Shark Tale (2004)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
An underachieving fish's lie about becoming a 'Sharkslayer' leads to an unexpected alliance with a vegetarian shark.
The story
In the Southside Reef, Oscar, a lowly bluestreak cleaner wrasse, dreams of fame and fortune. After a series of mishaps involving a rigged seahorse race and a debt to a pufferfish named Mr. Sykes, Oscar finds himself in a desperate situation. When he mistakenly takes credit for the death of a shark, he is hailed as the 'Sharkslayer.' This newfound fame brings him a luxury lifestyle, but his lie puts him in constant danger. To maintain his status, he must navigate the dangerous waters of the shark mafia while trying to keep his secret—and the identity of the actual survivor, a young shark named Lenny—hidden from the vengeful Don Lino.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Oscar, a bluestreak cleaner wrasse, lives in the Southside Reef and owes money to the pufferfish Mr. Sykes. After a rigged race leads to his banishment, he is saved by the young shark Lenny. Oscar mistakenly believes he killed Lenny's brother, Frankie, and becomes the famous 'Sharkslayer.' He moves into a luxury apartment and hides Lenny in his home. The situation escalates when Oscar's friend Angie discovers his lie, and the shark mob boss Don Lino begins searching for both the 'Sharkslayer' and his son. After a series of complications involving a gold-digging lionfish named Lola and a kidnapping, Lenny is forced to reveal his true identity to Don Lino. In a final confrontation at the Whale Wash, Oscar confesses the truth about Frankie's death and urges Don Lino to accept Lenny's lifestyle. Don Lino reconciles with his son, and Oscar gives up his wealth to become a co-owner of the Whale Wash, reconciling with Angie.
- First release year
- 2004
- Runtime (minutes)
- 90
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Vicky Jenson; Bibo Bergeron; Rob Letterman
- Writers
- Michael J. Wilson · writer; Rob Letterman · writer
- Cast and characters
- Will Smith · Oscar; Robert De Niro · Don Lino; Renée Zellweger · Angie; Jack Black · Lenny; Angelina Jolie · Lola; Martin Scorsese · Mr. Sykes
- Genres
- adventure; comedy; animated
- Themes
- identity; acceptance
- Tone and mood
- comedy; parody
- Premise and plot tags
- anthropomorphic; underwater; crime
- Reception
- The film was a box-office success but received mixed reviews from critics, with some criticizing its use of stereotypes.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 35% · scale: percentage · review count: 181
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Awards · Best Animated Feature · nomination
- Production trivia
- The title was changed from Sharkslayer to be more family-friendly.; The character of Don Lino was originally intended to be voiced by James Gandolfini.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…