It’s been a long road but after 13 years we’ve finally been given a sequel to the quirky comedy that was Finding Nemo. Sad to say that the sequel does not quite capture the magic of its predecessor, but there is still much to love about Finding Dory.
Andrew Stanton fittingly returns to the director’s chair after resounding success with the original adventure. Finding Dory reprises a cast of many familiar voices, with Ellen DeGeneres returning as Dory and Albert Brooks as Marlin. Among the old come a number of newcomers also, most notably with Hayden Rolence taking over the role of Nemo due to Alexander Gould’s matured voice. Modern Family stars, Ed O’Neil and Ty Burrell also star as Hank, a cranky red octopus and Bailey a beluga whale. Kaitlin Olson also stars in a supporting role as Destiny, a near-sighted whale shark.
Where the original had Nemo and Marlin at the focus of the story, Finding Dory brings their forgetful friend Dory to the driver’s seat. When forgotten memories of her past begin to resurface Dory is prompted to set off on a journey to find the parents she lost. Because of her short term memory, she is of course incapable of taking such a journey alone so Marlin and Nemo decide to accompany her. The plot is strong and the audience are ever more compelled to watch as Dory jigsaws together the broken fragments of her memories piece by piece.
The characters are all fantastic, Ellen DeGeneres of course carrying the film. The same quirky charisma she displays in real life translates to Dory so effectively it’s hard to imagine we’re not watching her talk show. Ed O’Neil in addition deserves special mention as the cranky yet loveable Hank, the red octopus who seems to do little more than complain much to our amusement. In conjunction to Dory, Nemo and Marlin also go on their own adventure which again serves to bring the father and son team closer.
What this film does most effectively is tug at the heartstrings. Dory’s quest to find her parents is an emotional one. Seeing baby Dory swimming alone and lost in a field of dark seaweed is a powerful image I will not soon forget, I mean just look at those eyes. Some scenes in particular I found surprisingly dark (for a kids film). Still that is not to say this film is a morose tearjerker. The balance between comedic humour and emotional themes is achieved well with the former gently outweighing the latter.
There is no shortage of comedy in Finding Dory. The film is loaded with enough humour to keep audiences keen and engaged. The familiar brand of quirky ocean/fish related comedy returns and is conveyed in a way that both children and adults both can find enjoyment in the sheer silliness that frequently comes to the fore on screen.
Finding Dory does not do a lot wrong, in fact I felt that the sheer epic quality of the original left me wanting more for the sequel. Where was Bruce the vegetarian shark and his buddies or the Tank Gang? Although the latter had a minor appearance in a post credits scene. The sea turtle Crush makes a return albeit a brief one. Because these distinctive characters were left out of the film I felt like a very important ingredient was left out from the story.
Finding Dory is a successful movie I fear will always hide in the shadow of its predecessor. Still, its strong themes, quirky comedy and unforgettable characters are enough to make this movie stand tall on its own.