Movie with Abe: Finding Dory

Finding Dory
Directed by Andrew Stanton and Angus MacLane
Released June 17, 2016

If there’s a movie that’s been in the works for a long time, it’s this one. “Finding Nemo” was an Oscar-winning smash hit beloved by audiences of all ages when it was released in 2003, and many have been clamoring for a sequel since then. It took thirteen years, but it’s finally here, winning over all those who enjoyed the first one for the past month and a half. Like any sequel, it’s not quite as resounding or refreshingly endearing as the original, but it does a pretty great job of revisiting popular characters and accompanying them on their next great journey across the ocean to reunite a family.

Ellen DeGeneres earned much praise for her film-stealing vocal performance as Dory, the blue tang fish with short-term memory loss, in the original film, keeping everyone entertained with her upbeat attitude and tendency to repeat conversations, often getting distracted in the middle of a sentence. Giving her a vehicle of her own is a risky thing since she might have worked better as a supporting player, but fortunately it pays off very well with a delightful and heartwarming spotlight on Dory getting lost as a child and now, as an adult, starting to remember things that help her to get back to the family that she has just realized has to exist somewhere. Now, Marlin and Nemo are the ones helping her on this quest.

The ocean and the many creatures that live in it serve as the basis for the storyline in this film that does a more than suitable job of making creative use of its premise and surrounding. The incorporation of a conservatory and its aim to rehabilitate sea life and then put in on display for people to see is interesting and serves the story well, changing the perspective on what a zoo or aquarium actually means. The minimal science and educational value is woven seamlessly in to a sweet narrative that should easily please all ages.

As with any animated comedy, it’s the voices that make the real impact. Joining returning anchors DeGeneres and Albert Brooks as Marlin are Ed O’Neill, Kaitlin Olson, and Ty Burrell in crucial roles as the three people most instrumental in aiding Dory’s journey towards discovering who she was and where she came from. It’s clear that everyone is having fun, and it’s hard not to enjoy this movie when the spirit of adventure and excitement is so positively pronounced.

B+