Why so grumpy?
The Pout-Pout Fish
The film opens Friday, March 20, only in movie theaters, via Viva Kids. Visit their official site for locations and showtimes.
Whether you're experiencing 'the blues,' are enduring a bout of depression, or are suffering from clinical depression, the very last thing you want to hear is some well-intended soul telling you to 'cheer up' or 'put on a happy face' or some other well-meaning, yet entirely empty cliche. (Truly, I speak from experience.)
The opening sequence of a new animated family film, therefore, feels wearingly familiar, other than its setting -- under the sea -- and its characters -- fish.
Based on a series of books written by author Deborah Diesen, with pictures by Dan Hanna -- the first was published in 2008 -- The Pout-Pout Fish introduces its titular character, known as Mr. Fish and plaintively voiced by Nick Offerman, as he braces to face another day where every fish greets him with words that show they don't get what he's experiencing. Instead, they tear at his soul, accumulating to the point that he wants nothing more to do with his fellow fish.
Then he meets Pip (Nina Oyama, Deadloch), a seadragon who is, apparently, eternally happy and cheerful. She is also inadvertently taking something that belongs to him, mistaking his home, a wrecked ship that has seen better days, for a junkyard. She freely admits her error, then adds that she desperately needs furnishings; her parents have gone away so her mother can give birth to Pip's new siblings -- she estimates she will soon have 300 or 400 brothers and sisters -- and she worries her parents will forget all about her.
The accidents continue, only this time mostly by Mr. Fish, who helps to inadvertently destroy Pip's home which, of course, she needs for her incoming siblings -- hundreds of them! Mr. Fish and Pip then decide to search for the legendary Shimmer, a fish that is said to make wishes come true, something that Mr. Fish discovered when he was just a baby fish.
Meanwhile, their native habitat is threatened by life-changing conditions, and so the magisterial Marin (Mirando Otto) declares, sadly, that all the fish must prepare to decamp to other parts of the sea, which fills her son Benji (Remy Hii) with determination to find another solution.
Admittedly, none of this sounds very much like what we usually cover around these parts. Yet, part of what makes The Pout-Pout Fish intriguing to me is that it's an international production. When the film was acquired by Viva Kids for North American distribution in September 2025, Variety pointed out that it was "produced by Australian-based production company Like a Photon Creative, MIMO Studios and Macmillan Publishers, who also financed."
Scrolling through the work produced by Like a Photon Creative, it looks like an all-star gallery for animals, so a film with a pout-pout fish as its protagonist sounds like a natural fit for the Australian company, even if the book's original creator is an American author. Likewise, its partner MIMO Studios is focused on producing 'kid-first' entertainment. That alone sets these companies apart from Disney and Pixar, who are in the business of producing entertainment that appeals to children, yes, but also young adults and parents.
The difference in focus helps to explain why The Pout-Pout Fish is relentlessly devoted to appealing to children. We don't see any mortal dangers emerge from the shadows beneath the sea; none of the characters are threatening or even dangerous. Indeed, everyone wants to help Mr. Fish, even if they don't know how to talk to someone or something who may be suffering a mental health issue.
As a consequence, The Pout-Pout Fish is delightful mainly for those who love Nick Offerman -- I raise my hand -- who can sound very, very glum, and even unhappy, but never with a tone that makes anyone seriously concerned that he wants to do himself harm. Instead, initially, he just wants to be left alone.
The film follows Mr. Fish on a personal journey on which he learns how to deal with his mental health issues: don't isolate yourself and spend as much time as possible helping other people -- or fishes. Truly, that is sound advice for anyone who is feeling the blues or dealing with depression; it's best to think about other people, and to be ready to accept their love and acceptance.
I can't imagine a better 'message movie' for children and adults alike. As a bonus, it's filled with a colorful variety of fish, which will send me scurrying for a reference book to learn more about their different identities.
Who says adults can't learn about life from movies aimed at children?