Yet another Pixar classic

Rating: 8/10 (26 January 2016)

Upon its release Finding Nemo solidified Pixar's position as the masters of animation. Just like they did with Toy Story, they'd crafted another fine film that was packed with everything for children and adults alike. On a technical level it is a masterclass, but it also provided a flowing story and a wide variety of characters that it was easy to get invested in. The story concerns overprotective clown fish Marlin whose son Nemo is taken by divers and he then purses them across the ocean. Along the way he meets a fish with short-term memory loss named Dory, sharks who have quit eating fish and a party of sea turtles. The film is effectively Marlin's journey and the colourful characters he meets who help him on his way, whilst Nemo tries to escape from the dentist fish-tank that he's ended up in. The story is straight-forward, but it is packed with so much emotion and excitement that it works to its advantage.
The plot works like a road trip movie, we continually come across some colourful characters and we move on, except that there is a goal to achieve at the end of it all. What really makes the story work is that it addresses the connection between a father and son as well as knowing when it's time to let your son have his own adventures. This helps give the film a strong emotional centre not just for the turmoil that Marlin and Nemo have been put through, but also for Dory who simply wants someone to stand by her. Working with the plot is the animation which is truly superb, some of Pixar's most impressive. The ocean can look both overwhelmingly beautiful and incredibly dangerous, while they really capture the vastness of the deep seas pretty perfectly. The colour scheme is also wonderful, everything from the bright character designs to the coral reef simply leaps off the screen in a wash of beauty.
With that said, it's the characters that truly make the film shine. Marlin is a typically anxious and neurotic father, but he's never a stick in the mud. He always appears to be very genuine and the journey he's willing to undertake for his son makes him so likable. Dory (a brilliant Ellen DeGeneres) makes a fantastic companion. You'd think her memory loss would get annoying but it's kept fresh thanks to her bright sense of humour and her almost childlike wonder at the world which is surprisingly endearing. Nemo is a pleasant innocent and his enthusiasm is charming, whilst the tank gang are all very enjoyable especially the mysterious Gill. I also enjoyed the tanks pelican friend Nigel and the three sharks that come together like an AA meeting to discuss giving up fish. Virtually all of these characters are different and memorable, having interesting designs and distinctive personalities.
Another big positive is the score by Thomas Newman. It is simply lovely. It manages to convey the wide-eyed wonder of the underwater world beautifully thanks to the gorgeous melodies and soothing compositions. There's a real sense of adventure to it that brings you into the ocean world even more and it manages to heighten the excitement at times perfectly. The film also has many memorable lines and inspired comedic pieces. Many of these were so successful that they are now widely known in pop culture, whether it the seagulls constantly repeating ''Mine!'' or the tanks outrageous escape plan. To be fair to it, the film has very few weaknesses. The lack of an over-arching villain isn't an issue because of the type of film it is and both stories are given the perfect amount of screen time.
It's fair to say that Finding Nemo is up there with Pixar's best films. It excels in pretty much every area that matters because it does what Pixar does best, which is craft a gripping adventure that is packed with plenty of comedy and emotion. This is a story that is very easy to be engaged in and the massive amount of characters all manage to get enough development. So when the two key areas are as strong as they are here then the film is already on the right road. Adding to that, the animation is some of Pixar's most expressive, the score is wonderful and the film is simply very memorable. There is just something so gripping and rather timeless about the films approach that makes it such a success.