Animated Greatness

Rating: 10/10 (22 July 2006)

Finding Nemo contains a message slightly more complex than usually associated with family films, but as written and co-directed by Andrew Stanton, it's eloquently presented in a context that carries it through with potency. Stanton doesn't shy away from trauma -- the film contains its share, including an opening tragedy that rivals the shooting of Bambi's mother, but also pays respect to the precarious and predatory nature of undersea life. Everything is part of the food chain in the nautical world. It's the best circle of life message since Disney's The Lion King.
The film is awash in humor -- the sharks, for instance, are fearsome in their toothy glory. But these guys are also going through a 12-Step program -- "Fish are friends, not food " -- adding a wacky hilarity (when one of them goes for Marlin, the other two rush to block, crying out "Intervention! "). One of the movie's funniest bits is also one of its most dazzling, as Marlin and Dory encounter a school of fish who, as a collective, are adept at impersonations. Finding Nemo keeps the excitement quotient on high -- sometimes a little too high, as the action gets to be dizzying in spots. And the narrative transitions between the ocean and the dentist's office are structurally awkward.
The film possesses a luster and beauty never before seen in an animated film, computer or otherwise. The refraction of light, the gentle, cresting wave of sea anemones, the constant flutter of fish, sets up a background environment that is constantly in motion. The computing power alone needed to render this kind of realism is staggering. Finding Nemo lures you into its world, to the point where you feel almost as though you are floating under the sea. It's a remarkable achievement, a perfect pairing of genuine artistry with technology.
Stanton and co-director Lee Unkrich coax stunning vocal performances out of an A-List cast. Albert Brooks, one of my own personal favorites, gives an anything-but-floundering performance as Marlin, the consummate neurotic-yet-loving parent. But it's DeGeneres who steals every frame of film as Dory, who, in an inspired touch, has no short-term memory. And you will not soon forget the brilliantly funny sequence in which Dory attempts to communicate with a whale. DeGeneres transcends the character's surface humor and winds up providing the film's most poignant, heartfelt performance. If there were an Oscar for best portrayal of a tropical fish, our Ellen would win by more than a fin.