Review: The Pout-Pout Fish is "so fin"

The Pout-Pout Fish is, appropriately, a very bubbly good time. The latest release from Viva Kids (and, in my estimation, their second hit in a row, after last month's tender historical adventure Buffalo Kids) does a nice job combining some classic, solid tropes and structures into an engaging and sweet story. And one that made me laugh out loud a few times!

Based on the book by Deborah Diesen and illustrated by Dan Hanna, the film has a tried-and-true odd-couple set-up that you can always count on for some decent mileage. The eponymous fish (referred to in the movie as "Mr. Fish") is a grumpy loner who lives in a shipwreck on the edge of town. Every day, he girds himself to venture into town for his errands, where he's harassed by pretty much every other fish he passes. They're all chiding him to smile, grin, etc. Instead, he keeps his frown in place, grabs what he needs, and returns home to do his meditations, centering himself in his misanthropy (mis-pesc-thropy?).

One day, Mr. Fish returns from his errands to find his home being ransacked by the adorable sea dragon Pip. Her family is about to welcome a few hundred new kids, so she's trying to prepare a new home for them. Pip is everything Mr. Fish is not: relentlessly upbeat, energetic, and curious. She obviously rubs him the wrong way, and in the aftermath of their initial encounter, both of their homes are destroyed, which is obviously not ideal for either of them.

So, after some back-and-forth, they decide to team up to go find the legendary Shimmer, a wish-granting fish who may or may not be real. So the film has a similar thing going on to Tafiti: Across the Desert: an unlikely duo venturing off on an episodic quest to find a magical remedy to a problem one (or both) of them caused. But thankfully, this is a much better movie than Tafiti.

The film has a very simple structure. Our heroes hear a rumor of where Glimmer might be. They go there, meet a new character or two (or three) who tell them another rumor of another location, and so on and so forth. In that way, it feels very much like a children's book might (and I imagine what the source material must be like). That repetition is great for kids, and allows the film to continue to reinforce its themes. In this case, as you might expect, there's a strong emphasis on friendship and community, looking for the good in others and helping when you can. Whereas Mr. Fish wants to focus on their quest first, Pip is always willing to go on a little side quest to help someone in need.

The film has a few bigger names in its voice cast. Nick Offerman is a natural fit for Mr. Fish, delivering his signature droll line readings that serve as a great counterpart to Pip's zippy delivery (Nina Oyama as Pip is my MVP of the cast). Amy Sedaris voices a trio of pink dolphins -- she is always the right celebrity to hire for voice work. And Jordin Sparks plays Shimmer, along with delivering a very catchy end credits song, "Coming Back to Me." The rest of the voice cast is mostly lesser-known actors, and to my delight, they're Australian (or at least from around there). Love those accents, and that comedic sensibility.

As straightforward as the film's plotting and pacing are (Mr. Fish and Pip are in a race against a rogue cuttlefish who wants to take advantage of Shimmer wish-granting power first), I was constantly pleasantly surprised by how funny it is. There are a lot of clever jokes and recurring gags that are delivered just right, and some scenes that are delightful in their set-up and punch-lines. I got a real kick out of the weirdly ugly starfish characters. While all of the other fish in the movie are very cute-looking, the starfish all look like Oogie-Boogie, and I don't know why, but I love that choice.

While I think kids will get the most out of The Pout-Pout Fish (as they should), the colorful characters, sweet themes, and fun sense of humor make it an easy one to recommend for anyone who wants some laughs. It's the only *ahem* current movie that can possibly make "so fin" happen, and I would say it does exactly that.