Finding Dory Review

Well, Pixar. We meet again. We've definitely had some great times together but we've also had rocky moments in our long relationship. And while I enjoyed Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur left a bad taste in my mouth (we all remember that infamous review). So going to see Finding Dory made me nervous. But I'm glad to say that this movie isn't horrible.

Plot:
Set one year after Finding Nemo, Dory starts to remember her past, including her parents. Dory, Marlin, and Nemo travel across the ocean to reunite her with her family. Along the way, they meet various sea creatures who help them in their journey. 

Characters:
Dory takes the stage here, and I was worried that a character that was originally meant for comedic relief couldn't carry a whole movie to themselves. It often makes the movie extremely forced (Hello, Minions). But with the prologue, we see Dory's childhood and all the events leading up to when she met Marlin. This was a smart move, since we can see the tragedy of not only losing a family but also almost entirely forgetting about them for years. This does add a few extra layers to Dory, but without betraying any of her core character traits. Well done, Pixar.

Marlin and Nemo return, but honestly I think they're the weakest characters of the movie. Neither of them contribute much of anything to the story, aside from them saying they're part of Dory's extended family. They're not annoying, but they could use some improvement. 

The new characters, however, are pretty cool. Hank and Destiny are my two favorites. They and the other supporting characters do an excellent job of moving the story along, whilst still being entertaining and and revealing a little more of Dory's history. And what I find fascinating is that all of this is done in a natural way.

Imagery:
Once again, Pixar blows it out of the park with their artistic representation of ocean life. Just as in Finding Nemo, they did extra research for several underwater creatures to ensure the animation matches their real life movements and even how water naturally moves. So, not surprisingly, Pixar succeeds again in imagery. 

Final Thoughts:
While this sequel didn't need to be made, I'm still pleased that it was. It makes me excited to see that Pixar is still interested in telling a good story and not just making money. If you loved Finding Nemo, then you'll love this. Personally, it doesn't even come close to magnificence of Zootopia, but it's still enjoyable and one of their stronger sequels. 

Next Time:
Legend of Tarzan.