Swimming with the fishes

Shark Tale is the story of Lenny, who is not like other sharks. They all want to kill, while all he wants to do is swim and be left alone.

This is particularly problematic because Lenny’s father, Don Lino (voiced by Robert DeNiro in this animated feature), is the boss of the most feared crime family on the reef.

Way on the other side of the food chain (lower than whale poo, as is mentioned) is Oscar (voiced by Will Smith). Oscar is a bottom-feeder with big dreams but small prospects as he toils at the Whale Wash day after day. Fate brings the unlikely pair together one day when Lenny’s brother Frankie (voiced by Michael Imperioli) is accidentally killed by an anchor and Oscar takes the credit. Lenny (voiced by Jack Black) and Oscar become friends, and their lives are changed forever.

Shark Tale certainly has some very nice elements. Like just about any film produced by Dreamworks or Pixar (Shark Tale is a Dreamworks product), the movie is a visual marvel. The creative team decided to go with a less realistic vision of underwater life than Pixar’s Finding Nemo, and the result is closer to a saltwater version of Monsters, Inc. (also by Pixar).

To a certain degree, the movie works. The characters are likable, most of the visual and verbal gags are right on target, and the voice work is exceptional. Smith, who is never bad in anything, is just perfect as the spunky fish Oscar, and Renee Zellweger does near-Oscar-caliber vocal work as Oscar’s long-suffering girlfriend, Angie.

Martin Scorsese is a pleasant surprise and he actually steals the picture a few times (with notable assistance from the animators) as a blowfish who only blows up when he gets upset. Film buffs will be thrilled to hear old buddies Scorsese and DeNiro (who is also great as Don Lino) go at it, albeit from a sound booth.

One hates to bandy about concepts like "plot" and "character development" when talking about an animated feature, but that’s exactly where Shark Tale falters. The first half of the movie is quite good, but the relationship between Lenny and Oscar is not developed enough. You know they’re supposed to be friends, but you never really feel the connection.

"We all need each other" seems to be the moral (yeah, yeah, we get it). But, like the relationship of the main characters, it’s there but you really never feel it.

That said, Shark Tale is certainly not a bad film. The gags come fast enough to keep Mom and Dad from getting fidgety and there is enough to attract most kids.

But the bar for animated films has been raised, and Shark Tale, entertaining though it might be, doesn’t quite make the cut.

Shark Tale
PG (flatulence jokes, Rastafarian jellyfish)
Starting tomorrow at area theaters
Two reels out of four

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Recommended rental

Fahrenheit 9/11
R
Available Tuesday

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Michael Moore — George W. Bush’s favorite filmmaker — promised to direct a movie that would make "Dubya" uncomfortable, and he succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. The film is the first documentary to pass $100 million in grosses in the United States and is just the second documentary to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes. But, more importantly, it’s the first movie in years to get people really talking about politics. By now, you know the main story. The film focuses on the Bush administration’s handling of the 9/11 tragedy and reveals some startling information regarding the relationship between the Bush and bin Laden families over the years. You don’t have to like it, but how could you not see it?

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Movie schedules until Oct. 7
unless otherwise indicated.
Call theaters for updates.

SOUTH PHILLY

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United Artists Riverview Plaza
Columbus Blvd. and Reed St.

*Ladder 49 (PG-13)
Fri.-Thu.: 11:15 a.m., 12:20, 1:15, 2, 3:30, 4:15, 5:10, 6:15, 7, 8, 9, 9:45, 10:40

*Shark Tale (PG)
Fri.-Sun.: 11:45 a.m., 12:15, 1, 1:30, 2:15, 2:45, 3:15, 4, 4:45, 5:15, 5:45, 6:30, 7:15, 7:45, 8:45, 9:30, 10:15
Mon.-Thu.: 11 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 12:15, 1, 1:30, 2:15, 2:45, 3:15, 4, 4:45, 5:15, 5:45, 6:30, 7:15, 7:45, 8:45, 9:30, 10:15

*Women Thou Art Loosened (R)
Fri-Thu.: 11:50 a.m., 2:55, 5:20, 7:50, 10:20

*Therese (PG)
Fri.-Thu.: 12, 2:30, 5, 7:30, 10

*First Daughter (PG)
Thu.: 12:15, 2:45, 5:15, 7:45, 10:15
Fri.-Thu.: 12:20, 2:50, 5:25, 7:55, 10:25

*Shaun of the Dead (R)
Thu.: 12:30, 3, 5:30, 8. 10:30
Fri.-Thu.: 12:25, 3, 5:30, 8, 10:30

*The Forgotten (PG-13)
Thu.: 12, 1, 2:30, 3:30, 5, 6, 7:25, 8:30, 10, 10:45
Fri.-Thu.: 11:55 a.m., 1:05, 2:20, 3:40, 4:40, 6, 7:25, 8:30, 9:50, 10:45

