Make no mistake about it, Shark Tale bears no resemblance to Finding Nemo. Instead of a family oriented movie, this under-the-sea animated film is a spoof of The Godfather movies -- and not a very good one at that. Granted, it’s fun to hear Robert De Niro’s voice coming out of a mafia shark’s mouth, but that’s not enough to save this film from sleeping with the fishes.

Despite a list of talented actors who lend their voices to the cartoon characters, Shark Tale lacks the charm and enchantment I expected. Oscar, the fish voiced by Will Smith, comes across as one of the least watchable animated characters ever -- plus he’s difficult to understand. I can’t figure out why that happened; I’ve never had trouble with Smith’s fast-talking delivery before, and I’ve seen all his films. At any rate, Oscar starts out as a tongue scraper in a Whale Wash owned by Sykes (voiced by Martin Scorsese), a puffer fish in debt to Don Lino (De Niro). But our hero wants more out of life; he yearns for fame and fortune.

When one of Don Lino’s sons dies after being hit by a ship's anchor, Oscar takes the credit and becomes a celebrity called “The Shark Slayer.” He wasn’t a sympathetic character at the beginning of the movie, so just imagine how obnoxious he becomes while enjoying all the trappings of fame, including the attentions of Lola (voiced by Angelina Jolie), a glamorous seductress -- much to the dismay of his good friend and co-worker Angie (voiced by Renee Zellweger).  

The only one who knows Oscar’s secret is Lenny (voiced by Jack Black), the dead shark's brother. But Lenny has troubles of his own. He’s a gentle vegetarian who refuses to kill and eat other creatures, a fact that’s made him an outcast among his “family” of sharks. Oscar agrees to hide Lenny -- and their symbiotic relationship is formed. After the lies are discovered, Oscar finally realizes fame isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. Unfortunately, we can't help suspecting that this former "Shark Slayer" would still be basking in the limelight if he didn't have to fess up.

Nothing here to inspire the kiddies, I know. However, there’s lots of color and energetic digital animation on screen, which should appeal to them even if the story doesn’t. On the other hand, most youngsters will miss the film’s numerous references to various movies like Titanic and Jaws. I realize some adults will enjoy those brief attempts at levity as well as the look of the film -- especially its glitzy underwater Times Square setting -- but, sadly, yours truly is not one of them.         

(Released by DreamWorks and rated “PG” for some mild language and crude humor.)