March 25, 2026
by Carla Hay
Directed by Ricard Cussó and Rio Harrington
Culture Representation: Taking place in an unnamed body of water, the animated film “The Pout-Pout Fish” (based on the book series of the same name) features a cast of characters who are underwater animals.
Culture Clash: An ocean pout fish and a sea dragon, whose homes have been accidentally destroyed, team up to find a Siamese fighting fish that can reportedly grant rare wishes, but the pout fish and the sea dragon are in a race against time with a cuttlefish who wants to be the one to get his wish granted.
Culture Audience: “The Pout-Pout Fish” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of the books on which the movie is based, the movie’s headliners, and predictable but entertaining animated films about talking animals.
“The Pout-Pout Fish” is an enjoyable but not spectacular animated film about an ocean pout fish and a sea dragon teaming up to find a Siamese fighting fish, who can reportedly grant wishes. The movie’s depiction of underwater life is vibrant despite a formulaic story. The engaging performances from the movie’s voice cast members go a long way in maintaining viewer interest.
Directed by Ricard Cussó and Rio Harrington, “The Pout-Pout Fish” was written by Elise Allen, Elie Choufany and Dominic Morris. The movie is based on Deborah Diesen’s “Pout-Pout Fish” book series that began with 2008’s “The Pout-Pout Fish.” The book series was also adapted into a 2019 off-Broadway musical.
In “The Pout-Pout Fish,” the title character is Mr. Fish (voiced by Nick Offerman), who is grouchy and standoffish to anyone he meets. Mr. Fish lives in an unnamed body of water that has a coral reef. Flashbacks to Mr. Fish’s childhood show that his father (voiced by Christopher James Baker) taught a juvenile Mr. Fish (voiced by Lucas Haddrick) to mistrust and avoid interactions with strangers.
Through a series of events, the homes of Mr. Fish and a perky young female sea dragon named Pip (voiced by Nina Oyama) are accidentally destroyed. It all starts when Pip asks Mr. Fish in expanding her home to make room for the upcoming births of Pip’s approximately 300 siblings. A shipwreck nearby demolishes the homes of Mr. Fish and Pip.
Pip persuades a reluctant Mr. Fish to join her in finding a magical Siamese fighting fish named Shimmer (voiced by Jordin Sparks), who can reportedly grant wishes, but only grants wishes on rare occasions. Pip thinks that Shimmer will be able to grant a wish to restore the homes of Pip and Mr. Fish. However, Shimmer is very difficult to find. Unbeknownst to Pip, Mr. Fish encountered Shimmer in Mr. Fish’s childhood.
Meanwhile, the cuttlefish in the area are in a crisis because the kelp above their homes has grown so large, it’s blocking the sun that the fish need to survive. A young and adventurous yellow cuttlefish named Benji (voiced by Remy Hii), who is the son of cuttlefish leader Marin (voiced by Miranda Otto) takes it upon himself to find Shimmer because Benji wants Shimmer to grant Benji’s wish to have the help removed. It leads to a race against time, with Mr. Fish and Pip competing against Benji to find Shimmer first.
The other characters in the movie come and go but aren’t the focus of the story. Hector (voiced by Mark Coles Smith) is a friendly orange octopus who owns Hector’s Hardware Store. A purple jellyfish named Shaz (voiced by Mel Buttle) and a pink jellyfish named Baz (voiced by Bessie Holland) are a duo of friends that need help with moving a rock. There’s a mother whale (voiced by Anne Edmonds) who is looking for her lost pup son (voiced by Lucas Haddrick). Brigitta, Greta and Karina (all voiced by Amy Sedaris) are three pink dolphins who act like “mean girls” and even have some dialogue inspired by the 2004 movie “Mean Girls.”
“The Pout-Pout Fish” runs along at a brisk pace and has several comedic moments, but the jokes are a little bland. The aren’t too many surprises in the movie, which has themes of going outside comfort zones to help others in need. “The Pout-Pout Fish” doesn’t do anything groundbreaking or thoroughly original, but it is a solid option for anyone looking for family-friendly entertainment aimed mostly at children under the age of 12.
Viva Films released “The Pout-Pout Fish” in U.S. cinemas on March 20, 2026.