Another Excellent Blend of Cartoon Excess and Rich, Stirring Humanity from Pixar

Rating: 9/10 (9 April 2020)

After losing his wife and most of their unborn offspring to a predator's tooth, an overprotective father fish goes out to sea in search of his only child, stolen away on his first day of school.
Tons of heart and emotion in this, Pixar's first underwater fetch mission. Unfathomable sights, too, as the screen explodes with hypnotizing colors, impressive environs and staggering changes in scale. The ocean is a marvelous setting for such versatility, not to mention an unusually fresh one, and this team knows when/where to shine the spotlight. It's bright and vibrant like a kids' movie; lush and expansive as an unexplored frontier; sufficiently dangerous to transform any down beat into an opportunity for suspense. There's more than just superficial drama, too, with a deep human experience at its heart: the inner struggle between protecting one's children and allowing them to learn for themselves.
Great voice acting all around, from Albert Brooks (the scarred, neurotic dad) to Ellen DeGeneres (comic relief with a side of simple compassion). Fantastic, playful screenwriting that's capable of exploring timeless, meaningful themes without losing the youngsters along the way. Gorgeous visual effects and cinematography, still (somehow) impressive after almost two decades. Finding Nemo does it all, standing tall as a cornerstone of the now-legendary early Pixar filmography. These guys are masters of the craft.