Finding Nemo

(The Disneycember logo is shown, before showing clips from Finding Nemo)

Doug (vo): When Finding Nemo came out, people went nuts. They were in love with this movie. They love the characters, they love the underwater world, they love the colors, they love the story, people absolutely fell in love with it. And while I don’t think it’s quite as strong as say, Toy Story or some of the other films, it’s still pretty damn good. What’s the premise?

Story

Doug (vo): We have a clownfish, played by Albert Brooks. He’s sadly lost his wife and all of his children to a nasty predator, that is, all except for one child, the one that he calls Nemo. Because of his loss, he’s overprotective of Nemo and wants to be sure that nothing ever happens to him. What a shock. Something happens to him. Nemo is taken away by a scuba diver and put in a little fish tank in a dentist’s office, in Australia, of all places. That’s a unique location. So, of course, his father is on an endless quest to find his son. Along the way, he comes across a fish named Dory, played by Ellen DeGeneres. She has a fun gimmick of having short-term memory loss, which you would think very quickly would get old, but they work it in pretty cleverly. It gets big laughs and people really seem to enjoy it, and I enjoyed it, too. They come across other characters like menacing sharks, schools of organized fish, the list goes on. Nemo, as well, comes across a bunch of interesting characters, a group of various fish who try to figure out a way out of their tank and back to the sea. Their plan is so creatively out there that it’s impossible not to actually think it might frigging work. But they have to go quick, because Nemo might be in danger of being given to the dentist’s daughter*, a crazy-looking little child who has a habit of shaking her fish to death. Now that’s a face only a mother can love.

• [Actually, it's the dentist's niece, not daughter]

Review

Doug (vo): Finding Nemo has a solid story and some solid characters. I think this one plays up the drama even more than the previous Pixar films. It took a few more chances with what it could get away with and just how serious it took take itself. And not just with the characters, I think the environment, the music and the colors really play a big part in making everything come together from a dramatic standpoint. The sea is a very dramatic, mysterious place, with many dangers and many allies. It’s a great adventure that has just the right story and characters to help it pay off. At times, maybe it can get a little too dialogue-y, I mean, come on. You know the lesson in the first five minutes, and yet, they still kind of keep hammering it in. But it’s not a bad lesson. In fact, it’s one that’s really more for parents than it is for kids. That’s kind of different. And again, give kudos to these movies for actually making lessons for adults and not always for children. You don’t see that very often, and I like kids’ films that do that.

[The characters, mostly the leads, Marlin and Dory, are shown]

Doug (vo): The characters are too many to count. They’re all memorable, they’re all fun, you remember what each of them looks like. They’re all wonderfully unique creations. I’m glad they don’t take the rout where they have Ellen DeGeneres and Albert Brooks fall in love either. I mean, I know some people would say it’s obvious because Ellen herself is a lesbian, but you know what? Anytime they throw a female and a male together, usually they hook up, and especially with the mother being dead, this would be very tempting. I’m glad they did. I’m glad they just left her as a unique character, a companion, a good friend. That’s all it was meant to be and they didn’t feel like they need to force anything else.

Final thought

Doug (vo): I don’t know, what else can I say about this movie? It just has so many things that a movie should have. It’s adventurous, it’s dramatic, it’s funny, it’s colorful, it’s dark, it’s bright, it has everything. Does every dramatic moment hit a bulls-eye? No. Does every joke get a big laugh? No. But the majority do and it’s obvious they’re writing from their hearts, and that passion and care really does shine through. Good characters, good story, good morals, good visuals, what else could you need? Finding Nemo is a thrilling adventure under the sea.

[The magnificent animation of the sea is shown as we fade out]