Disney•Pixar has taken audiences to other worlds and times, existent and non-, habitually ignoring the constraints of reality to create memorable movies that are truly enjoyable for all ages. Anthropomorphizing animals has been the parent company’s bread-and-butter since the first appearance of Mickey Mouse nearly a century ago and animators have taken the trick to incredible new heights (and depths) in recent years. While there’s obviously an economic advantage to producing loveable characters, they’re still some of the most skilled at creating personalities viewers will adore for years to come. Finding Dory revisits some of these creatures in a new (but similar) adventure.
Since Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) helped Marlin (Albert Brooks) find Nemo (Hayden Rolence), she’s become a part of their family. They live in the same reef and she often accompanies the younger clownfish to school. But their bonding and a couple of incidents of déjà vu cause Dory to remember she lost her parents as a child — and in true Dory fashion, she’s ready to cross the ocean to find them again. The closer she gets to her childhood home, the more she recognizes things and remembers her past. To help her stay on track, Marlin and Nemo accompany Dory on her mission to the rehabilitation facility where she once lived. But as much as she can’t help forgetting, she also can’t help getting lost. So before the end, the task-at-hand changes many times and involves all sorts of other creatures who assist the trio the best they can.
The premise of this movie is obviously very similar to the original picture as the small tropical fish set out to find someone again. However, the number of returning characters and their roles in the film are limited as Dory’s new adventure takes them into different territory and introduces an array of fresh and entertaining personalities. Hank is a cantankerous, camouflaging octopus fittingly voiced by Ed O’Neil who begrudgingly agrees to help Dory in exchange for revoking his freedom (it’s a sad and strange story). On the larger end of the spectrum, they come across a near-sighted whale shark (Kaitlin Olson) and a beluga whale (Ty Burrell) with a different sense impairment. Then there are the seals, brilliantly voiced by Idris Elba and Dominic West, who are definitely the highlight this time around with their odd but helpful suggestions and British sense of humour. The joy they provide is followed closely by the cuteness of the irresistible otter cuddle party.
Demonstrating he’s not as cranky as his on-screen personalities, O’Neil has had some fun promoting the film on social media.
Ed O'Neil found Dory and Hank…you can too with the #FindingDory lens now on .@Snapchat!June 16, 2016
The visuals remain vibrant and entrancing, while the narrative explores a variety of habitats from the dark ocean floor that’s home to frightened shellfish and giant predators to a giant aquarium at the centre of the Marine Life Institute. It’s not entirely surprising that the film is a little uneven, but at 97 minutes it doesn’t have a lot of time to drag for too long. Additionally, there are enough enjoyable moments and the occasional crazy hijinks to make this sequel passable.
Moreover, the preceding short is totally worth the price of admission. Piper is the adorable story of a young sandpiper leaving its nest for the first time. Its reluctance is turned to outright refusal after a frightening experience, but it eventually makes an unlikely friend that shows it the way. This animated short is a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination as it combines an endearing narrative with meticulous animation that depicts the finer details of the chick’s feathers, the foamy ocean surf and the smallest grains of sand.
Directors: Andrew Stanton and Angus MacLane
Starring: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks and Ed O’Neill
