Movie Review Madness - Finding Dory

Oh Pixar – you are wonderful. The magic of film truly lives with this company. An opening short film called Piper is magical – not many words. Just cute images of a baby sandpiper learning to dig up shells, learning about the power of the ocean, and truly finding his sea legs. Extraordinarily cute.  

Then our main event, Finding Dory, is beyond excellent. Superb animation – the film glows with color. Excellent story line – it picks up where Finding Nemo left off and has Dory finding her parents. But it also highlights learning challenges, memory, family, and friends. So many messages in a short film. However, it does not beat you over the head with stuff – the message is subtle but strong.  Enjoyable humor – nice warm chuckles with so many lines. Engaging characters – Dory, Marlin, Nemo, and Hank the octopus. Fabulous voice acting and well thought out rich characters.

Yes, I gush. This film is just entertaining and worthy of your money – see it on the big screen. Ellen DeGeneres is so sincere and rather poignant as Dory. With her short term memory loss she’s challenged. Yet the glow of her spirit shines and perseverance wins out. Her mother (Diane Keaton) and Dad (Eugene Levy) left her with good life lessons and slowly she works her way back to find them (spoiler alert – will there be a reunion??)

And Hank the octopus deserves his own film. Such a hoot. We know, from real life, how clever octopus are in escape, etc. Hank sets the example for intrepid escapes, schemes, and true friendship. He does not let Dory down.

I won’t give more away. Just go now and see Finding Dory– hear Albert Brooks (Marlin) fret for Dory, Nemo, and life. Root for Dory, the blue tang with a huge heart and big eyes to navigate the seas, the Marine Wild Life Institute (shout out to Sigourney Weaver), and find her roots – her path of seashells.  Glorious film making………this is why I love the movies!!!