6.5 out of 10
Cast:
Ellen DeGeneres as Dory
Albert Brooks as Marlin
Ed O’Neill as Hank
Kaitlin Olson as Destiny
Hayden Rolence as Nemo
Ty Burrell as Bailey
Diane Keaton as Jenny
Eugene Levy as Charlie
Sloane Murray as Young Dory
Idris Elba as Fluke
Dominic West as Rudder
Bob Peterson as Mr. Ray
Kate McKinnon as Wife Fish
Bill Hader as Husband Fish (Stan)
Sigourney Weaver as Sigourney Weaver
Alexander Gould as Passenger Carl
Torbin Xan Bullock as Gerald
Andrew Stanton as Crush
Directed by Andrew Stanton and Angus MacLane
Finding Dory Review:
While not as good as Finding Nemo, Finding Dory has some excellent animation, impressive 3D effects, and fun new characters. It’s worth checking out on the big screen with the family.
Story:
One year after the events of Finding Nemo, Dory has settled in with her new family of friends at the coral reef. However, she keeps having the nagging feeling that she’s forgotten something important. One day, miraculously, she remembers what that was – her parents. Through flashes of fragments of her memory, she remembers that she lost them back in California at a very young age.
Excited that she remembered something and desperate to find her parents again, Dory sets off across the ocean to follow the few clues she remembers. However, her friends won’t let her go it alone. Nemo and Marlin join Dory for the perilous adventure across the ocean. Along the way they’ll find new friends and new dangers, but will they find Dory’s parents?
Finding Dory is rated PG for mild thematic elements.
What Worked:
If you liked Finding Nemo, there’s a good chance you’re going to enjoy Finding Dory. While the first film was far superior, a lot of what you may have loved there is back again. The animation continues to be stunning. There are amazing seascapes, incredibly detailed creatures, and some environments you can’t distinguish from real life. And in 3D, they are even more impressive as the fish swim out of the screen and the birds fly out at the audience.
Also returning is the main original cast. Ellen DeGeneres is back as Dory and she continues to be one of the best characters in the Pixar world. She more than carries the film as the lead character. Albert Brooks also returns as the fretful Marlin. While he takes a back seat to Dory, he’s just as energetic as he was in the previous film.
But it’s the new characters that are most memorable. Idris Elba and Dominic West play two seals that help Nemo and Marlin in their journey. They have the imposing presence of the sharks from the first film and the catchphrase of the seagulls as they bark, “Off! Off! Off!” to any seals trying to get on their rock. The seals steal every scene they are in. They also summon Becky, who is possibly the freakiest looking bird ever shown on film. With bulging red eyes and erratic mannerisms, Becky is a welcome addition to the cast. Sigourney Weaver has a surprising cameo as herself, believe it or not, and she becomes a running reference through the whole film. I think she may even be the only real world actor to play themselves in a Pixar movie. (I’d really love to see the Pixar version of Aliens now that we know it exists in their universe.) Finally, there’s Ed O’Neill as Hank the Octopus…or “Septopus” as Dory dubs him since he lost an arm. What Hank lacks in lovable personality he more than makes up for in his bizarre motions and designs. He slimes around the aquarium and changes color. Octopi are well known escape artists, but Hank takes it to “Mission: Impossible” levels.
As usual, there is a short film preceding the Pixar feature. This time it’s Piper and it features a young sand piper chick learning how to catch food and deal with the ocean on the beach. It’s cute, fun, and will speak to any parent trying to teach their kid how to deal with scary things in the world. It is also beautifully animated. ou see every grain of sand on the beach and every feather on the bird. It’s amazing.
You’ll also want to stay through the end credits as there’s a fun scene at the end that’s well worth holding your pee for.
What Didn’t Work:
As fun and entertaining as Finding Dory is, it’s rather flat compared to its predecessor. While every single character in the first film had a memorable moment, the ones in this film were hit and miss. Destiny the whale shark and Bailey the beluga whale were both kind of dull. Hank and Dory’s adventures in the aquarium are only mildly amusing. Dory’s parents aren’t particularly comedic. Then the ending doesn’t really conclude on a high note. It’s surprisingly flat, then the words “The End” appear on the screen, and you think, “That’s it?”
The music in the film is equally flat. The orchestral score is ethereal and snooze inducing. Then the closing credits song is an “Unforgettable” cover by Sia. While I see the connection with Dory, it’s not the high note you want people walking out on. Why not “Octopus’ Garden” by the Beatles in honor of Hank? Or “Have You Seen Her” by the Chi-Lites or even MC Hammer for crying out loud? There were a lot of better options.
So that’s my main gripe with the film. It’s not bad, but it’s not great either. It’s a perfectly fine summer movie to take the family to, but it’s not one I’d race to see again or buy the Blu-ray of.
The Bottom Line:
There have been several Pixar sequels/prequels – Toy Story 2, Toy Story 3, Cars 2, and Monsters University. My personal opinion is Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3 are the best of the sequels, then Finding Dory is up there with them above the rest. That might not be the highest praise, but this film is still well worth checking out in theaters and in 3D.
