Finding Dory Review

Just keep swimming...just keep swimming...

Finding Dory review - Everyone’s favourite blue tang fish with short term memory loss is back on a new adventure once again after 13 years! 

Meet Destiny, Dory's pipe pal!!!

In Finding Nemo, Marlin (Albert Brooks) had to travel halfway across the ocean to ‘retrieve’ Nemo (Hayden Rolence) back while making new friends which included the absentminded Dory (Ellen DeGeneres). A year later, Dory had settled in well with her ‘adopted’ family until she has a flashback on how she lost her family. Dory then sets on a mission to find her parents with the help of Nemo and Marlin who are worried that Dory might get hurt due to her ‘condition'. The trio once again journey on, this time to ‘the jewel of Morro Bay, California' while meeting interesting underwater and land creatures. Unfortunately once they reach the destination, Dory gets separated from Marlin and Nemo and bumps into Hank (Ed O’Neill) an Octopus (or rather ’spetopus’) who is willing to help Dory in exchange for her ’tag’ while also assisted by her old ‘pipe pal’, Destiny (Kaitlin Olson) the whale shark and Bailey (Ty Burrell) the beluga whale. After losing her parents when she was just a tiny little tang, can Dory succeed in finding her parents or all her efforts go down the drain?

Marlin and Nemo makes friend with two English sea lions. 

After tickling our funny bones in Finding Nemo, it’s only fair that Ellen gets to shine even brighter as Dory in her own adventure. Ellen's voice is spot on to capture all kind of emotions that Dory had to face. This multi talented lady can do no wrong bringing our favourite fish alive with her own twist. Speaking of which, other voice talents were also on their ‘voice best’ to match with their characters. The veterans, Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy could do no wrong as Dory’s parents, Jenny and Charlie respectively. Meanwhile, I personally enjoyed Idris Elba as one of the sea lion with his thick English accent, after parading as Shere Khan the tiger in The Jungle Book earlier, his voice is fast becoming my ears favourite voice to listen to. The storyline however did feel a bit repetitive in the beginning when Dory heads out to the ocean until later part when she goes on her own determined to find her folks one way or the other despite her disability. Same goes for the ocean views as its predecessor had already offered us the lively and colourful scenery of the ocean below us. The setting on the land is rather bland didn’t help much for the eyes as well. Luckily the new characters offered reliefs in exchange for the lack of a much interesting plot and could still capture new viewers attention. 

Meet Nemo's parents, Jenny and Charlie

I remember being blown away by the underwater when i watched Finding Nemo 13 years ago, (until now it’s still one of my favourite animation) so i was a little skeptical when i found out Dory will be doing the same. My doubt was confirmed as i felt Finding Dory is slightly below par compared to Finding Nemo. Perhaps growing ‘older' got to my sense but Finding Dory felt like a there was something amiss in the ocean of my viewing pleasure. Don’t get me wrong, its still an enjoyable film but in my opinion, Finding Nemo is still the better movie, a classic if I may say so compared to Finding Dory. Go watch both and let me know what do you think can?

P/s - Thank you ntv7 for the preview passes.