Movie Review: Finding Dory (2016)

The animated movie stars Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O'Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Allison Janney, Eugene Levy and Diane Keaton.

I was paid this past Thursday but, thanks to a bunch of extra expenses this month, I quickly found it wasn't going to stretch too far. As a result of that, instead of taking the family out for dinner, we ended up staying at home and had a family movie night instead. And, since this movie was on Netflix, it was a unanimous choice.

I liked the film Finding Nemo. But, as is usually the case with sequels, I did have some doubts about this movie when it first came out and wasn't sure what to expect when we watched it last night. However, as it turns out, while I wouldn't rate it as high as the original, it still turned out to be a pleasantly good film.

The short-term-memory-challenged Dory (DeGeneres) has always been one of the most memorable characters from the first film and this movie did its best to capitalize on that. The writers used her memory loss to its full potential, both by having some very funny moments (I especially loved how she kept repeating conversations she already had) and by including some moments that were much more serious (and even a little depressing) as a result of her disability.

I also found I liked some of the movie's new additions, including a pair of rock-hogging sea lions (Idris Elba and Dominic West) and the reluctant-to-help octopus, Hank (O'Neill). Normally, I'm always a bit hesitant when movie writers add on to a winning formula. But, the additional characters did give the movie some freshness other sequels lack.

I think my only real complaint about this movie was the journey to California was a little too easy. Half the fun of Finding Nemo were the challenges and dangers Dory and Marlin (Brooks) faced traveling to Australia. While Dory did face some challenges after arriving, I don't think they were anywhere near as memorable and I don't see any reason why the movie couldn't have added a little of both.

Finding Nemo is definitely the better movie of the two. However, this was still a fun film and one I would recommend watching with your kids.

My Grade: A