Good movie. But it's no "Finding Nemo"

Rating: 6/10 (20 June 2016)

Having raised my children on "Finding Nemo," and recognizing that Nemo probably stands out as my favorite Pixar film of all time, I feel that my criticism may come from a place occupied by very high expectations. I admit that I made constant comparisons to the first movie.
So with that as a backdrop, I have to say that I felt "Finding Dory" somehow lacked the "imaginative color" of Finding Nemo. The new characters, while wonderful in their own individual ways, seemed less robust to me. There was plenty of comedy, but it somehow seemed a little bit like the B-side of an old 45. I kept wanting Dory to conjure up the same emotional connection I felt when I saw Nemo, but it never really delivered on that front. To this day, I get a lump in my throat thinking about the scene in Nemo when father and son finally reconnect. It was real and emotional...very human in its take on the power of family and unwavering love...and not too dissimilar from the emotions displayed by people who watch videos of soldiers returning home to surprise their children and families. Dory, by comparison, seemed to miss the emotional opportunity of this reconnection. While the story shared many similarities to the quest in the first film, I felt it was a bit more confusing and cumbersome (particularly for small children). Some of the comedy fell flat because in many ways it'd been done before, and if I'm being totally honest, Dory's forgetfulness quickly shifted from a humorous character flaw to an annoying gag as the movie went along.
But at the end of the day, the real question is, "Is the movie worth seeing?" The answer is yes, of course. If for no other reason than to reconnect with old friends in the ocean (and to make a few new ones along the way), it's worth the price of admission. The periodic flashbacks to Dory's youth are funny and sweet, as is her character as a "toddler". And while the water often feels dingier out of necessity to the story, Pixar has once again created a visual buffet for the viewer that is second to none.
"Finding Dory" may be the "B-side" of the 45, but it's still a pretty good song.