Back to the Sea

PreS-Gr 3—This saccharine animated film about friendship and family is essentially a Finding Nemo knockoff. A little fish named Kevin is fish-napped from his ocean home and dumped in the fish tank of a New York City Chinese restaurant. Poor Kevin must find a way to escape the tank and return to his family. The plot gets a bit far-fetched when Kevin befriends the son of the restaurant owner and manages to communicate his wish to return to the ocean. There is a confusing side plot about a thief who is trying to steal a mystical pearl that Kevin brought with him from his Little Mermaid-style fish clan. Though Kevin eventually makes it back to the ocean, the messages about family and friendship are relatively misplaced in the lengthy dialog gaps and confusing plot devices. Viewers are likely to be bored or lost, despite the fact that the characters are voiced by celebrities such as Christian Slater, Mark Hamill, and Tim Curry. The animation is chunky and flat. The parallels to Pixar's Finding Nemo are difficult to overlook, including the quote, "All drains lead to the ocean." For a heartwarming tale about family and friendship that has a great plot and fantastic animation, stick with the original.—Jenny Ventling, Greene County Public Library, OH