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4.0 out of 5 stars
A nice soft gem, but don't push it on pre-teens or older., Jan 2 2003
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Don Knotts plays a namby pamby, fish-loving, bookish bookkeeper in Brooklyn, married to a lively wife who doesn't relate to his habits. Unable to join the navy in anticipation of WWII, Knotts' character lands in the waters off Coney Island and turns into a fish, finally able to help the US war effort.It's a cute blend of animation and film, carefully steered by a director who was involved in such efforts as "Mr. Ed" and the Francis (the mule!) movies. You'll recognize the blend of animation and film if you've been watching Disney movies with your kids (although this comes from the Warner Bros studios), and the media jump won't seem as silly as when Sponge Bob surfaces from Bikini Bottom. The younger kids will like it, but it took a little cajoling to get some nine year olds to stick with it until the war scenes - - initially it was beneath them. But adventure developed, and the movie actually brings up themes regarding roles which they were familiar with from movies like The Little Mermaid (is Limpet a fish? a man? what's this mean for his old relationship with his wife, and new relationships with other sea creatures?) I hate to wax overly philosophical about this, but these are the parts which make it interesting for adults. As Limpet-the-fish says, "There's nothing like realizing your importance to the world to make a man out of you. Even if that man is a fish." Yes, it has a bit of pathos, but it also has submarine battles, jokes, a crusty hermit crab, cute animation, and a great group of B-grade actors who are somehow able to keep a straight face through the whole exercise. (What may surprise you -- or disappoint you -- is that Knotts' character is never the frenetic, shrill Barney Fife. But he is very good nonetheless, and you shouldn't typecast him.)
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