THE POUT-POUT FISH
Turn that Frown Upside Down!
What You Need To Know
THE POUT-POUT FISH is an animated fantasy from a popular book series by Deborah Diesen, about Mr. Fish, a pouty fish from the Reef, and Pip, a sea dragon, who accidentally destroy their homes, prompting a quest to find Shimmer, a magical fish who grants wishes.
Benji, a cuttlefish, also searches for Shimmer while a net of kelp threatens to cover the Abyss. This danger forces the cuttlefish to abandon their home. Benji leaves the pod against his mother’s wishes to look for Shimmer and makes his best friend lie about his disappearance. Mr. Fish and Pip follow Benji’s trail of destruction, assisting the fish they meet during their search for Shimmer.
After finding Shimmer, Benji kidnaps her to demand his wish to restore the Abyss. Shimmer reveals her lack of magical powers but allows others to believe she has them to inspire hope. The cuttlefish invade the Reef, hypnotizing its inhabitants and forcing them to leave their homes. Mr. Fish, Pip and Benji rally their new friends to destroy the kelp net, enabling the cuttlefish to return home. After the kelp disappears, the cuttlefish help Mr. Fish and Pip rebuild their homes.
Despite the intricacy and fun of its colorful underwater environment, the animation in THE POUT-POUT FISH falters in some areas, resembling low-budget animated films from the early 2000s. Also, the movie cuts quickly between different environments, creating a visual jolt between the dark, grey Abyss and the bright, colorful Reef.
THE POUT-POUT FISH celebrates moral, biblical values such as hope, kindness, friendship, teamwork, and helping others. Yet, for a movie aimed at young children, some questionable content surfaces, including characters who lie, kidnap, sabotage, and disobey. This content sometimes overshadows the movie’s positive messages.
For example, Benji disobeys his mother, lies and mistreats other ocean inhabitants. He believes his actions justify themselves for the good of the pod. When the truth emerges, others praise him without imposing consequences for his disobedience. Furthermore, Mr. Fish, an overprotective single dad, discourages his son from making friends and fosters isolation and “poutiness.”
In contrast, Pip the sea dragon embodies morality, promoting kindness, joy, and hope even amid discouragement. The movie features a poignant monologue where Pip shares her fear of change as she anticipates becoming a big sister. She worries that her parents might forget her, but Mr. Fish reassures her that her kindness and care for others make her unforgettable.
THE POUT-POUT FISH has a mixed worldview. It stresses strong moral, biblical values such as hope, friendship, kindness, caring for others, and teamwork. However, the character Shimmer, a magical fish, teaches individuals to grant their own wishes, reflecting a Romantic worldview. Also, Mr. Fish finds relief from stress through meditation and stacking Zen Rocks. His behavior is shown in a humorous light. THE POUT-POUT FISH also has light occult elements, such as a mention of a psychic, and features moments of cartoon peril that may frighten younger children. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises serious caution for older children.
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
A mixed pagan worldview overall has some strong moral elements stressing hope, friendship, kindness, teamwork, helping others, and looking for light and hope in dark places, with some light pagan, occult elements as where a supposedly magical fish can grant wishes, but when she’s asked to grant a wish, she denies her ability and tells characters they are the only ones with the power to grant their own wishes, reflecting a Romantic worldview, plus some elements of false religion where a character seeks relief from stress and turns to mediation, stacks “Zen rocks,” and sits in a lotus position and chants “Om” in several scenes, but it’s all portrayed in a humorous light
Foul Language
Two misuses of God’s name, plus characters say phrases alluding to foul language like, “that's bull-shark,” “for the love of blub,” “shut up,” “you are an ink-stain,” and “every flipping time,” and some scatological humor and potty jokes
Violence
A character is stung by jellyfish, plus action cartoon peril as Pink Dolphins chase and try to eat two characters
Sex
No sex
Nudity
No nudity
Alcohol Use
No alcohol use
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
No smoking or drugs but a character is stung by a jellyfish and is visibly high for a few minutes;
Miscellaneous Immorality
A character disobeys his mom and tells his friend to lie about it, a character kidnaps a fish, a character encourages another one not to help others but the other character sticks to her ethical code of helping others, some children’s rebellious behavior ends up helping the society, sabotage, lying, and bullying.
