“New Pixar is pretty great. Sequel Pixar, hit or miss. But one thing sequel Pixar always gets right is that it course corrects for the better loved characters. Switching focus from Sully to Mike in the Monsters world or Lightning McQueen to Mater in Cars land. Once Dory broke out and swam away with all of Finding Nemo, it makes sense that she get to star in her own sequel, even if it’s so far out from the original.
I was concerned during the first bit of the movie because we seemed to be hitting way too many similar beats to before. Thankfully, once the adventure really got started, the film branched out a bit more. Our Leonard Shelby-esque Dory (Memento reference!) gets a sudden flash of memory from her childhood, and she remembers her parents. She is determined to cross the ocean to find them, with or without the help of her pals/new family Marlin and Nemo.
All the Pixar signatures are there. Incredible animation, sweet humor, emotional teaching moments, and an impeccable cast. There’s a reason why this has become Ellen DeGenerous’ signature role and that’s because she’s a perfect fit. She has Dory’s heart and wit and innocent joy. Besides the returning Albert Brooks, we’re now joined by Eugene Levy, Diane Keaton, Ed O’Neill, Ty Burrell, and others.
So yeah I had my concerns going in, but I ended up loving my time under the sea. The warm fuzzies were there. The laughter was there. The concern and suspense were there. And most of all the love was there: to, from, and throughout the screen. Wow that was incredibly sappy…
Finding Dory – \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/”