Finding Dory, Losing Entertainment

Rating: 5/10 (17 July 2019)

These days, it's too much to ask for a genuine Pixar gem. The glory days are long past. The creative fire that sustained the animation studio's best films is out. We won't get another Finding Nemo. But when an ill-gotten Nemo sequel comes along, is it too much to ask for something reasonably entertaining? Finding Dory retains the talent from the 2003 Pixar classic, but the 2016 sequel, like others before and after it, drops the passion. Sure, it's passably drawn, and it gave me some chuckles, but It's not as funny, not nearly as charming, and simply not as good as its predecessor.
Finding Dory purports to have come from an original story by Nemo director Andrew Stanton, who also happens to have directed Dory. Honestly, I find the credit dubious. There's a good story here, but original? I don't know. In Finding Dory, a fish is taken off to a human world, other fish come to its aid, and things are wrapped up in an affirming message of love. This time, however, it's Dory that needs finding. Whatever, if Stanton wants to deliver the same beats in Nemo 2, that's all well and good by me. We know the story works. I'm just here for a good time, so shoot. Now if only Dory could have delivered the same personality, humor, or heart.
Dory doesn't get those notes right. It's not a lack of effort, really. Finding Dory introduces new characters like Ed O'Neill's camouflaging octopus, Hank, and a whale shark voiced by Kaitlin Olson, but they are forgettable. It stages new escapes, but they aren't very exciting. There are new emotional beats featuring Dory and her parents, but they don't ring very true. The new elements of Finding Dory, as welcome as they are, are pale. With the exception of Ellen "Why doesn't she do more movies" DeGeneres, the voice acting is lifeless, the character designs are obvious and kiddy, and the writing and direction seem flat out lazy. Case in point, the humor. I'll admit to chuckling one or two times during Finding Dory, but I never laughed. Half the jokes are recycled from Nemo, and the rest are uninspired guesses at what makes for good cartoon comedy. The reality is, I spent more time cringing than smiling. Why they decided to take a hilarious one-shot gag from Finding Nemo (Dory's whale speak) and stretch it out for an entire film, way past its breaking point, is beyond me. But it's not just the incessant whale noises that left me grinding my teeth. What about a wacky bird that exists solely to transport Marlin and Nemo around? Not funny, not memorable, not voiced by Geoffrey Rush.
If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times, when the passion isn't there, the product suffers. Like Cars 2, Monster's University, and Incredibles 2, Finding Dory is good ole' apathetic Pixar. Not as shockingly Disney Junior-ish as Monsters U, Finding Dory doesn't quite qualify as a "bad" Pixar movie. The animation is lovely to look at, and the settings are colorful and detailed. It's a nice little world they cooked up in this film, and I can't say I didn't enjoy being there. That said, there is a real lack of entertainment value in Finding Dory, which coasts along a familiar track while sloppily throwing together some "funny" new characters, "exciting" new situations, and a "message" about family. I came into the movie with open arms. I had absolutely no expectations that it would approach Nemo's greatness. All I wanted was a fun afternoon at the movies. And still, I left Finding Dory in an indifferent funk.
55/100