Finding Dory

Short Verdict: Finding Dory doesn’t quite hit the same emotional heights as the mighty original but still  manages to be its own thing with a well-paced plot, beautiful animation and some very fun new characters

Between 1995 and 2010, Pixar blended both art and commerce to create modern staples of children’s entertainment. Often funny, heart-felt, beautifully animated and surprisingly thought-provoking, Pixar gained the best of both worlds with critically and audience backing. However, the studio’s quality took a downward turn with mis-judged films such as Brave (a great idea marred by a troubled production), Cars 2 (a sequel to the only “Golden Era” dud – but also one of their most successful in terms of selling merchandise) and the unnecessary Monsters University. Whilst Inside Out seemingly regained critical ground, Pixar followed it up with the long delayed The Good Dinosaur, a baffling film seemingly at odds with itself. The studio then began to rely on sequels to its classic films to keep things ticking over. Whilst Toy Story’s sequels feel earned, and are part of a wider thematic arc, one can't help but feel a direct correlation between the studio’s downturn in fortunes and the announcements of sequels to its films. Cars 3, Finding Nemo 2, The Incredibles 2, TOY STORY 4 (?!?!). I’m not saying that sequels are a bad thing, it's just a shame to see a lack of films in their upcoming roster that are based on original ideas. Now that Disney has turned its fortunes around with modern classics such as Tangled, Big Hero 6, Wreck It Ralph, Zootopia and the mighty Frozen, where does this leave Pixar, once viewed as the alternative to the House of Mouse? Well, I’m not fortune-teller. All I know is that today I saw Finding Dory, the sequel to Pixar’s classic hit, Finding Nemo. Did it sink or swim? The original is a stone cold classic and is seen as a turning point for the studio (both critically and financially) – how can you begin to fill these boots?

Pixar always say they only green light a sequel unless they have a story worth telling. Toy Story for example. Both sequels feel like natural extension of the original film and forward the story and characters in new and interesting ways. Cars 2 and 3? We all know the reason ($$$).  So is Finding Dory the former or the latter? Well… the film picks up one year after the events of the original as the titular blue remembers scraps of information about her long forgotten parents and is desperate to reunite with them. The scraps of memories take Dory, Marlin and Nemo to the Marine Life Institute in California, a Sea World knock off specialising in rehabilitating sick sea life with the goal of releasing back into the ocean one day. Dory becomes separated from her clown fish friends and has to work with her pesky short term memory loss to try and find her parents somewhere in this complex. She befriends some new marine life, the best of all being an octopus (or septopus) named Hank, voiced by Ed O’Neill, who help her in her quest to find her parents. The title can be a bit mis-leading. Finding Nemo was literal. Finding Dory is in a similar sense but is more about the titular character finding herself. And it works. Surprisingly well. Finding Dory succeeds due to its well-paced story, funny new characters and excellent animation.

Upon the announcement of a sequel to Finding Nemo, I rolled my eyes. The original is such a self contained story, what else is there to do? But on re-watching the film ahead of Finding Dory the one logical thread to pick up on is Dory and her backstory. Why was she swimming alone? How can she have these amazing skills but not remember what happened five seconds ago? Part of the mystery is what makes the original so funny – you don’t expect Dory to start speaking whale, let alone think it's actually going to help them! Finding Dory fills in the blanks and you could say it undermines the comedy of the original but it is neat to see this character go on a journey of self discovery. Ellen deGeneres gives a powerhouse performance, running the gambit between lovably clueless to emotional wrought. It’s a hard character to get right for any voice actor but deGeneres gives it 100% and is easily the best aspect of the film. Often films focusing on the “lovable sidekick” fall apart for exactly that reason (see Pirates of the Carribbean 4) but Finding Dory manages to keep things focused on Dory even if that does come at the expense of the some of the other elements. While it is nice to see Marlin and Nemo featured in the film throughout (I assumed they would be relegated to opening/closing cameos) and are given some funny lines, they are mostly extraneous to the plot (in particular Nemo, as Marlin is at least given an arc, even if it is similar to the one from the original).

