Finding Dory

            In a time when people thought that there could never be an animated film that could dominate the box office as well as “The Lion King,” the team at Pixar managed to prove those people wrong, with a little known film called “Finding Nemo.” Directed and co-written by Andrew Stanton, one of Pixar’s key members, the film told the story of a clownfish father, named Marlin, who travels across the sea in search of his son, Nemo, who was taken away by a diver/dentist, all the while he’s accompanied by a blue regal tang named Dory, who has short-term memory loss. At the time of release, “Finding Nemo” became the biggest and most successful hit that the team at Pixar ever had. It was raved by critics, earning four Oscar nominations (including Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Score) and one win for Best Animated Feature, and it earned over $800 million at the box office, not counting its 3D re-release in 2012. As the Pixar film that I remember watching the most as a kid, it’s easy to see why. The characters are lovable, the animation is just as phenomenal as it was back in 2003, and the story is very relatable to all kinds of audiences.

            After Pixar became an official part of Disney, the studio was tasked with making a follow-up to the film, under the name “Finding Dory.” While it doesn’t sound like a bad idea, I was worried that the film wouldn’t turn out as good as I would hope for. And after attending the preview screening for this film, and dealing with the most obnoxious group of children I’ve ever had to deal with in a movie theater all at once, signifying that if your children AREN’T GOING TO BE QUIET DURING A FRIGGIN MOVIE IN THE THEATER, THEN MAYBE YOU SHOULD HAVE HIRED A SITTER, AND NOT PISS OFF THE PEOPLE WHO…sorry, just had to get that off my chest. But seriously people, if your children can’t behave themselves, don’t take them to a movie. Anyways, let’s talk about “Finding Dory.” Did I like the movie? Yes, I did. Is it as good as “Finding Nemo?” Sadly, it isn’t, and I’ll get to that in a little bit.

            One year after the events of the first film, Dory accompanies Nemo’s class on a field trip to the stingray migration, where it triggers her memory into remembering her parents. Desperate to see them again, Dory, Marlin, and Nemo travel to Morro Bay, California, in hopes of reuniting with her parents, who she believes are within the Monterey Marine Life Institute.

            Much like the previous film, the animation is absolutely gorgeous. The glistening look of the reef, the seaweed under the docks, and even within the fish tanks are really enticing to look at. If there’s one thing that Pixar never half-asses, it’s their animation. Everything in the film looks crystal perfect.

            I was worried that this would have been a “Cars 2” effect, where the side character takes the spotlight and it doesn’t work, but that’s not the case. Dory is a likable character that does manage to handle the lead in a movie. I think part of that comes from Ellen DeGeneres’ performance as Dory. Her voice work in this film is so good, that you can only picture the character and not the actress, something that not too many onscreen actors are capable of doing so well. You really do feel yourself pushing to see Dory come out on top, and I was happy to have that feeling throughout the run of the film. Albert Brooks also returns as Marlin, the worrisome clownfish of a father that we know and love. Again, much like DeGeneres, Brooks truly embodies this role and does it so damn well. I love how within time, even as the two have grown to be such good friends, he’s still cautious about circumstances that he tends to overthink. He does begin to learn that Dory has left such an impact on him, and truly understands that their friendship together is what made him become a little bit more daring. Also, I have to give credit to Hayden Rolence, who took over the role of Nemo, since the original voice, Alexander Gould, was too old to reprise it. Rolence does a great job filling in the gap, that I completely forgot that it was a different actor playing him. Kudos to whoever did the casting this time around.

            The supporting cast was pretty damn good too. The two whales, Destiny and Baily, are played by Kaitlin Olsen and Ty Burrell, and they’re pretty fun to watch. They’ve got funny quirks, especially with the dialogue they share, and I love how they do manage to come in handy when it feels necessary. Speaking of actors from “Modern Family,” Ed O’Neil plays Hank the Octopus…or “septopus” as he’s referred to. As a new travelling buddy, I really enjoy the chemistry that he shares with Dory, being a more closed off person, compared to Dory, in a similar sense to Marlin in the first film. We also get appearances from Idris Elba and Dominic West as a bunch of seals, Bill Hader and Kate McKinnon as a fish couple from Dory’s past, a cameo from Alexander Gould as a new character, and of course, Sigourney Weaver as herself…yeah, that happens.

            Now, with all that said, let’s get into the things that weren’t so great. For one, the motivational drive. Not that it was bad, but it just wasn’t as strong as the first one was. Think about it; the first film’s pushing motive was a father trying to look for his son, who was taken from him. This was a fish who was treading through waters that he had never been through, for the sole purpose of finding his only surviving child who was taken from him. That’s a strong motive that just about everyone can relate to, and not just parents. The emotions that “Finding Nemo” expressed were something that not too many films have, even for Disney standards. “Finding Dory” does have a good drive and some very emotional moments, especially the flashbacks of baby Dory and her parents, played by Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy, but it pales in comparison. Also, the film’s locations aren’t as wowing, when you go from the wide oceans to a fish rehab on the Californian coast.

            Despite what I say, is “Finding Dory” a film worthy of Pixar’s caliber? Yes, absolutely. It still has some good humor to it, the animation is still of the stunning Pixar quality, the characters are all likable, and its story does still have some moments that will give you a bit of the feels. Give it a watch and see what you think. Maybe you might think different from what I say.

Rating: 8/10