Finding Nemo

If I were to rate just my favorite computer animated films, Pixar would take up the top six spots on the list. Even if I went to ten films, nine of them would be Pixar with Disney's "Tangled" in the seventh spot. "Finding Nemo" however is a little further down that list. Many people I bet are questioning my senses at this moments and so I will address these concerns immediately and again at the end. One thing I will say first is that I like “Finding Nemo” (please note that I rate this movie 4 out of 5 stars). I bought it on DVD without having seen it. Thanks to the 3D release in 2012, I was finally able to see it on the big screen because it was the only Pixar film that I never got to see in theaters in its original theatrical run. The screenplay is one of the best that Pixar has turned out. I am also a big fan of early work of director/writer Andrew Stanton. “Monsters Inc.” taught me however that story is more important than humor in a film. In addition, I personally have the hardest time relating to the story of Marlin, Dory and Nemo. It just doesn’t resonate with me as well as most other stories that Pixar has told. I will discuss more about why I can't fully connect with this movie later. There are many moments in this movie that are very funny and entertaining. The characters are very well created also. I also marvel at the technological advancements made in computer animation because of this film.

This film has so many funny lines. I would even go so far as to say that “Finding Nemo” is the most quotable Pixar film. You almost have to recite them along with the movie. “That’s a pretty big butt” is very funny. The shark pledge is so stereotypical but it also contrasts everything about sharks. The lines during the Nemo’s initiation are also very memorable as are Dory’s lines: “Hey Mr. Grumpy Gills” and “I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine. And he shall be my Squishy.” That latter one almost sounds Biblical and it is one of the most hilarious lines in Pixar history. “Curse you Aquascum” makes me laugh also. Some great jokes in the film include the name Mount Wannahockaloogie. I also like the humorous moment with the Ring of Fire failing to turn on. I love how the dentist pulls the Prime Minister’s tooth because the guy was totally not ready for it. Every joke and stereotype about a dentist is incorporated in this movie in some way. On a more serious note, I enjoy the scene when Nigel is relating Marlin’s adventures. We can hear Nigel but thanks to sound editing, we are focusing more on the musical score and Nemo’s reactions. One lasting impact that the film has had on pop culture is that everyone in the world now knows how to speak “whale”. I like the editing when Dory remembers who Nemo is. I also take pleasure in the “appendix” where the tank fish make their escape. The dentist basically rehearses Gill’s plan for us and then we get Peach’s line: “That’s the shortest red light I’ve ever seen.” There are two references to Hitchcock films and they happen quite close to one another. There is Darla's musical que from "Psycho" and there is a reference to "The Birds" with Marlin, Dory, Nigel and the seagulls. I felt however that the film had a lack of climax when you compare it to past and subsequent Pixar films. There is not very much excitement or action towards the end of the movie. There is no “wow moment” in the climax either as with the previous Pixar films. For the first time in my opinion, the "wow moment" of a Pixar film happens at the start when Nemo seeing much of the reef for the first time with Mr. Ray. The good news is that “Finding Nemo” has good character development with Marlin becoming a better father.

The characters are well designed and performed. I must say however that Albert Brooks doesn’t sound like the ideal dad. I guess I have heard him too many times on “The Simpsons”. He is funny but I just would have chosen someone else to play Marlin so you could relate to him more as a father. I never watched "Ellen" when I was a kid but I recognized Ellen DeGeneres' name as the voice of Dory because of the existence of her 90's sitcom. She makes Dory the best character in the film. I love the fact that actors who are best known for their famous villain roles are playing good guys in this film. We have Willem Dafoe, who was the Green Goblin in “Spider-Man”, as Gill and Oscar-nominated actor Geoffrey Rush, who played Captain Barbossa in the “Pirates” movies, as Nigel. The vegetarian sharks are quite funny. I like how the "Jaws" references are present but subtle such as the name Bruce and the music during his first scene. I remember Barry Humphries, who plays Bruce, from TV commercials as a kid. John Ratzenberger finds himself as the charade fish in this Pixar film and director Andrew Stanton has changed the persona of sea turtles thanks to his performance as Crush. I later realized however that Crush is not the only turtle that says: "Dude". Every time Stanton provides the voice of a character, it is awesome such as on “Toy Story 2” as Zurg. The seagulls are very hilarious with their one line: “Mine”.

To me, it feels like three years of work separates “Monsters Inc.” and “Finding Nemo” where in fact, it is only one and a half. Every shot in the movie is quite beautiful with its color and complexity. This type of film was perfect for 3D and so its re-release was more than justified. Every shot in the movie in 3D is amazing thanks to the little particles in the water. The 3D conversion in 2012 was so perfect that it looked like the film was made that year instead of 2003. I think that the only Pixar films to date that can rival the 3D effects in "Finding Nemo" are "Up" and "Inside Out". The movie does a great job in portraying the Great Barrier Reef and Sydney, Australia but not to the extent that the story is sacrificed. "Rio" highlighted Rio De Janeiro a little too much for example and its story took a back seat while "Finding Nemo" was focused on Marlin and Nemo's adventure. The lights of Sydney reflecting at night in the harbor are so real and the animation of fish looks like Pixar has been doing it for years. The jellyfish for example look and move so realistically. Every Pixar film makes a breakthrough in computer animation, whether it is leaves, hair or dust. The water in “Finding Nemo” is near perfect for its time and in future Pixar films, the advancement continues forward in animating it. This movie fits perfectly into the “Pixar Universe", a theory that was first acknowledged around the time of this film's release. For a while, I thought that I had coined the term until I discovered its Wikipedia page. I think some people over-think it personally. The way I interpret this theory is that most Pixar films take place concurrently or at least close to the same time period. For example, I imagine that while Nemo is in a dentist’s office in Australia, Woody is in Al’s apartment in the US while Remy is trying to get out of Gusteau’s kitchen in Paris. A few other Pixar films I treat as if they are forms of entertainment within this universe. Most inside jokes in "Finding Nemo" come in the establishing shots of the dentist’s office such as Buzz Lightyear’s cameo. The Pizza Planet Delivery Truck is seen during the depiction of Gill’s escape plan. Also, a girl in the dentist’s office is reading an “Incredibles” comic book. Thomas Newman was the best composer for a film that looks like this. Speaking of that, "Finding Nemo" was the first Pixar film to have a composer other than Randy Newman

In later years after first seeing the film, I went into a suit store and the only fish in the aquarium were a clown fish and a regal tang. I thought it was so cool. I want to emotionally connect more with this film than I already do but it is not as easy as with other Pixar films. I am not a father yet and “Finding Nemo” reminds me somewhat of “An American Tail”, which was a big part of my childhood. I will say that "Finding Nemo" is a little better than "An American Tail". "Nemo" has some funny moments but it is slightly less appealing to me than most Pixar films. I don’t know why the American Film Institute has this movie as number ten in their list of the top ten animated films of all time. There are many Pixar films that I feel are better, let alone Disney films. This movie did deserve its Oscar however for Best Animated Feature. I think I know the biggest reason why “Finding Nemo” is so hard for me to connect to. Had I seen the movie on the big screen in 2003, I might have liked it more. I did not see "Finding Nemo" until over a year after its release because I was living in the Philippines as a missionary (I did not watch movies at all during my two year mission). I completely missed the huge hype surrounding this film as a result. Also, two days after I first saw this movie on DVD, I went to the theaters to see the subsequent Pixar film and I am sorry to say that “Finding Nemo” got drowned out incredibly. 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. I was right and I guess that is why the people at Pixar are professional storytellers.

4 Stars out of 5