The Moose Hole - Review of Finding Nemo

Rating: 9/10 (30 May 2003)

You can always count on a Pixar film to create loads of family fun as parents and children alike take some time off their busy schedules to enjoy another one of their features. They sure have a great record for it. They began with the surprise hit Toy Story, which started the long-standing trend of computer animated films. They followed with A Bug's Life in 1998, Toy Story 2 in 1999 and Monsters Inc. in 2001. Pixar outperforms each of their previous efforts which is very rare in the modern Hollywood scene. Now, after taking a year off, they take audiences to the ocean in Finding Nemo. But how well will the film do? This is the first time a Pixar film has been placed during the summer time (all previous efforts had been released in November) but this allows for more success with children finishing school. Another problem for the film is lack of voice talent. Monsters Inc. had the advantage of John Goodman and Billy Crystal in the leading roles but the voices for this film are less known. This doesn't matter to children but it can be for some adults. The question is whether Finding Nemo can continue Pixar's trend of success or will be the film be sunk by the competition?
The story goes that Marlin, an orange and white striped clownfish, lives with his son Nemo, who has a "lucky" fin that is smaller then his other fin, in the ocean near Australia. Marlin is very cautious after the death of his wife and fears for the safety of his son. He fears so much that follows his son on a field-trip on his first day of school. Nemo, who seems embarrassed by his father's over-protective behavior, swims to a boat as dare to prove that he is not like his father. But this courage gets him in trouble as he is captured by a scuba-diver and taken away to a dentist's office in Australia. Marlin goes on a rapid search for his only son and along the way he meets a variety of colorful characters. Among those are Dory, a blue fish with short-term memory loss, Bruce, a shark who forms a club for vegetarian sharks, and Crush, a surfer talking turtle. Marlin will go to any length to find his son and bring him home even if it means facing his own fears head on. Like all previous films, Finding Nemo's story is far superior to most animated films though, it can be said, it is not totally perfect. Much like A Bug's Life, which was also directed by Andre Stanton, the story tends to drag a bit in parts making it less consistent then Toy Story or Monsters Inc.
As previously stated, the voice cast for Finding Nemo is less well-known then most Pixar films, which gives it another similarity toward A Bug's Life. Albert Brooks gives a perfect timid voice to the character Marlin. Brooks, who is also appearing in the In-Laws currently, deserves more attention for his role in this film then he is currently getting. He presents sarcastic humor at the right time with this characters as well as emotion which makes you feel for him as he struggles to find his son. Ellen DeGeneres is absolutely delightful as the forgetful Dory. The funniest moments in the film come from her characters especially the hilarious scene where she tries to speak whale. Some of the most thought provoking moments come from her character as well, which is ironic coming from a fish with short-term memory loss. William Dafoe is wonderfully cast as Gill, who tries to help Nemo escape from the dentist's office fish-tank. Geoffrey Rush, who stars in Pirates of the Caribbean later this summer, is humorous as the pelican but most of his most funny scenes had been seen in the trailers. And Pixar regular, John Ratzenburg, is great as the school of fish that poke fun at Marlin and teach him to lighten up.
Overall, Finding Nemo is another great film from the folks at Pixar but not their best work. The visuals are the best that have ever been seen in an animated film, that is for sure, but the story is not as hilarious as Monsters Inc. was. The story also tends to drag a bit in parts which makes it quite inconsistent. Finding Nemo also seemed to have a lot more intense scenes then most films aimed toward children, which is better for the older crowd but is sure to frighten some children. But the spectacular visuals, the delightful characters and those Pixar tributes to famous films make this a must-see anyway. The best family film to date and looks to be for quite some time.
My Rating: ****1/2 out of 5 (Grade: A-)