Better than average animated film, but nothing great.

Rating: 7/10 (11 February 2004)

I'm not much of a fan of these computer animated films. I've seen them all, but have only liked ANTZ and MONSTERS INC. But FINDING NEMO is a passable flick, mostly due to its stunningly gorgeous visuals.
Wow, what a beautiful-looking movie. I was especially impressed with the jellyfish scene; there was something dreamy about their look, It's hard to explain, but they felt both real and unreal.
I laughed several times, but I'm bored with praising the movie (Ellen was marvelous, blah, blah), so let me nitpick. Well, not nitpick exactly - these are just thoughts I had while watching it:
*Much of it seemed like a video game, where you survive a challenge and advance to the next world.
*Why did some characters have American accents, and others Australian ones? And how were their voices so clear in the water? (You ever try talking under water?) And how did their voices sometimes echo in the water? And howcum their voices sounded the same both in and out of water?
*Can fish adapt so easily from salt water to fresh and back again?
*Do fish really sleep on their side? Do they sleep at all?
*A little surfer-dude speak goes a long way. How would sea turtles acquire such a patois? Do they spend a lot of time on the beach? Or licking funny frogs?
*Would a doctor give a fish with a visual defect to his daughter as a gift?
*Why would a doctor (or anyone) write his business address on a pair of cheap goggles?
*There was one climax too many. Did we really need one more perilous situation?
*What's with Pixar and bad kids with braces?
I guess that's about all the questions I shouldn't ask. None matter, do they?
7/10