Dreamworks Animation Wiki
Register
Advertisement

You see, Sykes, it's a fish-eat-fish world - you either take or you get TAKEN!
―Don Lino.[src]

Don Edward Lino is the main antagonist in the DreamWorks film, Shark Tale. He is Sykes, Lola, Luca, and the Great White Sharks' leader and boss, Lenny and Frankie's father, and Oscar's former arch-nemesis.

Background[]

Personality[]

Lino was vicious and aggressive and unlike his merciful and compassionate son, Lenny, he had no qualms about killing. He was vengeful and tried to get revenge on Oscar for killing Frankie. But when Oscar revealed that Frankie's death had been an accident, Lino became friends with him and promised that neither he nor his sharks would attack the reef again.

Though he was a fierce and short-tempered shark with such good looks, Lino did show a softer and more caring side and he was devastated by Frankie's death. Though he was fed up with Lenny's refusal to kill anything, Lino loved Lenny very much and by the end of the film, he had grown to accept Lenny for who he was.

Physical Appearance[]

Lino is a handsome, muscular, and very strong great white with a mole on his right cheek, just like his voice actor Robert De Niro. Lino has light blue eyes.

Appearances[]

Shark Tale[]

Lino is first seen feeding his piranhas in the wreck of an old ocean liner and talking to Sykes to prepare his sons Lenny and Frankie to run the reef saying that "today is that day". Then he asks Luca to play the record and Luca fixed the record player, but it goes to the song "Baby Got Back (I Like Big Butts)." Lino and Sykes raise their eyebrows at Luca and he turns it off and he laughs and says to Lino, "Hey boss! Big butts!". Lino gets annoyed by this, but he and Sykes soon continue their conservation to have Sykes work for Lenny and Frankie. However, Sykes laughs at Lino and says that Frankie understands, but Lenny can't be serious; however, Lino says that he is "dead serious" and said that it takes muscles to run things, he tells Sykes that his youngest son, Lenny got the brains and said that it something special and Sykes said that Lenny is special. When Sykes tells Lino that Lenny is no killer, Lino frustrated, orders Sykes fired by saying that he is "out", as well as ordering him to start paying him so nothing happens to the Whale Wash.

Later at a restaurant, Lino questions Lenny over his gentle behavior and tells him that in order to succeed him as head of the Reef, his son has to be an aggressive shark, like Frankie. Spotting live shrimp cocktail, Lino grabs one and insists Lenny eats it. Lenny ultimately refused and instead releases all the shrimp out the window. Furious and embarrassed, Lino orders Frankie to show Lenny the ropes and tells Lenny that he's "gonna learn how to be a Shark! Whether you like it or not."

When he hears that Frankie was killed, and Lenny had gone missing Lino is devastated. During Frankie's funeral, Don Feinberg tells him about the Sharkslayer. Lino asks where he can find the Sharkslayer to which Feinberg responds "He's from the Southside Reef. That's all we could dig up." Lino nonetheless thanks Feinberg for his help. As Feinberg leaves, Lino vows revenge on finding out who the Sharkslayer is to avenge Frankie's death.

Later, when Sykes was on the phone with him, he told him to "shut up" in which Oscar wanting to talk to him. And he then says he should not be telling him to "shut up", but Luca mistakenly interrupted the call to order pizza. Lino shouts his name at him and Luca responds "Oh, hi , Boss. What are you doin' workin' at a pizza joint?" Lino yells at Luca to hang up his phone to which Luca whines "but I'm hungry!" but hangs up anyway. Lino then threatens Oscar that his guys are coming for him and to tear him "fin from fin", which angrily slams the phone down to hang up.

Lino sends his mob to Southside to take down Oscar, but Oscar easily scares them off.

