Dory, the forgetful blue tang in Finding Nemo goes from a sidekick to becoming her own heroine in the heartwarming Pixar sequel.

Finding Dory tells a similar tale of a fish’s search for its missing family as Finding Nemo, the Academy Award-winning animated feature that took the global box office by storm 13 years ago. The story certainly has a ring of familiarity, but the originality deficit is made up by its warmth, humour and a new slate of iconic characters.

Finding Dory opens as a prequel to Finding Nemo. It tells how baby Dory (voiced by Sloane Murray), the regal blue tang suffering from short-term memory loss, is separated from her doting parents before she runs into Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks) and joins the anxious clownfish in a venturesome search for his abducted son Nemo (voiced by Hayden Rolence).

The sequel begins proper after they found Nemo. Jolted by a sudden recollection of her childhood, adult Dory (voiced by Ellen Degeneres) is determined to find her own missing parents. She convinces Marlin to help her, and enlists the help of Hank (voiced by Ed O’Neill), a cynical shapeshifting Octopus with only 7 tentacles, Destiny (voiced by Kaitlin Olson), a big-hearted, short-sighted whale shark, and Bailey (voiced by Ty Burrell), a beluga whale who thinks he can no longer navigate by echoes.

FDp1
Dory meets an ill-tempered, seven-legged octopus named Hank at the Marine Life Institute.

Ellen Degeneres remains trusty as the forgetful but goofy Dory. While her performance wins on nostalgia, it’s 7-year-old Sloane Murray, the daughter of producer Lindsey Collins, who steals the thunder as baby Dory. It’s hard not to feel a tug at our heartstrings as baby Dory toggles between self-blaming and self-encouraging in her endearing voice.

The new characters also provide well-timed comic relief in the heartwarming tale of lost and found. Old cranky octopus Hank is certainly a screen darling, along with the ever-helpful whale shark Destiny and the self-doubting beluga whale Bailey. Other fun additions also include a neurotic bird and a pair of lazy, sunbathing sea lions with cockney accents.

FDp2
Dory receives help from childhood friend Destiny, a near-sighted whale shark, and Bailey, a beluga whale.

Gayathri Elango, a 23-year-old university student, said that while she enjoyed the humor in the movie, as compared to Finding Nemo it had less adventure and wasn’t as exciting. However, she added that, “Sequels are hardly as good as the original but this (Finding Dory) came pretty close.”

On the whole, Finding Dory is delightful despite its predictable storyline. If you don’t mind suspending your belief system every now and then (if an octopus can talk, why can’t it drive?), you should find plenty of joy reconnecting with a piece of your childhood in yet another Pixar classic.

Hint: Don’t leave the minute the credit rolls!

[xrr rating=4/5 display_as=textstars label=”Overall rating:”]

Release Date: 15 June 2016

Runtime: 103 minutes

Language: English

Censorship Rating: PG

Genre: Animation

Director: Andrew Stanton

Featured Cast: Ellen Degeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neil, Hayden Rolence

Catch the trailer of Finding Dory below!
https://youtu.be/6G3h2BSuMSY

 

Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Singapore.