Finding Dory is a sequel I never wanted. I loved the way the first film ended and did not think another installment would add much to the world of Finding Nemo. Having seen the film, it is quite obvious that Finding Dory was primarily made due to the success of the first rather than an interesting idea for a plot. That being said, this is a fine film that surprisingly has a lot to offer.
Just Keep Swimming
I never thought Dory would have worked as a protagonist, but she is able to carry this film fairly well. Perhaps this is because she also had strong supporting characters, but regardless of that Dory was a solid lead. Dory’s backstory is fascinating and the way this film ties her into her introduction in the first film is fantastic. Dory’s short-term memory certainly pulled at your heartstrings a bit in the first film, but this time the filmmakers know exactly how to make her disability an emotional trigger for the audience. I felt terrible for Dory and constantly rooted for her success in finding her parents. This whole plot line of her looking for her parents had some really good moments. I like how the Marine Life Institute fit into the narrative, along with some of the supporting characters. My favorite of the new characters is definitely Hank. Him and Dory are such opposites that their pairing works in engaging both characters. My biggest problem with Hank is that they give him some small backstory but I would have liked him to be a bit more fleshed out. It seemed like the film wanted him to be like Gill from the first installment, but unlike Gill he was not given enough backstory.
What If I Forget You?
Along with the humorous and emotional moments, there were also some eye rolling moments. The third act of this film starts falling apart as film starts going too over the top. Without going into too many details, there is a high speed chase across a high way that felt like a tonal shift from the rest of the film. In many ways this film felt a lot like Toy Story 2. It certainly shares some of the same story beats, but the main difference is that the tone in Toy Story 2 always felt consistent, while here the third act of the film decides to shift its tone in favor of explosive action. Another point of the film that I had some problems with is Marlin. It felt like he learned nothing from the last film and his character was practically back to square one. I would have liked to see a Marlin closer to the one we got at the end of Finding Nemo.
Closing Remarks
This is certainly a fine kids film. It has some great humor, great emotion, and great characters. The storyline is also okay, but the third act of the film really hurts it. It may not reach the heights of past Pixar films, but it is still worth a watch.