Finding Dory is Disney Pixars's 17th feature film and a triumph in animated storey telling.

Rating: 8/10 (2 August 2016)

Finding Dory is Disney Pixars's 17th feature film and a triumph in animated storey telling. Set after the events of Finding Nemo writer and director Andrew Stanton takes audiences on a greatly emotional yet heart-warming adventure alongside Dory voiced by the incredible Ellen DeGeneres who, this time round, sees herself as the picture's leading protagonist. The film begins with a young Dory and her parents. She resembles an adorable small blue fish with bulging eyes however this isn't the overly happy, slightly annoying yet funny Dory we are used to this is a young child who is suffering with a disorder; that disorder being short term memory loss and is reliant on her parents. When being caught under an undertow of manta rays Dory is separated from her parents and can't find them as she has no recollection of their names or where she saw them last. Dory searches the ocean un successfully, asking fish if they have seen them until she meets Marlin for the first time. This is when Finding Nemo takes place, this film however is set after these events. Realising how much she misses her parents Nemo and Marlin accompany Dory to help her find them, facing various obstacles along the way. Of course there are a few familiar faces on their journey furthermore various new characters are met such as Hank (Ed O'Neil), an octopus who is missing a tentacle and is therefore an septapus and Destiny (Kaitlin Olson), a whale in which used to communicate with Dory via the pipes of her marine exhibition.
Ellen DeGeneres's vocal humour is something unique, particular to this film, I couldn't imagine any other actress fulfilling the role of Dory and doing it justice simply because I've grown accustom the character from a young age and her energetic and excitable tone of voice. However unlike Finding Nemo, Ellen no longer is in that supporting role. She finds herself as the films protagonist and my God she owns it. There was always a risk with this character that at times she could become annoying or perhaps just a little over the top, based on her supporting role in Finding Nemo however director and screen writer Andrew Stanton ensures this is not the case, adding much more depth and emotion in which was never really explored in the original film. Finding Dory has a focus on Dory's short term memory loss and presents it as a serious condition unlike the first picture where it was more so a humorous trait. Of course Stanton interprets traditional Pixar themes in this picture such as the most obvious theme of loss, notorious in other films such as Toy Story 2, Wall-E, Up and of course finding Nemo. Not only this however Dory finds her calling which is to search for her parents, a character finding their calling is a theme which is followed in pretty much all Pixar films.
Audiences will be blown away by Pixar's revolutionary animation. The sea flows realistically and naturally whilst coral reefs look like something out of a beautiful acid infused trip. The fish swim and move so naturally and fluently whilst light reflects from the surface and from the fishes scales as if it could be real. Animation wise finding Dory is an absolute spectacle and a stoner's dream, I would certainly place it up there alongside Inside Out which is a tough one to top simply based on the art which I loved. Finding Dory is a well- deserved sequel to an iconic piece of animated cinema which does its predecessor justice even if it doesn't quite manage to top it. I therefore rate finding Dory an incredible 8/10. I would also like to add that I have been inactive for a year and almost considered giving up whatstheplot.info, I realise that it's something I don't want to give up and can ensure readers that this is no longer the case. I will aim to update the sight with monthly reviews so please stay tuned and keep checking our Facebook page for any news or updates to the sight.