DreamWorks’ new animated offering, “Shark Tale,” boasts a flashy group of vocal talent, a lineup that studio co-chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg describes as “one of the most amazing casts for any kind of movie–ever!”
The question is: Does anybody care?
The two biggest hits in animation history, “The Lion King” and “Finding Nemo,” had no vocal superstars. The “Shrek” movies had three: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz.
But do you remember the voices of Sandra Bullock, Michelle Pfeiffer or Steve Martin in “The Prince of Egypt” or Mel Gibson doing John Smith in “Pocahontas”?
Didn’t think so.
So despite a cast that includes Will Smith, Robert De Niro, Renee Zellweger, Angelina Jolie, Jack Black and Martin Scorsese, “Shark Tale,” like all animated movies, will sink or swim on the strength of its story.
That said, the DreamWorks animators couldn’t resist incorporating the facial features and mannerisms of their high-powered cast into their fish counterparts. The movie is as much about their personalities as it is a story of a little fish named Oscar who learns to be himself.
Here, the actors elaborate on testing the waters with this big-budget offering.
The fish: Oscar
The voice: Will Smith
The character: Big talker, big dreamer, likes the bling-bling, lies about slaying a shark so he can live the high life.
Smith on Oscar: “He’s a small fish in a really big pond, but in his mind, he’s a really big fish in a really small pond. So there’s a collision of reality and perception.”
Smith on his animated likeness: “I didn’t know they were going to make it resemble me that much. It’s the ears, the perfect resemblance of the ears. It’s fun. My kids love it.”
The fish: Lenny
The voice: Jack Black
The character: Vegetarian shark who doesn’t want to conform, but also doesn’t want to disappoint his dad, Don Lino.
Black on Lenny: “Lenny is a tender soul. He is a fish out of water. He doesn’t fit in with the other sharks because he’s kind.”
Black on his animated likeness: “They captured my essence. I think they went overboard with the pot belly, though.”
The fish: Don Lino
The voice: Robert De Niro
The character: Mafioso great white shark residing at the top of the food chain.
De Niro on Don Lino: “He’s the underwater boss.”
De Niro on his animated likeness: “They took …” (points to mole on face).
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The fish: Angie
The voice: Renee Zellweger
The character: Girl next door, the love of Oscar’s life, only he doesn’t (yet) realize it.
Zellweger on Angie: “Angie is Oscar’s best friend and his conscience as well. She supports him, tries to give him good advice, and I think she has fallen in love with the man–or the fish, as it were.”
Zellweger on her animated likeness: “When they called and said, ‘Hey, do you want to be a fish?’ I said, ‘Yes, I want to be a fish! So much! You have no idea!’ “
The fish: Lola
The voice: Angelina Jolie
The character: Sexy, femme-fatale gold digger.
Jolie on Lola: “I don’t know how they did it, but they made a very sexy fish. … I don’t know if I’d play her if she wasn’t a fish. She’s a bad woman. But as a fish, I love her.”
Jolie on her animated likeness: “It’s weird, but I’m much more comfortable watching me as a fish than watching my own face.”
The fish: Sykes
The voice: Martin Scorsese
The character: Intense puffer fish.
Scorsese on Sykes: “I’m a puffer fish. When I get upset, I get inflated and speak very high and very fast.”
Scorsese on his animated likeness: “Those eyebrows … it’s a caricature come to life.”
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Edited by Cara DiPasquale ([email protected]) and Kris Karnopp ([email protected])