Finding Dory

I had never thought to ask myself if a sequel to "Finding Nemo" could be made but when I heard the announcement for "Finding Dory", I felt kind of stupid. It was so simple of an idea for a sequel and I was sure it would work. Upon seeing this movie, my expectations were met for the most part. I laughed and I sympathized with Dory as she undertakes a similar mission that Marlin had in the original film. The story was given the attention it needed and the new characters were entertaining. I also was impressed with how the filmmakers replicated the visual look of the first film but still took advantage of the technological advancements in computer animation that have occurred since 2003. I never could connect emotionally to "Finding Nemo" as much as other Pixar films and so "Finding Dory" was likewise pretty good but not great in my opinion.

When "Finding Nemo" was converted to 3D, director Andrew Stanton got thinking about this idea of Dory on a journey to rediscover her past. I love how Pixar is handling their end of the deal with Disney that was made in 2006, being that they had to produce some sequels. Unlike some other animation studios, Pixar doesn't want to make sequels just because they can or have to. Thankfully, it appears as though Disney has given Pixar the freedom to make sequels to certain Pixar films when they want so that the creative process and the desire to make the movie in the first place is not hindered. This is a professional level of trust that I admire and so far, things are working quite well. Funny enough, to have a sequel released over ten years after its predecessor creates more anticipation and this level of expectation is a challenge that Pixar seems to enjoy. Their aspiration to maintain their reputation alone provides the motivation needed to make great movies. A big reason why Stanton chose this story was the possibility that Dory could one day accidentally wander away from Marlin and Nemo and forget her past all over again. "Finding Dory" puts this fear to rest just like "Toy Story 2" left us feeling safe that Woody and Buzz would be together even after Andy grew up. Even though Dory was the best character in "Finding Nemo", to give her the lead role in the sequel was a risk. "Cars 2" had story problems because of a change in the lead protagonist. Dory, like Mater, was the main source of comedy from the first film but her central role in a new story worked a little better in the case of "Finding Dory" because the story of this movie was worked hard on. I for one was left guessing as to how everything was going to be resolved as I watched the film. This was especially the case when Dory found herself back in the kelp and it looked like she would forget once again. The biggest problem I had with the story was that getting to California seemed too easy for the characters. It took Marlin a whole movie just to get from the Coral Sea to Sydney so why would a journey over the entire Pacific Ocean take place in only a minute in the sequel? This journey was also not needed because the filmmakers could have just put the Marine Life Institute in Australia. One argument for California is that Dory is American but so is Marlin and so many other characters in the Great Barrier Reef. The back story the filmmakers gave Dory does however resolve a few plot points from "Finding Nemo" such as why Dory can read. We also learn why she can speak to whales. At first, I felt that the lack of screen time Marlin and Dory had together in "Finding Dory" negatively affected the picture but then I remembered that "Toy Story 2" had Woody separated from Buzz for the majority of the movie and that show is my favorite sequel and animated film of all time. Besides that, Dory and Hank's chemistry was sufficient and it was also nice to have Marlin and Nemo together for the entire film. It allows us to see the progress that has been made in their relationship as father and son. I noticed how Nemo is slightly bigger in this sequel and little details like that please me. For those who think that Hank could never sneak around the institute the way he does in the film, just Google "Inky the Octopus". My favorite joke in the movie is when Dory's forgetfulness almost results in her teaching "That Class" to Mr. Ray's students. The end credit scene is really good. I am impressed that the original actors reprised their roles for just that scene. I love how one minor character in the end credit scene, whose voice actor died since the last movie, is voiced by his brother.

