We journey back under the sea for the follow up to the 2003 original “Finding Nemo”, this time following the friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish as she reunites with her family. In “Finding Dory”, Dory (Voiced by Ellen DeGeneres) is a wide-eyed, blue tang fish who suffers from memory loss every 10 seconds or so. The one thing she can remember is that she somehow became separated from her parents as a child, but vaguely remembers the memories between them. With help from her friends Nemo (Hayden Rolance) and Marlin (Albert Brooks), Dory embarks on an epic adventure to find them, and herself in the process. Her journey brings her to the Marine Life Institute, a conservatory that houses rare diverse ocean species far off from the aquatic world that surrounds them. Dory now knows that her family reunion will only happen if she can save mom and dad from captivity, and make it back home to her closest of friends. “Finding Dory” is written and directed by Andrew Stanton and Angus Maclane, and is rated PG for thematic elements.
After the visual and emotional success that was 2003’s “Finding Nemo”, I was very skeptical for more reasons than one about a sequel from a story that satisfied pretty much all plot lines. First of all was the 13 year hiatus that makes this effort feel like it might be too little too late. I also didn’t think the character of Dory was that intriguing to warrant her own film. Boy was I wrong. “Finding Dory” is a heartwarming treat to audiences of all ages. It is an eye-appeasing epic journey that has great crossover value for the whole family. With the film returning only a few of the central characters from the original movie, this film somehow still surprises to garner more than one astonishing feat to make this sequel one that I enjoyed EVEN MORE than its original counterpart. Uttering that sentence alone might get me in big trouble, but there have been very few films in 2016 so far that gave me the fun time that Pixar’s latest gem afforded me. At 95 minutes, the film is tightly paced and attention-grabbing for the entirety of the film. From the very minute that our protagonist blesses the screen, we hold on for all of the fun and visually luxurious mayhem that the story takes us on, proving to viewers that sometimes the best sequels have to age like a fine wine.
What is great about Stanton and Maclane’s screenplay is in the ability to tell us so much more about a character who we just tipped the iceberg of in the first movie. The film presents two different timelines being told simultaneously, one representing Dory’s past, and one representing her present. This gives the film kind of an adult element to a kids movie because very rarely are we treated to backstory peeling in this kind of genre, simply because kids lose patience if the answers aren’t given immediately. “Finding Dory” knocks this stereotype on its butt, and really presents a personal feeling to the kinds of memories that Dory is remembering step-by-step. I thought it was pretty cool how we are on the same step of remembering as our main character, almost like a case that we are trying to solve clue-by-clue. There’s some really emotional moments that really squeezes the empathy out of us for this character, and it’s in that heart where “Dory” feels like more than just another character played for jokes. If I had one problem with the idea of Dory’s short-term memory loss, it’s in the film bringing it back up at convenient times that are appropriate to the plot. When you donate an entire feature to a character who was only a supporting character in the last film, you start to see some of the holes in their character development, and there were a lot of times during the movie where Dory even forgets that she has remembering problems. Quite ironic isn’t it?
As for the visual atmosphere of the movie, we are presented concrete evidence with why Pixar might be the best animation company in the world when presenting the vibrant colors of a world foreign to ours. What’s astonishing is the little things like the facial movements on our characters, as well as the shadow work and lighting of the sea floor and all of the plants that surround them. This is definitely top-notch animation that was worked on slowly, and it really presents an almost 3D like feel to the presentation on screen, which is visually gripping behind every turn. Being that our characters are so small, the animators really have their work cut out for them with seascapes that stretch as far as the eye can see. Such detail never cheats the audience or goes unnoticed, and it’s in this aspect of the movie where “Finding Dory” has great replay value.
My hats off to the big-name cast who vocalize at the very highest level emotionally for vocal work that I have seen this year. Ellen DeGeneres IS Dory. I simply couldn’t imagine any other actress lending her vocals to our main character. She’s a bit rambling, but you understand the heart in this fish, and find it incredibly easy to invest yourself in her journey for every swim. Albert Brooks also returns and serves as kind of the parent for the movie’s childlike characters. Brooks masterfully communicates to the audience the kind of almost father-daughter relationship between Marlin and Dory, and we’re presented with a real meaningful treat as to just how far someone will go for a friend’s happiness. Without question though, the best parts of the film for me were those when DeGeneres worked with Ed O’Neil as Hank, the grouchy Octopus. Hank is a simple man who just wants to retire to some place far away from everyone else, but Dory is kind of the new life breathed into him. When Hank and Dory bicker back-and-forth, it is pure comedy gold, and made me laugh aloud on more than one occasion. O’Neil has always been one of my all-time favorite on-screen personalities, but his voice, which sounds bothered at all times, really feels like a perfect fit for Hank, who does most of the footwork for the movie. If it’s up to me, Hank deserves a solo film next.
“Finding Dory” isn’t a film that necessarily had to be made, but we should take pleasure in the indulgence of a film that can be funny, sweet and earnest, but it’s compulsively a poignant and thought-provoking moral plight that will send its audience home on the importance of the people we keep close in our own lives. If we don’t see Dory again for another thirteen years, I can only hope that the third effort will be even half as decadent as this sequel which bested the original.
8/10