Finding Dory: Any Good?

Toy Story 2: a successful Pixar sequel!

Sequels: those films that are often made in a flash solely to rake in more cash after the first film in a series makes a big break.  Sometimes they're good, but other times they are bad and even ugly to watch.  Ah sequels, we know you too well...  Alice Through the Looking Glass was a sequel too, and that kiiinda didn't work out, now did it?

Finding Nemo--the predecessor of Finding Dory

BUT then there are the select few sequels that do work out, like Finding Dory.  I saw it just yesterday with my brother and it was fantastic! Often, sequels don't really work out, but I think Pixar has a good system for producing sequels that has helped movies like Toy Story 2 + 3, Monster's University, Finding Dory, and the Incredibles 2 movie that's in the works.  (I'm not going to lie, Cars 2 was not the best, so it might not make the cut for good 'ol Pixar sequels, but it seems to be an anomaly in a line of very successful sequels.)  What Pixar does is they make a hit movie, allow the film to become timeless, and then they proceed to spend lots of time and energy making another timeless classic that simply continues a wonderful story, rather than riding on an original film for extra money.  This is exactly what they did with Finding Dory.  Okay, yes, that is cool and all, but specifically how and why was Finding Dory great?

                                                                       There are so many reasons!

*SPOILER ALERT!*

First of all, the animation was amazing, just as you might expect from any Pixar production.  The ocean scenes were gorgeous and the marine study center was incredibly realistic.  I mean, everything down to the buckets, strollers, fish, and the exhibits seemed incredibly detailed and was just fun to look at. I also loved how Pixar's creative teams animated the characters because the characters were able to keep their realistic traits as marine life, but also possessed the human characteristics that allow them to tell the story.  For example, you could not see the octopus' mouth except on rare occasion when you saw under his head and tentacles.  This kept his character as an octopus pretty authentic, while allowing him the personified traits necessary to maintain the story line.  I thought it was pretty cool that the animators went into great detail as such.

The Whale Shark on the left is Dory's old friend, Destiny.

Then, there was the solid story line.  To that effect, I was pretty surprised by the quality of the story and by the brilliant scriptwriting.  I won't give away too much here, but there were some pretty funny parts that honestly made me crack up. Haha, that beluga whale though... And the whale shark!  Soooo funny... If you haven't seen it yet, trust me, you'll like it.  However, if you don't, I can guarantee that any kids you take will thoroughly enjoy the humor.  I thought the humor was fitting for people of any age, but everyone's sense of humor is different, so I won't generalize the movie's applicability for adult audiences.  With that, I felt like the plot was somewhat predictable (it is sort of obvious that Dory will find her family in the end), but then the film throws you for a loop, testing your assumptions on the plot.  That is, when I expected the film to end at any given moment with the reunion of Dory and her parents, the plot suddenly twisted in such a surprising and entertaining manner that you don't know what might happen next.  Will Dory actually find her parents?  Will she, Marlin, and Nemo find themselves on a truck to an aquarium in Cleveland, Ohio? Have Dory's parents died?  Are they lost? Questions like these come to mind as the plot settles and then gets interesting again.  It's kind of like looking in clear water that is stirred up by sudden movements: we can't see everything anymore, so there is a mysterious feel to the water.  For me, that's something this film did not run short on: a sense of mystery. This is probably why I almost cried by the time Dory found her parents; the story was written so well that the buildup made Dory's family reunion a beautiful thing to watch.

Additionally, I thought there was an interesting take on family units and family ties throughout the film.  I was pretty surprised by this because of all the hype the media made about a lesbian couple appearing in this new Pixar film (I did not actually see them btw).  Don't get me wrong, I have no beef at all with homosexual couples, but I had preconceived notions going into the film that it was going to be a portrait painted by SJWs or "Social Justice Warriors."  So, though I don't have a problem with people having their own agenda to push, I do not like being an audience member for a film that focuses primarily on pushing a not-so-hidden agenda.  And this film did not do that at all!  It simply focused on the value of friendships and of families, which I though added to the buildup of Dory actually finding her parents.  I mean, she even said things like "mommy" and "daddy," otherwise known as familiar nicknames that create a sense of belonging in a warm family. Also, there is her relationship with Marlin and Nemo.  You can tell that not only Dory places value in this relationship, but so do Marlin and Nemo.  Just. Too.  Heart-melting!  On top of that, there was Dory's long-time friendship with the Whale Shark, Destiny (the reason Dory learned how to speak whale in the first place!). In short, this movie just felt like a big hug that suggests anyone can belong and can feel like a part of a family.  I thought this was a really nice message to put into a kid's film and in a film in general.

Crush and Marlin on their way to Dory's old home!

*SPOILERS END HERE*

So, should you go see Finding Dory?  YES!  Yes times ten, in fact!  I think whether you like it more than Finding Nemo is a matter of personal preference, so I cannot guarantee that you will like it more or less than the first film. However, the sequel does in part play on knowledge from the first film, so there is that slight drawback.  I think one could enjoy Finding Dory regardless of whether or not they have seen Finfing Nemo though.  Here is what I suggest doing next: go see the film in theaters if you can or anxiously anticipate its release on DVD, Blu Ray, and Pay-per-view.  Thanks for reading, everyone! Keep rocking our socks.  ;)

Corey Cherrington

(Pragmus Sigma)

Blog and Social Media Administrator

*With some thoughts from Logan Christensen (Pragmus Alpha)