(RATING: ☆☆☆☆ out of 5)
THIS FILM IS RECOMMENDED.
IN BRIEF: A fish-out-of-water tale that celebrates family, friendship, and disabilities.
GRADE: B
SYNOPSIS: Little Dory goes on a search for her parents and overcomes many hardships along her journey.
The search is on yet again in Disney / Pixar's sequel to its 2003 hit, Finding Nemo. Only this time it's not Marlin hunting for his son, but his lovable and forgetful sidekick on the road to find out. Things go swimmingly in this latest chapter. Finding Dory takes the same initial premise and repackages it into a family-friendly always entertaining computer-generated fantasy.
The same love and care is on display in this finely crafted animated feature as before. The sequel may not be as original as its predecessor, (it isn't), but it is still packed with enough emotion, insightful dialog, and visual awe. Directed by Andrew Stanton and Angus MacLane, Finding Dory finds the right course in telling its tale of a little fish with short term memory loss overcoming the odds in search for her family.
Visually, the film remarkably creates its under the sea universe. The reflections, rich color palette, and lighting effects are rendered with expert details. There is so much to take in with the background photo realism, plus the character animation has subtle textures and expressions that provide an inner story to each character.
Yet, the deeper message in this children's film is its celebration of disabilities. Weaknesses become strengths in overcoming adversity and we moviegoers cheer our characters onward. Their quest eventually takes them to a marine research institute and, once the trio hits dry land, the sense of underwater wonder dries up a bit too. At this point, the script loses its way and starts to take an all too familiar route, introducing new adorable characters (and possible tie-ins at toy stores), leading to another zany far-fetched climactic chase scene and eventual reunion. Still, the predictability of the formula works yet again and tugs at our emotional core.
Behind the microphones are a talented cast of celebrities voicing these lovable characters. Taking center stage is Ellen DeGeneres' Dory. The comedian gives her character a wonderful sweetness and breathless wonderment as Dory encounters new experiences along the way...but then, everything is new to our absent-minded heroine. Albert Brooks returns again as Marlin, and Hayden Rolence takes over as Dory's sidekick, Nemo, and they make a delightful tag team. Providing vocal support are Idris Elba, Dominic West, Ty Burrell, Diane Keaton, Eugene Levy, with Ed O'Neill stealing every scene as crotchety Hank, the seven-armed camouflaged octopus.
Not in the same league as the aforementioned 2003 film, Finding Dory essentially tells a familiar (and overly cute) story, although it relies a bit too much on its original source. The film still visually enchants and allows the moviegoer to sit back and enjoy the humorous adventure as one little fish conquers its own disability to find inner strength and happiness. Perfect family fare and beguiling in its under-the-sea eye-popping technicolor beauty, Finding Dory is not a top-tiered Disney / Pixar classic, in the lines of Toy Story, Up, or Ratatouille, but it is a very fine addition to the studio's cinematic resume.
NOTE: Showing with this film is an animated short called Piper. The film is charming and a shoo-in as an Academy Award nominee for Best Animated Short Film. Wordless and gorgeous in its splendid details and textures, the film tells a story of a little sandpiper gaining courage against the forces of nature. Delightful.
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