One word: forgettable.
If I wrote how Finding Nemo is about a fish who loses his son, goes on a journey and finds his son, it’d be a complete understatement to the film’s profoundness. Yet if I wrote how Finding Dory is about a fish losing her parents, looking for her parents and finding them, it’d be a fairly precise summary. When people complain how Cars 2 is a pointless sequel, I defend it as a superior successor with a refreshingly entertaining premise. When people call Monsters University an unnecessary prequel, I praise the film for its fun concept and adorable characters. Cars 2 and Monsters University are far from masterpieces, but I wholeheartedly defend their existences—so you know something’s wrong when I write how Finding Dory is not only unnecessary, but an entirely (and quite ironically) forgettable experience.
Continuing the norm for non-Toy Story Pixar sequels, Finding Dory focuses on its predecessor's main supporting character Dory (Ellen DeGeneres). Dory is a forgetful fish, as seen in the original where a whole subplot was dedicated to her short-term memory—even featuring a conclusion where she finally remembers the entire journey and helps reunite father and son back together. Apparently, the Pixar crew thought the subplot wasn’t concluded well enough, and a feature length film needed to be made based around it. In Finding Dory, Dory finally remembers she has parents, and goes to look for them with her friends Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Nemo (Hayden Rolence—replacing the now grownup Alexander Gould). They end up at a marine life institute, where Dory makes new friends, finds her parents, learns to be confident in herself, and lives happily ever after. The End.
Oh, but you think I’m underselling the film huh? That there must be substance in-between the lines right?...right!? The new characters are conventional and/or one-noted: a recluse, camouflaging octopus, a friendly, nearsighted whale shark, a melodramatic, sonar-using beluga, Sigourney Weaver. The characters are more defined by their abilities (or disabilities) than their personalities, which are all underdeveloped. This is particularly noticeable since the main trio already received gratifyingly substantial development in the previous film, to the point where Finding Dory has to recycle old issues, such as Marlin thoughtlessly snapping at Dory’s forgetfulness (which even he is confused about doing).
While the animation is, as expected, vivid and beautiful, the comedy is hit or miss—with the funniest (and most engaging) scene surprisingly involving grand theft auto. Compared to its predecessor, Finding Dory lacks in tension because there doesn’t feel much at risk, with several “hopeless” situations forced in to raise the mild stakes. Remember in Finding Nemo how difficult and intricate it was for the fish to escape a single fish tank? Well in Finding Dory, fish can travel willy-nilly across an entire aquarium with minimal effort. Oh no! Marlin and Nemo got stuck in a small fish tank in the aquarium's driest section! Don’t worry though, all they have to do is “think like Dory” and—with the help of several conveniently placed objects—it’s lickity-split out of there and into a safe, watery exhibit.
Finding Nemo is not only one of Pixar’s finest films, but a completely satisfying experience that leaves no lingering for additional continuations—Finding Dory helps reinforce such view. The sequel is an unnecessary and forgettable addition to the Pixar library, as well as their first film where—during certain sections—I actually got restless from boredom. Nevertheless, to write such criticisms is quite depressing since, up to this point, I’ve never given a Pixar film a thumbs down. Finding Dory is not a “bad” film because it’s frustrating or offensive, but because there’s not enough positive material to warrant its existence. It brings neither poisoned nor edible food to the dinner table—instead coming empty-handed. And while nothing on the table is harmless, it’s also certainly forget-the-table (annnnd cue the cane pulling me off stage! That’s all folks, have a nice day!)