Since the last movie, Ellen DeGeneres has started her own daytime talk show and since the retirement of Oprah, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" has increased in popularity. I wonder if all the campaigning she did on her show for this sequel was a factor. Any successful animated film has great characters and "Finding Dory" is no exception. "Finding Nemo" had memorable characters and the new characters in the sequel fit alongside Dory, Marlin and Nemo. Charlie and Jenny are wonderful new additions to the list of great Pixar parents such as Riley's mother & father, Bob & Helen and Andy's mom. Another reason why we can accept Dory as the lead character is the flashbacks of her with her parents. I love the very cute design of young Dory. I was impressed by the voice work of both Eugene Levy and Diane Keaton because their characters exude genuine love. I was amazed at how Hayden Rolence sounds so much like Nemo. Alexander Gould, who was Nemo in the original movie, is now grown up but he wasn't left out of this show thankfully. He plays the male truck driver in the climax. Other Pixar alumni voicing new characters in this movie include Sigourney Weaver (who was in Stanton's "WALL-E"), Bill Hader and of course John Ratzenberger. I was so happy that Stanton and fellow Pixar filmmaker Bob Peterson reprised their roles as Crush and Mr. Ray respectively. Stanton's other voice role as the lonely clam was hilarious. Idris Elba, within only a fourth-month release period in 2016, voiced three Disney characters (Fluke included). When I first saw the movie, I thought that Hank's eyes are an important part of his design and acting because you really don't see his mouth all that much. His eyes were quite expressive so that is noteworthy but it turns out that Hank's eyes were the last thing Pixar was worried about. They are always trying to challenge themselves as mentioned so that their movies will be good and Hank was enough of a challenge. You might ask why he is a septapus and it's the same reason why Mickey Mouse has three fingers and a thumb. This is done to save time animating. This was vital because Hank had 4000 controls to animate him (Woody by comparison has 700). Not only that, Hank can camouflage! The filmmakers studied real octopi and even Kaa from "The Jungle Book" to animate this character. Another fun fact: Lucasfilm used the computer "rig" that Pixar invented to animate Hank to animate the Rathtars in "The Force Awakens". My favorite new character in "Finding Dory" though is Destiny. Her personality contrasts her large size. Becky seems to be cut from the same cloth as Kevin and that makes me laugh. I made sure to see this sequel in 3D because the 3D conversion of "Finding Nemo" four years earlier was flawless. As mentioned, "Finding Dory" has a look that is contemporary with more recent Pixar films but the look is still reminiscent of the visual world introduced in 2003. From the first time I saw the Pixar short film "Lava", I could tell that the studio using it to get ready for "Finding Dory". I thought the rendering of Kelp was amazing in this sequel. Despite how good "Finding Dory" looks, it is hard to identify a Pixar "wow moment" such as the dump in "Toy Story 3" or Bing Bong's "short cut" in "Inside Out". Maybe our first look at the Open Ocean Exhibit qualifies. I love how the moment when Marlin meets Dory is recreated for this sequel. While they did reuse the audio from "Finding Nemo", they didn't just copy and paste the whole clip from the first film. Through comparison, you can tell that this part of the movie was loving reanimated. You can find some usual Pixar easter eggs in this sequel such as the Pizza Planet delivery truck in the wreckage of the cargo ship (I think the filmmakers are really making it more difficult these days for us Pixar die-hards). The truck going to Cleveland has an "A113" reference on its license plate and did anyone see Darla in the first scene in Quarantine? I also like how Riley from "Inside Out" is in the group of children being introduced to Destiny. That's a big piece of evidence for the Pixar Universe. By the way, Stanton includes a Louie Armstrong song at the end of "Finding Dory" just like in his last Pixar film. It is cool to see Angus MacLane as the co-director of a major Pixar film. His directorial resume includes a "Toy Story Short" and a "Toy Story" TV special. He was also an animator on every Pixar film from "A Bug's Life" to "Toy Story 3". His work on "The Incredibles" and "Toy Story of Terror" won him Annie Awards.

I thought the span between "Toy Story 2" and "Toy Story 3" was long but then 11 and a half years separated "Monsters Inc." and "Monsters University" and now we have the 13 year gap between "Nemo" and "Dory". Even that record didn't last forever thanks to "Incredibles 2". As mentioned, these gaps unintentionally create a level of anticipation that challenges Pixar among many other factors in the creation of their films. I liked "Finding Dory" but only as much as I liked the first movie. In my opinion, "Finding Nemo" is the most quotable Pixar film to date and I was hoping for more memorable quotes to come out of its sequel. That expectation of mine wasn't met but that didn't stop me or anyone else around the world from enjoying this movie. "Finding Dory" broke a lot of box office records including the biggest opening day gross for an animated film. It is also the first animated film ever to gross $50 million in one day. Just like all the great animated films of the past, this movie offers a great story with great characters and the technology has been employed to increase the entertainment level.

4 Stars out of 5