June 17, 2003
Finding Nemo (2003)
[4 - Good]
The folks over at Pixar (Toy Story (1995), Bug's Life, A (1998), For the Birds (2000), Monsters, Inc. (2001)) have done it again with the enchanting animated feature Finding Nemo (2003). I came into the theater with high expectations having been very impressed with the previous movies, specially Toy Story 2 (1999) and shorts like Geri's Game (1997) and was not let down. I thought Finding Nemo was very funny, well written and beautifully animated. The two title characters, Marlin (voice by Albert Brooks) and Dory (voice by Ellen DeGeneres) each had so much character and were so funny that there was no choice but to laugh throughout the movie.
In addition to being very entertaining and well animated the movie also has a very intelligent social conscious. The plot device of a father trying to protect his son while learning let go is not an easy concept for a humor film by any stretch of the imagination. Throughout the film various characters have to wrestle with questions of trust, friendship, working together and helping each other out that are far from your usual Disney 'this is the problem and this is clearly the right thing to do, now lets all say it together so we make sure we all understand how things work' routine.
Finding Nemo takes the social reality approach a step further and has no 'bad guy' character. Oh sure there are scary sharks, dangerous jellyfish and plenty of other challenges for our characters to overcome but there is no need for the stereotypical evil character. The fish-eating sharks are (in a 12 step program) dealing with their own problems, as is the somewhat dark character of Gill who is trying to figure out for himself how to 'do the right thing' for himself as well as for his tank-mates.
Finding Nemo is perfectly entertaining for children and adults alike, and it will hopefully encourage parents to have some interesting conversations with their kids. If you are a fan of animation you will not be disappointed either; look for the various in-jokes and references to previous Pixar films as well as the Wallace and Gromit series.
And now for some of my favorite quotes from the movie:
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Dory: [dreaming] Uhhh.... the sea monkeys have my money.... yes, I'm a natural blue...
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Marlin: Yeah, I see it too! It makes me feel happy, which is a big deal for me. Look, it's leaving! I'm gonna get you!
Dory: Come here!
[a big scary fish looms into view]
Marlin: Good feeling's gone, AHH!
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Deb: [sees her reflection in the glass] That's my sister Flo. Don't listen to anything she says. She's crazy.
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Marlin: The water's going down. It's half-empty.
Dory: Hmm...I'd say it's half-full.
Marlin: Stop that!
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Seagulls: Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!
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Dory: DUCK!
Marlin: [looks up] That's not a duck, it's a...........PELICAN!
I'm 16 and I loved this movie!
Posted by: Becky on June 20, 2003 11:09 AMI love this movie I have seen it 4 times and I can't wait until it comes outon video!
Posted by: kacie on June 28, 2003 09:50 AMI've seen this movie twice now and laughed out loud both times. Please check out my site.
Posted by: Travis on August 15, 2003 09:50 PMI LOVED this movie!! And, I was right, the seagulls were saying MINE!
Posted by: Kathy on September 1, 2003 11:05 AMive seen this movie 4 times too!!! ITS THE BEST MOVIE EVER!!!!!!!!!!! im soooooo in love! i was cracking up through the whole thing!
Posted by: Mickay on September 6, 2003 01:59 PMi thought that finding nemo is the best film ive seen in ages, ive watched it about 7 times now and each thime i pick up on something new. If you want to know some things that are in the film that are shown for a brief second then go to www.findingnemo.com
Posted by: lauren on September 20, 2003 12:37 AMThe greatest thing about Pixar is their wise sense of humour - so even though the movie is supposedly geared toward kids, everybody can enjoy it ... I'm telling you, when you can see a 40-year-old in line ahead of you ask for one ticket to Finding Nemo, you know that Pixar has struck on something universally appealing. Me and my friends would pick a new Pixar release over a gut-wrenching actioner any day...
Posted by: heathcliffe on September 22, 2003 06:48 AMI loved the movie a lot and so did my two children and my sister child. We watched so much times and it still gets better.
Posted by: Amanda on January 9, 2004 05:58 PMI. JUST. LOVE. THIS. MOVIE. AND. THE. SEAGULLS!!!!!!!
