Finding Nemo

Once again, Disney/Pixar continues to delight and amaze audiences with their computer-animated films. "Finding Nemo" can best be described as a delightful, whimsical, funny, and touching film for viewers of all ages and is an instant classic. You'll laugh, you may cry (I didn't, though), and your eyes will be captivated by all of the sights on-screen. The colorful beauty of the sea is impressively shown and the overall computer animation work of the film in general is just incredible. This definitely is a film that should first be viewed on the large movie theater screen to appreciate it.

The Story

The storyline to "Finding Nemo" is very simple, but engaging: In the beginning, a clownfish couple, Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks) and his wife Coral (voiced by Elizabeth Perkins) have just had 400 eggs laid and moved into their new home, a sea anemone. Their joy is very shortlived, however, when a barricuda comes calling, and the very sad outcome is that Coral and 399 of the eggs are gone. An understandably devastated Marlin perks up a bit when he finds one solitary egg that survived and so he safeguards it and raises the eventual child on his own, naming him Nemo (voiced by Alexander Gould). Nemo has an over-active curious nature, an under-sized fin, and an overprotective father who won't let him join the school to experience life.

But one day, Nemo has had enough and after giving in to peer pressure to go out and touch a boat that he and his friends see nearby, is captured by a diver in front of his father's eyes and taken away. From here on out, Marlin goes all out to find and save his son, no matter where he may be. Along the way, he is joined by a ditzy bluefish, Dorey (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres), and Nemo is befriended by the other fish in the dentist's aquarium he is brought to.

What I Liked

I really can't stress enough how beautiful this film is, the rich, bright colors of the fish and the undersea world that is their home is something that really keeps your eyes glued to the screen. The detailed computer animation is wonderful, particularly during the moments of the initial meeting with Bruce the shark (FYI...a pun recalling the name of the mechanical shark from Steven Spielberg's "Jaws"), and the race-for-your-life from Bruce through the sunken submarine. The speedy ride along the turtle's shell in the ocean current makes you feel like you're moving along with them, and even the scenes before it when Marlin and Dorey are caught up in a school of jellyfish...it is really impressive the leaps animation seems to take each year.

"Finding Nemo" is a very good film for both pareats and children. The lessons are there for parents to see whether they're overprotecting their children to the point of smothering them, and whether children today will listen to their parents who do know what's best for them. The lesson for children to listen to their parents is definitely applicable today.

A small word of caution for parents, though: there are moments, most notably in the very beginning or when Marlin and Dorey are being chased by Bruce that may frighten younger children. I put this caution in here because I thought it was some of the best animation in the film, but the tone might be somewhat unsettling for the young ones. They're not very lengthy, though, and soon after the kids will be laughing though.

As is the case with all of Disney's films, there is abundant humor to be found. Whether it's in the ditziness of Dorey, the "mine, mine, mine" seagulls waiting their next meal, the surfer-dude turtle, there's plenty that will have adults chuckling and young ones laughing up a storm.

Another typical Disney-ism lately, is its inclusion of characters from other films in various cameos. I won't say exactly when or where they show up, but I will say I spotted Buzz Lightyear (from "Toy Story") and Mikey (from "Monster's Inc."). And movies nowadays are adding little tidbits into the closing credits, so I would advise sticking around until they're finished. You'll get a few chuckles out of them as well.

What I Didn't Like

This will have to be a very small paragraph because to be very honest, there was almost nothing that I didn't like about this movie. If I had to pick something, I'd say that the music/score left me a bit underwhelmed. It was good enough, but didn't particularly grab me as anything special. The music certainly doesn't make or break a film by any means, especially one like this, but I do know Disney has had films with better scores. See, just a very small thing.

FINAL THOUGHTS

"Finding Nemo" is a great movie. It's fun for grownups and kids, has some very positive moral lessons for both of them, and is just gorgeous to watch. As I mentioned, there are a few moments that might slightly disturb very young viewers, but they're over quickly. The animation is incredible, the humor is frequent and genuinely funny, and there's also a genuine warmth to the film. I definitely recommend it for anyone to go and see.