An Underwater Treasure

Rating: 9/10 (29 April 2005)

"Finding Nemo" finds the Pixar animation studio back in top form after their somewhat disappointing (I thought) "Monsters, Inc." This group has always had a knack for finding source material that will give them full freedom in unleashing their animation imaginations (the toy-chest world of "Toy Story," the insect world of "A Bug's Life,") and in "Finding Nemo" they take us underwater and show us the beauty, wonder, and danger of the sea. There are any number of jaw-dropping set pieces in this film: a field of jellyfish, a shark attack, a mass escape from a fishing net. As usual, Disney fills its film with liberal messages about the treatment of wildlife and the environment, much welcome and needed messages in my opinion. But great animation alone cannot sell me on an animated movie--that's done with the quality of the story and characters, and "Finding Nemo" delivers there as well. The Pixar movies are never as cloying as the traditionally animated films produced by Disney--there's always a drier, cheekier brand of humour, and you get the feeling that just as many jokes are aimed at the adult audience as at the kids. The voices are terrific, the story is quick and funny, and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing. Grade: A