Good, but forgettable sequel

Rating: 6/10 (24 June 2016)

Given how great Finding Nemo was, my expectations were really high for this film. When I saw Finding Nemo in the theaters, I was just blown away. While I originally walked out of the theater disappointed and thinking my hopes were simply too high, I realized at home that Pixar has delivered plenty of times in the past (i.e. Toy Story sequels). Finding Dory is just not as good as the original. It is a decent movie, but easily forgettable.
Early on in the movie, much of the story seems far too familiar. We see Nemo's coral reef, a journey with the turtle across the ocean, and a chase scene by a scary sea monster again. It is all stuff we have seen before, which made for a slow start. When the movie arrives at the aquarium, we finally see something new, but it is only mildly entertaining. At that point Dory's story-line really takes off, which I found to be really sad and overly serious. In the original movie, Dory was quirky, and full of heart and sweetness; she almost personified optimism. Her character does not change in this movie, but the directors' approach toward her mental affliction does. What was a silly but funny affliction in the first movie is now treated as a serious disability. We now see Dory and the characters around her sad, confused, lost, and really scared most of the time. I completely understand what they were going for in this film, especially for families dealing with special needs family members. At the same time, this movie never makes the strong emotional impacts of many other Pixar films. It's more of a downer than a tearjerker.
Finding Dory still has enough working in its favor to be entertaining. My kids walked out decently satisfied, but I did notice some fidgety behavior midway through the movie. Ultimately, the movie is okay, but it is not a Pixar classic.