Later, Lola informs him about Oscar's feelings for Angie, convincing him that Angie is the Sharkslayer's weakness. So she arranges Lino to kidnap Angie for Oscar's obedience. At the sitdown, Lino reveals to Oscar Angie tied up and gagged and threatens to eat her if he doesn't comply. Oscar insists he doesn't know Angie, but Lola quickly calls him out on his bluffing. Lino then growls to Oscar that "Your sharkslayin' days are over! And there ain't nothin' you can do about it. " In response, Oscar has Lenny (disguised as a dolphin) to grab Angie and eat her on the spot (grabbing her in her mouth, but not swallowing), but Lenny begins choking and vomits Angie out. Lenny's disgust in fish causes Lino to recognize his youngest son. Lenny in defeat sheds his dolphin disguise. Lino, however, is embarrassed of the situation and accuses Lenny of "taking sides against the family". When Oscar tries to defend Lenny, Lino's sadness quickly turns to fury, and he begins to chase Oscar, snapping his jaws at him.

As Oscar swims out of a porthole, Lino gets stuck. He growls "You're gonna regret the day you became the Sharkslayer!" Suddenly the shrimp (the one Lino tried to force Lenny to eat) Pops out of another porthole and gets his revenge on Lino by having his swarm attack Lino's face. But as Oscar swims off, Lino's rage keeps him going.

Oscar leads Lino towards the Whale Wash. He pulls down a lever to trap him into a whale clasping device, only to discover that he trapped Lenny by mistake. Lino continues to chase Oscar. Eventually, Oscar subdues Lino by trapping him into another machinery, leaving him face to face with Lenny.

However, Oscar, couldn't take a false reputation any longer and confessed that he lied about being a Sharkslayer, and an anchor was what killed Frankie. Lino asks Lenny why he never returned home if there never was any Sharkslayer. Lenny responded "You always wanted me to be like Frankie. I'll never be the shark you want me to be." Oscar gives Lino a speech of how everybody accepts Lenny's behavior and why Lino can't do the same. Remorseful, Lino asks Oscar to free him so he can reconcile with Lenny. He then makes a truce with the reef.

In the end, Lino, Lenny & the mob visit the Whale Wash. Sykes tries to give Lino a fin-shake telling him he has to snap his fin. Lino insists that he is snapping his fins. Sykes retorts "It's alright a lot of great whites can't do it yo!" Then Sykes keeps saying "yo, yo, yo!" repeatedly until Lino gets annoyed and threatens Sykes "You say yo' one more time, and I'm gonna yo you!" Sykes sheepishly apologizes.

Club Oscar[]

Lino reappears in the short, dancing with the Great White Sharks, as well as everyone else.

Quotes[]

  • "I wanna find this guy. I wanna know everything about him. I wanna know where he lives, where he sleeps. He pops a gill. I wanna know about it: Who is the Sharkslayer?

Gallery[]

Wiki
DreamWorks Wiki has a collection of images and media related to Don Lino.

Trivia[]

  • Lino's inspiration is the Godfather.
    • As well, he has a mole on his right cheek similar to his voice actor Robert De Niro.
  • Lino was advertised as the main antagonist, but this was an effort to hide his former partner in crime Lola.
  • Lino is the first main antagonist of a computer-animated DreamWorks film to not get killed off.
  • Lino is the second main antagonist in DreamWorks Animation to be reformed, following The Colonel from Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.
  • Liam Neeson, Kevin Spacey, Andy Garcia, Bryan Cranston, Kirk Douglas, Woody Harrelson, Jeff Daniels, Bill Nighy, John Malkovich, Dean Winters, Julian McMahon, Warren Beatty, Anthony Hopkins, Christopher Lloyd, Gerard Butler, Rupert Everett, Josh Brolin, Nick Nolte, Charles Dance, Jack Nicholson, Gene Hackman, Stephen Lang, Michael Caine, Benjamin Bratt, Hal Landon Jr., William Shatner, Judd Hirsch, Kevin Dunn, David Denman, Bill Pullman, Billy Zane, Thomas Haden Church, and Peter Greene all auditioned for the role of Don Lino before Robert De Niro was chosen to voice the character.

Navigation[]

v - e - d
Shark Tale Logo
Media
Films: Shark Tale

Shorts: Club Oscar
Video Games: Shark TaleEdge of Reality

Characters
Main Characters: OscarLennyAngieDon LinoSykesLolaFrankie

Support Characters: Ernie and BernieKatie CurrentLucaDon FeinbergCrazy JoeChristina AguileraEarlGreat White SharksKnucklesMissy Elliot

See also
Locations: Southside ReefWhale Wash

Songs: Down by the SeaCar Wash

Advertisement