Finding Dory (2016) review - Movie Thoughts (Chapter 12) 🐟

 Hey everyone,

Completing this weekend's animated double feature is a film I missed when it first came out and had reservations about. Finding Nemo was one of those classics that defined my childhood and I knew it was a risky move to add a sequel to such a beloved thing. Safe to say, I was worried for nothing because this sequel was actually pretty great....

(**disclaimer: the following thoughts are 100% my opinion, you do not have to agree with them - film is inherently subjective and everyone's perspective is valid! Also, there are probably spoilers in the following, read at your own risk. Now onto some thoughts....**)

Source: IMDB

A heartwarming return to the big blue sea that is both hilarious and wholesome by the bucket load, the Disney/Pixar think tank have hit the jackpot with its follow-up to a 2003 classic. With patchy memories of her parents and childhood home, blue tang Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) sets off on a hijinks-fuelled quest to find her long-lost family. The heartwarming, awkward and loveable character we know and love from Finding Nemo (2003) is still her talkative self, but she is more emotionally focused in the sequel.

Ambitiously combining a new adventure plot with the hallmarks of an origin story into one concept was well-executed and eliminated any potential predictability. Clues like the trails of purple shells, the significance of the ominous ‘Undertow’ amongst other breadcrumbs helped to spell out the non-linear structure. Tying in other convenient animal behaviours to move the plot from obstacle to obstacle was very clever, and the Disney/Pixar staple of celebrating the beauty and humanity of animal behaviour is relied on once again in Andrew Stanton and Victoria Strouse’s witty screenplay.

The convenience of the California Current carried the crew to America and a really fun new location to explore in the Sea World-adjacent Marine Life Institute. Other hilarious sights like a glowy, angry squid in a shipwreck and a heartbroken clam shell bring back the colourful and quirky foray of sea life in this universe. There were also more hilarious caveats written into the script that were incredibly chuckle-worthy; especially the horrors of being touched by toddlers without consent in ‘The Touch Pool’ and the terrors of ‘Poker’s Cove’. In the final scenes, there was both super cute and innovative tactics as well as a truly special climax that conveyed the great balance of tone Stanton was able to achieve.

Nostalgia abounds with the return of Mr. Ray (Bob Peterson) singing in class, and the king of the turtle dudes Crush (Andrew Stanton) in an early, fun cameo. Marlin (Albert Brooks) and little sass master Nemo (Hayden Rolence) were surprisingly underused this time around, yet it was nice to see them exploring Dory’s attitude to life in their own way and thus strengthening the empathy between them all.

But there were also plenty of new characters to fall in love with as well; almost overpowering the returners. Master of camouflage Hank the Octopus (Ed O’Neill) is in the middle of trying to escape to his very own water box in Cleveland when he stumbles into Dory’s quest and helps her navigate around the park’s different exhibits. Although his underlying PTSD about returning to the ocean is a missed opportunity for his characterisation, he had plenty of humorous moments and a dry wit to rival any stand-up comic. Destiny the whale shark (Kaitlin Olson) was a sweet addition to the crew who is revealed to be the one who taught Dory the language of whale through the park’s pipes. Other neighbour Bailey the beluga whale (Ty Burrell) is a self-conscious, helpful friend whose echolocation skills coming in handy in water and surprisingly over land and freeways too. Although the new additions were exciting, it was clear that this was really all about Dory.

Young Dory (Sloane Murray) is the sweetest little thing, and from the first moment there’s a deep level of empathy brewing in seeing little Dory and her parents dealing with her mental illness problems so young. Parents of the year Jenny (Diane Keaton) and Charlie (Eugene Levy) never gave up on their kid, and unpacking their nuggets of love and wisdom in never making Dory feel bad about herself. Their patience and undying love for their child was such a beautiful, heartfelt and well-written inclusion to this story. Yet there’s also this overwhelming remorse that Dory displays about her condition that is delved into whilst on her journey. “I’m sorry I can’t remember right” and “I lost them; it’s my fault” are disarming vulnerabilities, and coupled with the panic states of grief and shock that Dory experiences at certain points in the film are powerful windows into Dory’s insecurity that is fundamental to the power of exploring her character. The strong development of her support systems and effective coping mechanisms was a really healthy take on mental illness treatment and an unexpectedly strong moral scaffolding that gave the film real merit.

A combination of exciting, new characters alongside threads of nostalgia and answers to some of Dory’s favourite personality quirks, Finding Dory was a harmonious romp that dealt with mature themes in a really constructive way. It is a concept cemented in how much audiences like Dory and want to invest in her origin story, but the merits of her journey continue to make this franchise simply unforgettable.

8/10, 4 STARS

Thanks for reading,

Love and the dulcet tones of Sigourney Weaver, Emily 🐟