The Wasteland Reviewer

The Pout-Pout Fish (2026) Written Review

Who is Mr. Fish? The story of Mr. Fish can be found on the pages of The Pout-Pout Fish by writer Deborah Diesen. Brought to the big screen by director Ricard Cusso, The Pout-Pout Fish tells the tale of a grumpy fish who is unexpectedly pushed into a journey through the ocean to find a famous and elusive “wish fish” that has quite the legend around it. Nudged into the journey and accompanied by a young sea dragon Pip, this journey throughout the sea is quite sprawling and filled with colorful characters from all walks of sea life. 

Does the story from Elise Allen, Elie Choufany, and Dominic Morris’ screenplay draw in adults and children alike? This is obviously a film geared towards the young members of the audience with its bright colors, silly humor, and simplified beats but there are at least some elements that will grab the attention of the adults in the room. First off, humor is a range of styles in The Pout-Pout Fish. There are plenty of beats that are low-hanging fruit and a type of humor that will get laughs out of the youngest audience members. There are some meta-humor and pop culture references that fall flat and distract from the tone of the film. The central story and thematic elements feel derivative (from films like Shrek), but the story has a good message and heart, nonetheless. This is a more episodic experience with different sea creatures popping up throughout the film (with the sassy starfish with all types of accents truly taking the cake as the best supporting characters). There is a whole added subplot (which morphs into the main antagonistic force of the film) centered around a young cuttlefish attempting to prove himself to his queen mother and keep his school from leaving. The film just gets too messy and muddled to deliver a clear and succinct message. 

How does Cusso direct this film to make it stand out in the vast ocean of animated features out there? First off, the animation is rock solid. The fish look effective even if they are going for a more cartoonish design. The visuals are interesting as well as lighting is leveraged well to give the ocean a dynamic look to it. The world building is effective thanks to some dynamic visuals and “camera work” that navigates the ocean well. The music choices are inconsistent with the score matching the film well but there are some newer music elements that feel out of place with the overall tone of the film. Tonally, the film navigates some sillier elements with some genuine heart (which is the most effective part of the film). The film moves well too (even with it slowing only because the film has a lot going on). 

Does the English voice cast bring a lot to the experience? Nick Offerman does a great job balancing the different dimensions of Mr. Fish. At the start of the film, Mr. Fish is grumpy, isolated, and quite abrasive (all from a central motivation of fear). Offerman deepens his voice and takes away emoting which captures this vibe well. As the film goes on, he opens and you can feel joy and happiness shine through as he discovers the power of connection. Offerman injects warmth and joy into his performance that shines through. There are a few other big names thrown into the film with Miranda Otto delivering a strong and intimidating performance as the queen cuttlefish and Amy Sedaris delivering some range as three slightly different ditsy dolphins ripped out of Clueless and Mean Girls. Even Jordan Sparks delivers a warm performance as the superstar “wish fish” that everyone wants to find. The rest of the voice cast is a mix of confident silliness, bland characterizations, and grating tones. 

Is The Pout-Pout Fish a charming new animated film that the whole family can enjoy? The film is a bit too derivative of other, stronger efforts to truly stand out on its own. Offerman and company do a fine job of bringing these aquatic characters to life. The story is a little too stuffed and focused as it feels like a film trying to stretch out a small children’s book. But there is some good heart, good themes, and some good humor to make this a cinematic experience for the whole family.