Finding Dory2.5/5
Directed By: Andrew Stanton,
Angus MacLane
Rated PG
In 2003 Pixar released a little
movie about one lost fish in the big sea, Finding Nemo.
Thirteen years later, they return once again to the deep blue to tell another fish tale. Our protagonist will face monsters, peril, and crowded highways. The sad part is she won't remember a thing.
Finding Dory is a story of heart, full of emotional moments and some great laughs too. It's about the importance of family, and how far someone will go to learn where they came from. Regrettably though, this story's progression is often interrupted by Dory's next ridiculous escapade. Throughout the movie, Dory keeps finding herself in more trouble and danger which seems like it would raise the stakes of her adventure. These scenes of increasing danger continuously distract from the main story, instead of building up the action. The constant stopping and going in this movie's narrative makes watching it a chore.
Visually, Finding Dory is gorgeous. Every color pops out on screen, and colors are carefully chosen giving each moment it's own look and feel. The scenery is full of vitality, due to the lively crowds of both people and fish inhabiting it. Every fish in a school has their own individual look separating them from everyone else. They not only look great by animation standards, but also by Pixar's standards. Clearly the animators put extra care into the details of every character design.
The characters themselves are another story. Dory, the once free spirited blue tang, has become a run of the mill leading buffoon. Her memory loss isn’t as endearing as before, and it repeatedly lands her in increasing danger. She does manage to save herself every time, but it gets to a point where the only reason she’s still alive is blind luck. It’s hard to root for her, when I kept thinking, “What are you doing? Don’t go there! You’ll die!” Accompanying her is an Octopus named Hank. He tags along with her for his own purposes. She has what he wants, and he can get her what she wants. Curiously enough, Hank does get Dory what she wants, but then Dory takes Hank away from what he wants. She justifies it, but it still seems rather rude, coming from the former tenderhearted character.
Finding Dory is a story of heart, full of emotional moments and some great laughs too. It's about the importance of family, and how far someone will go to learn where they came from. Regrettably though, this story's progression is often interrupted by Dory's next ridiculous escapade. Throughout the movie, Dory keeps finding herself in more trouble and danger which seems like it would raise the stakes of her adventure. These scenes of increasing danger continuously distract from the main story, instead of building up the action. The constant stopping and going in this movie's narrative makes watching it a chore.
Visually, Finding Dory is gorgeous. Every color pops out on screen, and colors are carefully chosen giving each moment it's own look and feel. The scenery is full of vitality, due to the lively crowds of both people and fish inhabiting it. Every fish in a school has their own individual look separating them from everyone else. They not only look great by animation standards, but also by Pixar's standards. Clearly the animators put extra care into the details of every character design.
The characters themselves are another story. Dory, the once free spirited blue tang, has become a run of the mill leading buffoon. Her memory loss isn’t as endearing as before, and it repeatedly lands her in increasing danger. She does manage to save herself every time, but it gets to a point where the only reason she’s still alive is blind luck. It’s hard to root for her, when I kept thinking, “What are you doing? Don’t go there! You’ll die!” Accompanying her is an Octopus named Hank. He tags along with her for his own purposes. She has what he wants, and he can get her what she wants. Curiously enough, Hank does get Dory what she wants, but then Dory takes Hank away from what he wants. She justifies it, but it still seems rather rude, coming from the former tenderhearted character.
There
are also plenty of other new characters in this movie, too many. They all enter the story as welcomed newcomers with their own quirks and personal problems. As the movie progresses, it’s obvious they’re only in this film to save Dory from her own brought on danger. For every mess Dory gets herself in, there's a new character waiting in the wings to help her out. It’s
a tiresome and predictable cycle, which has yielded a plethora of forgetful fish.
Finding Dory is okay. It’s definitely not Pixar’s best work.
It's a decent story with some laughs and heartbreak, but it's not one worth remembering.Verdict: Finding Dory is a decent movie with a strong emotional center, and stunning visuals, but only a few laughs, and many forgetful characters.
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