- “Moron.”
- ―Frankie's last words.[src]
Frankie Lino was a major antagonist in the DreamWorks film, Shark Tale. He was Don Lino's eldest son and Lenny's deceased older brother. He was voiced by Michael Imperioli.
Background[]
Frankie disapproved of Lenny's compassionate nature and although he did love him, he had no qualms about hitting him, despite his mother telling him and Lenny that they shouldn't hit each other. Frankie also had a tendency of humming the "Jaws"-theme, despite knowing very well that Lenny could not stand the tune. Frankie did however care enough about his younger brother that he agreed with his father to make an attempt at training Lenny to become a "proper" shark, but this decision would ultimately lead to his ultimately death after he was crushed by an anchor while chasing down Oscar, whom he had tried to coerce his brother into killing first. Frankie hit him and insulted him by calling him a moron just before he dies, when his brother, in a vain attempt to comfort Frankie during his last moments, told him the reason why he was cold was because they, as sharks, are cold-blooded.
During Frankie's funeral, he was wrapped in linen similar to how the ancient Egyptians mummified their deceased. Frankie was later put to his final resting place when the sharks, led by his father Don Lino, left his remains to float into a deep underwater ravine.
Personality[]
Vicious, bloodthirsty, an aggressive killer shark, and a true great white, Frankie was the complete opposite of Lenny in personality: Unlike his brother, Frankie won't hesitate to eat any fish if he was hungry and he often got exasperated by Lenny being reluctant to kill anything. He did love and care for his brother, but he sometimes hit him and never hesitated to do so. Frankie was also mean and cruel to Lenny sometimes; at one point in the film, when Frankie jokes to Lino that Lenny being born was an accident, Lenny responds to this by laughing sarcastically and telling Frankie he is a "comic genius". Due to his brother's gentle nature and because of it, Frankie was willing to run the reef alone once Lino retired or died.
Frankie sometimes boxed with his father, which he liked to do.
Frankie had close relationships with many of his relatives, including his parents, as they were completely devastated by his passing. Despite their quarreling, it has been shown many times that Frankie truly loved his brother Lenny, in his own way.
Physical Appearance[]
Frankie was a muscular great white shark. He had a notch in his dorsal fin and a scar on his left cheek.
Appearances[]
Shark Tale[]
Frankie appeared as one of the antagonists of the movie. Being the eldest son of Don Lino and the heir-apparent to the family business alongside his younger brother, Frankie viciously tried to live up to the reputation his specie has fierce killers. Frankie first appeared at the very beginning of the movie, roaming the lands of the Southside reef, alongside his younger brother. Unbeknownst to Frankie, Lenny frees a worm on a piece of fishing line, which he disguises under the act of picking flowers to give to Frankie, though the act does not fool the great white. Frankie proceeds by hitting Lenny, repeating his action after Lenny reminds him that their mother told him not to hit others, to which Frankie teasingly tells him that their mother is not around at the moment. The two sharks starts heading home, with Frankie humming the infamous "Jaws"-theme, to which Lenny tells him to stop, reasoning that the tune is going on his nerves. Frankie questions his younger brother, stating that it is their species' theme tune.
Frankie was later seen briefly when Sykes and Don Lino meet up to discuss the future of their joint business ventures. Don Lino wishes to involve his two sons more in his business ventures, to which Sykes responds he can understand why they would include Frankie, but mocking Lino for trying to include Lenny. Frankie, fairly embarrassed, looks on as his younger brother makes fool out of their father by swinging on his bar stool, creating an annoying squeaking sound, much to the annoyance of Don Lino who was trying to argue for Lenny being a stone-cold killer.
Days later, the family goes out to a fancy restaurant called Kernels, while Don Lino intending on discussing their family business with his two sons, now that the two of them are being more involved. Lenny is still a huge thorn in Don Lino's side, and the elderly great white scolds his youngest son for having rumors being spread behind his back on Lenny's odd and unusual behaviors, such as him refusing to eat any fish. Their family dinner is abruptly brought to an end after Lenny, in a fit of rage, decides to free a pod of shrimps that Don Lino had intended for them to eat. Lenny's action causes much embarrassment to his father, with many sharks of various species overlooking their family drama. The evening concludes with Lino, now tired and fed up with Lenny's persistence, ordering Frankie to take Lenny out to the reef, and teach him how to be a proper shark, telling his youngest son that he would become a shark regardless of whether he wanted it or not.
Frankie eventually brought Lenny out, intending to head for the reef, but only getting about halfway there before encountering Oscar, who had been tied up and gagged after failing to repay his debts to Sykes and, probably unbeknownst to Frankie, Don Lino. Frankie first tells Lenny to kill Oscar, giving him some useful tips along the way on how to effectively kill and eat the fish. Lenny however, sickened by the thought of killing the poor fish, decides to cut Oscar loose, and merely pretend to eat him. Outraged by Lennie's refusal to do as he was told, Frankie chose to take matters into his own fins, and chased after Oscar, who desperately tried to get away. Frankie would never even get close to Oscar, as suddenly, an anchor fell from the surface above, striking him down, seriously injuring the shark. Lenny, horrified at what had happened, cut the chain connected to the anchor, and freed Frankie. Frankie had however been mortally injured, with his last action being smacking his brother one last time, and calling him a moron, before finally dying from his injuries.
Frankie's death caused shockwaves to ripple through the predator community all across the deep oceans, with sharks of all species now fearing the supposed "shark-killer" - Oscar had taken advantage of his death, and proclaimed himself the hero who killed Frankie. None of the sharks knew however that the anchor was his real cause of death, nor did they know that Lenny was still alive but merely ran away because he feared his father's wrath, which caused a great deal of shock and grief to many, especially Don Lino, who thought he had lost both his sons. Lino however, never gave up hope that Lennie was still alive, and ordered every shark under his command to look for Lenny back at the reef, despite the apparent danger they were all exposed to by doing so.
Frankie's body was later wrapped up in linen, and was given a grand burial with all the sharks under his father's command participating. His body was dropped into an underwater ravine, his remains left to float the very ocean that had been his home and his very life.
Frankie's true cause of death would remain unknown for some time, until Oscar finally confessed to his lies, telling Lino about the accident that had killed his son.
Trivia[]
- At one point in the film, he is seen at Kernels eating oyster shells, but real-life sharks eat fish, obviously.
Gallery[]
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