Finding Dory

If Finding Dory proves anything, it is that the character of Dory, the bright blue little fish with short term memory loss who is once again voiced by Ellen DeGeneres, is much more than the comedic sidekick that she was in 2003's Finding Nemo.  This movie not only emphasizes her and DeGeneres' sterling voice performance, but also gives her a lot more depth and emotion than we realized.  It's always a big risk to go back to a popular character 13 years after the original, but Pixar has managed to pull it off with a film that is just as funny and heartfelt as the first.

DeGeneres clearly has embraced the character, and delivers one of the more memorable voice over performances that ranks up there with Robin Williams in Aladdin.  It's not just great, it's almost iconic.  You can't picture anyone else there in the role, and hopefully they will never try to replace her.  Returning director Andrew Stanton has not only chosen to strengthen the role of her character, but also to expand the aquatic world that she and other returning characters Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Nemo (Hayden Rolence) live in.  We get to see more of it this time, as well as get introduced to a massive aquarium/rescue and recovery operation that is a wonder in itself.  There are new characters who are just as memorable and likable as the old ones, and a sense that this is much more than just a cash in sequel.  This one actually expands on the characters and the film's universe, which is a rare thing for a sequel that comes out over 10 years after the first, which mainly just play on nostalgia alone.

The plot in Finding Dory is driven by fragmented flashbacks of the title character's forgotten past.  Early on, we see Dory as a child under the protective care of her parents (Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy), who are trying to help her get by despite her problem with memory loss.  Naturally, tragedy eventually strikes, and the family is separated.  Flash forward to one year after the original film, and Dory is now living comfortably with her new family of Marlin and Nemo, but she keeps on seeing things that are hints to her past, and triggers forgotten memories.  She knows that her parents are still out there, and may possibly be looking for her.  She also somehow knows that her family used to live in captivity in California.  Marlin and Nemo reluctantly join her search, and while the group do get separated from each other at one point, the title does not suggest a search for Dory, like in the original.  Instead, the title this time around suggests a journey of self discovery, where Dory will learn about her past and where she came from.

In her journey to reclaim her forgotten past, Dory is aided by many new characters, the most memorable being a grumpy seven-legged octopus named Hank (Ed O'Neil), who helps her because she can get him a tag that would give him a one way ticket to an aquarium in Cleveland where he could live in peace without being bothered by anyone.  There is also a nearsighted whale shark named Destiny (Kaitlin Olsen), who knows Dory from long ago, and a beluga whale named Bailey (Ty Burrell), who has doubts about his biological sonar capabilities.  All of these new characters are great, but Hank clearly steals the show with his color-changing abilities which allows him to blend into different backgrounds.  The Pixar artists have a lot of fun with this, creating some wonderful visual gags built around the character, especially during the end credits.  By the way, make sure you sit through to the very end of the credits for this one.

It's actually kind of surprising how effective this movie is, and that it manages to be just as funny, exciting and as heartfelt as the first.  The emotions of all of these characters constantly ring true, to the point that these animated aquatic creatures seem more real than most live actors.  When Dory reaches the darkest hour of her quest and begins to lose hope, it is a wonderful combination of both DeGeneres' performance and the mastery of the artists that creates such an emotional moment.  Speaking of the artists, they too pull out all the stops, creating a world that just seems much more fluid and lived in than before.  The amount of detail here, such as the way the light changes varying on the depth of the water that the characters are currently inhabiting, is simply staggering at times.  Even when the movie is being a cartoon and having the fish doing things they can't possibly do (such as in the hilarious and increasingly ludicrous climax), we still buy it because there is so much warmth and emotion behind these characters.

Finding Dory will likely be one of the breakout hits of the summer movie season, and it deserves every bit of praise it will get.  It's the first summer blockbuster this year that I think can appeal on a different level to just about anyone who watches it.  13 years is a long time for any sequel to hit the screen, but in this case, it's been well worth it, and I can't see anyone complaining about the end result.

See the movie times in your area or buy the DVD at Amazon.com!

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