Disney Pixar’s Finding Dory takes us underwater again to visit our friends Nemo, Marlin, and of course, the very loveable, yet very forgetful, Dory (once again voiced by Ellen DeGeneres). Some other familiar voices you might recognize are Albert Brooks (Marlin), Ed O’Neill (Hank), Kaitlin Olson (Destiny), Ty Burrell (Bailey), Eugene Levy (Charlie), and Diane Keaton (Jenny). As for the main character in this film, Dory suffers from short-term memory loss, but begins to have flashbacks of her family prior to meeting Marlin and Nemo. It’s kind of amazing the things she’s knowledgeable about. How does she know so much, yet forget so much simultaneously? It’s that quirky quality she has that keeps us engaged and always asking, “What will Dory do next?” Just keep swimming?
My son and I had the opportunity to preview the film and aside from its long anticipated wait as the Finding Nemo sequel, like most sequels, it does lack a little je ne sais quoi. The movie brings back some of the original characters and introduces interesting, new ones, along with impressive animation in 3D. Even though it lacks the same level of excitement as its predecessor, the fact that my son kept his 3D glasses on most of the time confirms that he enjoyed seeing it!
I do like that everything is from the perspective of the characters, including how they probably perceive their love of children’s hands all over them at an aquarium, and that what’s not noisy for us, can absolutely terrify them! Let’s face it, getting lost (even as an adult) can be scary and the filmmakers did a great job of conveying that experience, especially from Dory’s point of view. The film opens up conversation for parents and children to explore not only about the safety of staying close, but also topics about some very interesting animal features. My son loves learning about all different animals in nature, which made this more of a nature-type-film rather than just a run of the mill animated film for him. I’m pretty sure that’s what kept him interested while I found myself hugging him a little tighter during the movie.
Finding Dory is rated PG and like most animated films there is humor that perhaps only adults would understand. My son understood some of the humor, but for the most part he didn’t get the times many of the adults in the theatre were laughing. Nonetheless, it’s a cute movie that is sure to be loved by people of all ages.
For the total 3D movie experience, check out Finding Dory in theaters starting this Friday, June 17th!
Vanessa Morales is currently a full-time mom to a very busy preschool boy and 1-year-old girl. She and her husband share a love of traveling and enjoy sharing those adventures and different cultures with their children. Vanessa also loves to bake and always looks forward to trying new recipes.Disclosure: We were provided a complimentary advance screening of Disney Pixar’s Finding Dory in order to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.
Images courtesy of Disney
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