Up there with The Nightmare Before Christmas and Toy Story.

Rating: 10/10 (25 April 2004)

When I originally saw the poster for this film (big empty space with a single fish), I instantly wanted to watch it, as I thought it was just beautiful. However, then I saw the trailers, and thought it just looked like a typical cutesy disney kids film.
Today I watched it on VHS, and realised that my original ideas of what it would be like were indeed accurate. Within five minutes of the film starting, we given one of the most emotive scenes I've ever seen in a children's film, and it actually makes you feel stupid for getting so worked up over a film which is meant for children!
The story is predictable, which is understandable as I doubt Pixar wanted to bewilder the children. However, this is made up for as the character development is great, as we see the isolated culture of the fish tank, and the class system between the different sea creatures (crabs being simple tramps, turtles being richer 'californian' thrillseekers etc.)
The way the film has been made is also great, with the amazing endless underwater landscapes, and the brilliant musical score from Thomas Newman (American Beauty, Six Feet Under). The film has the poetry of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, with the tongue-in-cheek humour of Toy Story, and the emotion of Watership Down, making it one of the best children's films I have ever been fortunate enough to see.