Publication Date: 02-18-2026

The Pout-Pout Fish (2026) review

Dir. Ricard Cussó and Rio Harrington

By: Steve Pulaski

Rating: ★★

The first quarter of the year has been a busy one for Viva Kids, with the release of Charlie the Wonderdog, the creative and inspired Buffalo Kids, and now, The Pout-Pout Fish, based on the children’s book by Deborah Diesen. Where Buffalo Kids felt like the company’s most accomplished effort yet, blending photorealistic animation with a wonderful story set during the Gold Rush and the Great Plains of America, The Pout-Pout Fish is a derivative under-the-sea tale about a grumpy, reclusive fish who, as the title suggests, can’t muster the energy to crack a smile.

Right off the bat, with a moody protagonist, screenwriters Elise Allen and Elie Choufany are faced with the tall order of making Mr. Fish (voiced by Nick Offerman), as he’s known, likable. One of the ways this could’ve been achieved is by way of some likable supporting characters; however, would you be shocked to learn that a giddy sea dragon named Pip (Nina Oyama) and a cuttlefish couple (Remy Hii and Miranda Otto) fail to leave an impression?

What about the plot? Pip ends up destroying both her home and Mr. Fish’s, which results in them hitting the (sea)-road to find a mystical pink fish (Jordin Sparks), who’s rumored to have the power to grant wishes. Throughout their journey, they stumble upon an assortment of candy-colored characters, and while nothing is physically missing, The Pout-Pout Fish more-or-less plays like a Finding Nemo clone with the law of diminishing returns on full display.

Nothing about the film — helmed by Ricard Cussó and Rio Harrington — is inherently bland. Maybe worse, it’s inherently bland, so much so that not even Amy Sedaris voicing a pod of pink dolphins can do much to liven up the energy. This is all while Mr. Fish sulks and lethargically swims, not exerting too much energy and not daring to disrupt his life of discontentment despite his peers’ valiant efforts. This material might be serviceable for the youngest of children, but anyone over, I’d say eight-years-old, is liable to want their parents’ smartphone long before the credits come.

NOTE: The Pout-Pout Fish will be released theatrically in the United States on March 20th, 2026.

Voiced by: Nick Offerman, Nina Oyama, Remy Hii, Miranda Otto, Jordin Sparks, and Amy Sedaris. Directed by: Ricard Cussó and Rio Harrington.