Disney and Pixar have (for the most part) delivered consistently impressive animated films ever since the first TOY STORY hit theaters. FINDING NEMO was a critical hit in 2003, and since then Ellen Degeneres (who voices the forgetful Dory) has been pushing for a sequel to be made. It’s taken thirteen years but now we’re finally getting it in FINDING DORY. In the history of Pixar sequels, TOY STORY has proved to be an easy franchise to build off of, but other films like CARS gave us a follow-up that just felt like a merchandising cash grab. So the question is simple – do the deep sea adventures of Dory, Marlin and Nemo still hold water? Sorry, I couldn’t resist that one.

The story actually opens by taking us back to Dory’s earliest days as a little fish under the protection of two very sweet parents (voiced by Eugene Levy and Diane Keaton). They realize Dory has memory problems, so they’re trying to come up with ways to keep her protected and close to home at all times. She eventually gets lost, and spends years trying to find her way home… a home she can’t even remember, all leading us up to the beginning of FINDING NEMO‘s story. From there we skip ahead to the present day, and Marlin (Albert Brooks), Dory (Ellen Degeneres) and Nemo (Hayden Rolence) are following their usual underwater routine. Suddenly Dory is reminded of the fact she once had a family, and gets momentary flashes of the life she left behind as a child. This prompts her to go on a mission to find her parents, and Marlin and Nemo are along for the ride… for a bit, but the trio finds themselves separated and Dory winds up at a marine research park. There she meets all sorts of creative characters, like some territorial sea lions (voiced by Idris Elba and Dominic Purcell), a timid beluga whale named Bailey (Ty Burrell), and an octopus named Hank (Ed O’Neill) who is anxious to break out.

One could argue that FINDING DORY is essentially FINDING NEMO all over again, just with slight tweaks to the story, but the charm and sincerity of the vocal performances along with the effective magic and the creative scenes make that more than tolerable. While Marlin and Nemo are indeed back, this is definitely Dory’s film, and she takes the spotlight for almost every frame. There were certainly emotional beats in the first film with the Dory character, but the desperation and loneliness she experiences this time really helps the character shine. Degeneres turns in a perfect reading for the title role, and helps make this sequel feel like a great companion piece for the original. Ed O’Neill as Hank the octopus becomes a standout character, and his imaginative chameleon-like abilities should capture the kids in the audience in a big way. There’s also some fun grown-up humor here as well, such as Sigourney Weaver (voicing herself) as the welcoming narrator for the marine park – this leads to a few rather funny “Sigourney Weaver said…” jokes from Dory, which adults will appreciate even if kids don’t.

This sequel is directed by Andrew Stanton (who directed FINDING NEMO and the criminally under-seen JOHN CARTER) and Angus MacLane (making his feature directorial debut after helming a few Pixar shorts), and they find a nice balance of humor, audaciousness and charm that never feels rushed or insincere. In short, this gets everything right that CARS 2 got wrong. There’s also some pretty strong moments of that trademark Pixar ‘make-you-cry’ stuff even the hardest hearts will break down over. And I dare say the baby Dory featured in the beginning and throughout the film in flashback might just be the cutest and most adorable Pixar visual ever put on the big screen. The big finale might also be one of the craziest and daring resolves to a desperate situation I’ve ever witnessed in an animated film like this. If you liked the original, you’ll most certainly enjoy this familiar but fun follow-up, and find yourself looking at the Dory character in a whole new way.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 
•