Finding Dory

"I remember it like it was yesterday. Of course, I don't really remember yesterday all that well."

A year after swimming across the ocean to rescue Nemo (Rolence), life has returned to normal.  Dory (DeGeneres) decided to stay with Marlin (Brooks) to help raise Nemo.  Dory is still forgetful and her memory loss tends to cause more work for the fish around her.  One day, while helping with Nemo's class, she finally remembers her parents: Jenny (Keaton) and Charlie (Levy).  She remembers her home is at "the Jewel of Morro Bay" in California and is determined to find her home and parents.  Marlin is reluctant to swim across the ocean again, but he and Nemo decide to accompany Dory on her quest.  Along the way they get separated and Dory is taken by humans to the Marine Life Institute.

In the Institute she is taken to quarantine and tagged.  In quarantine she meets a 7-legged octopus named Hank (O'Neill), who agrees to help her in exchange for her tag so he can spend the rest of his life in captivity.  As they travel through the Institute more memories come rushing back, including her old friend Destiny (Olson) the near-sighted whale.  Meanwhile, Marlin and Nemo befriend 2 sea lions: Fluke (Elba) and Rudder (West), who help them infiltrate the Institute.  Can Dory find her family and reunite with her friends?


In 2003, Pixar Studios released their 5th film Finding Nemo.  The film was a huge success and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Film in 2003.  Since then, audiences have been asking for a sequel.  Writer and director Andrew Stanton didn't want to rush the sequel and ruin the magic of the film, and chose to wait until he had an idea.  In 2012 he finally found an idea, and with the blessing of Pixar CEO, he began working on the film.  He hired Victoria Strouse to write the script and he would direct.

For the sequel, they decided to focus on the story of Dory and figuring out her background.  They had to address the unique situation of Dory not remembering her past and having to reveal her past over the course of the film.  The story is set a year after the events of Finding Nemo and shows how the characters have changed and adapted after their original adventures.  Since they are traveling in the opposite direction for this film, only a few characters return for this film.  They created a new series of lovable and colorful characters to follow.  The new characters are fun and bring a new energy to the film.  Kaitlin Olson and Ty Burrell are funny as the whales, while Ed O'Neill is the breakout as grumpy octopus Hank.  And I enjoyed Idris Elba and Dominic West as the sea lions.

The story is emotional, while still bringing on the laughs.  Dory is great, but it is hard to top or repeat the success of Nemo.  It was good, but I liked Nemo better.

Finding Dory (2016) 97 minutes
Director: Andrew Stanton
Starring: Ellen DeGeneres as Dory
Albert Brooks as Marlin
Ed O'Neill as Hank
Hayden Rolence as Nemo
Kaitlin Olson as Destiny
Ty Burrell as Bailey
Diane Keaton as Jenny
Eugene Levy as Charlie
Idris Elba as Fluke
Dominic West as Rudder
Sloane Murray as Young Dory