Monday, March 20, 2017

Finding Dory (2016)



Number Rolled: 77
Movie Name/Year: Finding Dory (2016)
Tagline: She just kept swimming…
Genre: Family, Adventure, Comedy
Length: 97 minutes
Rating: PG
Production Companies: Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures
Producer: Lindsey Collins, John Lasseter, Bob Roath
Director: Andrew Stanton, Angus MacLane
Writer: Andrew Stanton, Victoria Strouse, Bob Peterson, Angus MacLane
Actors: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Hayden Rolence, Ty Burrel, Diane Keaton, Eugene Levy, Sloane Murray, Idris Elba, Dominic West, Bob Peterson, Kate McKinnon, Bill Hader, Sigourney Weaver, John Ratzenberger, Andrew Stanton, Angus MacLane, Willem Dafoe, Brad Garrett, Allison Janney, Austin Pendleton, Stephen Root, Vicki Lewis, Jerome Ranft,
Stunt Doubles: N/A

Languages
Speech Available: English, Spanish
Subtitles Available: English, Spanish

Blurb from Netflix: A sudden flash of memory drives Nemo’s forgetful friend to seek out her lost past and reunited with loved ones, with the help of buddies old and new.


Selina’s Point of View:
Thirteen years.

We waited thirteen years for this sequel. You know what? It was worth the wait. It was SO worth it.

I absolutely loved Finding Nemo (2003). How I could I not? It was funny, adorable, inspirational, well written, well animated, and heavy with feels. Basically… it was Disney/Pixar. The great reviews Finding Nemo got were all well deserved.

I like to imagine that the companies involved took so long to make the sequel because they knew they had to get it right. Could you imagine the uproar if we had waited thirteen years for a sequel that sucked, or didn’t feel like the same series, or turned out to be some kind of reboot? There are so many traps Finding Dory could have fallen into.

In the beginning, I was nervous that it might wind up being a prequel, instead it was exactly what was advertised.


Finding Dory felt right. There’s really no other way to describe exactly what the film was like. It just felt absolutely right.

It felt like a good follow-up film. It had a lot of the same values and ideas and characters that we saw in the first movie; however, Disney/Pixar managed to make the film seem fresh.

If anything, it almost felt like I got to experience seeing Finding Nemo for the first time all over again.

I think that’s the experience that most sequels are going for – save for films that are legitimate trilogies or something, like The Hunger Games (2012-2015). In films that just sporadically spawn sequels, the creators are trying to recreate the magic of the original film. Normally, there isn’t much success. Even in good sequels, you don’t always feel the same way you did with the original. In this case, they accomplished everything they set out to do.

I’m fairly certain that Finding Dory is my favorite sequel ever.


Cat’s Point of View:
Today we began another glorious episode of Finding Ratzenberger. Yes, that’s right - John Ratzenberger (The Woodcarver, Planes, Monkey Up). He has to be my favorite Pixar Easter Egg. He’s in all of their movies in some random part where you’d least expect him. Sometimes he has his signature mustache, and sometimes he’s around things that look like a mustache. In any case, it’s a fun ‘Where’s Waldo’ sort of game where you’re listening for a voice rather than searching for a striped shirt. Where was he in Finding Dory? Watch and see!

Aside from that, the movie itself was fantastic. I think I just might like this one better than Finding Nemo (2003). I would recommend that you watch that one first, though. It gives you a much better context for this film; considering the events of Finding Dory take place one year after the end of that movie. 

Ellen DeGeneres (Pauly Shore is Dead, Six Feet Under, The Simpsons) was at the top of her game here. She had me laughing one moment, anxious the next, and over the rollercoaster and around to even getting a bit misty-eyed. I couldn’t imagine anyone else in her role, and I’m very glad that Dory got her own movie. She really stole the show for me in the first film.


Diane Keaton (The Family Stone, Mad Money, Love the Coopers) and Eugene Levy (Over the Hedge, Taking Woodstock, Goon) were good choices for Dory’s parents. Though, I’d have to say my favorite new cast member is Ed O'Neill’s (The West Wing, Redbelt, Wreck-It Ralph) character, Hank.

This is a great family movie full of heart and a handful of great underlying messages such as exploring the bonds of friendship and family, working through disabilities and overcoming obstacles, and tenacity in moving through life. I could go on, but really you don’t need me to.

If you liked Finding Nemo, you’ll love Finding Dory. I’d watch this again, and I’d recommend it to everyone. (This was actually my second time watching it, as is.)


Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 94%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 85%

Netflix’s Prediction for Selina – 5/5
Selina’s Trust-the-Dice Score5/5

Netflix’s Prediction for Cat – 5/5
Cat’s Trust-the-Dice Score5/5

P.S. Collection of short scenes during the credits followed by a very funny after credits scene.

Movie Trailer: 

No comments:

Post a Comment