Finding Dory perfects Pixar’s winning formula from Finding Nemo. In the process, reinstating Pixar’s position as the king of animated storytelling.
Find Dory Synopsis
Even the forgetful remember if given the right stimuli. One day, while talking to Marlin and Nemo, Dory has an incredible flashback and remembers she used to live with her parents in California. Marlin and Nemo then accompany Dory across the Pacific, but when Dory awakens a squid and nearly gotten Nemo eaten, Marlin chastises Dory, resulting in Dory swimming off by herself. Thereafter, she is captured by the staff of a Marine Life Institute, and while in quarantine, re-encounters her childhood friend Destiny. While this happens, Marlin and Nemo reach the Institution and struggle to rescue Dory. Naturally, things do not go as father and son hope. Dory might end up lost to them forever.
Snappy Review
To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to Finding Dory. The trailer felt to be a long regurgitation of Finding Nemo jokes, with so many signs pointing towards Pixar trapped in a bad case of sequelitis.
How delighted I was to quickly learn that repeating a winning formula isn’t necessarily bad, especially when paired with sincere efforts to refine and perfect. Finding Dory is easily the best Pixar movie since Toy Story 3. Through it, I feel Pixar’s position as the king of animated storytelling is once again reaffirmed.
What makes it work so well? More of those quirky Finding Nemo caricatures, to begin with. A James Bond-like octopus, a telepathic whale, and … bullying sea lions too. There’s also sheer cuteness, of course. I mean, who could resist Baby Dory’s oh-so-big eyes, and the breathless, kid-like way she counts during hide-and-seek?
On a deeper level, there’s that disturbing, even terrifying question too. The one that keeps all would-be parents up at night. What if, just what if, you have a child like Dory? A child who would never be able to look after himself or herself properly, even in adulthood?
It’s a terrifying question. One that I suspect most people would shun away from. The triumph of Finding Dory is that it openly examines this grim scenario without ever being too pessimistic or unrealistic. And while doing so, celebrates the many tribulations of parenthood.
Click here to view the trailer.
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