

In addition to Nemo and Marlin, who are each given another round of development in Finding Dory, the film introduces viewers to a fresh batch of friendly sea creatures. Like many Pixar films before it, Finding Dory is an earnest and often hilarious exploration of our human condition through the eyes of a fantasy character - one that resonates at different levels throughout (ensuring the film includes ample laughs and take-away messages for every viewer, regardless of age). Stanton indulges in several callbacks (note: stay through the credits) but evolves the series' focus from a relatively straightforward, but still imaginative, exploration of trust and family - into an outright inspiring tale of overcoming personal challenge (where physical or mental disabilities do not define or confine a person). Rather than simply repackaging a similar plot, theme, and cast of characters into a safe follow-up, Finding Dory takes some intriguing risks - managing to find new perspectives within its established water-filled world.
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Nevertheless, even if the movie doesn't leave much room for further examination of Dory's mysterious past in future Nemo series installments - Finding Dory is a smart expansion of the featured character, if only for the film at hand. It's still amusing to see Dory speak "whale" but knowing why Dory can speak whale doesn't make the joke any funnier.

Stanton spends a lot of time retrofitting Dory's quirky personality with direct correlations to interactions and experiences from her past - which, while fleshing out the character, steals away some of the idiosyncrasy that made Dory so refreshing in Finding Nemo. Still, the time-hopping narrative structure doesn't make the movie any less entertaining and, on the contrary, sets the stage for an even more profound emotional punch than its predecessor. The setup serves the thematic journey that Dory, and her supporting characters, are charting but Stanton never fully establishes the Monterey Marine Life Institute, or its inhabitants, with the same care or definition as Phillip Sherman's dental practice, in the original film, for instance.

In general, pacing and execution of the Finding Dory story isn't quite as smooth this second time - given that the film relies on a mix of present tense action that triggers moments of clarity (read: flashbacks) in Dory's jumbled memories. For a brief moment, it seemed as though Disney and Pixar might be more concerned with creating animation franchises than the quality standalone adventures viewers had come to expect - and pressure was on Stanton to prove skeptics wrong. Fortunately, Finding Dory isn't just a worthy sequel to Nemo, it also succeeds on its own - as a rousing tale of love and overcoming adversity. Considering that Finding Nemo remains one of Pixar Animation's most beloved standalone films, some fans were reluctant to hear that Disney intended to develop a sequel - especially after Cars 2 released to a mixed response from critics and moviegoers, alike. However, when Dory is separated from Marlin and Nemo outside the Institute, the forgetful fish is forced to overcome her fears and retrace fractured memories, with the help of an escaped octopus, Hank (Ed O'Neill) and farsighted whale shark, Destiny (Kaitlin Olson) - in order to find her way home.ġ3 years after the original, Finding Dory was brought to the big screen via a screenplay and direction from Andrew Stanton - helmer and co-writer of Finding Nemo. Worried that Dory's memory disability will get her lost (or killed), Marlin agrees to accompany Dory, joined by Nemo, across the ocean once again. Hitching a ride with Crush, who is still surfing ocean currents with his turtle family, the adventurers arrive at " the jewel of Morro Bay, California" aka the Monterey Marine Life Institute.
