One of the year's best movies, animated or otherwise

Rating: Null/10 (31 December 2003)

Ignore the reviews claiming that "Finding Nemo" is great, but not Pixar Studios' best film. Ignore any comments on this page that point out flaws in the theme, humor, or sentimental plot. In fact, ignore everything you may have read about "Finding Nemo" and just see it for yourself. "Nemo" is Pixar's crowning achievement, and it's as close to perfect as any movie I've ever seen. EVERYTHING works in this film: the vocal performances are top-notch (particularly by Albert Brooks' Marlin and Ellen DeGeneres' Dory), the animation is nothing short of breathtaking, the dialogue is superbly written and genuinely hilarious at times, and the story is wonderfully simple, almost Zen-like. Disney's tendency to go overboard with the sentiment has been thankfully held back, so when an emotional moment comes along, you really feel it. No part of the movie drags, no scene seems out of place, and the entire thing will leave you captivated, whether you're 8 or 80. It's been so long since I've seen an honest-to-God masterpiece come out of the theatre, it might seem like I'm exaggerating, but rest assured: "Finding Nemo" deserves any and all praise it receives. This one's a keeper, folks.