MovieChat Forums > Fishtales (2008) Discussion > I watched this film and loved it.

I watched this film and loved it.

posted 16 years ago by laser-27
6 replies | jump to latest

I prescreen what children will watch. So much violence, etc. out there in movies today.

This isn't just a "kids" movie, it's a FAMILY movie.

I watched it and enjoyed every minute of it. It's not only for kids, but their parents and grandparents. Very good movie for EVERYONE to sit down and enjoy during an evening.

The little boy in the movie, Dimitri, son of the boat Captain, was one great little actor. That kid cracked me up. He did a fine job. Check out the bloopers in the end to see what the crew tried to do with him. So funny.

Captain Mavros, his father was greedy and conniving. Always scheming to gain money and riches. His kid tried to keep him in check. Those two made a good team as actors to carry off that comedic relationship.

The Professor and his daughter had a close knit relationship of their own. He, off to finish some project and she tried to help him accomplish more than that. She knows he needs to find more than finishing his thesis and tries to help him find love. They paired very well together and it wouldn't be hard to believe that they weren't really father and daughter, taking life day by day.

The movie was centered around them with a housekeeper who doubles as village matchmaker. Just don't ask her to cook you dinner.

Ahh, the mermaid. Absolutely gorgeous. Will the Goddess of the sea give up being immortal for true love? You won't find that in a can of Starkist.

[–] poppet90 16 years ago

I admit, almost any movie with a mermaid in it is something I will unconditionally LOVE to death!

However, "Fishtales" was a mermaid movie that deserved to have better screen-writers, and a better director. The actors ... they could have done a little better with Selena and the Professor, but everybody else - ESPECIALLY the mermaid! - were well cast. These two were rather weak in their portrayal of a father and daughter, with various raised-voice matches and him never getting angry. Although, I will say he did a very good image of "work-a-holic father who doesn't notice his daughter growing up right in front of his eyes" - I'll give him that.
I felt like I was watching the mermaid/fantasy version of a much, MUCH younger (and less talented) Christina Ricci when she acted in "Casper". At least THAT movie had a coherent plot and actors with good chemistry.

The only - and MAJOR - problem with this movie is that it's so random. The plot is attainable, but you have to be somewhat adept at FINDING it in order to see it. Otherwise, you're going to sit there and watch the movie, marvel at the beautiful underwater/mermaid shots, oooh and ahhh at the beauty of a Greecian island, and laugh at the better comedic actors.
You'll NEVER get that the story is a girl trying to help her professor father finish a specific line of research, as well as find him a new love while vacationing on a remote Greek isle. She befriends a mermaid, who helps her dad with his work. But is there love?

The Nick show "H2O Just Add Water" has better acting than this (except for the mermaid!). And THAT'S Children's TV!

[–] lilievitra 15 years ago

I wouldn't say I loved the movie but the acting was good. It is a very classic family story, a bit cheesy but I thought the dialogues were well written and Billy Zane's performance was really good. His acting looked natural all along, with the silly scenes and the love scenes. He was really playing with ease.
Kelly, Amber and the lady in black really played well too. Alki's character is just too cliche and too cheesy to be realistic but i guess, with what the actor was given, it did a good job at it.

[–] Firefly69 13 years ago

Ok the comments are old... but anyways, I watched this on Netflix yesterday and was charmed by it!

I thought it was a lighthearted and fun movie to watch. Is it really deep? No. But it was a fun, feel-good movie. I really enjoyed it.

[–] rizdek 11 years ago

OK, this thread is really old. This is almost a cartoon with real people. But, for some reason, I like it. It's free now on the internet and I've seen it twice and will likely watch it more. I probably wouldn't actually have wanted to see it in the theater...but free on the internet...no problem.

[–] Zingbot_9000 9 years ago

Been a long time, but both me and my daughter watched it because of the Mermaid story. We both felt it was awful. Guess it doesn't take much to please some people. Even on netflix it was a waste of my time. Just shows you how far Billy Zane's career has sunk.

...............ZING!

[–] josephnatescott 7 years ago

I really enjoyed this movie. Billy Zane was genuinely funny, Kelly Brook was genuinely charismatic, the kid could genuinely act, and it was filmed on the Greek coast. You have to watch a family movie, which this is, expecting to watch a family movie -- criticizing it for not being more like an R-rated movie (which it wasn't intended to be) is pointless.