Posted by: Aubrey on January 16, 2004 04:42 AMthis movie would have to be one of my all time favorites, ive seen it like hundreds of times and i just LOVE it. especially the parts with dory, because she is hilarious.
Posted by: ash/adam on January 24, 2004 10:50 AMI think that the movie was funny and awesome. Dory was so hillarious.I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed the movie and to tell Pixar to keep up the good work. See ya later.
Posted by: Zach Tarbell on February 3, 2004 01:11 PMFinding Nemo was the best Pixar movie yet. My older sister and I have watched it about 20 times and just love the DVD features and easter eggs like when Dory is traped in the TV. My sister has the whole movie memorized and can speak whale. Mooemooowaah. Dory this isn't whale your speaking like upset stomach. Maybe I should try humpback. No don't try humpback. WHOA!
Posted by: Steven Rodriguez on February 5, 2004 08:01 PM
o m g
this is the absoloute best movie and dory (eelen) is ablouly HILARIOUS.
this film rockz! the seagulls are hilarious i love em lol dory is like my best m8 huz blonde lol wot more can i say :P
Posted by: jodie brown on March 3, 2004 03:16 AMoh my gosh finding nemo is my favorite movie ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i've seen it 6 times and I can still watch it more!
Posted by: kelsey on March 6, 2004 04:20 PMThis is the best modern Disney's movie ever..
Dory is so.. me! :p
so cool..
i think finding nemo was ok, but when i came to want to find pictures of seagulls i could hardly find any!! this angered me so now i am writing this to complain to the seagulls!!!!
Posted by: bill on May 6, 2004 10:18 AMWhat I love about this movie is its universal appeal. I saw it for the first with my friend's family, and it was a great family film. The second time was on my college campus, and it was still packed FULL of people in their early 20's or late teens. I also have 2 young siblings and babysit for 2 children. This movie entrances the 1 yr-old! I have never seen a child that young watch an entire movie. My 5 year old sister has borrowed my dvd so many times that she quotes it... anyone who remembers the chase sequence when dory and marlin first met will understand when i say that 5 year olds have a wonderful habit of placing things out of context, so when she used that one on my father i had to bail her out and explain what she meant (silently giggled). This movie does not have the thickest plot and is not the most mentally stimulating, but i can confidently say that I know of no other movie likely to entertain a room full of people regardless of age or background so much as this movie can. So what if you know how it's going to end from the moment it starts (because it's a kids movie--the ending is bound to be happy). I know how my life will end too (i will die, oh darn), but i'm sticking around to see what happens in between!
Posted by: Hope on June 19, 2004 11:13 PMYup. This is a great movie. I have the DVD, and the extras are HILARIOUS.
love Dory doing her whale imitation!
And the pics are great here at Geekroar!!!!
i think this is a class web site
Posted by: amanda on July 13, 2004 03:32 AMi want to buy this film of nemo
Posted by: marwa on July 17, 2004 05:02 AMi think that finding nemo was awsome just the graphics were heaps good they were very animated and i just love how they spoke there voices were amazing and they souted the caracters.
Posted by: Tyarna on August 13, 2004 05:18 PMOMG I LOVE DORY SO MUCH I LOVE HER WAY TO MUCH!! SHE IS THE BEST CHARACTER THAT DISNEYS HAS EVER MADE.
Posted by: Ashley on September 11, 2004 05:34 AMFinding Nemo is the best movie for adults and kids alike since toy story Crush is AWESOME....................................................DUDE.
Posted by: mikel sparks on September 14, 2004 10:01 AMi loved this film so much that covered my bedroom with poster of finding nemo now you cant even see the walls
Posted by: vikki on September 18, 2004 11:47 PMit's an very entertaining movie i've ever seen. many jokes n many messages n it seems a live. wow, it's cool ^0^
Posted by: may on February 15, 2005 02:39 AMI loved this movie! I went to the theathers about 20 times to watch this movie!but i think that dory waz the most funniest one!
Posted by: Yvonne on May 9, 2005 09:59 PMi have seen Finding Nemo countless times and it just never gets old. It has been one of my favorite movies since it came out and that is over a year. i never get sick of watching it!
Posted by: Tiffany on June 17, 2005 02:08 PM
