Movie review: Long-awaited Pixar sequel ‘Finding Dory’ is poignant and unforgettable
"Finding Dory" (Disney/Pixar)
A scene from "Finding Dory," the year's highest-grossing movie.
Parents need to know that "Finding Dory" is the long-awaited sequel to Pixar's 2003 classic "Finding Nemo." (Common Sense Media/TNS)
Parents need to know that “Finding Dory” is the long-awaited sequel to Pixar’s 2003 classic “Finding Nemo.” This time, instead of a parent searching for a child, the story revolves around Dory looking for her family. Like most Pixar movies, there are some very emotional moments, including an early montage in which young Dory — separated from her parents (a situation that may very well upset younger kids) — searches the ocean for them … until she forgets what she was looking for. There are other stressful separations between friends, too, as well as some peril and tense moments (like a predator giant squid the characters need to get away from and action-packed escape antics), as well as slapstick and near-misses. But in the end, the “happily ever after” adventure is still appropriate for viewers of virtually all ages, and Dory’s story is ultimately uplifting, as is the movie’s treatment of her disability, which is never ignored. “Finding Dory”‘s themes of teamwork, perseverance, family, friendship and unconditional love are relatable for even the littlest kids. (Tip: Be sure to watch through the end of the credits to see the extra scene featuring friends from the first film!)
WHAT’S THE STORY?
It took 13 years from when “Finding Nemo” first swam into theaters for “Finding Dory” to make its way to the big screen, but the story takes place only one year after clownfish Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks) — with a lot of help from Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), a blue tang with short-term memory loss — found his missing son, Nemo (Hayden Rolence). Everything is going well for the friends/neighbors until Dory has a flashback to her life as a little fish and remembers something about her parents for the first time. Realizing she and her parents used to live on the California coast, she asks Marlin and Nemo to help her find her family. Thanks to their pals the sea turtles, they quickly arrive at the Marine Life Institute in California, but they’re separated when scientists rescue and tag Dory. She must befriend new sea creatures, like an octopus named Hank (Ed O’Neill), to help her locate her parents, while Marlin and Nemo desperately find a way into the institute to look for her.
IS IT ANY GOOD?
This poignant, beautifully voice-acted adventure is everything a sequel should be: emotionally satisfying, full of lovable old and new characters, and, just as Dory would want, utterly unforgettable. DeGeneres’ performance is pitch perfect — as is that of her younger counterpart (Sloane Murray) in flashbacks to Dory’s youth growing up with her loving parents, Jenny (Diane Keaton) and Charlie (Eugene Levy), who cleverly work around her memory condition by encouraging ways she can remember to get back home. DeGeneres’ voice beautifully evokes Dory’s loneliness, sadness, wonder, confusion, hope and joy.
Audiences will also love new characters like the chameleonic, curmudgeonly Hank, who wants Dory’s tag that grants her transfer to the Cleveland Aquarium as a way of avoiding his eventual release back into the ocean. Dory also reacquaints herself with her old pal Destiny (Kaitlyn Olson), a nearsighted whale shark, and meets Destiny’s neighbor, Bailey (Ty Burrell), a beluga. The whales have a fun, bantery vibe. And a pair of sea lions voiced by “The Wire” co-stars Idris Elba and Dominic West provide comic relief as they help Marlin and Nemo hitch a ride into the institute via a kooky loon, Becky. Although Dory’s adventure is subtler than Nemo’s, it tugs at the heartstrings; teaches valuable lessons about disabilities, teamwork and the unconditional love of family, and it is as memorable a movie as Pixar’s finest.
RATING AND CONTENT
Recommended for ages 5 and older
Quality: 5 out of 5
Educational value: 2 out of 5
Positive messages: 5 out of 5
Positive role models: 5 out of 5
Violence and scariness: 3 out of 5
Sexy stuff: 0 out of 5
Language: 0 out of 5
Drinking, drugs, and smoking: 0 out of 5
Consumerism: 2 out of 5 (Are products/advertisements embedded? Is the title part of a broader marketing initiative/empire? Is the intent to sell things to kids?)
MOVIE DETAILS
Theatrical release date: June 17, 2016
Directors: Andrew Stanton, Angus MacLane
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Genre: Family and Kids
Run time: 103 minutes
MPAA rating: PG
