Finding Dory has some stellar, heartfelt moments, but it's not as interesting as Finding Nemo.

Rating: 8/10 (17 June 2016)

"Finding Dory" has some stellar, heartfelt moments. I don't think the story is as interesting as Finding Nemo, but the movie is still great.
Finding Nemo is one of my favorite movies ever, and I never thought it needed a sequel. After watching Finding Dory, I still don't think it needs to exist.
The beginning of the story is an easy example. The first several scenes of the movie re-live some of the major and minor moments of Finding Nemo. Every one of those scenes I like better in their Finding Nemo versions. The story gets more interesting after these initial boring scenes, and I thankfully had a huge investment in the story over the course of the film.
I liked the characters of this movie and didn't have a problem with them. But a friend reminded me of the profound impact the minor characters of Finding Nemo have on the story, themes, and humor. The characters in this movie are great, but against the unforgettable cast of Finding Nemo, they can't compete. So many scenes in Finding Nemo are brief, yet set up important lessons that drive home the theme of the movie. After watching Finding Dory once (not enough to give a final judgment), I can't say the same.
Crush the sea turtle and Nigel the pelican in Finding Nemo are better than their closest competitors in Finding Dory. Same for the major characters like the tank fish in Finding Nemo.
The visual beauty didn't seem to be there. In Finding Nemo the first instrumental on the soundtrack is called "Wow". There's hardly any Wow in Finding Dory. The story doesn't facilitate much beauty with the locations it's set in. Part of this is my bias. Early on, some fish are in a kelp forest. I prefer a colorful coral reef instead of a dark green kelp forest submerged in dark green water.
Maybe awesome visuals don't need to be in this movie. Finding Nemo still exists, and Pixar just made The Good Dinosaur. But what should fill in that gap is still lacking. Story, characters, theme, etc..