Year: 2016
Director: Andrew Stanton and Angus MacLane
Starring: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O'Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Hayden Rolence, and Ty Burrell
Tagline: An unforgettable journey she probably won't remember
Synopsis: Dory -- with Marlin and Nemo in tow -- embarks on a journey to find her family.
Tagline: An unforgettable journey she probably won't remember
Synopsis: Dory -- with Marlin and Nemo in tow -- embarks on a journey to find her family.
Review
First up, as with all Pixar films, there is a preceding short. This one is called Piper, and it is about an adorable young sandpiper (the spindly legged birds that run away from the incoming waves) learning to forage for her own food. The short is gorgeous. Seriously, it's amazing how good computer animation has gotten. Piper is also a beautiful, charming little story. I'd just about pay $7 just to see this short film.
On to our feature presentation.
Finding Dory is not Finding Nemo. Accept that first and you'll be able to appreciate what Finding Dory is: a funny, heartwarming tale featuring beloved old and quickly endearing new characters.
Of the new characters, Hank the septopus (he's an octopus who lost a tentacle) is my favorite. His grumpy, loner attitude makes him the perfect foil for Dory, who is as optimistic and sociable as ever. Plus he is so much fun to watch as he glides around, camouflaging himself as needed. Destiny, the near-sighted whale shark and Bailey the beluga with echolocation problems are also fun additions. Ditto for sea lions Fluke, Rudder, and Gerald as well as the loony loon Becky.
In Finding Nemo, Dory's short-term memory loss is primarily played for humor, including the throwaway line: "It runs in my family.... Hmm, where are they?... Can I help you?" This time around, the story focuses on the loneliness inherent in such an affliction. Watching Dory try to remember things and catching glimpses of baby Dory becomes much of the heart of the film. It doesn't have quite the same emotional pull that accompanied Marlin trying to rescue Nemo. But it is compelling nonetheless. And Dory is such an inherently good and kind character, you can't help but root for her.
Although the story is mostly about Dory trying to find her family, she isn't the only one with a journey. Both Marlin and Hank also have emotional journeys that they go through as they realize the impact for good Dory has had on them.
As heartwarming as Finding Dory is, it is also funny. Very, very funny, with an over-the-top climax that still has me chuckling. Plus, like all Pixar films, the animation is incredible and the soundtrack is beautiful.
If you haven't already, find time to go see Finding Dory. It's a funny, heartwarming film that is not to be missed. It is a worthy sequel. Oh, and be sure to stay through the credits for one of my all-time favorite post-credits scenes.
*** Spoiler Section ***
One of the touching moments in the film is as Dory is apologizing to her parents for getting lost in the first place. It's sad because she's apologizing for something that in many ways is outside her control. It's not her fault she has memory loss. It wasn't her fault she couldn't remember for so long how to find her way home. I liked all the ways her parents, and even Marlin, found to help her with her affliction.
On to our feature presentation.
Finding Dory is not Finding Nemo. Accept that first and you'll be able to appreciate what Finding Dory is: a funny, heartwarming tale featuring beloved old and quickly endearing new characters.
Of the new characters, Hank the septopus (he's an octopus who lost a tentacle) is my favorite. His grumpy, loner attitude makes him the perfect foil for Dory, who is as optimistic and sociable as ever. Plus he is so much fun to watch as he glides around, camouflaging himself as needed. Destiny, the near-sighted whale shark and Bailey the beluga with echolocation problems are also fun additions. Ditto for sea lions Fluke, Rudder, and Gerald as well as the loony loon Becky.
In Finding Nemo, Dory's short-term memory loss is primarily played for humor, including the throwaway line: "It runs in my family.... Hmm, where are they?... Can I help you?" This time around, the story focuses on the loneliness inherent in such an affliction. Watching Dory try to remember things and catching glimpses of baby Dory becomes much of the heart of the film. It doesn't have quite the same emotional pull that accompanied Marlin trying to rescue Nemo. But it is compelling nonetheless. And Dory is such an inherently good and kind character, you can't help but root for her.
Although the story is mostly about Dory trying to find her family, she isn't the only one with a journey. Both Marlin and Hank also have emotional journeys that they go through as they realize the impact for good Dory has had on them.
As heartwarming as Finding Dory is, it is also funny. Very, very funny, with an over-the-top climax that still has me chuckling. Plus, like all Pixar films, the animation is incredible and the soundtrack is beautiful.
If you haven't already, find time to go see Finding Dory. It's a funny, heartwarming film that is not to be missed. It is a worthy sequel. Oh, and be sure to stay through the credits for one of my all-time favorite post-credits scenes.
*** Spoiler Section ***
One of the touching moments in the film is as Dory is apologizing to her parents for getting lost in the first place. It's sad because she's apologizing for something that in many ways is outside her control. It's not her fault she has memory loss. It wasn't her fault she couldn't remember for so long how to find her way home. I liked all the ways her parents, and even Marlin, found to help her with her affliction.
Quotable Quotes
- "Follow me!" "You're in a cup." "Oh. Right. I'll follow you." -- Dory and Hank
- "She should just pick two and let's go." "Daaad." "What? I'm kidding." -- Marlin and Nemo
- "Sigourney Weaver says ..." -- Fluke
- "I get the feeling their shushing us for a reason." "Like something with one big eye, tentacles, and a snappy thing?" "Well, that's very specific, but something like that." -- Marlin and Dory
ISFS
So it worked, then? I haven't seen it yet, but it seemed like they were adding so many new characters, I didn't feel like we'd get the right amount of character development for them as well as the returning ones from "Nemo."
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