The Pout-Pout Fish (2026) is a kind of forgettable book, as far as fish-themed classics go. It doesn’t have the wordplay of One Fish, Two Fish. It doesn’t elicit a sense of wonder like Setsuko and the Song of the Sea. It’s not a treasured book parents stash away in the attic to hand down to their kids’ kid. In fact, it’s kind of forgettable. The movie? The same.
The film adaptation dips into why the pout-pout fish pouts. Well, it turns out he only has resting pout face. After a Fruity Pebbles-level opening rap montage about the amazing reef, we meet the pout-pout, Mr. Fish. He isolates himself because everyone constantly tells him to cheer up and smile. That holds true to the forgettable book’s story.
Mr. Fish’s world gets thrown into chaos when a young dragon fish accidentally destroys his home, forcing them to team up on an epic adventure to find a magical wish-granting fish who can fix the home. And obviously the road changes him, allowing him to accept his resting pout face and learn to use it to make others happy. Right? Right? Wrong.
There are a couple of big plot-shifting moments that feel too forced. The first is a flashback about Mr. Fish lost as a kid until he meets the magic wish fish, who may have helped him find his dad. There’s not a magic fish in the book. Why force it here? Because it’s an easy plot-driving device. The second involves cuttlefish magically hypnotizing hundreds of non-cuttlefish sea creatures and sending them, presumably, off to their deaths. Call me old-fashioned but I preferred less ethnic cleansing in my preschool movies.
A lot of the art is kind of muddy and lacking detail. Don’t get me wrong, the world is bright and colorful. There’s a lot to look at. Just don’t look too hard. Glance and get out. Definitely don’t stare at the dad’s glasses too long or you’ll start to think they’re made out of chocolate-covered pretzels. Are glasses hard to draw? Maybe they are under the sea.
Director Ricard Cussó has talked about the budget constraints of a small studio doing an underwater film where everything has to move and sway. The artists are used to making lighthearted land romps starring sloths and wombats. Animating the ocean is a different challenge. It could be why the frame rate feels stilted and choppy. Though that doesn’t explain why the characters’ mouths are drawn and animated like a mix between Rick & Morty characters and Sonic the Hedgehog with teeth.
The man behind the main mouth is Nick Offerman, who does an admirable job bringing life to the famously (forgettable) pouter. Unfortunately, his charm isn’t enough. The story is overly simplistic with a few plot-jolting moments that feel forced. It probably works for toddlers and preschoolers, though the often breathless dialogue may be hard to keep up with.
When your kids do hear jokes, they’re mostly of the “what the fin” and “don’t be an ink stain” variety. You know, “f**k” and “s**t” in sea creature slang. And the film may get a little too intense at times for its target audience, especially the mass expulsion. If you’re forced to watch, keep your kid close on one side and a cooler on the other side. You’ll want to go fishin’ for brews. Not that you need help forgetting this movie.
Where to watch
Rating: PG (Me: 5+)
Director: Ricard Cussó
Starring: Nick Offerman, Jordin Sparks, Amy Sedaris
Run time: 1h 29m
Post-credits scenes: A gag at mid-credits and another post-credits.
Sequel? Not bloody likely.
If you liked The Pout-Pout Fish, check out these films:
- Finding Nemo (2003) (5+)
- Finding Dory (2016) (5+)
- Help! I’m a Fish (2000) (5+)
- A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventures (2010) (4+)
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