The Pout-Pout Fish (2026) – Review

1. The person who suggested Nick Offerman should voice an ocean pout needs a raise.
2. It’s refreshingly straightforward. 
3. Between The Pout-Pout Fish and A Sloth Story (2024), director Ricard Cussó loves offbeat animal stories. 
4. When talking about the film, Nick Offerman used the phrase “medicinal storytelling,” and it’s a solid way to explain the proceedings. 
5. Co-writer Elise Allen (Superkitties, Minibods, Polly Pocket, Princess Power, Barbie in a Mermaid World) has a stacked resume. 

Released in 2008, the Deborah Diesen-penned The Pout-Pout Fish has sold millions of copies, pulled in a handful of awards, and introduced the world to an ocean pout named Mr. Fish, who looks pouty due to his oversized lips. Mr. Fish is afraid that his pouty demeanor spreads “dreary-wearies” across the ocean, but through a series of interactions with fellow ocean-dwellers, the perennially-pouting fish becomes less pessimistic and learns to spread “cheery-cheeries” to other fish. Adapting the 32-page book into a 92-minute film was a no-brainer because it has a built-in audience and the bright underwater environments are perfect for a children’s animated film. It’s also nice that future sequels could pull from follow-up books that expand the lore of Mr. Fish (The Pout-Pout Fish and the Bully-Bully Shark sounds fun).

The Pout-Pout Fish centers around a pouty fish named Mr. Fish (Nick Offerman) who spends his days in constant dread of being told to smile. He practices meditation, lives in a sunken boat (that is almost broken in half), and swims to the local reef town to buy signs that say “no trespassing.” His pouty existence is interrupted when a teenage seadragon named Pip (Nina Oyama) stumbles across his house while she’s scavenging for supplies for her 300+ brothers and sisters who are about to hatch. After some household shenanigans, Mr FIsh’s precariously located home falls off a reef cliff and crushes Pip’s new house. Since both of their homes have been destroyed, the two polar opposites decide to seek out Shimmer (Jordin Sparks), a mystical wish-granting Siamese fighting fish who can magically repair their homes.

What they don’t know is that a cuttlefish named Benji (Remy Hill) is also looking for Shimmer. He plans on using his wish to get rid of an influx of sea-kelp that has blocked sunlight from entering his tribe’s cavernous home. If he doesn’t get his wish, his mom, Marin (Miranda Otto), plans on taking over the nearby reef where Mr. Fish and Pip live. What follows is a low-stakes tale about two groups of fish looking for a magical Siamese fighting fish.

The episodic film sees Mr. Fish and Pip travel to multiple locations, like Jellyfish Junction (the home of electric jellyfish), and Dolphin Cove, a brightly-colored cove where pink dolphins (voiced by Amy Sedaris) hang out in a 1980s mall environment. The groups also explore dark cave systems and interact with whales, electric eels, and a group of starfish spies. The adventure leads to a climax that involves kelp eating, cuttlefish hypnosis, and mutual understanding. 

Directors Ricard Cussó and Rio Harrington eschew ambitious storytelling for a hyper-safe story about finding community and friends. It wasn’t a bad idea to keep the plot simple; however, the straightforward storytelling prevents the movie from being nothing more than a pleasant 92-minute distraction for families. If you’re looking for a safe and pleasant experience, you can’t go wrong with The Pout-Pout Fish.