By Megan Ruge Living and arts editor
We all remember “Finding Nemo,” the 2003 Pixar film that found a place in our hearts and homes. The film tells the story of a small fish named Nemo whose helicopter parent pushes him too far. During an act of defiance, Nemo is taken and bagged by men on a boat to become part of a dentist’s diverse fish tank. Nemo’s father journeys across the ocean to rescue him and bring him home.
Along the way, Nemo’s father, Marlin, meets Dory, a blue tang with short-term memory loss. She helps him on his way, showing she can remember things when they are most important.
In the summer of 2016, Disney and Pixar released another film, a sequel to the original “Finding Nemo,” called “Finding Dory.”
“Finding Dory” picks up where “Finding Nemo” left off, with all of our characters reunited and happy. But something is different. During a class trip to watch sting ray migration, Dory experiences something that causes a wave of memory to hit her. For the first time in years, Dory remembers her parents. Nemo, Dory and Marlin enlist the help of old friends to get them back to the last place Dory saw her parents.
Though this is not the first time we have seen these three fish make a journey across the Pacific Ocean, this story is definitely unique and lives up to the reputation of the original. In this film, we get to see into the world that Dory came from. For the first time, we get background on Dory and her family.
The film doesn’t reuse too many settings from the first one, though it does allow a short amount of time to revisit some familiar locations. Instead, the viewer gets to experience new places with Dory and the gang.
An interesting aspect that the setting change offers the viewer is the opportunity to see into the world of fish, not only in other parts of the ocean that offer different plant life, but inside an aquarium as well. This is an interesting shift for the film. The natural fascination that is associated with aquariums is really brought to life in this film, mainly through the eyes of the fish themselves.
Another interesting aspect in the film is the use of lighting to bring the ocean scenes to life. It is interesting to see the way animators will use light to create movement in a scene, to show the constant motion of the ocean. The animators also used light to direct the viewers’ attention. The way the light moves across a scene can move focus from one aspect of the scene to another.
Another great aspect of this film is the myriad of new marine life that the animators chose to introduce. It was wonderfully interesting to see the way the animators were able to bring to life different types of ocean life inside and outside the aquarium.
The use of new marine life also allowed for the film to include an almost educational aspect to it. The movie is filled with many facts about marine life, including facts about octopi and beluga whales, which intrigues and engages the more curious audience members.
Yet another exceptional aspect of the film is the use of secondary characters. “Finding Dory” is filled with a multitude of supporting roles that keep the storyline moving. Disney and Pixar add important little creatures along the way that essentially become iconic in the long-run.
These are characters similar to Crush the turtle and the vegetarian sharks club in the first movie. In “Finding Dory,” we meet Destiny, a near-sighted whale shark, and Bailey, a beluga whale who struggles with sonar. The film’s even smaller characters also add to the heartwarming and comedic aspects of the film. In the film, two small crabs clipping their “lawn” give Dory information to find her parents.
Overall, “Finding Dory” is a feel-good film for all ages, and you can find it currently on Netflix. I give this film five out of five stars.
