The Pout-Pout Fish

Rated PG • Theaters

Like an aquatic version of the Grinch, Mr. Fish (Nick Offerman) spends his days reciting meanness mantras. Secretly, he’s a total softie, and who better to bring that out than Pip (Nina Oyama), a bright seahorse with an over­caffeinated optimism about almost everything. After accidentally destroying Pip’s house, Mr. Fish and Pip team up to look for the legendary, wish-­granting fish named Shimmer (Jordin Sparks).

A clan of cuttlefish also needs a miracle, since growing kelp threatens to choke out their habitat in the abyss. A young cuttlefish named Benji (Remy Hii) strikes out on his own to find Shimmer, partly to save his home but also to prove his potential as the future leader of the clan. If he doesn’t succeed, the cuttlefish will have no choice but to invade the reef above and force out the other fish.

With a rounded animation style reminiscent of movies like The Lorax, the film is geared toward an elementary-aged audience, one flatulence joke and a few cuss word stand-ins (“bullshark”) aside. But parents won’t feel left out thanks to the clever dialogue: “Let joy be unconfined,” Mr. Fish says sarcastically. When Benji thinks he’s about to be named head of the cuttlefish clan, his mother says, “No! You’re being promoted to deputy assistant to head of sanitation and waste disposal.”

Subtler funny moments include a brief spoof on Castaway starring Tom Hanks. Jealous of Mr. Fish’s poofy pout, a valley girl dolphin asks, “Where did you get them done?”

In the race to beat the precocious cuttlefish, Mr. Fish comes to terms with his own insecurities and learns to look outside himself. Ironically, the heartwarming story has a somewhat slippery takeaway that doesn’t hold a lot of water: “The power to make wishes come true lies inside of you.” Still, families with young children will find plenty to appreciate in the tender film. To quote one character, “I can’t resist a heart-wrenching coming-of-age origin story.”