Finding Dory Review

 

"I suffer from short-term memory loss... It runs in my family. At least I think it does... Hmm. Where are they?" -Dory

Dory is not alone. It's so easy for us to forget things. Where our keys are, when an exam is, our spouse's anniversary/birthday, etc.

But we all remember 2003's Finding Nemo, the fourth film from Pixar Animation Studios, the studio that invented computer animation and revolutionized the industry. It was gorgeous to look at, and it had so many lovable and memorable characters with a talented voice cast which included Albert Brooks as the over protective father Marlin the Clownfish, and Ellen Degeneres as Dory the forgetful Blue Tange fish. And it was a terrific story of courage, taking risks, and how far a father's love can really go. Some people believe that Finding Nemo is about overcoming disability. Nemo is physically disabled with one bad fin from birth, Dory is mentally disabled with short term memory loss, and Marlin is emotionally disabled due to tragically losing wife and eggs to a barracuda. That perspective helps give the film a lot more depth.

The film made a huge splash (no pun intended) with critics and audiences, grossed over $900 Million worldwide, won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature, and became the best-selling DVD of all time with over 22 Million copies sold!

From a financial standpoint, a sequel makes sense. The demand for one is clearly there, and the first film is still beloved even 13 years later. But from a creative standpoint, it cannot help but feel like a huge risk. Of all the Pixar films that we want a sequel to, Finding Nemo wouldn't be at the top of that list. (That would be The Incredibles.) The first movie's story ended so perfectly. Marlin found his son Nemo (as the title says), Dory finally has a family to belong to, Marlin learns to trust his son Nemo more and let him live his life, Nemo learns to appreciate his father more, and everyone lives happily ever after. There's really not much more you can do. Then again, the first Toy Story didn't really need a sequel when you think about it. And I think we can all agree that Toy Story 2 & 3 were worth making.

Pixar's solution? Have the sequel center around the breakout supporting character, Dory. This premise had a lot of fans worried that Dory, who worked so brilliantly in the first movie, would only be best in small doses. And it is understandable. Most of the best characters in stories are supporting characters. But when they are put as the focus of their own sequel or spin-off, it rarely works. (Joey anyone?)

Thankfully, Pixar has crafted another great sequel with Finding Dory. Now, is it as good as the first Finding Nemo? It comes close, but not quite. Does that make it bad? Of course not! That was a tough act to follow. Very few animated films (or even films in general) are as good as Finding Nemo.

A problem with film fans these days is that when a sequel isn't as good as the previous film, they label it as "unworthy" or "disappointing". Return of the Jedi is often regarded as the weakest of the original Star Wars trilogy. But that doesn't mean we should write it off completely. It's still a great movie in its own right, and a fantastic conclusion to the Original Trilogy. The same can be said for The Dark Knight Rises.

Even though Finding Dory isn't as good as the first, it's still amazingly funny, entertaining, and heartwarming.

Ellen Degeneres hasn't lost an inch of her irresistible charm as Dory. She's still her funny self from the first movie, but this time she's given more depth. She has her own arc where she is looking for her family (just like Rey in The Force Awakens). I'm glad to say Dory can indeed carry her own film. Ellen clearly loves playing the character. She is as synonymous with Dory as Robin Williams was to the Genie, and Tom Hanks is to Woody. I just cannot see anyone else playing her. It's safe to say that nobody wanted a sequel to Finding Nemo more than Ellen. She often joked about it on her show. Her excitement for this sequel shows in her performance. She brings so much emotion. Her character is so much more relatable this time. We all root for her to retrieve her memory and find her parents. Plus, baby Dory at the beginning is the most aDORYble thing you will see all year!

But as brilliant as Ellen is as Dory, Albert Brooks also deserves praise for playing Marlin. His dynamic with Dory in the first was part of what made it so enjoyable. It was similar to Tom Hanks and Tim Allen's dynamic in Toy Story, and John Goodman and Billy Crystal in Monsters, Inc. He and Nemo don't necessarily go through the same change as Dory, but their arc is also filled with a lot of laughs. There's one scene where Marin says "Going across the entire ocean is something you should only do once!" That sounded like a subtle wink to the camera, echoing the worries fans had about the sequel. Marlin in many ways relates to the pessimistic movie goer, which is what makes him so likable.

There are quite a few familiar faces from the first. Me. Ray, Crush the Sea Turtle, and even the "Mine, Mine" seagulls all make appearances. Not everyone from the first movie comes back though. But honestly, it makes the film better. A big problem sequels tend to make is they try to include every single character and idea from the first movie, making it feel too crowded. But Andrew Stanton and his team are smart enough to know what from the first movie to include, and what is best to leave in the first movie.

 

There are lots of great new characters as well. The standout is Ed O'Neil as Hank the octopus.

Hank is a seven armed octopus who Dory meets at the Aquarium. Unlike Gill and company in the first movie where they tried to escape from captivity, Hank actually embraces captivity, and prefers to stay in the safety of the aquarium away from the ocean. Ed O'Neil and Ellen have such great chemistry, and you really feel for their friendship.

 

The animation, like any Pixar movie, is gorgeous. I love the attention to detail Pixar pays to its films, and this film is no exception. From how thick the water looks, to the expressions on the fishes' faces. You can watch this movie with the sound off and still be entertained.

If there is one flaw with the film, it's in the climax. It's not that it's bad or doesn't work. It's just not what I expected. Where the first film's climax is emotional and dramatic, the second movie's climax is more played for laughs. And it does get lots of laughs, but it doesn't really fit the tone of the movie. It would be like if Toy Story 3's climax was more comical than tear jerking. Finding Dory is so heavy in a lot of scenes, that the comical climax sticks out like a sore thumb (or fin).

But that's a mild criticism. As a whole, Finding Dory is a pure delight. It's funny, entertaining, and heart-warming. In a summer filled with disappointing and unnecessary sequels, Finding Dory reminds us how great a sequel can be when you put enough effort into the story and characters. Andrew Stanton has crafted a sequel worthy to stand with his first film. I recommend this movie to all ages. Kids will love it, adults will love it, and if you're like me who saw the first movie when he was a kid, you will feel warm feelings of nostalgia for it just like with Toy Story 3. Pixar has a knack for making films that stay with us into adulthood. Dory may have a hard time remembering things. But we certainly don't forget Pixar movies, especially from our childhood.