The Pout-Pout Fish (Christian Movie Review)
Though The Pout-Pout Fish lacks the quality or storytelling depth of many other recent animated movies, it possesses enough wholesome charm to dispel the “dearie wearies” of younger viewers.
About the Film
Deborah Diesen’s children’s book The Pout-Pout Fish (2008) tells a charming tale about the power of kindness to turn a frown upside down. As expected from a 30-page book stretched into a feature-length film, the animated adaptation dramatically expands the story, though it (mostly) maintains its source material’s simple message. Though The Pout-Pout Fish lacks the quality or storytelling depth of many other recent animated movies, it possesses enough wholesome charm to dispel the “dearie wearies” of younger viewers.
Swimming in an entertainment sea populated with big fish like Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks, and Illumination, The Pout-Pout Fish seems destined to be overlooked. Its story is reminiscent of other underwater adventures like Finding Nemo and Shark Tale, but it feels more like a knockoff than an equal. The Pout-Pout Fish is the type of film a parent might find on Netflix or YouTube and put on for a bored child rather than a movie that deserves a theatrical experience. Nevertheless, its simplicity is charming, and at times, such as during an exciting third-act climax, it demonstrates a bigger, more dynamic scope. But for most of the runtime, it tells a straightforward story that’s brought to life with animation that is passable rather than impressive.
The question of being a “faithful adaptation” seems unnecessary when discussing a 30-page book written for toddlers. The adaptation features many of the characters from the book but sets them on an entirely new adventure. Not all the story ideas are well-conceived or welcome (more on that in a moment). But in some ways, the invented narrative improves on the original story’s message. In the book, The Pout-Pout Fish floats around feeling glum until a pretty stranger fish randomly gives him a kiss on the lips, leading him to go around kissing other sea creatures—which, let’s be honest, is a bit weird. In this adaptation, the smooch has been swapped out for more replicable acts of kindness. It’s an endearing message with a broader application than encouraging kids to become “kiss-kiss” fish.
Since the book was written for toddlers, it’s unsurprising that the film is geared toward a younger audience than most theatrically released films, landing somewhere in the 5-8 range. My 11-year-old boys joined me for the screening. They were moderately entertained, but they definitely pushed the upper limits of the intended audience.
Despite targeting young viewers, The Pout-Pout Fish is not as squeaky clean as parents may expect. It’s still a safe PG-rated story, but several jokes and content elements feel out of place. For example, there are some fish-inspired substitutes for profanity, such as “what the flip,” “every flipping time,” and “bull shark” (I didn’t catch the last one clearly, but it was something along those lines).
There is also a subplot featuring a trio of pink dolphins who were clearly inspired by Mean Girls (“Stop trying to make fin happen!”). The image-obsessed dolphins admire The Pout-Pout Fish’s lips (implying that they must be the result of surgery) and make comments that he appears “thirsty” for a certain female fish and gives off “stalker vibes.” Overall, it’s fairly tame as far as animated films go, but it reflects a possible lack of clarity in how much to “age up” the target audience relative to the source material.
Overall, The Pout-Pout Fish has merits. Young viewers will enjoy the bright colors and peppy characters. And although it lacks the emotional depth of other animated films, the movie has plenty of heart. It’s not bad, but it’s not particularly good either, falling in the murky middle between being an above-average streaming film or a below-average theatrical one. For children who have already seen superior recent releases like Hoppers or GOAT or younger kids who may need something simpler, The Pout-Pout Fish offers a fun story with a worthwhile message. But with plenty of fish in the sea, The Pout-Pout Fish should perhaps be returned to the ocean (at least until it eventually swims onto streaming).
For Consideration
On the Surface—(Profanity, Sexual content, violence, etc.).
Language: Several fish-inspired swear substitutes are used, including “what the flip,” “every flipping time,” and “bull shark” (or something similar). A character also says, “Oh my gosh.”
Violence: Dolphins bare their teeth and briefly attempt to eat the protagonist fish (but ultimately switch to a vegetarian diet). While not “violence,” the somewhat villainous cuttlefish can “hypnotize” other fish, which may be too intense for some young viewers.
Sexuality: Characters accuse a male fish of being “thirsty” for a female fish and giving off “stalker vibes.”
Other: A fish is zapped by the electricity of a jellyfish, resulting in it temporarily acting “drunk.” A character mentions knowing a “psychic.”
Engage The Film
Helping One Another
The Pout-Pout Fish offers a straightforward and simple message about helping those in need. The Pout-Pout Fish is distrustful of other fish and reluctant to delay his journey to help others along the way. In contrast, Pip, his upbeat sea dragon companion, chooses to see the good in everyone and believes they should help others. That way, if ever they find themselves in a tight spot, someone will come to their aid (which, of course, is exactly what happens at the end).
Christians can affirm that simple but edifying message. The apostle Paul writes, “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). The film provides several examples of characters helping others and accepting help when they need it.
If there is a part of the message parents may find less agreeable, it’s that the film largely swims upstream of the “stranger danger” mindset. Caution toward unknown fish is presented as wrong, and a default posture of overwhelming trust (bordering on naivety) is portrayed as right. The message of seeing the good in all people is redemptive, but some parents may find the connotation of “trust all strangers, even those who are older than you” to be less welcome.
