Movie Review

Finding Nemo

By creating films like "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life," and "Monsters Inc.," Disney's Pixar animation has established itself as one of the most well respected studios in the world. With the exception of Dreamworks' "Shrek," the majority of animation smash hits in the last few years have come from this massive department.

The reason why this group (above all the others) has consistently impressed and delighted audiences is that they create fun, exciting, and surprisingly intelligent films that satisfy both children and adults. Personally, I've enjoyed the entire Pixar catalogue -- including all of their classic shorts -- and so when I walked into "Finding Nemo," their latest adventure, I went in with expectations for this new film to meet.

However high those expectations may have been, the film, a beautiful underwater spectacle, met them with ease and generosity. Like every great child?s movie, there are moments in ?Nemo? to laugh, moments to stare wide-eyed, and moments of heart -- all done very well. Essentially, all three of these types of moments are genuine, making it a well-rounded movie overall.

Following the disappearance (and presumed deaths) of his wife and kids to be, clownfish Marlin (voiced spot-on by Albert Brooks) must find it in himself to fight personal demons that haunt him. The only surviving fish, Nemo, is Marlin's cute and energetic only son, with whom he's extremely cautious. On his first day of school (reminiscent of any human event), the father worries about his son going off for the first time, and trails Nemo's class.

Just about when his son will give into a dare from one of his peers, Marlin bursts in to save him. This guidance, however, is ill taken by Nemo, who wants even more to rebel; he's sick of dad always holding him back. This rebellion leads to a terrifying outcome: he's caught by a passing scuba diver who takes him away, thus leaving the rest of the oceans and its many delightful inhabitants to find lost Nemo.

The premise is intentionally "cute," but the way in which it is approached is a fluid blend of wit and silliness. Other characters, such as Marlin's newfound pal Dory (perfectly voiced by Ellen DeGeneres), are a wave of spontaneous and often funny personalities to build upon the main father-son story. Dory, especially, helps introduce and reiterate a theme of friendship that's nicely woven throughout the film (and by many others as well).

She and Marlin may be near opposites, but each have a heart and need for one another, which is a very touching relationship, human or not. The bond these characters form with one another may be brief in some cases, but are meaningful nevertheless; the colorful characters are accented effortlessly with heart, and the way the crustaceans are portrayed visually is just as colorful and stunning as well.

Good values and morals work themselves into children's films no matter what it is, but some films force the material upon the audience, opposed to just allowing them to learn the lessons for themselves. "Finding Nemo" does an excellent job of the latter approach, easing into some pretty mature topics (especially the father-son relationship's twists that are applicable to any generation of men) and throwing in lines or moments, rather, that can give you goose-bumps or raise hairs on your body.

Being a son myself, it was especially meaningful that their relationship was close, yet there was a struggle, silently being tugged underneath the surface. Although the film is undeniably fun in nature, ulterior themes are worked in well to reach any audience member.

There may be many things to congratulate this film on (including the special effects, nothing shy of what "The Matrix Reloaded" achieved) but the spark isn't that bright all the time. The thing that attracts me to animated films most often is originality and creativity. Although "Nemo" is visually stunning and has characters and a story of heart, there isn't a whole lot here to justify labeling it as being excellent.

Unlike "Toy Story," which created an alternative universe, and "Shrek," who uniquely spoofed countless fables and so forth unblinking, this film often relies on the previously mentioned qualities to carry itself. There isn't anything that's necessarily missing in this adventure, but to be placed alongside better, more memorable animated adventures just doesn?t seem right to me. "Finding Nemo" is great in many respects, placing it ahead of a large number of children's films, and is equally good as the similar computer animated adventure, "Monsters Inc.," which too was very good, but (to me) cannot be regarded as being superior.

For all that it is, "Finding Nemo" is a delightful and heartfelt adventure. Being visually stunning, and emotionally and humorously compelling, there's little to argue: we have a fun movie here. I walked out of the theater with my previous expectations fulfilled, wanting to see the next Pixar film (being released November 2004) ? what more could I have asked for? Not much.

DVD Features:
- Turn your TV into a Virtual Aquarium with Amazing Animated Scenes from the Movie
- Filmmakers' Visual Commentary including Deleted Scenes and Recording Sessions
- Making Nemo: A Special Documentary Featuring Footage on the Creation of the Film
- Review the Art of Nemo Narrated by the Artists Themselves
- Exploring the Reef with Jean-Michel Cousteau and All your Nemo Friends
- Turn your TV into a Virtual Aquarium Including Never-Before-Seen Animation
- Discover the Classic Pixar Animation Studios Short Film Knick Knack
- The Incredibles - A Pixar Animation Studios Sneak Peek
- Play "Fisharades" with your Favorite School of Fish
- Learning Fun with Mr. Ray's Encyclopedia
- Pixar Animation Studios Takes Future Animators on a Behind-the-Scenes Tour
- Storytime Fun for the Young
- Widescreen
- Fullscreen

Audio Features:
- English, French, and Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround EX
- THX Certified

Stephen's Grade: B+

A	8.7%
B	43.5%
C	47.8%
D	0.0%
F	0.0%