By Gabriel Payne
The chances are that at some point in your life, you have heard the story of the Pout-Pout fish with a Pout-Pout face who spreads dreary wearies all over the place. The beloved children’s book written by author Deobrah Diesen has made its way across classrooms and homes all over the country to achieve numerous accolades such as New York Times Bestseller and TIME Magazine’s Top Ten Children’s Book list.
After 18 years of existing solely on the pages of library books everywhere, the story of the Pout-Pout fish has been brought to cinematic life by directors Ricard Cussó and Rio Harrington. They have delivered an adaptation that seeks to both capitalize on the nostalgic memories of parents and grip the attention of modern children with humor, fun and pretty colors.
“The Pout-Pout Fish” follows the journey of, well, the weary, dreary Mr. Pout-Pout Fish played by Nick Offerman and his adorable, hyper-enthusiastic sidekick Pip, played by Nina Oyama. In this film, they travel across the ocean on a quest to restore their destroyed homes, lost in the same tragic accident, meeting lots of wacky creatures and getting into all sorts of dangerous shenanigans.
By Gabriel Payne
The chances are that at some point in your life, you have heard the story of the Pout-Pout fish with a Pout-Pout face who spreads dreary wearies all over the place. The beloved children’s book written by author Deobrah Diesen has made its way across classrooms and homes all over the country to achieve numerous accolades such as New York Times Bestseller and TIME Magazine’s Top Ten Children’s Book list.
After 18 years of existing solely on the pages of library books everywhere, the story of the Pout-Pout fish has been brought to cinematic life by directors Ricard Cussó and Rio Harrington. They have delivered an adaptation that seeks to both capitalize on the nostalgic memories of parents and grip the attention of modern children with humor, fun and pretty colors.
“The Pout-Pout Fish” follows the journey of, well, the weary, dreary Mr. Pout-Pout Fish played by Nick Offerman and his adorable, hyper-enthusiastic sidekick Pip, played by Nina Oyama. In this film, they travel across the ocean on a quest to restore their destroyed homes, lost in the same tragic accident, meeting lots of wacky creatures and getting into all sorts of dangerous shenanigans.
It is clear from the start that the intended audience of this film is young children watching with their parents. From the dialogue to the story to even the animation, the focus is nothing else beyond surface level entertainment for young children.
However this does not mean that the experience is worthless. In fact, it reveals some important things about the nature and structure of children’s movies today. Understanding what exactly the film industry thinks a “children’s movie” should be is critical in preparing the next generation to think critically about the media they intake.
The first clear aspect defining this as a children’s movie is the vague yet pervasive message of generalistic morality through the story and dialogue. While it is always kept hidden under the pretense of entertainment, this film has a lot to say about earning success through hard work, always helping others in need, gentle parenting and trusting that you will be rewarded for kindness one day.
Although there is an argument to be made that some of these ideas have value, they are clearly drawn from a general “good of society” framework rather than a reliable moral authority. The subtle, indirect way that these messages are communicated, without basis or explanation, fosters a kind of “go with the flow” mentality that can become dangerous if left unchecked.
If children are taught and believe that the right thing to do is always what the world would define as moral, society would be left with an aimless moral foundation, and nothing short of disaster would follow.
Aside from subversive moral directives, this film can be identified as a children’s film by a noticeable appeal to the adults in the room, primarily of a Millenial/Gen Z demographic. Studios understand that parents still want to be mildly entertained while taking their children to the movies.
Their attempt to grasp for the attention of the adults takes the form of a multitude of pop culture references and mature jokes that seem to be a fourth wall wink to the parents. By trying to make the older audience feel included, the appeal of a weekend theatre trip extends to all ages, which of course means more viewers.
Ultimately, this film can be characterized most clearly as a children’s movie because it is created to make money by drawing in and captivating easily-pleased young audiences. The story is remarkably simplistic, the animation is far from impressive and the morals it conveys are basic and hollow.
The goal of this project was not to make art, nor was it to grow or challenge the audience. It simply sought to entertain through its vibrant animation style, endless inclusion of humor and unique take on a well-beloved character.
For what it is, the film does succeed at entertaining young viewers and amusing the adults in the room. While currently under performing in theatres, this project does not stand out for anything especially negative. It is simply another batter in the long, weary lineup of cash-grab children’s movies trying to get lucky. Based on the ceiling that the genre set for itself, I would rate this project a 5/10.
“The Pout-Pout Fish” is currently playing in theatres
Gabriel Payne is a junior Mechanical Engineering major whose greatest passion in life is glorifying the Lord, followed closely by some good soul food.
Pictures courtesy of Cosmic Dino Studios, Like A Photon Creative, and Macmillan Publishers
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