Outside of Dory, the best part of the film is the new characters, the aquatic life trapped in the Marine Life Institute. Hank, the septopus, is a miserable character who just wants to escape to Cleveland so he can live his life away from contact with others (I won’t spoil the reasons behind this as it leads to a very funny and subsequent heartfelt moment) but is forever changed by the experience he shares with Dory. Initially only in it for her tag (which guarantees him a ticket out of the centre), Hank reveals himself to be a sweet natured guy with some insecurity issues. What brings the character to life is the animation. Fluid, slimy and graceful all in one. Hank proves that Pixar are still master animators and this gives a big palette for story and comedy potential. The other characters include a whale named Destiny, who suffers from short-sightedness (unrecognisably voiced by Kaitlin Olsen of Always Sunny fame) and Bailey, a beluga whale who has lost the ability to echolocate. Both have their moments and add good comedic punctuation to the film. I appreciate that these three characters suffer from some kind of affliction (insecurity about physical contact, short-sightedness and periodic migraines) help add to the films inclusive message. The only underwhelming new characters are the seals (one of which is voiced by the mighty Idris Elba) who feel a bit one and too similar to the crabs at the end of the original and don't add much to the narrative.

The film really shines with its set pieces. Dory and Hank are trapped in a ‘feeling’ pool where youngsters can pick up basic marine life such as starfish and other harmless creatures and shells. Innocent enough. From the fish point of view this is like the D-Day landings as recreated in the opening of Saving Private Ryan, with arms exploding into the tank ripping the creatures from their homes. It’s a perfectly pitched scene and is masterfully executed. There are several others, including one where Marlin befriends a not quite all together gull, but the most bizarre, silly and fun set-piece comes in the final 15 minutes. I won’t spoil it here but it's complete madness that Pixar miraculously pulls off to create a tense and exciting finale to the film. It's one of Pixar’s most out there conclusions by miles! And I have mentioned the animation? The subtle improvements since Finding Nemo create a much stronger palette to work with whilst also improving facial expressions and comedic timing. This is world class animation and one needs only compare it to animation from Blue Sky Studios or Illumination to see that Disney and Pixar are in a whole different ball game.

So what holds Finding Dory back? It has all the right beats to make it as emotionally satisfying and funny as the original. I guess ultimately Nemo is just a better-paced and pitched film. Every scene in Nemo is necessary and forwards the plot or characters in one way or another. The character arc of Marlin is so clear and rich it stands to multiple re-watchings. Dory ultimately can’t shake itself from the shadow of the original and some characters feel fairly sided-lined (Nemo is essentially just the good-natured foil to Marlen now). At times it does try to follow too similar beats to Nemo and doesn't quite come together as a whole, though the emotional core is there. It’s case of a very good film against a great film.

In a summer of dark and dour superhero films and disappointing sequels and reboots, there is something refreshing about Dory being an extended character and voyage of self discovery, even if it's not as satisfying as the original’s character arcs. Really the timing of Finding Dory is perfect. Children who grew up with Finding Nemo are now adults and likely harbour a great nostalgia towards the film (hell, I’m one of them) and may even have children of their own (not me). Since nostalgia is such a huge part of the way modern Hollywood works and markets its films, a sequel to one of the most beloved children’s films of all time released to capitalise on the generation who grew up with it whilst appealing to a whole new generation is a sure fire hit. More safe than bank rolling an original idea. Finding Dory’s opening weekend gross? Biggest Opening Weekend for an Animated Film Of All Time in North America. I don't want to sound too cynical though. Finding Dory is a good adventure that hits the right emotional notes and serves as a reminder that Pixar are still capable of doing great things, even if they are not quite there yet. While not derivative Dory does walk in the shadow of its superior original but tries hard to be its in thing. It's not ground-breaking in a way that Pixar used to be but Dory is a classically told story that understands why the original worked (trust me, a surprising number of sequels, including the horrendous direct-to-video Disney sequels, don't understand their original films). This is the best possible sequel the studio could have done to Finding Nemo, even if I would prefer more original films.

After this, Toy Story 4, Cars 3 and The Incredibles 2, Pixar have said there are no further plans for future sequels. But please Pixar, don't fall back on your word  Don't make Wall-E 2.

Long verdict: Finding Dory is a sweet, emotional and funny return to the ocean exploring the origins of one of the original’s most popular characters. Hitting the rights notes and offering some incredibly fun set pieces, the film doesn't quite hit the highs of the original but in a summer of bland and dark blockbusters, Dory is a reminder that sometimes all you need is a good, well told little story. Couple this with beautiful animation and a powerhouse Ellen deGeneres performance this is a fun romp anyone can enjoy

Rating: 8/10