humor, stunning visuals, great voices, even a little science--what more can you ask from an animated feature?

Rating: Null/10 (8 July 2003)

We went to this one with a certain amount of doubt, owing largely to an old predisposition to regard "cartoons" as too silly to be enjoyed by responsible, solemn grownups--even grownups looking for a few laughs. I'm happy to say we were captivated. The story line isn't groundbreaking, true, but so what? The variations the writers ring in on it are marvelous (I won't throw any spoilers around), the voices are wonderful--Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres above all, but everybody makes a contribution. The visual aspect of the film is remarkable--stunning is not too strong a word to use. The people of Pixar are to be congratulated. And there are even some nuggets of scientific fact scattered here and there--clownfishes DO live in sea anemones because they're immune to the poison, for instance. I will add one warning: if you have very small children, say, under four, think twice about bringing them; a few of the nastier fish would frighten the little ones badly, I think. Otherwise, I cannot imagine any group or category of viewers who would not find this gem worth the time. We'll want to see it again some day. And I should think it is worth seeing on a big screen, if possible.