*Mr. 3000 (PG-13)
Thu.: 12:10, 1:20, 2:50, 4, 5:20, 6:30, 7:50, 9, 10:20
Fri.-Thu.: 11:55 a.m., 2:25, 4:55, 7:20, 9:55

*Napoleon Dynamite (PG)
Thu.: 7:10, 9:25

*Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (PG)
Thu.: 12:05, 12:50, 2:35, 3:45, 5:05, 6:25, 7:35, 9:05, 10:05
Fri.-Thu.: 12:05, 2:35, 5:05, 7:35, 10:05

*Cellular (PG-13)
Thu.: 1:25, 4:05, 6:45, 9:30
Fri., Sun.-Thu.: 1:40, 7:40
Sat.: 1:40

*Resident Evil 2: Apocalypse (R)
Thu.: 12:35, 3:15, 5:45, 8:10, 10:35
Fri.-Thu.: 12:35, 3:10, 5:40, 8:10, 10:35

*Hero (PG-13)
Thu.: 1:40, 4:55, 7:55, 10:10
Fri.-Sun.: 11:10 a.m., 4:50, 10:10
Mon.-Thu.: 4:50, 10:10

*Collateral (R)
Thu.: 12:25, 3:20, 6:55, 9:55
Fri.-Thu.: 8:05, 10:50

*SuperBabies: Baby Genius 2 (PG)
Thu.: 11:55, 2:25, 4:40 (Ends 9/30)

*Fahrenheit 9/11 (R)
Thu.: 1:30, 4:15, 7, 9:45 (Ends 9/30)

*Wimbledon (PG-13)
Thu.: 1:35, 4:20, 7:20, 9:50 (Ends 9/30)

*The Cookout (PG-13)
Thu: 1:45, 4:25, 7:05, 9:40 (Ends 9/30)

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CENTER CITY

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Ritz at the Bourse
400 Ranstead St.
215-925-7900

*Motorcycle Diaries (R)
Fri.-Mon., Wed.: 12:15, 1:15, 3, 4, 5:45, 6:45, 8:30, 9:30
Tue.-Thu.: 12:15, 1:15, 3, 4, 5:45, 8:30, 10

*The Yes Men (R)
Fri.-Thu.: 1:10, 3:10, 5:15, 7:15, 9:15

*A Dirty Shame (NC-17)
Thu.-Thu.: 1, 3:15, 5:25, 7:40, 9:55

*Garden State (R)
Thu.-Thu.: 12:10, 2:35, 5:10, 7:35, 10

*The Shawshank Redemption (R)
Thu.: 12:30, 3:30, 6:30, 9:30 (Ends 9/30)

*When Will I be Loved (R)
Thu.: 12:50, 3:05, 5:15, 7:15, 9:20 (Ends 9/30)

*Silver City (R)
Thu.: 1:30, 4:20, 10 (Ends 9/30)

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Ritz 5
214 Walnut St.
215-925-7900

*Going Up River (NR)
Fri.-Thu.: 1:15, 3:25, 5:35, 7:45, 9:55

*Bonjour Monseieur Shlomi (NR)
Fri.-Thu.: 12:20, 2:50, 5:15, 7:35, 10

*Last Shot (R)
Thu.-Fri., Sun.-Wed.: 12:50, 3:05, 5:20, 7:40, 9:50
Sat.: 5:20, 7:40, 9:50
Thu.: 12:50, 2:45, 4:55, 10

*Vanity Fair (PG-13)
Thu.-Thu.: 12:30, 3:30, 6:30, 9:30

*Maria, Full of Grace (R)
Thu.-Fri., Sun.-Tue., Thu.: 12:05, 2:35, 5:10, 7:30, 9:50
Wed.: 2:25, 4:50, 10

*Criminal (R)
Thu.: 1:20, 3:30, 5:40, 7:45, 9:55 (Ends 9/30)

*Bright Young Things (R)
Thu.: 12:10, 2:20, 4:45, 10 (Ends 9/30)

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Ritz East
Second Street between Chestnut and Walnut
215-925-7900

*What the Bleep Do I Know? (NR)
Thu.: 12:15, 2:40, 5:10, 7:35, 10
Fri.-Tue.: 1, 4, 7:20, 9:50
Wed.-Thu.: 1, 4, 10

*Head in the Clouds (R)
Fri.-Thu.: 1:30, 4:15, 7, 9:45

*Uncovered: War in Iraq (NR)
Thu.: 12:30, 3:10, 5:05, 10 (Ends 9/30)

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Roxy Theater
2023 Sansom St.
215-923-6699

*Anatomy of Hell (NR)
Fri.-Thu.: 1:30, 3:30, 5:30, 7:30, 9:45

*We Don’t Live Here Anymore (R)
Thu.: 1, 3:15, 5:30, 7:35
Fri.-Thu.: 3:15, 5:30, 9:40

*Hero (PG-13)
Thu.: 1, 3:05, 5:15, 7:30, 9:45
Fri.-Thu.: 1, 7:35

*The Brown Bunny (NR)
Thu.: 9:40 (Ends 9/30)