Family

Rating: 8/10 (18 June 2016)

At this point, I'll wait another 10 years for Incredibles 2 and Toy Story 4. Instead of unnecessarily cranking out sequels every year or two to capitalize on box office success, Pixar waited 13 years to give us Finding Dory. For me, it was well worth the wait. With plenty of heart along with a well-structured and poignant story, this Pixar sequel will give you all the feels.
Refreshingly, I went into the film knowing and seeing little to nothing from the film. I watched the trailers when they were released, but I wasn't wowed by anything from the marketing campaign. With that said, being a huge fan of the original back in 2003, I definitely had high expectations going in. I won't go as far as saying it's one of the best films of this year, but it will be difficult for any film this year to flood me with the amount of nostalgia and emotion that Finding Dory did.
There were a great number of skeptics going in about Dory, a great side character, carrying a film on her own. While the supporting cast certainly helped, I didn't have a problem with the heavy focus on Ellen DeGeneres' famous blue tang fish. Not only is her comedic charm back but the tragic backstory of Dory is what sucked me into the film. The first 10 minutes rivaled some of Pixar's most gut- wrenching moments.
Besides Ellen, most of the original voice talent is back, and much like the first film, it's impeccably cast. Sure, it's great hearing Andrew Stanton back as Crush, a fan favorite, but bringing in Idris Elba, Diane Keaton, Eugene Levy, a few SNL cast members, and one hilariously meta-cameo was brilliant. But dissimilar to other animated features, the cast doesn't overpower the importance of the story being told.
Finding Dory isn't without its problems, however. Perhaps it was due to my attachment to the original, but it takes a while to get used to some of the supporting fish and animals. Eventually, they each serve an important and unique purpose, but their first few scenes are sluggish for sure. Similarly, there was something special about the trip Dory and Marlin took around the ocean in the original, and the adventure here never reaches the heights of the first. That's not to say I didn't appreciate the new spin they took with Nemo and the crew, but it just didn't feel the same.
Lastly, there are quite a few leaps of faith you have to take as an audience member in the final act. As we reach the emotional climax, it does get a little messy and convoluted, but the overall emotional arc isn't lost. It just takes a few too many jumps at the end in what is otherwise another gem for the studio. It doesn't necessarily meet the original on many fronts, but there is a certain rush of emotion every time I hear Thomas Newman's score. So Pixar just keeps swimming to greatness as Finding Dory is one of the best films of the summer and certainly of the animated genre.
+Voice talent
+First 10 minutes
+Poignant and meticulously crafted story
+Beautiful score once again
-Spin on the adventure story didn't have the same effect
-Some suspension of disbelief is needed for the finale
8.7/10