Finding Dory

Rating: 8/10 (7 August 2016)

Finding Nemo in 2003 became one of the highest grossing animated movies of all time, a sequel had been planned, and it only thirteen years later that Disney and Pixar made it happen, I was hoping it would be as good as the original. Basically it has been one year since clown fish Nemo (Hayden Rolence) was reunited with his father Marlin (Albert Brooks), with the help of regal blue tang fish Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), who suffers short-term memory loss, she is now a helping hand raising Nemo. Through flashback it is seen that before joining Marlin in finding Nemo, she was searching for her family, suddenly she recalls the memory that she has a family, she is determined to find them, but her memory loss makes this difficult, she only remembers that they live at the Jewel of Morro Bay. Marlin and Nemo join Dory in her quest, they start with a ride in the water current on the back of sea turtle Crush (Andrew Stanton), arriving in California they soon encounter a predatory giant squid. Dory is hurt by a sarcastic comment Marlin makes, she swims to the surface for help, when caught in six pack rings, she is rescued and captured by staff at the nearby Marine Life Institute, and separated from Marlin and Nemo. Dory is sent to Quarantine and tagged, there she meets grouchy but well-meaning seven-legged octopus Hank (Ed O'Neill), the tag means she will be sent to a permanent aquarium in Cleveland, this is where Hank wants to go, so he agrees to help Dory find her family, in exchange for the tag. Hank carrying Dory in a pot of water, they explore the Institute, along the way they find an exhibit, where Dory encounters childhood friend Destiny (Kaitlin Olson), a nearsighted whale shark, who communicated with her through the pipes, and also Bailey, a beluga whale, who has the ability of echolocation. Dory learns that all regal blue tangs species are being moved to Cleveland, Dory struggles with her memory to recall details to help find her family, but has flashbacks, meanwhile Marlin and Nemo are attempting to rescue Dory, with the help of sea lions named Fluke (Idris Elba) and Rudder (Dominic West), and a common loon named Becky, they manage to get into the Institute. Dory finally remembers how she became separated from her parents: she overheard her mother crying, she went out to find a shell to cheer her up, and was pulled away by an undertow current. Dory travels through the pipes to continue her search, there she reunites with Marlin and Nemo, and they get back to Quarantine, and find the tank of blue tangs, they tell Dory her parents escaped years ago to find her, but never came back, she thinks they are now dead. Hank helps Dory out the tank, but Marlin and Nemo are left behind, an employee apprehends Hank, he unintentionally drops Dory into a drain and flushes her into the ocean. Dory comes across a trail of shells, and recalls a memory of her parents telling her follow shells to help find her way back home, following the shells she finds an empty home, as she is about to leave she is finally reunited with her parents, Charlie (Eugene Levy) and Jenny (Diane Keaton), they tell her that have spent years making shell trails in the hope that she would one day find them. Marlin and Nemo are put in a truck, transporting various aquatic life to Cleveland, Destiny and Bailey escape their exhibit, find Dory, and help her to rescue them, once Dory is in the truck, Hank escapes his tank and together they hijack the vehicle, drive it back to the ocean, and crash into the water, freeing all the fish. In the end, Dory and all her newfound friends have returned to the reef with Marlin and Nemo, after the credits have rolled you also see Gill (Willem Dafoe) and the Tank Gang are still trapped inside their plastic bags, they have reached California after a year of floating, they are rescued by volunteers from the Institute. Also starring Sigourney Weaver as herself, the Institute voice intercom announcer, Bob Peterson as Mr. Ray, Spy's Allison Janney as Peach, Austin Pendleton as Gurgle, Stephen Root as Bubbles, Jerome Ranft as Jacques, Brad Garrett as Bloat, Vicki Lewis as Deb and Flo, Sloane Murray as Young Dory, Ghostbusters' Kate McKinnon as Wife Fish, Bill Hader as Husband Fish and John Ratzenberger as Husband Crab. The characters and voices are terrific, it is nice the supporting character of the first film gets an origins story and becomes the star, the new characters, including the curmudgeonly octopus with camouflage powers, are great, the scale of action is increased, it makes you laugh at the right moments, the emotional journey gets the heartstrings going, and the inventive computer animation remains superb, it is just as compelling as the original, a splendid animated comedy drama adventure. Very good!