Any parent who has had young children in the last two decades is likely familiar with the sing-song picture book “The Pout-Pout Fish,” written by Deborah Diesen and illustrated by Dan Hanna. The short, lyrical story follows the eponymous Mr. Fish, who believes he is destined to be gloomy forever until kindness turns his frown upside down. While the film aims to expand the hero’s journey and liven it with new characters, action, and plot, it muddies the wonder and whimsy of the source material, complicating a story lauded for its simple, emotional tenderness and replacing it with fast, flashy points that are more likely to overwhelm its target audience than it is to delight them.
(Image courtesy Cosmic Dino Studio)
Sea-riously Sulking Synopsis
“Deep in the water where the fish hang out / lives a glum gloomy swimmer with an ever-present pout.”
Like the children’s board book on which it is based, “The Pout-Pout Fish” also opens with those lines spoken by a serene narrator’s voice. Unfortunately, that is the only comparison that can be drawn between the film and its source material. Writers Elise Allen, Elie Choufany, and Dominic Morris concoct a convoluted story that unites Mr. Fish (Nick Offerman) with young, well-intentioned sea dragon Pip (Nina Oyama), who inadvertently destroys both of their homes.
Pip is trying to help her parents prepare for the birth of hundreds of sea dragon siblings, while Mr. Fish seeks to rebuild the small sanctuary he had created to protect himself from the rest of the world. The accident sends the duo on a journey to find Shimmer (Jordin Sparks), a mystical fish that grants its pursuer one wish. Along the way, they are met with various colorful creatures, though they don’t realize right away that there is another party pursuing Shimmer as well. “With no sun, we will perish!” relays the very serious Cuttlefish leader (Miranda Otto), who is struggling to fend off the invasive growth of kelp in the abyss where her clan resides. Her son Benji (Remi Hii) believes finding Shimmer is the only way for them to keep the home they refuse to abandon.
(Image courtesy Cosmic Dino Studio)
Notable Peril, Though Morals Abound
As the “dreary, weary” fish and his yellow little friend dodge jellyfish and evade sharks, their journey encourages teamwork and community building, as well as perseverance and goal-setting. When both parties finally catch up to Shimmer, the reality of her “power” is unveiled: just because she looks different than other fish does not make her a magical being. The purported “wishes” that have become part of her lore are simply an incarnation of the aspirant’s internal fortitude and tenacity. Basically, if you believe in your wish, then you can make it come true for yourself.
When it is revealed that Shimmer does not have magical powers, the tribe of cuttlefish invades the reef, displacing other communities by hypnotizing them and forcing them out. Mr. Fish assembles the characters he’s met along the way to help destroy the kelp that has turned the cuttlefish’s home dark, ensuring every creature can live in harmony.
While the themes that the film promotes are admirable, the film dances a fine line between entertaining and overwhelming its target audience. The board book is aimed at and enjoyed most by toddlers, who are unlikely to follow the film’s many dalliances into meandering subplots or overlook the sometimes-frightening imagery or characters that pepper Mr. Fish’s journey.
(Image courtesy Cosmic Dino Studio)
Notes for Parents
For one, the main action revolves around the traumatic and sudden destruction of Mr. Fish’s sunken ship home which falls off a cliff. This trauma sets him off on a journey that finds various unsettling characters and unsafe situations. Pip is constantly throwing herself into dangers, like the electrifying jellyfish tentacles that “would kill a little lady” like Pip when she fearlessly swims into them to help someone stuck under a rock. She then convinces Mr. Fish to help, which causes his dramatic electrocution and temporary unconsciousness.
Other sequences in the film that may upset sensitive viewers: young fish are consistently getting lost from their parents and require help to reunite. The cuttlefish hypnotize others to steal their homes. Habitats are destroyed. But perhaps the most confusing scene in the film involves three pink, make-up-laden dolphins who confront Mr. Fish and Pip, asking inappropriate questions (“Where’d you get them [his lips] done?” “You were not born with those!” “I’m obsessed!”) that imply cosmetic surgery. “So fin,” says one of the dolphins, to which the queen bee dolphin responds, “Stop trying to make ‘fin’ happen. It’s not going to happen!” It’s an obvious allusion to the 2004 cult classic “Mean Girls” that is unlikely to be in the target audience’s lexicon of film references, and that only promotes bullying and impolite behavior.
And after all that, the befuddling scene ends with the three dolphins baring their pointed teeth at the duo. An intense chase ensues, and another confrontation occurs, ending when the dolphins decide to eat kelp instead because it doesn’t make them feel “bloated.” The entire interaction is confusing, unnecessarily aggressive, and inappropriate for the average young child watching.
The Details
- MPAA Rating: PG for mild action and rude humor
- Recommended Age: 6+
- Where to Watch: In theaters
- Runtime: 92 minutes
