Pixar keeps on swimming to success

Rating: 8/10 (28 July 2016)

I had some concerns going in to watch this. Namely, the quality of Pixar's output since Toy Story 3, Inside Out aside, hadn't been as strong as what had gone before. A feeling of sequelitis seemed to be setting in while also being overshadowed by the recent hot streak Walt Disney Animation Studios has been on, both critically and commercially. Could Pixar then be able to do original film Finding Nemo justice an d expand the story without losing the magic and not feel like a retread or fail to bring the creative ingenuity the studio was known for? Suffice to say my concerns were laid to rest.
Finding Dory avoids feeling like a retread by focusing on the backstory and journey of Dory, voiced again wonderfully by Ellen DeGeneres, while still keeping Marlin and Nemo at arms length thus providing a new dynamic to the story but still retaining that sense of familiarity of the already established world. It helps that Dory is such an engaging and likable character meaning, that you'll never be bored in her company and remain emotionally invested in her quest to find her parents (spot-on work from Eugene Levy and Diane Keaton) but also who she is. And she is not the only well-written character in this film.
Sequels tend to be bigger in scope and story however while Finding Nemo had the whole ocean to explore here the action is mostly confined to one location: The Marine Life Institute. However this does not prove to be limiting and is explored in depth with a community of characters that are well-defined and not one note, with a good range of a top voice cast, like the toys from Sunnyside Daycare (TS 3). Ed O'Neil's grouchy Hank the octopus is a stand out, providing a nice counterpart to the optimistic Dory generating plenty of laughs and good driving force for the plot.
The animation is of course excellent, bringing both the ocean and the Institute to beautiful life with the occasional creative visual flourish Pixar is known for. In particular the animators have fun with the chameleon abilities of Hank and the range of colourful fish at their disposal.
Admittedly the film does have its faults. There is a rather repetitive feel with an element of the story of characters being separated and reunited again as well as multiple scenes in pipes plus running jokes. Nonetheless this film reminds us just what makes Pixar so special. Funny, visually impeccable and a story that is original and inventive. The jokes will appeal to both children and adults (they even find a great use for one of the most overused songs in film history) plus there is an underlying message of coping and succeeding with, or despite a, disability, a disappointingly rare observation found in a family film. Nothing fishy here: this is a real human treat.