MOVIE - FINDING NEMO - Review Rating $$$$$ $$$1/2 (OUT OF 10)
VOICED BY - Albert Brooks (Marlin), Ellen DeGeneres (Dory), Alexander Gould (Nemo), Willem Dafoe (Gill), Geoffrey Rush (Pelican), Brad Garrett (Bloat) & Barry Humphries (Bruce).
DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER - Andrew Stanton (co-director of A Bug's Life)
An underwater adventure involving the search and rescue of the young fish Nemo by his father.
Finding Nemo is another gem brought to the big screen by Pixar (Toy Story etc.) and Walt Disney. Technology and an excellent story make this a must see movie for children and adults alike.
The gang at Pixar have outdone themselves yet again and taken CGI (computer generated images) to new heights. The visuals (not animations in the usual sense) are simply amazing. Part of the fun, for adults watching the film, is to be dazzled by the glorious recreation of this underwater world. Vivid, dynamic and realistic are the words that come to mind to describe the quality of the CGI employed in the movie. They truly have to be seen to be appreciated. The only area where the CGI is lacking is its use to portray humans. The gang at Pixar admits that they have yet to master this area.
The visuals are aided and abetted by a great story and interesting characters. The story involves the delicate balance that must parents must strike between protecting their children and letting them experience the world and make and learn from their own mistakes. Failure to achieve this balance can and does have disastrous consequences in the movie and real life. Though Marlin's overprotectiveness is an extension of his own well founded fears the end result is that instead of encouraging Nemo to flourish he smothers his development.
As Marlin searches for Nemo he finds out a lot about himself in the process. This learning process is facilitated by the perennially optimistic but very forgetful Dory. The interaction between Marlin and Dory makes each of them better fish, in different ways, and demonstrates the old adage that two heads are better than one. Nemo also learns valuable life lessons in the process as well.
The script, despite its obvious morality tale, never forgets that its purpose is to entertain and is chock full of double entrenders that both kids and adults will find funny. Dory, who is voiced by DeGeneres, is a wonderfully kooky character who steals numerous scenes and provides a perfect balance to the uptight Marlin.
There are two notes of caution for parents. There are two scenes, the opening sequence and a shark chase scene, that may scare younger children (though I can't think of very many of the standard kid's stories that don't have similar scenes). As well, as noted in recent articles, the sound gets cranked up in several spots and this may be problematic for some younger audience members.
Finding Nemo is yet another example of movies that are made for children (Holes & Lilo & Stitch) that are better than the typical adult movie. Adults, without children, should not hesitate to see Finding Nemo. Its better than most of the movies in current release.
There is a bonus Pixar short titled Knick Knack that precedes the movie. Its funny too but also serves to remind us how far CGI technology has come since the early days.
Finding Nemo is an example of a perfect union between technology and good storytelling that can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages.
Running time - 101 minutes
Alternative Reviews:
Roger Ebert's Review
Daniel C. Kasman Review
Rotten Tomatoes Reviews
FINDING NEMO Official Web Site
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