Pixar And Brooks Make A Great Team

Rating: 10/10 (28 June 2003)

Pixar assumes the responsibility of gently leading children on the path to adulthood from Disney (itself busy trying to attract adolescents with more mature animated and live-action films) and delivers a beautiful, exciting animated feature about a neurotic clownfish who must rescue his kidnapped son, trapped in an aquarium in a Sydney dentist's office. Albert Brooks is the voice of the phobic father and it's a perfect fit, so much so it seems to have been designed around his persona--he's quite clearly part of the creative process and makes it as personal for him as it does for Andrew Stanton, the director (who also developed the story). It's in perfect harmony with Brooks' body of work as a filmmaker, showcasing his desire for familial overprotection that was at the heart of his `Mother' (but with none of the smug self-righteousness that marred it). His Marlin is joined on his journey by a hilarious Ellen DeGeneres as a short-term memory-challenged bluefish named Dory and she brings the simple verbal vaudeville of Gracie Allen in endearing herself to the audience. We've become quite accustomed to Pixar's dazzling visuals and this film is no exception, with its exquisite painter's palette of sea colors (particularly the shimmering, watery shades of teal and the sharp pastels that comprise the landscape) but the story is the design's equal, a balanced, clear-eyed view of father-son relationships and the recognition of personal growth by one another--it's moving and meaningful at the same time.