Really?

Rating: 1/10 (12 January 2005)

When given a poll between watching Shrek 2 or Finding Nemo, I decided to choose Finding Nemo after being told of its high-quality laughs and worthy entertainment value. I'm not a big fan of Shrek 2 but *sigh* this was a bad choice.
What many people consider to be witty and original is what I see as imports from early Chaplin films and episodes of the Simpsons. Finding Nemo is the story of the eponymous fish, Nemo. Nemo is the only survivor of his batch after his brothers and sisters (along with his Mother) were eaten by sharks in the egg stage. However Nemo survived (albeit deformed) along with a paranoid Father.
The jokes seem tired and lack any moments of stomach-rumbling chuckling but rather a series of humoured snorts. Although the main character of Nemo is likable, the other two major characters are not. Ellen Degeneres' role as Dory is so irritating that you start hoping the diver comes back and batters Dory then at least somebody will get some use out of the poorly-designed character.
Although there are smart ideas it becomes jumbled up in overly-immature jokes that decrease the entertainment value. For example the sharks that are dedicated to soothing their blood lust is worth some giggles but it gets lost in the sea(pardon the pun) of poor remarks. I should have known that the immaturity and basicness of the jokes would never stop coming. I assumed there would be a 15 minute farting sequence later on.
When Nemo goes to school he breaks away from the pack and is captured by divers causing his Father and an oddball fish to venture after him. Now this seems to be an original plot filled with many creative avenues on which to expand but what turns out to potential ends up as excrement.