Finding Dory (2016) Review

Finding Dory is the sequel to the masterpiece known as Finding Nemo. Upon its announcement, I was worried about how it would turn out. Heck, even the film itself is quite skeptical, when Marlin says that traveling the ocean is a thing to experience only once. Not only is Nemo one of my favorite movies, but I feared a sequel might ruin its legacy. The reason for that is because it's centered around the comic relief character. The last time Pixar did that, in Cars 2, it didn't end well. It's difficult to make a film centered around comic relief characters without the risk of flanderization, or "overstating their quirks."

After viewing it, it's safe to say that Pixar has worked their way around that one. While I wouldn't say it's in the same league as, say, Toy Story 2 (it's close, though), Finding Dory is a competently-made sequel that hit almost all the right notes in being a good follow-up to Finding Nemo.

This time around, our favorite blue tang fish, Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres), is struggling to find out more about her past, but her short-term memory loss gets in the way. However, she starts to get clues about where she came from, so Marlin and Nemo (voiced by Albert Brooks and Hayden Rolence, respectively) join her on the journey.

As I just hinted, Dory is now the lead protagonist and the film does a good job at balancing her goofiness and sense of mystery. I found myself invested in her journey. From time to time, the movie provides flashbacks from her childhood that hint at where she should go next. When Dory realizes something, I begin to remember what was mentioned earlier like she did. I like when movies do that: make the viewers feel like they're solving a mystery. By the way, Dory as a child looks undeniably adorable. Try not to pass out from cuteness.

With that said, while Finding Nemo balanced her notable character trait out just right, her constant forgetting and remembering in this one got a bit repetitive. That is why I invented a new type of drinking game. Take a shot every time Dory says "remember." Or don't. You'll get wasted.

Just like Nemo, the movie once again talks down on animal captivity. It's not just inside a fish tank in a dentists' office anymore; we're talking about a whole aquarium. For example, has anyone ever been to that one part of an aquarium where people can touch fish? There's a scene dedicated to that, and let me tell you, it's the equivalent of the Caterpillar Room from Toy Story 3: a living heck.

To further expand on this, I heard that the ending of the film, without spoiling anything, was rewritten after the release of Blackfish, a documentary film that made people hate SeaWorld. Whatever they were originally going for, what we got in the final product flowed naturally and it wouldn't have seemed out of place. Plus, it led to a very creative climax, more so than the original did.

Many of our favorite characters return. To those who grew up with the original like I have, it might provide a feeling of reuniting with old friends, like time never went by. I was a kid yet again. When I saw some of the minor characters, it put a smile on my face. However, the good thing is that the film doesn't get too reliant on fan service and focuses on being its own thing, pretty much like Toy Story 2.

In my review of Finding Nemo, I've mentioned how memorable each of the characters were because of their quirks. Finding Dory successfully adds new additions to the cast of characters that are just as enjoyable and memorable. I remember Dory's childhood friend, Destiny, a near-sighted whale shark. I remember those two sea lions occupying a rock like it's their base. I remember that bird Becky, who got the audience in my theater laughing because of her interactions with Marlin.

However, the best addition to the cast is the "septopus" Hank (voiced by Ed O'Neil). He's got an understandable motivation, but he has to put up with Dory to find her family and get the MacGuffin he wants from her. They offer some amazing chemistry, almost as good as when Dory paired up with Marlin. They have some pretty funny moments, as well heartwarming ones. I really did feel the companionship between them.

I also love the animations done on Hank. The way he moves his tentacles when walking on a floor and sliding when sneaking around shows how much dedication the animators put in making him come to life. The details added on him to make him look moist and slimy also deserves a mention. Funny enough, I love that we rarely see his mouth at all, yet he still manages to look expressive without it.

Speaking of the animation, yes, it is just as good as the original. The color palettes and the light rays reflecting on the surface are all back to make the viewers feel like they're underwater. The way the fish move as I described in my Finding Nemo review is also there.  If I have to nitpick a little, some of the character models, specifically characters from the original, look really downgraded. Marlin, Nemo, and Dory (who doesn't have a scar anymore for some reason) all look good, but the others looked like they were made out of Play-Doh. That was the impression I got when first viewing it.

I have to give props to the voice acting in the film. Pixar has always cast celebrities or A-list actors in their movies, but their casting always feels natural. I can tell that they are playing characters without feeling like they are there just to add another famous name on a poster. I guess I should also talk about Nemo's new voice actor. Finding a replacement to his original voice actor, Alexander Gould, who's now an adult, must have been pretty difficult. It feels pretty good now to say that Hayden Rolence was an excellent replacement. I could barely tell the difference at all; that's how good he was.

Thomas Newman returns as the composer and he does a pretty good job with the score. Going a little off-topic but related to the composer, when I reviewed Spectre, I mentioned how uninspired and poorly recycled the soundtrack was, especially since it followed up on Skyfall's excellent score. It's the opposite here. Some familiar themes from Nemo return without being too distracting while adding some new ones to feel like it's telling a different story. There was hardly a moment where the score felt bland or needlessly recycling music from the original. It still matches the melancholic and ethereal atmosphere of its predecessor, while also adding a sense of mystery which fits with the tone of the film.

Moving on, the movie is just as funny as the original. The comedy feels natural without feeling forced or pandering to the lowest common denominator (I'm talking to you, Angry Birds!). Both children and adults will get good laughs out it. Once again, I was glad that despite being centered around a comic relief character, not once did Dory get annoying with her constant short-term memory loss and childishness. I know I said it got a little repetitive, but it's not the same as "annoying." Not all jokes hit their mark, though. The whale talk, for example, didn't really have me in stitches like Nemo did. I felt that it got old pretty fast.

The film is also pretty emotional, which was one of the reasons why its predecessor was so great. I'm sure there was some point in our lives where we reunited with a familiar face whom we haven't seen for years. Dory captures that perfectly. With that said, though, I did feel that the emotional aspect was a little lacking compared to the original. I think it's because the comedy and drama do not balance each other out. It doesn't have to be "in your face so that it can get as Oscar" emotional, but it had to be more subtle.

Actually, the film has a faster pace, which would explain why. Scenes went by pretty fast, even though it shares the same run time as Finding Nemo. Nemo was paced just right because a lot of scenes took their time for the audience to observe, breathe, and reflect on what happened. Dory only had a couple of moments like that. While it did provide its share of heartwarming scenes, they're not as powerful as before, which is the film's biggest downfall.

Still, I liked Finding Dory. The characters are great, the story is engaging, the score is pretty good, it's genuinely funny and heartwarming, and it's beautifully animated like every other Pixar movie. While I don't think it's as good as the original, it's still an excellent companion piece that I welcome in Pixar's filmography. Who knows, it'll probably get better over time. It definitely is...

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