Finding Dory (2016) | Film Review

Father’s day weekend 2003 was a memorable one for me.  I headed off to the movie theater, my wife in tow, celebrating the purchase of our first home. We were not parents yet but for some reason a movie about a little fish who was taken from his single parent father struck a chord in me that still rings to this day. What if that was my kid? What would I do?  

13 years later, now with an 11-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son, that chord still rings as you continuously seek to protect your offspring, dude!  But things we protect them from today aren’t kidnappings or disappearances but the fear of failure. When things get hard, will they rise to the challenge? Will they overcome any shortcomings they have and rise to the top? This is the message that “Finding Dory” attempts to feed the masses in the long awaited sequel to the 2003 hit.

As we sat in the theater, all four of us watching little blue’s tale unfold – oh did I mention little blue is REALLY LITTLE in this movie! #ADORBS – I had very high expectations.  How would the story of a father who lost his son translate into a daughter who lost her parents? Will it strike the same emotional cord as Finding Nemo did for me back in 2003? Where there are sniffle-worthy moments in the film, they unfortunately do not carry the same emotional weight of some of the more recent PIXAR releases.  

The story follows REALLY LITTLE blue (aka the titular Dory for you non-turtles out there), whisked away from her family floating through the ocean, seeking help from anyone that can provide it.  All the way to the point of almost getting chopped up by a boat that thrusts her right into the path of Marlin the clown fish.  The rest of the story you already know.  A few months after the end of “Finding Nemo”, Dory begins having dreams and after a trip to watch the stingray migration, she recalls a tragic memory having to deal with “the undertow”.  

Dory’s quest begins – traveling with Marlin and Nemo in tow – to cross the ocean all the way to California where the majority of the adventure takes place in a marine biology research facility. Along the way we see some old friends like Crush and Mr. Ray, SWIM AWAY from scary things in the dark, while making new friends like Hank the septopus, voiced by Ed O’Neil, Destiny the Whale Shark voiced by Kaitlin Olsen, and Bailey the beluga whale voiced by Ty Burrell. They team up to take us on a joyride down the California coastline all in the name of family.  

Overall the movie was enjoyable and full of a few good laughs, (stay all the way through the credits), but for a much anticipated sequel set back by delays early and closer to release – as well as a reworked ending – it leaves one floating in a tank, more than riding the EAC, dude.

Great animation as always – especially the contrast above and below the waterline – but the story falls flat, not packing the same investment or spark that subsequent “Toy Story’s” delivered. Even “Monster’s University” was able to capture the nostalgia of the previous installment, while delivering a fresh take on the Monster’s World. In this ocean if you have seen one clown fish you have seen too many as Nemo and Marlin don’t add much value to the picture, and the abundance of other sea creatures just muddies the waters like the sewage of California.  

The film will have you asking the question “What Would Dory Do?” Unfortunately, the movie emphasizes the value of luck over skill, and to an impressionable young audience may not be the best message to deliver.  I think I instead will stick with my question of “What Would I Do?” Even as a HUGE PIXAR lover and advocate, this time they should have focused a bit more on finding the heart.