes, and snack on the occasional tuna, they try really hard to control their seemingly insatiable bloodlust. But they aren't wimpy, whiny sharks, like Lenny. No, these sharks are massive, intimidating, covered in scars, and masculine. They are kind of like crusty old sailors, trying to get over their alcohol addiction. Eating fish isn't presented as wrong, like in Shark Tale, but uncontrollable when done in excess. Kind of like too much of a good thing. The sharks in Finding Nemo teach us to deal with problems in a manly way, unlike Shark Tale, which is just blatant homosexual propaganda.
So, when you're looking for a movie for the whole family to enjoy, or whatever those advertisements say, both of these films offer beautiful pictures and good morals, but watch those underlying premises; they can be deadly. And as for those of you who think you are above watching animated films, you can sit in your boring little apartments and fill out paperwork for the rest of your mortal existence.
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