Charming, funny with a great message

Rating: 7/10 (13 May 2017)

Finding Dory is not only a gorgeous-looking animated film, but a really family fun adventure. It's cheeky, funny, cute, naughty, crazy and heart-warming. It is not specially simple or over the top, and settles in a happy medium that will please kids and a adults alike. Although this is a sequel to Finding Nemo, the story feels like a film on its own, and while some of the events and characters in the first film appear also here, Finding Dory would still be a great film even if the first movie had never been made.
Finding Dory is not a film about being lost, is a film a about finding who you are and finding home. It sends a message that your family is not always just your natural family, but those who include you in their family, help and love you when you don't have anybody else and you are most vulnerable.
The story also sends a very positive message to any kid who has a disability, learning problem, or is just different. Dory has a short memory span, yet that problem makes her take decisions rapidly and be fearless and resolute, lets her evaluate any situation rapidly and make the best of it; Dory needs of other people, but she is so devoted and caring, that anybody wants to help her when she's in need. The analogy for those kids who are different is wonderful -- those things that seem to be a shortcoming and make you different, might end being the source of your greatness, helping you develop great qualities, and make of you an unique lovable individual.
No animated movie can pass the adults' test without having great characters and great voices. This is the case here. The characters are varied, funny, have distinct personalities, and the actors lending their voices to them do a great job at infusing them with life and soul. I enjoyed Ellen being Dory. She did a great job at infusing Dory with that charm and soul the character needs. Besides, Ellen's natural voice has those things that are quintessential Dory: naughtiness, innocence, excitement and child-like tones. I found baby Dory absolutely adorable and wonderful. Once Dory becomes an adult and Ellen's voice is more fully there, I couldn't but hear Ellen, not always Dory. I would have liked her voice to be a bit more twinkled or morphed so as to allow Dory to take Ellen over, if you know what I mean.
My main criticism to the film is perhaps the fact that the story becomes inorganic when we see an octopus driving a van and a fish reading signs and driving signs. Not that I didn't enjoy it, but I thought that somewhat didn't glue well with the rest of the film.
The film comes together with the short film Pipper, which I reviewed elsewhere, and adorable addition to a great combo.
Most enjoyable.