Shark Tale is currently entertaining movie goers around the country, and while its beautifully animated fish are certainly reason enough to enjoy Dreamwork's latest, Activision has given us plenty to be excited about in our homes with the videogame version of the film. Shark Tale for the Gamecube is a very enjoyable game that will have fans of the movie flipping over this under the sea adventure.

Shark Tale is about an arrogant fish named Oscar that finds himself in a sticky situation where everyone thinks he's a hero, but a secret he's keeping may come back to bite him in the end, in a matter of speaking. The game is full of the same characters and environments that are in the film, and while Activision couldn't get the original voice actors from the movie to provide voice work (Will Smith voices Oscar), all of the original actors approved their voice-a-likes, and the replacements do a fine job.

The voice-a-likes are the worst part about this game, and believe me; I use the word "worst" very loosely because they do a great job. Simply put, Shark Tale is a fabulous game that's chock full of everything that makes a fantastic videogame experience. Right off the bat, you're going to notice that the graphics are incredible. Ok yes, they're not as impressive as the visuals in the film, but they're not too far behind. The character models, animation, and environments look exquisite, so much so that they actually improved the happiness that I had while playing. You actually feel like you're under the water, and that sensation is not always achieved in gaming.

Shark Tale's sound is equally as impressive. The voice acting is great, but better than that is the music selection. The game features a phenomenal selection of music that includes Carwash, U Can't Touch This, Summertime, Wipe Out, and Bad Boys, among others, and the licensed tracks really give this game a feel of authenticity as well as an injection of personality.

Thankfully, Shark Tale's gameplay lives up to its great presentation. The game's missions are varied, rolling several different types of play into one package. You're thrust into a scary situation right away, as Oscar has to dodge an evil shark that's trying to snack on him. It's an awesome level and it really gets the adrenaline going, but the game's other missions are just as fun. There's the standard adventure missions, where you maneuver Oscar around various locales collecting pearls for cash and trying to complete various objectives, but then there's the stealth missions, where you have to sneak around without being seen, and my personal favorite, the dancing levels! A giant circle appears on screen, and these arrows start spinning around it, and when they reach the bottom you have to press the corresponding direction on the Gamecube's digital pad. It's fun stuff, but not as cool as the PS2 and Xbox versions because you can use your Dance Dance Revolution mats!

While Shark Tale's a lot of fun, it's not the longest of experiences, but Activision's balanced this out by tossing in a ridiculous amount of unlockables. You can access concept art, clips from the film, wire frame models of game characters, character profiles, and a host of other goodies. The amount of stuff is simply mind boggling, meaning that if you absolutely love the movie, you're going to be in love with this game.

If I had to name one negative about Shark Tale, and believe me, it's tough, I'd go with it's difficulty. The game's very easy, not to the point where you're going to beat the whole thing in two hours without dying, but it's not exactly an epic adventure that'll take you 60 hours to complete. However, this is a great game for fans, children, and those looking to have a lot of fun.

Even though it's not a long game per se, Shark Tale is still worth checking out, especially if you love the movie. The great animation, music, styles of play, and unlockables make it one of the best movie-based games ever made, and the perfect gift for children this holiday season.