While Pixar has made it the norm to create original stories in their long history, lately the popular animation studio has begun to concentrate on their already established films and create new stories for them. While Cars 3, Toy Story 4, and The Incredibles 2 are waiting in the wings, 2016 catches us up with the very familiar Nemo and his forgetful friend Dory in Finding Dory. A sequel 13 years in the making. After the success of 2003’s Finding Nemo, one would have expected Disney and Pixar to bank on a sequel right away as they did with Toy Story 2. However, as the years progressed, it felt as if there would be less of a chance that this film would ever be made.
In a year where another sequel that was 14 years in the making, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 was released to abysmal reviews and is my personal worst film of 2016, despite Pixar’s success in the past it was difficult to have anything but little expectations for this film. While the film is not on the level in terms of quality of it’s 2003 predecessor Finding Nemo, Finding Dory is still able to capture the heart of its audience. It is a delightful film that falls into the category of terrific Pixar films and succeeds in not falling into the Cars 2 category.
What works best for Dory is its choice not to stray far from the first film in plot or tone. It makes for a pleasant, familiar feeling for anyone who has previously watched Finding Nemo. The slight difference is that there is more concentration on back story sprinkled throughout the film, which assists in the audience understanding where Dory comes from. These flashbacks really hit with an emotional punch that led to a few tears in the audience. Nemo and Marlon provide a comedic secondary story attempting to find Dory, fitting in nicely with the overall aspect of the film and lessons the seriousness of the tone at times.
Ellen Degeneres is sensational as Dory. This voice performance should be another note to Oscar voters that these performances should be not be ignored during Oscar season. Ed O’Neill and Albert Brooks do a fine job as Hank and Marlon. While not best in show, Kaitlin Olson is fun, charming, and entertaining as Destiny the shark.
Finding Dory is not on the level of its predecessor Finding Nemo; however, both films are able to bring to life wonderful, endearing stories that show why Pixar is as at the top of the game in regards to animated films. While it may fall short to Zootopia at the Oscars, this film is headed to a Best Animated Feature nomination.
Reel Talk gives Finding Dory 3.5 reels.
