Finding Dory is the sequel to the critically and publicly adored Finding Nemo that has arrived thirteen years later, Pixar really likes to put some distance in time between sequels (ie. Toy Story 3). Speaking of Pixar sequels, many are concerned given the studio's spotty track record with success in the Toy Story franchise and failure with Cars (Cars 2), but I'd say this falls more along with the comparison between Monsters Inc. and Monsters University when compared to Finding Nemo, something I'll elaborate on in this review.
Finding Dory picks up a year after the events of Finding Nemo after revealing some flashbacks elaborating Dory's backstory and Dory suddenly remembers that she has a family and wants to find them so naturally Marlin, Nemo, and Dory must journey across the sea and infiltrate a Marine Life Institute to reunite Dory with her parents. In essence, it's about Dory finding her home but at it's core the film is actually about finding Dory but not in the surface level way you might expect as she must search within herself for memories to help her remember who she is, a cumbersome task for the forgetful fish. On this note, creators use Dory's short-term memory loss tastefully, giving it some emotional depth this time around thanks to background character information unbeknownst to viewers watching Finding Nemo.
While Finding Dory didn't ever make me bawl, I will admit to shedding a few tears at some of the emotionally pumped portions of the film. Andrew Stanton returns to direct and once again writes the masterful screenplay, alongside fresh co-director Angus MacLane, after helming Finding Nemo and giving his shot at live action with John Carter, one of Disney's more recent tragic flops that I enjoyed, and I can say he did a wonderful job recapturing the magic of the original whilst treading new ground, so don't fret as Finding Dory is a radically different story than Finding Nemo although there are homages to moments from the original.
The story is once again a hit for Pixar diving deep both emotionally and intellectually, plucking the audiences heartstrings, while bringing ample comedic relief in the film's light hearted moments. The animation is remarkable with even more attention to detail in regards to refined character designs, photorealistic environments that will leave you in awe, and water that once again looks so darn real! Every frame is beautifully crafted and gorgeously rendered making me consider seeing the film in 3D for my second viewing. I can't praise the visuals highly enough! Thomas Newman also returns to score the film and brings along a few themes from the original that are reserved in use for the special moments as well as some newly constructed melodies that add fun, suspense, and heart to the proceedings.
The film's voice cast features both newcomers as well as returning cast members that pile on fun, fun, and more fun. Ellen Degeneres steps into the limelight this time as the happy-go-lucky amnesiac Blue Tang Dory and she brings back everything that made audiences fall in love with Dory to begin with. Degeneres is given the chance to dive deep emotionally with some tender moments that may leave some a little teary eyed and Degeneres just clicks in the role once again.
I also think credit should be given to child actor Sloane Murray who voices the young Dory, who looked so cute thanks to the wonderful animators at Pixar, and brings surprising depth from such young eyes.
Albert Brooks is back once again as the tense worrisome Clownfish Marlin and proves to be just as effective in a supporting capacity thanks to the subplot with him and Nemo. Hayden Rolence steps into the role of headstrong Nemo, taking over for Alexander Gould who aged out of the role, and I can say Rolence captured the embodiment of Nemo very well.
Ed O'Neill voices a grumpy septopus that is paired with Dory for a surprising portion of the running time and slowly grows on the viewer becoming a lovable character in his own right. Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy voice Dory's parents Jenny and Charlie and I'll just say they were the perfect pairing to authentically demonstrate how parents of a child with short term memory loss would act in response to the problem.
Various marine life encountered at the institute include Kaitlin Olsen's near sighted Whale Shark Destiny, Ty Burrell's reluctant Beluga Whale Bailey, a whacky bird Becky, and Idris Elba and Dominic West as two ill-tempered cockney sea lions Fluke and Rudder. The group even encounter the voice of Sigourney Weaver (She voices herself). Sigourney Weaver's role will likely make adults laugh out loud but children may not understand why it's so humorous (It's not inappropriate but when you see the film you'll know just what I mean).
Fan favorites from the original can be spotted including Bob Peterson's dorky instructor Sting Ray Mr. Ray, Andrew Stanton's relaxed sea turtle Crush, Bennett Dammann's totally cool Squirt, and those pesky seagulls also voiced by Stanton. There's a few more but I won't spoil their appearance given they weren't shown in the marketing material.
Other incentives for viewing the flick include an adorable short film about Piper the baby bird that's gorgeously rendered, beautifully animated, and warms the heart as you will audibly say the word "Aww" many many times and a little scene after the credits for those patient viewers that's especially rewarding for those that waited through the credits of Finding Nemo.
Now for the question I'm sure you've all been waiting for, "Is Finding Dory better than Finding Nemo?" to which I would reply that I don't think it reaches those heights but it's mere fish scales away, not to Finding Dory's fault but the fact that Finding Nemo is such an incredible film. It was definitely worth the thirteen year wait and waves of nostalgia hit me as I saw it in the same exact theater I saw Finding Nemo in so long ago. Finding Dory isn't a blatant cash grab but rather a commendable sequel that takes risks, feels fresh, and is loads of fun thanks to the talented voice cast, exceptional animation, and heartfelt story.
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