This week, summer officially arrived and we are well on our way into another season of reboots and sequels that bring with them infinite hope that they will defy the odds. To the surprise of absolutely no one, Pixar has once again beat those odds with another chapter of its much beloved “Finding Nemo.”
As I sat there basking (and weeping) in the truly stunning glory of “Finding Dory,” I kept thinking, “of course this works, Dory makes so much sense.” But we all know that Pixar has a knack for making things like gloriously animated sequels, look easy.
Calling “Finding Dory” a sequel is a bit of a disservice to the film, which truly fills in the gaps in Dory’s story from “Finding Nemo.” It’s a prequel and epilogue all rolled into one adorable blue fish who has suffers from short term memory loss.
In “Finding Nemo” we learn a lot about Dory (Ellen DeGeneres)—she can ready, she suffers from short-term memory loss, she speaks whale, and has a knack for songwriting (just keep swimming, just keep swimming).
In “Finding Dory” we find out how she came upon these skills as Dory starts to remember her family and sets off (with the help of her memory-capable friends Marlin [Albert Brooks] and Nemo [Hayden Rolence]) to find them.
Of course that comes with a healthy dose of beautiful animation and full-on weeping. And that pretty much starts when little Dory first shows up on screen.
I mean look at her.
I defy you to not find her adorable.
Most of your favorite characters are back this go-round (with a few exceptions) along a few wonderful new friends, including the most technologically complex character Pixar has ever created, Hank the septopus (Ed O’Neill)…yes I wrote that right, he’s a septopus.
I would tell you more, but part of the beauty of this film is the way Dory’s past is revealed throughout as she remembers…and I wouldn’t want to spoil it for you. This is a spoiler-free zone.
Here’s what you need to know: It’s a sweet (but not sappy) story that beautifully complements the original, but stands solidly on its own merit as well (although the backstory of Nemo is a definite bonus). The animation, as always, is spectacular. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll want to watch the GIF of little Dory forever. (She’s sooo cute!)
…bi-daily smile…
