The sequel to 2003's Finding Nemo, Finding Dory is set one year after the events of the original and follows the gang's quest to reunite Dory with her family. Featuring the voice talents of Albert Brooks, Ed O'Neil, Diane Keaton, Ty Burrell and of course Ellen DeGeneres, the project was helmed by director and screenwriter Andrew Stanton, the creative mind behind the original film and other Pixar projects such as A Bug's Life and WALL-E. My initial thought when this film was announced was that it was extremely unnecessary. Finding Nemo was a very complete story, a clear journey with a clear purpose, and I personally just felt that there really wasn't a further story to tell with these characters. Did I doubt that this would be an entertaining romp? No, but I didn't think it would be able to recreate or reimagine the emotional path of the original and make it feel just as organic and compelling. After watching the film, I have to admit that I underestimated the storytelling abilities of Stanton who delivers one of the most satisfying animated sequels in recent years.
What most impressed me from a writing perspective was how they did manage to make this feel like a natural continuation of the story. Stanton didn't make a carbon copy of what he had done before, but rather took what I like to call the "Toy Story Route" in that he looked at the blueprint of the first film and filled in the gaps with a new setting, a mass of memorable and entertaining fresh characters, as well as the exploration of new themes. Adding in an air of mystery and unpredictability to the previous outings "road movie in the sea" vibe was a great idea and allows this movie really to breathe. The emotional stakes are also most certainly there in bucket loads, and the film's opening five minutes (which connects Dory's childhood to the point where we first meet the character in Finding Nemo) are honestly heartbreaking. Dory's short-term memory loss, while given some emotional depth towards the movie's climax, was mostly just treated as a funny character quirk in the first film. Here we explore the tragedy of it more, what this means for Dory in her everyday life and the issues it has plagued her with since her youth. More than just a trait, Dory's memory loss drives the plot forward and helps to distinguish this sequel as its own entity in a sense as Dory tries to piece together the past that she has lost.
Furthermore, massive props have to be given to Ellen DeGeneres. The comedienne and talk-show host has been campaigning to reprise her role as Dory for many years and her passion and love for this character is what helps this film flourish. Ellen is once again hilarious as Dory, with the pitch-perfect delivery of her lines being her most valuable asset. Yet, it is the intense vulnerability and deep-lying sadness that she portrays during Finding Dory's more tender moments that elevate this character far beyond simply a comedic role, and I would even go as far to compare what Ellen has done with this character to what Robin Williams did with The Genie in Aladdin. Ellen is among the rare group of voice artists that can pull of the dramatic as well as she can the comedic and her performance here once again proves why she deserves to be one of the most high-profile names in the entertainment industry today. Also plaudits have to be given to Modern Family stars Ed O'Neil and Ty Burrell who lend their voices to Hank the Octopus and Bailey the Whale respectively. Both men don't stray too far out their comfort zones, but they both shine due to the high levels of personality each is able to convey in their voice work. All in all the voice work was stellar and there wasn't much I could pick at on this front.
My biggest gripe with the film is this: Marlin and Nemo had no business being in this movie. Both had absolutely nothing to do and only served to take screen-time away from the far more important and compelling aspects of the story. Neither shines and their journey is extremely boring and does nothing but lower the quality of the product for me. On top of this, I actually found Nemo extremely irritable so this didn't help matters. Another issue I would point out is the plot does move very quickly in the opening twenty minutes which does feel quite jarring and out of place with the rest of the movie. Moreover, the film's finale does "jump the shark" a bit and tries to shoe-horn in some high-octane thrills that didn't really have a place being there, and didn't do much for me except from take me out of the action and back to reality.
However my overall experience with Finding Dory was a positive one. The aesthetic was once again exemplary (as one would expect from Pixar) and the plot was filled with enough mystery and raw emotion that it managed to make the slightly familiar formula feel fresh and new. The voice talent are once again impeccable and it's just overall a really sweet and funny film. It does what you want a Pixar movie to do: explore deeper themes and ideas through the medium of family entertainment. While perhaps not as finely polished as its predecessor, Finding Dory is largely deserving of its critical and commercial success.
Score: 8.3/10
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