‘Finding Dory’ (2016): An Unforgettable Experience? - A Review

I’m aware – and by now I’m sure you’re probably all aware too – that, generally speaking, I am not too keen on sequels. Often (though not always) sequels pale in comparison to their original counterparts, usually because, more often than not, they are produced with little else in mind besides milking an already successful franchise. That said, every so often when a sequel is announced, I usually like to give it the benefit of the doubt and broach it with a clear mind – especially when the sequel is the product of such a renowned animation company as Pixar. And that leads us to this year’s offering, the widely anticipated Finding Dory. The ever-optimistic, forgetful Blue Tang, voiced by Ellen DeGeneres, captured the hearts of many a cinemagoer back in 2003 as the side-splitting and endearing comedy relief of Finding Nemo, which turned out to be one of Pixar’s greatest films to date. Obviously, a sequel was expected. But the question is, can Dory carry a story?

Disney/Pixar, 2016

Directed by Pixar stalwart Andrew Stanton, Finding Dory takes place one year after the original movie, and is interwoven with sentimental flashbacks concerning Dory’s childhood and her eventually losing her parents (yes – despite the title, it’s Dory’s parents we’re finding here, not Dory). In the present, Dory is living peacefully alongside Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Nemo (now voiced by Hayden Rolence, replacing Alexander Gould). But before long, she is plagued by a memory, prompting her to locate her lost family. By chance, she winds up captured by the Marine Life Institute, which happens to be where her parents supposedly are. There she meets Hank (Ed O’Neill), a grumpy seven-legged octopus, her old friend Destiny (Kaitlin Olson), a short-sighted whale shark, and Bailey (Ty Burrell), a beluga whale with the ability to echolocate. The rest of the film sees Dory, Marlin and Nemo traverse the entire institute to find her parents, in many extraordinary ways, via various… interesting modes of transportation, shall we say.

Disney/Pixar, 2016

As clever as this can sometimes be, this is actually a major problem with the film; it’s simply *too* unrealistic. Okay, so it’s an animated film, but a degree of realism is still required for the film to be engaging in any way. In Finding Nemo, the escapades of the main characters maintained at least a semblance of credibility by, at the very least, the characters’ making allusions to the outlandishness of the situation. This film, however, really pushes the boundaries of believability, to the extent that we’re expected to accept that an octopus can convincingly disguise itself as a human baby without anybody catching on. And don’t get me started on the film’s climactic scenes, which see Dory well and truly jump the shark. Even overlooking these scenes, the film is plagued by clichéd and sappy sentimental scenes, and far too many coincidences that propel the narrative. There’s just no sense of threat. Just when you think the characters are in danger, there just happens to be a water bucket nearby, or a conveniently-placed drain, or, oh I don’t know, a super-stealthy other-worldly octopus with the power to camouflage himself as just about anything. In fact, Hank encapsulates most of what is wrong with the movie. As likeable as he is, he’s essentially a walking deus ex machina. This isn’t good storytelling, Pixar. This is contrivance at its worst.

Disney/Pixar, 2016

Another major issue – and one that I was anticipating – is that Dory works far better as a side character, a comedy relief. In this film, she’s just annoying. Her backstory, too, is a little lazily constructed. There’s nothing hugely innovative about her parents’ characterisations – they merely conform to the ‘loving parent’ cliché, enabling Pixar to play the sentiment card yet again. When it’s done well, Pixar’s sentimentally-driven narratives can pack a real punch. We all know that. The problem is that when the narrative is otherwise so detached from reality, these ‘emotional’ scenes are just conveyed as forced and, put simply, they do not work, no matter how big baby Dory’s eyeballs are. It genuinely upsets me that the average Pixar release has, in recent years, become so bland and formulaic.

Disney/Pixar, 2016

In all, it’s hardly the worst thing you’ll ever see, but it does indeed require substantial suspension of disbelief. Expect no surprises and you might even enjoy it. In parts, it’s amusing, and although it’s predictable, it’s not what I’d call boring. Visually, as usual for a Pixar movie, it’s sublime, and the voice acting is of an expectedly high standard. But in terms of conveying a good story, Finding Dory sadly struggles to stay afloat.

Brand New Blog Trailer!





Zootopia: The Sophisticated Disney Flick?

While it’s always irked me somewhat that animation is perpetually perceived to be universally for children, I’m actually rather surprised that this assumption prevails despite the evident expansion of the animated genre in recent years, and its evolution into a more lucid representation of our (at times hypocritical) political landscape. Disney’s latest feature film release Zootopia tackles the subject of politics more astutely and boldly than any other movie in their canon, and touches upon some surprisingly mature and ‘human’ themes. Having now seen the film more than once, I feel comfortable in proclaiming that I believe Zootopia succeeds in epitomising the anthropomorphic genre, with a sophisticated societal commentary that is of such profundity that we’re left without any choice but to expect only greater things from what is already a powerfully successful and world-renowned company.

That said, the growing relevance of the animated movie also anticipates some detrimental qualities. A film as sharp as Zootopia is only so meaningful to an audience in the sense that it delineates an unequivocally 21^st-century landscape; which is fine – only it precipitates an inevitable decline in relevance over an unfixed amount of time. Sure, the film will always bear meaning to an extent, but the fact remains that this movie arrived at just the right time, when prejudice and stereotypes are unfortunately rife (particularly where race and gender are concerned) and the western political environment remains unsettling at best. Indeed, much of Zootopia’s humour derives from a surprisingly cynical (yet light-hearted) take on 21^st century lives, attitudes and technologies. As with many other Disney movies, it’s highly moralistic – a fable, if you will – but manages to conduct its hilariously truthful commentary without becoming too preachy.

Judy Hopps - a 'bunny cop'; Disney, 2016

Again, this raises the question ‘who is this film aimed at?’ which, typically, is a difficult question to answer, perhaps more so than usual. Much of the humour is very adult-oriented. Sure, kids will laugh at sloths – they’re hilariously slow and the comic timing is perfect. But the funniest aspect of that scene is that they’re employees of the DMV – a joke that is more likely to resonate with older audiences than younger ones. The same goes for the ‘Naturalist Club’ scenes, and a surprisingly well-executed Godfather parody. It’s incredibly sophisticated for such a bright and colourful movie whose protagonist is a bunny rabbit. Ultimately, this rather makes me question what age range appreciates this masterpiece more. It almost feels as though the animated flick has grown alongside me, and finally reached a peak that is more than a challenge to equal.

While there are few animated Disney features that I would consider ‘bad’, I’ve noticed a definite evolution in their sophistication and originality – ironically at a time when Pixar, a company once renowned for its original efforts, has plummeted to the depths of mediocrity. Since 2009, the Disney flick (with the exception of Frozen (2013)) has arguably improved with its every release. Wreck-It Ralph (2012) proved that a heartfelt, solid narrative could be dictated in the world of a video-game arcade, while Big Hero 6 (2014), though predictable, managed to maintain a touching, hilarious and ultimately gripping story. Zootopia not only continues this winning streak, but transcends it with its sharp commentary on contemporary culture. However, while one can often easily identify the period in which a movie was released, either by its soundtrack or artistic style, the majority of animated flicks remain timeless. Whether Zootopia’s very modern setting bears the same deep-rooted transparency remains to be seen.

Disney, 2016