Thirteen years ago Disney and Pixar hit a home run, or even a grand slam, if you will, with the release of Finding Nemo. Most filmmakers would have capitalized on a sequel within three years. Five max, given the booming success of the original. Not Disney, though. They took their time with this sequel, and boy did it pay off.
When I was fourteen, I was probably too old to be the target audience for Nemo, but that didn’t stop me from watching that movie over one hundred times since it’s release (that’s no exaggeration, either). Upon hearing a few years back that Finding Dory would be coming out, I was immediately excited.
I may be 27 years old now, but that did not stop me from going to this moving during opening weekend to see it. Having so much time between the release of the original and this new film, I was really a different person seeing this one than I was back then. So with that in mind, trying to compare the films to each other adequately would seem tough… but it’s not.
Did this movie capture the magic of the original? Mostly, yes. A good portion of the movie is dedicated to, you guessed it, finding Dory. This movie did not, however, straight up copy the plot of the original.
While there are some very strong similarities, in that a main character is lost, there is a journey to find and rescue them, and family is one of the most important things to these characters, those similarities are out shined by the differences.
We do get to see some old friends such as Crush and Squirt, the sea turtles, and Mr. Ray, the school of fish teacher. However these characters are mostly here for cameos, as almost all of the action involves new characters. The new characters that Dory meets are both adorable and hilarious. They are fun, funny, and engaging. Hank, an octopus with a bit of an attitude, is one of the best new characters introduced here. He uses his camouflage to do some pretty neat visual tricks throughout the movie. We get to meet lots of other new characters as well. There’s a few seals, some new birds, a couple whales and lots and lots of fish.
Finding Dory, for me, didn’t feel as though it lived up quite to the beautiful story that I found Nemo to be, but again I have to say that there have been thirteen years since these movies came out and I am reviewing this new entry as an adult. Or at least, a very large person with a beard. Yet, I can’t quite put my finger on what made this one less appealing* than it’s predecessor. It hit all the checkboxes for makings of a great movie, and it’s pull in the box office on opening weekend shows that it clearly is great.
Dory is a must see, even if it feels like it’s reusing tropes and jokes. Dory’s progress through the entire film is heartfelt and touching. The journey to find Dory is funny and adorable. There are lessons to be learned along the way. Bring your kids, bring your parents, go alone. If you were a fan of Nemo, this is something you cannot miss.
*Actually it was too much Sigourney Weaver.
