More of a Dory than its predecessor

Rating: 7/10 (7 July 2019)

After missing out on this film in high school, I got to view it while flying on Finnair. I will say that Finding Nemo is a movie that I can view several times without getting bored, especially from its phenomenal animation. But now that we're here, how does its successor hold it up?
The story does continue with great humor and the use of uneven pacing to its advantage in the action and emotional scenes, though plenty of its ideas (especially the squid chase scene) feel replicated from FN. I do enjoy the new characters very much, especially the clever visual riddles Hank provides, the different kind of heart provided by Jenny and Charlie, and the charming voice acting. I do feel that additional development of Dory's character was a nice touch. From her flashbacks to how her STML is not universal, most additions were not unnecessary, which is the quality a sequel should have. The animation is improved as well, particularly in the land scenes with the extra detail added to the humans and objects. It captures the feeling that each species is what they are supposed to be, from the behavior of the otters to the fluidity of Hank and the squid. It's kind of a given seeing how Pixar has generally top-notch computers, though I cannot stress enough how gleaming a standard it continues to set.
If you can get past how this movie and Finding Nemo have somewhat similar plot executions, then I am confident you'll enjoy it. It has the humor, action, and heart that Pixar rarely produces a dud with, and animation that somehow upgrades the already excellent animation of FN. Besides emotion, parents should also watch for some more intense scenes, for they might be paced a tad too fast for children.