Sea Level
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that despite some bright, colorful animation, and a few appealing heroes, Sea Level is filled with dark images, eerie music, bullying used as humor, scarily-mutated sea creatures, an abusive human father, and characters constantly in fear for their lives. Viewers, especially young ones, will find the film's often disconnected structure and abrupt scene endings hard to follow. If Sea Level is meant as a humorous, cautionary tale about protecting the planet and its oceans, that message is as random and murky as the story itself and the few humorous sequences don't qualify it as watchable.
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Not appropriate for young children
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What's the Story?
In the animated SEA LEVEL, Poor Pup (voiced by Diong Chae Lian) is just a small bamboo shark who's discovered that his family's egg sacs have been taken by greedy poachers eager to command the shark fin market. Pup turns to his good friend Julius (Gavin Yap) to help him make a daring rescue. Unfortunately, Julius, a very big shark, is otherwise occupied. He's having too much fun tormenting the fish who wait on him fin-and-tail hoping he won't eat them. So Pup sets out on his own, making his way to land and humankind where he finds danger, treachery, adventure and, finally, the egg sacs! Meanwhile, back in the ocean, while a factory spews its ghastly refuse into the water, Pup's friends try to follow him. But it's not easy going for them, either. They have to fend off some mutant deep water monsters (a serpent and some very unpleasant insect-like crabs), some unusually ambitious chickens, and, what's more, face the likely prospect that they'll be unable to breathe when they reach the land. It takes some luck, some invention, and some fortitude, but finally, the loyal team brings everybody home.
Is It Any Good?
Interesting, quirky, sometimes beautiful animation cannot save this ocean tale run amok. Sea Level often switches from light and frothy to dark and murky, with many unpleasant scenes likely to disturb little and/or sensitive kids, and turn off any viewer who values continuity and logic. A scene with delightfully comic chickens interacting with Julius (in a funny water-filled space capsule) might be followed by a scene in which a diabolical father beats his kids. Pup's attempts to rescue his "family" are intercut with (more accurately, interrupted by) other characters in thinly-related crises that are rarely resolved.
The film suggests that a factory's unceasing dumping of sludge and junk are wreaking havoc on this ocean setting, but the action on the screen never clearly connects the dots to the mutants deep below the surface. Sea Level plunges through very choppy waters and the few funny scenes are not worth the effort it takes to stay on course.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can discuss the film's statement: "The whole ocean's gonna be dark." How did the filmmakers try to show the effects of the factory polluting the water? Look up the word "mutation" and think about the creatures who live in the deeps of Sea Level's ocean.
Did you laugh when Julius chased, frightened, and threatened to eat the other fish as a joke? Is bullying ever funny? Does someone who laughs at a bully become part of the problem? Why?
This film jumps around a lot both in story line and in tone -- sometimes its tone is light-hearted and funny; sometimes it's dark and scary. Is this confusing or did you find it easy to follow?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: October 2, 2012
- Cast: Diong Chae Lian, Gavin Yap
- Director: Aun Hoe Goh
- Studio: Silver Ant
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Adventures, Ocean Creatures
- Run time: 93 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: scary situations, action, and brief mild language
- Last updated: March 31, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
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Shark Tale
Fast, fresh, funny action comedy set undersea.
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Finding Nemo
Sweet father-son tale has some very scary moments.
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A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures
Ocean tale should amuse, educate young kids about sea life.
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