Just keep swimming...
The ocean is absolutely insane. It's huge, it's teeming with life, and we've discovered less than 5% of it. Mind boggling.
Disney Pixar's latest sequel does a fantastic job of not only capturing the wondrous spirit of the sea, but also capturing the spirit that made Finding Nemo so special.
Good news - it doesn't feel like a rehash. In fact, Finding Dory takes us in a whole new environment, with brand new characters and surroundings to explore. The new characters are equal parts charming and funny, and fit right in with the fish we know and love.
I can compliment Pixar's animation all day, but you can seriously tell they've improved in 13 years. When you combine these beautiful visuals with a score by Andrew Stanton (who splendidly scored Finding Nemo), it's unbelievably easy to immerse yourself in the water and the story it encompasses. My jaw was dropped at several points during the movie out of pure awe. Sting rays are awesome.
My biggest fear going into this movie was that Dory wasn't going to be able to pull her own weight as the protagonist of the story - I was so wrong. This movie only makes Dory more endearing to the audience. Though her short term memory loss is frequent and abundant, not once did I find her annoying. Dory is the heart of what makes this movie emotional (in typical Pixar fashion). This was the most important part, and Pixar nailed it.
The main question people have with sequels, whether they vocalize it or not, is something along the lines of, "Is this movie a worthy sequel to its predecessor?"
When I say worthy, I mean exactly that - does the movie provide more worth to the franchise, expanding in creative and fulfilling ways whilst not departing too much from the quintessence of what made the first film so enjoyable. And Finding Dory does just that. Go see it.
Also - stick around after all the credits to see what could be my favorite post credits scene of all time. You don't wanna miss it!
